Quote:
Originally Posted by Inkstain82
Individual examples do not prove a rule.
I would argue that the reason that America has such a wealth disparity is not because the poor aren't getting a fair shake, but for two other reasons:
1) Cultural trends that cause the "poor" to spend themselves into true poverty buying things they don't need
2) Our advanced economy, the largest in the world, provides more opportunities for meritocratic advance into the category of ultrarich.
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There's a lot of truth in these two statements.
There are rules for taking care of your money, which I think the rich and upwardly mobile understand and utilize. I think the concept that "hard work" is all you need to become rich is misleading. As someone pointed out, a lot of people work hard. The difference is how much control you have over what you make (and how much you spend).
I grew up in the Washington DC area which, arguably, is a pretty wealthy area. Recently, moved to an old steel town with a lot of poverty. For work, my wife goes into homes of poor people and notes that they basically have the same material things we do, they take care of multiple pets, and probably eat better than we do. We are comfortably middle class, but if we make way more than they do and they live a similar lifestyle then there's something that doesn't add up.
And it's true that there are more than enough opportunities to earn a living wage or better in this country. The unfortunate thing is that there's a lack of money management knowledge out there to boost people in the next social strata. I don't think it's that people who are poor are necessary lazy, I know a lot of lazy middle class and rich people who know just enough to stay where they are.
It's also not a question of fair. Because most of us have the ability to change our situation. Sometimes, it takes hard decisions to create change.
It's a question of whether or not you have the will power/discipline/courage to change?