2006-10-01 11:08:42 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Sociology
If you're talking on a mankind scale, it is far too involved a problem
for me to comment on.
But if you're talking about your own area/country:
Imagine, if everyone was given $500 to start life with.
By the end of the first week some would have only half left some none at all, and there would be those that have doubled (or better) their money.
This would happen for various reasons.
It's the way human nature works, fair or not it's just how it is.
2006-10-01 12:55:27 · answer #1 · answered by Yellowstonedogs 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The REAL reason is the following.
Just like everything in life, we must evaluate what we wish to judge or mark by comparing it to what we find around it.
20% as you say, or probobly quite a bit more than that, are considered "unwealthy" because we judge that mark on a bell curve system similar to grades in school.
If EVERYONE but you got an A and you got a C on a test -- you would have a terribly low score. If you got that same C and everyone else in the class failed you'd have a high score. The way we judge the value of your score (or the wealth of one person) is by comparing it to the samples we find around it.
In America, it is safe to say that -- disregaurding the homelss -- everyone here is more wealthy than those in many other developing and third world countries that consider themselves wealthy.
We will never have 0% poverty levels, because as we keep improving life there will always be people who are below the average, even if the average is very high. Cost of living throughout the US is quite high, so getting by under the average is sometimes difficult. But in the grand scheme of things, most people in the US are extremely finantially secure.
2006-10-01 18:22:36 · answer #2 · answered by Tonx 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How do you gauge poor? Most people remain in a poor standard of living because their mind is trained that way. They do not understand the sacrifice (like forego the cable tv) or are unwilling to improve themselves to improve their standard of living. You can tell this is true by someone born poor with the right attitude find a way, somehow, to get out of their enviroment and make themselves better off.
2006-10-01 22:25:23 · answer #3 · answered by obenypopstar 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because their families before them are poor OR the person chooses not to get a well-paying job or education (high school drop outs).
2006-10-01 18:16:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you have 5 people on an island,a farmer,a carpenter,close maker,horse grower and a shoe maker.they trade their stock for stock so they can survive.one day a man came in a boat and said i have gold and i can make paper for you to trade with,it is light and easy to exchange,we will call it money.everybody liked that ,so the man gave them $200.00 each and said because of his services they will pay $50.00 each to him.the total on the island is $1000.00 and they owe the man $1200.00.WE will call it the interest and it does not exist,there is $200.00 not there so each guy will have to charge the other extra for stocks and one of them will be poor or bankrupt.that is why there is poor people ,because of the interest that is nowhere to be found.i hope you understand.
2006-10-01 18:45:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I mentioned earlier in the other question :
CHOICES.... WE ALL get to make choices everyday, some just make the wrong choices and refuse to learn from them.
I CHOOSE to have money. I came from a very poor family and I refuse to live that way.... MY CHOICE !!!!
2006-10-01 19:09:07 · answer #6 · answered by Kitty 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋