Defend, Refute or Redefine.....?

Question

Poverty is the result of the lack of individual ambition

Answer 1

Paris Hilton is the definition of ambition and we all know her overwhelming drive is the reason she is rich. We are becoming a plutocracy where those that are the members of the lucky sperm club become wealthy. I guarantee the majority of the people who claim to be wealthy because of hard work and hard work alone do not understand the reality of their situation. There is not one person who has become wealthy with out help. The laws that exist were created by people in the past, the infrastructure both physical and legal were paid for by people in the past. I know many people who are wealth and self made but they would never have been able to achieve their level of success had they been born in Watts or East St. Louis. I have worked in Jordan High in Watts and surviving is the challenge that those children face. They do not have the luxury of worrying about algebra much less calculus. It is not that they are lazy if that was true then 90% of the worlds population is lazy because they live in poverty.

Answer 2

I think redefine...as there are lots of folks with individual ambition who never achieve wealth.

The causes of poverty are simply limited to individual ambition. I am sure there are some ambitious folks who had the misfortune to be born in Somalia or Chad or a host of dead end societies.

It's really too easy to always lay a person's economic standing on his own lack of initiative.

I wish it were that simple...I myself have worked my butt off for 20 years in my career and am a long way from easy street.

Guess it's my own dang fault...

I always heard it said that it's better to be lucky than good....might be some truth to that.

Answer 3

The type of poverty you speak of is self imposed poverty. That is a small percentage of overall poverty. Other reasons for poverty include;

capitalism itself, which can lead to a class of rich and poor.

Poor, failed, or absence of an infrastructure.

Government corruption

lack of functioning democracy

natural disasters

health problems

lack of education

lack of social skills

the list goes on and on. The definition you provided is a very simplistic view of poverty

Answer 4

In the US,poverty IS an individuals's failure to set a goal. without a goal thereis no plan no path to pursue...
Wanting to be xxxx ("rich" xx life style, "famous"
...etc" produces nothing ..
A goal to DO XX requires action-
ACTION -->usually means less hang time,less play time (computer/video/ other interactive pastimes or socializing
TOO many whine and wish for that giant plasma TV or a "good paying" job with out a moronic boss.. and watch as life passes them by because they never jumped into the business of "life"....business is doing work,getting the skills and seeking one's goal..

Poverty is not simply lack of a giant income ...
Most of the people in Ameica have never seen real poverty.where there is no opportunity.
In the USA,people think they r poor because they "dont got" as much as their neighbor or they blow their $$on something that will impress someone ....(I dont want my kid going to school in cheap sneakers, we have to have the XXX brand of XXX or premium cable service because.. what will they think of us if we have no name wineglasses on the table and cheap wine or our 8 yrs old doesnt have their own IPOD...
It kinda makes you wonder how the poor pioneers way out on the prarie managed without their gov subsidized housing,food ,and medical coverage... Do you think there were street riots or peoplc camped out waiting for the new shipment to the general store???
who would get the new material to make into a
showpiece dress/skirt or buy up one of those new "better" plows, or fancy china..
There were- like today -always SOME seething in the wings because xxx got the new red material or xx got the chain that doesnt rust or
.....
Assistance to those in need--> helps people who due to a setback or a weather event that destrpoys their property or ability to secure an income simply need a boost to get them thru the immediate difficulty...These people have no desire or intent of simply whining forever and demanding people "help them" because a "bad event" occurred in THEIR life.

Many of the "poor" in the USA are poor by design or CHOOSE to demand or collect aid because it is easier and less annoying than actually having to get up, go out and work or bend ones brain having to learn something new ..
Poverty is a general term. If it's an income defination then what about those that "cheat" their income? the unreported "tips" and perks of the poor hairdressers,barkeeps, waitresses waiters,Spa attendents, promo hostesses,general laborers, etc
If its a self defined issue then everyone is poorer than the richest guy in the world...
Maybe we should all remember that in the USA education is free,training and other opportunities exist so everyone can choose to pursue their goals...everyone's degree of success will vary BUT one must have the determination and desire to achieve....
living one's "life" off the largess of others's charity or government handouts is a miserable path which if chosen seeds additional misery as their embittered outlook is always focuses on what they "dont got".

Answer 5

Agreed

Answer 6

No that is incorrect.

There are subtle and not so subtle ways of maintaining the status quo of societal classes. To claim poverty is solely in the hands of the impoverished is to deny what is readily apparent to anyone paying even the slightest bit of attention to the world around them.

Answer 7

It's really a desire for minimalism and a reason not to wear ugly Louis Vuitton bags.

Answer 8

True

Answer 9

Or really bad luck