I don't put much thought into poor adults, Most are fat, lazy, and douchey. (some are cool as fuck obviously and just victims of circumstance)
The only thing that bothers me about poor people is that the mutherfuckers can't quit reproducing. There isn't much that's more heart breaking than seeing a kid growing up with poor as fuck parents who shouldn't have had kids, and aren't even smart enough to teach them anything. I grew up with an alcoholic mother and I was the poor kid in class. Holy shit theres nothing worse. I remember just wanting to have a can of pepsi and I was almost scolded for having asked. Poor adults can deal with shit, kids have no choice and suffer. There should be financial requirement for having kids.
This is a provocative idea, but ultimately misguided. Obviously, poor people should not be having twelve kids, but the fact is most people do their best work when they are highly motivated. There is no greater motivation than want and deprivation. Some examples:
• think about some of your favorite, most successful, musicians. Most of them do their “best” work early in their careers because that is when they are most “hungry” for success. Later, when they become wealthy, they become lazy, less creative, less dedicated. There are exceptions, of course, but this is a common pattern.
• I come from a family of immigrants; the kids in my generation are illustrative. Four of us grew up in the US; two grew up in England. The four of us who grew up in the U.S. were all raised in very modest circumstances. No one would have wanted to trade places with us. Today, all four of us have graduate degrees and most people would consider us very successful. Even with a doctorate I am considered the slacker in the family. Through luck and pluck, my uncle in England became well to do rather quickly. His two kids had everything growing up, but today the rest of us consider them losers: they have no education, no professional careers, no life or future one would want to trade places with.
• most immigrants are dirt poor when they come to America, but they often excel far beyond those born here. Tom is one such example
http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=281208.0One of the neighbors I went to school with came from a family of immigrants. They were very poor and had eight children. Life was a struggle for them. Today, each of those kids is a huge success. One is a physician, one a pharmacist, one a teacher (who also owns and manages an apartment building), one is a pro football player (Indianapolis Colts), etc. Every one of them is a success!
There is a danger in having things come too easy or having too much material success (especially early in life). Having to work for things builds character. Are poor kids really suffering? Does a child “suffer” when he gets an inoculation or are his parents doing him a favor that he is simply not in a position to appreciate? Going through lean year is a valuable character building experience when it is guided by responsible parenting.
Note, obviously, there is a difference between being “poor” in the US (where being poor means you can’t have the lasted toy, iPod, or designer clothes) and being “poor” in a third world country with no basic infrastructure like running water, electricity, or a roof over your head. Most Americans do not know what real poverty is.
