Wide Gaps in Opinions on why people are poor

[Street Knowledge]

When it comes to the question of why people are poor, less than half (46%) of those surveyed said that circumstances beyond one’s control were more often to blame while 38% said an individual’s lack of effort was more to blame. About one-in-ten (11%) cited both factors. In addition, 65% believed that most poor people in the U.S. do work but were unable to earn enough money. Just 23% said the poor do not work.

There are sharp ideological divides on both those findings.

Democrats said by a 61% to 24% margin that circumstances beyond one person’s control were primarily to blame for them being poor. Republicans took the opposite view: 57% blamed individuals who were poor for lack of effort compared with 28% who said it was due to circumstances beyond their control.

On the question of being able to earn enough money on the job, 89% of liberal Democrats and 78% of moderate and conservative Democrats said poor people work but do not earn enough money. But only about half (53%) of moderate and liberal Republicans agreed. Conservative Republicans were evenly divided: 43% said the poor do in fact work but cannot earn enough while 40% said most poor people do not work.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/12/05/americans-see-growing-gap-between-rich-and-poor/

 

[88m3]

chilling

 

[Street Knowledge]

50 percent of white men said its a lack of effort, But only 34 percent of white women said the same

28 percent of Republicans said circumstances, while 61 percent of democrats said circumstances

 

[Mr. Somebody]

How could everyone be rich. Doesnt the system we live in by its nature Need people to be poor? Otherwise the jobs that pay the least would all be run by the elderly and children.

 

[DEAD7]

How could everyone be rich. Doesnt the system we live in by its nature Need people to be poor? Otherwise the jobs that pay the least would all be run by the elderly and children.

Every system has poor people. Not sure what you are getting at with this "our system" stuff.

 

[Brown_Pride]

way to boil down a complex issue like poverty into a 2 answer question. Particularly when one of your answers is "Lack of effort", particularly when poor paying jobs are some of the hardest. Shyt is a joke.

 

[Mr. Somebody]

Every system has poor people. Not sure what you are getting at with this "our system" stuff.

Not really. I went to Holland and i didnt see any homeless people. I asked a cab driver who was of Mexican descent, where are the homeless are and he said.

*we dont have that here, this isnt america. *

 

[Chris.B]

most people have kids out of wedlock.


There will always be poor people in every system.
Capitalism gives them the best shot to move up spare me the liberal garbage.

 

[Yapdatfool]

How could everyone be rich. Doesnt the system we live in by its nature Need people to be poor? Otherwise the jobs that pay the least would all be run by the elderly and children.

The system needs balance. A good % of rich, middle and poor to sustain itself.

 

[Blackking]

The system needs balance. A good % of rich, middle and poor to sustain itself.

Does it need increasing wealth gaps and the top 2% to holding most of the wealth?

Would a real balance crush the 'system'?

 

[Robbie3000]

Not really. I went to Holland and i didnt see any homeless people. I asked a cab driver who was of Mexican descent, where are the homeless are and he said.

*we dont have that here, this isnt america. *

There is a real problem with lack of empathy for the working poor in this country. I think a lot of disdain for poor people is based atleast partly on race. There is less inclination to Empathize with the poor because there exists an erroneous belief that poor people = lazy black or Hispanic people.

Many European countries don't suffer from the same racial hangups so they tend to provide better social services to their people. Although they may start experiencing problems given the growing number of Muslims migrating to Europe.

 

[Yapdatfool]

Does it need increasing wealth gaps and the top 2% to holding most of the wealth?

No it doesn't. I hope you didn't insinuate that being what I meant. Cause that isn't what I meant at all. Because that isn't balance.

 

[DEAD7]

Not really. I went to Holland and i didnt see any homeless people. I asked a cab driver who was of Mexican descent, where are the homeless are and he said.

*we dont have that here, this isnt america. *

Bigger safety net, no military power I ain't mad at them, but thats a trade off i wouldnt make.

 

[Mr. Somebody]

Bigger safety net, no military power I ain't mad at them, but thats a trade off i wouldnt make.

So you are in bed with demons.

 

[DEAD7]

So you are in bed with demons.

If it wasnt for those "demons", those in the Netherlands would be speaking German...