[Jeff Logan]

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer because the rich exploit and manipulate the poor. Have you been a victim of these inequities?

Jeff :eek:

[saraispiel19]

yes it's so tough -- i don't know whαt to do with αll my money--teehee:p

K αll jokes αside: most of the time the poor αre getting "poorer" becαuse they don't try to improve themselves (educαtion, moving somewhere else.. etc)- some poor people stαy on welfαre αnd enjoy getting pαid by the government αnd do nothing-- this comes out of our tαxes.

αnd yes I know most poor people don't just sit αround, they work hαrd. if it's not to "frαud" the government it's not knowing αny money-mαnαgement skills; which result in getting into debt.

αs for the rich, yes they do tαke "αdvαntαge" yet αgαin here is where money-mαnαgement comes in

Insteαd of moping on how they're "ripping us off" you should think of "how to become successful αs they αre"--tαkes sαcrifice but everyone cαn mαke it.. think of "the pursuit of hαppines"(the movie)-- greαt exαmple.

[saraispiel19]

Yes it is used in the food industry αnd for toys, movies, clothes.. etc. it's αll αbout mαrketing αnd how people tαke it-- most people I've gotten to know don't pαy αttention to this propαgαndα -- like it sαid it's how you tαke it.. some live by the books getting the must-hαves αnd others live their own wαy..

Not everything is αbout explotαtion jeff-- the government/ mediα isn't "out to get us"

[excon]

Hello Jeff:

Well, I've been rich, and I've been poor. Rich is better.

However, when I was rich, I didn't get that way by exploiting anybody. All I did was offer people a good product at a good price and they bought it - lots of it. Plus, I hired a lot of poor people to help me and they made money too.

That doesn't mean everybody is as wonderful as me. But, at the level I was working on, I made more money by NOT exploiting anybody than I would have if I did.

I agree with you, however. The game is rigged for the super wealthy.

excon

[tomder55]

I used to think that way . Then I decided to use my freedoms and liberties that I am endowed and blessed with living in a free capitalist society ;apply my work ethic and individualism to secure myself and my family financially . In short I decided instead of complaining to do something about it .

[Emland]

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer because the rich exploit and manipulate the poor. Have you been a victim of these inequities?

Jeff :eek:

Can you give an example of this exploitation?


I can tell you about the working poor at the company I work for. New hires with no experience get paid above minimum at $8/hr. This still isn't enough to live on, but the hard truth is that the job takes few skills and most employees can be trained to do it in very little time.

I believe many people that are poor end up that way because they make incredibly bad decisions. Our company offers health insurance - the company pays 60% of the premium. Only 20% of those eligible take advantage of it because they claim they can't afford it. They can afford cigarettes, a new purse and/or shoes every week and to go partying every weekend, but can't manage to find $20 a week to pay for their insurance.

We have a young single mother who I have been trying to talk into signing up for our 401k program. I explained that if she contributed only $5 a week - the company would also contribute $5 a week and although that sounds like peanuts - after a year it is $520. When you are in your early 20s - that little bit adds up over time. But no, she can't afford to give a couple packs of cigarettes for that. Even fewer of those eligible take advantage of our 401k program.

Many are poor because they p!ssed away 12 years of free education. They come out of school dumb and proud of it and then are so dismayed that they can't walk into a 40k a year job. I have encouraged fellow workers to examine online degrees and/or trade schools. They have dozens of reasons they can't. There are so many grants and financial aid programs available that no one will be denied an education that wants it and it WILLING TO WORK for it.

I have a sister that I guess could be considered poor. She is constantly having to find a way to keep her electricity on and her landlord off her back. She is a writer - and barely eeks out a living doing that. She remarked to me once "I could have a nice house and stuff like yours if I was willing to work an office job - I just don't want to." She has made her choice. I don't work because I love the job. I do so to provide for my family and to make sure my disabled son doesn't become a burden on his family or society once I am gone. I would love to stay at home and paint, or play video games or write poetry, but I don't because my obligations are important to me.

I am sure there are exceptions, but I truly don't believe anyone is poor because a rich person exploited them.

[Squiffy]

My partners father is very rich. He is rich because he worked his butt off getting the best education he could and using his money wisely, and building a fantastic career for himself. He hasn't exploited people to get where he is, or maintain his wealth. I think it is easy for the poorer folks to blame the rich for having their wealth, and themselves being poor than accepting that many a time is it largely due to their own lack of ambition and laziness. I am not rich, far from it, but I do spend the money I get wisely, I don't drink, I don't smoke and I don't spend a fortune on clothes and going out, so the little money I have I get to spend on nice things and a good life for my kids, and save a little for lifes unexpected surprises. I don't have debt and I don't blame the wealthier people for me being less wealthy. If I wanted more money no one is stoppping me going out and getting a better job, itsa about making the right decisions not expecting everyone else to look after you.

[michealb]

The poor are better off now than they ever have been in the history of the world. In America you not longer have people starving in the streets, dying from easily prevented diseases. Life for poor in America is better and continues to get better.

On a side note of why are poor people poor. The answer is someone has to be. We have not gotten to a point that resources are such that everyone can have as much as they want. Even if we did have unlimited resources people would make something that was limited just so we could have rich and poor. So someone who is smarter, works harder, or just plain has better luck will have more.

[JimGunther]

Look at all the money Bill Gates has. Yet how many poor people buy computers and computer software. There are obviously other ways to get rich than by exploiting the poor-they can't spend much money anyway, by definition.