Posted by cccp1014 on 2/22/2018 4:50:00 PM (view original):
Posted by tangplay on 2/22/2018 4:47:00 PM (view original):
CCCP likes to make the argument that one needs to do three things to stay out of poverty:
1. Graduate
2. Get a job
3. Don't be a single parent
This is not true. The national poverty rate is 14%. Employment is at 96%, graduation is at 80%, and 71% of kids live in multiple parent families. There is a 54% chance that someone in America has done all 3 things, meaning that 40% of Americans (137 million people) have not done all of these things and yet are not in poverty. meanwhile, the chance that one has done none of these things is at 0.02% (60,000 people). So most people in poverty have done at least one of these things.
His main source is a 2013 report from Brookings.edu, which claims that "Our research shows that of American adults who followed these three simple rules, only about 2?percent are in poverty". So by my calculations, 130 million adults follow those three rules, and so according to Brookings's own numbers, around 2.5 million American adults follow these three rules, and STILL are in poverty. That's the entire population of Kansas! 432 of these people live in my town alone, it would actually be more unlikely that I DIDN'T know one of these people. 6% of the American poor follows these three rules, and are still in poverty.
In conclusion, the three rules are good rules to live by, and that is common sense. However, to make the argument that those three things will keep people out of poverty without fail is laughable. Brookings even says that other factors are at play. This claim simply does nothing to prove that institutional racism does not exist.
Of course its not guaranteed but it is a great start.Of the 2.5mil how many have drinking or drug problems? How many are just bad with money? How many are gambling addicts? There is NO institutional racism!!! Each case needs to be studied on its own merits.
If there aren't any jobs in Kansas then MOVE!!!
No way to measure that, Comrade. Many factors, many, many factors. We can spend all day listing all this out. My point was that just listing out good life tips doesn't prove anything. No one said anything about black people being poor SOLELY because of institutional racism. Would you agree that as a whole, black people are worse off?
You are mostly arguing for the existence of generational poverty, which I agree with. Now, if only we could see who was primarily poor in the 60's... I wonder....
The idea of uprooting an entire family to move to a place where you have no connections is crazy. My dad would argue that connections, relationships, and allies are the most important factor in getting out of poverty.
I would also like to remind you that Brooking's study was about staying out of poverty, NOT getting out from where you started... I would wager that that 2% was primarily from families that started in poverty..