« "What the world needs, lest we forget, is a contemporary example of Communism in action." | Main | Bayonet's "Global Warming Hoax Weekly Round-Up" is now available »
July 21, 2011
Jay-Z: "One of the reasons inequality gets so deep in this country is that everyone wants to be rich. "
Poor people don’t like talking about poverty because even though they might live in the projects surrounded by other poor people and have, like, ten dollars in the bank, they don’t like to think of themselves as poor. It’s embarrassing. [...] The burden of poverty isn’t just that you don’t always have the things you need, it’s the feeling of being embarrassed every day of your life, and you’d do anything to lift that burden. -- mark larson | Decoded (review)
Posted by Vanderleun at July 21, 2011 11:55 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
“The burden of poverty isn’t just that you don’t always have the things you need, it’s the feeling of being embarrassed every day of your life, and you’d do anything to lift that burden.”
Bullshit! “Doing anything” must exclude getting a job, acting responsible, treating people the way you want to be treated…
I’d say there aren’t enough embarrassed folks. That being poor, living off of others peoples money, knocking up young women, multiple times…is just fine with many, many poor people.
Posted by: tim at July 21, 2011 12:38 PM
Tim, you pretty much summed it up nice and tidy.
Posted by: Cilla Mitchell, Galveston Texas at July 21, 2011 12:47 PM
Let's be honest.. it's more likely about an entire community of Americans not wanting to admit standards matter. Full stop. But if we say that, we're racist, not Jay-Z and other stinking rich black celebrities who flaunt their wealth and promote reckless materialism and anti-establishment.. until they are the establishment. Then, they start preaching.
Posted by: RedCarolina at July 21, 2011 1:10 PM
Yeah, being poor, on welfare in Vermont is a $43,000/year gig. It is after you add up all the benefits from housing to health care to food to loot for the kids.
There's cab fare to go shopping for food (yes, there is) to go to the clinic for that Demerol shot, to pick up the kid from head start. Take a bus? Not on your life, that makes your self-esteem quotient drop.
There's money for cigs and beer but never enough for the birth control. WOW! Now's that work?
Posted by: Peccable at July 21, 2011 1:40 PM