One other thing causing poverty in America.

[OzmO]

Economic policy and education certainly are main contributors but i think a BIG contributor is:

Our current culture influenced by the entertainment/media industry.

Look at many of the popular hip hop songs, the heroes that ARE push on us, and the media figures we idolize in music and even sometimes in sports


We see the finished product.  We see the talented musician on the Grammys and think "wow" that person is so talented, but what we don't see is the hours they spend alone practicing hard day and night in the early parts of their lives.

Music tells int he lyrics about getting rich quick, robbing, killing, scoring the big contract etc....   nothing about hard work.

I work with people 18-26 all day long, most don't know the vallue of hard work, and the time you must spend to succeed at anything.  In the 30's we had the depression, you had to work hard to eat, and those childeren of the depression took that work ethic into the 50's and 60's  and now we lost that in the 90's and 2000's. 

We are encourage by our society to not to work hard. We think success is something that just happens.  It's not.  It happens through long hours of hard work towards a worth while goal. 

Many people at the poverty level  don't know the value of hard work and saving money and our society isn't encouraging it.

[Camel Jockey]

Right on ozmo.

But what can we do to change or get rid of this media influenced culture?

[24KT]

Teaching children proper values from the start.

[24KT]

We see the finished product.  We see the talented musician on the Grammys and think "wow" that person is so talented, but what we don't see is the hours they spend alone practicing hard day and night in the early parts of their lives.

This was one of my biggest peeves with the way Honey was edited. The script was brilliant, but in the end, they cut out all the struggle Jessica's character had gone through. They cut out all the hours of practice those kids put in without rehearsal space... practicing on the subway platforms in between trains etc., etc., All the conflict, all the blood, sweat, and tears were removed. {sigh}

[Oldschool Flip]

Concequently, a high percentage of people who win or receive large sums of money, which they never earned, blow it and end up broke again. Since there was no SWEAT or HARD WORK behind it, it's no wonder it happens alot.

[Dos Equis]

Concequently, a high percentage of people who win or receive large sums of money, which they never earned, blow it and end up broke again. Since there was no SWEAT or HARD WORK behind it, it's no wonder it happens alot.

This is true.  This is why many professional athletes are unable to handle their sudden wealth.  Many of them have no life training and become overnight millionaires.  It's a recipe for disaster.