How Poor People Survive in the USA – DW Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHDkALRz5Rk

by ycombonator • 7 years ago

23 5 7 years ago

This week I’ve made a comment on social media, about exclusive games making the market worse for everyone but console manufacturers. I expected it to become unnoticed, but then an angry rando walks up to me and tells me that ‚If I‘m poor‘ (I’m not, he couldn’t know, and he made it sound as if I am a bad person if I was) I ‚should f*cking work and not play games‘, and that having multiple consoles is no option only for people with ‚low economic standards‘.

Even the burned out former bay area software engineer in that documentary seems to have been living with stereotypes about homeless people. Unfortunately this only changed after becoming homeless himself.

This added an observation to a long-term curiosity why many US people seem to forcefully ignore all the homeless people on their streets while claiming to be Christian. Completely brainwashed by unquestioned and unrestricted capitalism.

There was a similar documentary about poverty and US people having 3 jobs a few weeks ago and that comment section was full of non-US people wondering why everybody is just accepting this situation. Why there aren’t massive protests. Thought about this when seeing how that single mother was forcefully evicted with 1 day notice out of her house of 7 years, and just accepted the situation.

thereticent• 7 years ago

We (in the US) are taught that we deserve our financial situations. And we really do believe it.

stevenicr• 7 years ago

'Why there aren’t massive protests.' - seriously there should be, in the form of not shopping / spending money / supporting places that are not paying a living wage to employees.

Which varies from local to locale - although in many areas it's very hard not to shop at walmart, since in some places they have put all other similar food / hardware / basic needs places out of business for miles and miles.

Sadly Kroger and even though target is paying more than many places, still only pays about half a living wage in my area.

With this, people are just accepting that there will be people living 10 people to a house, sleeping in basements / couch surfing - not able to afford basic medical and dental care.. and we are supporting it when we shop at places that pay like they do.

Some people have more choice than others, so mass protest is not easy.

I'm sure there are more ways to tackle the issue - doing housing that is cheaper and food too - basic things. I'd like to see more affordable dental options and healthcare as well. There are many forces against these things however, and they have the high ground.

itsnotsobad75• 7 years ago

The real reason there aren't massive protests is because the truth is the situation isn't nearly as dire as the clickbait and propaganda would have people believe.

If people were actually being evicted on 1 day notice, there would be mass protests. In reality, evicting someone who doesn't pay their rent takes months and a significant amount of time and effort for the person renting out the apartment. People love to claim that they "work 2 jobs" to get by, omitting that their 2 jobs only add up to 30 hours a week of work.

The US has tons of problems that could be improved - lower-cost housing options, changes to healthcare, not letting 18 year olds go deeply into debt for degrees with no real value, but it's not nearly as bad as the people trying to manipulate the American populace would have one believe.

cia-killer• 7 years ago

They should interview me

How Poor People Survive in the USA – DW Documentary

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