What is so civilised about leaving the poor to rot?

Question

civilised

adjective
1. having a high state of culture and development both social and technological; "terrorist acts that shocked the civilized world" [syn: civilized] [ant: noncivilised]
2. marked by refinement in taste and manners; "cultivated speech"; "cultured Bostonians"; "cultured tastes"; "a genteel old lady"; "polite society" [syn: civilized]
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/civilised

Answer 1

I grew up poor and my parents were the hardest working people I have ever known. The idea that the poor are "lazy slobs" has infiltrated the soft tissue of Republican brains, caused by listening to silly Talk Radio commentators who, when caught in misdeeds, stop talking politics for awhile and call themselves "entertainers."

The poor do not choose to be poor. They are caught by circumstance, by situations beyond their control...by illness, by other problems. My parents lost their farm when my mother's brother defaulted on a loan and disappeared. Then they rented a home which burned down, taking all of their possessions with it, but somehow, they managed to save every one of their twelve children.

Poverty is a pit that is difficult to dig out of without a little help. You can work your fanny off as a ditchdigger and, at the end of it all, you might pay your rent, but you'll still be a ditchdigger.

I am always amused at those who say that the poor need to get jobs and support themselves. Visit the ghetto and count the jobs. We have thousands of young Blacks who are unemployed and have no hope of being employed. Educated Whites can't find jobs, so how can poor Blacks do so? How many factories or companies are being built in the ghettos of our cities? How many new schools, to educate the children and just maybe help them lift themselves out of poverty?

It's easy to judge other people with a blanket observation that covers it all with a little cynicism or even hatred. It isn't so easy to live that life yourself. If the Limbaugh devotees were plunked down in the ghettos for a year or so, they might understand what poverty is all about.

It takes more than a church dinner to combat poverty. It takes social programs and education. If Bush had poured the Iraq reconstruction money into our ghettos, we might have millions fewer poor folks!

Answer 2

It is very uncivilized to allow the poor to rot. But, you have to take into consideration every available avenue that is take to assist and help the "poor" what is your definition of poor everyone is different. Many people consider themselves poor but are truly middle of the road. If we are speaking about homelessness then there are several government programs to assist but the problem is there is not enough workers to aid all of the "poor". If you are speaking of those who live on welfare and government assistance there are many programs out there to assist them as well. As far as the homeless veterans not making bad choices that is not true either. If you are medically discharged from the military the issue you were discharged for is covered 100% by the VA and if your disability is 30% or over they will offer you what is called voacational rehablitation where they will pay in full college tuition, books, fees and other necesites so you have the skills needed to make it. Those militarty homeles sure I agree there are a few that slipped through the cracks but they made some bad choices as well by not taking the assistance that was offered.

Answer 3

Interesting question, and I can only answer with that does not happen in AMerica, in fact in the last six years or so the gap between the First quintile in income has risen faster than the fifth, which means simply that poor are closing the gap on the rich very rapidly, pretty soon they will be in the middle class and the democrats will have to change the numbers so they will have someone to pander to in the class warfare.

I see your stalking buddy is here today senor, what is sage socialist advice?

Answer 4

Where are you from anyway....obviously not from these great united states! If you were, you would know that we offer more to our poor (and other countrys' poor) than probably any other nation in the world. There is NOTHING civilized about leaving the poor to "rot" as you say....where did that even come from? Unfortunately (and sadly), we do have homeless and indigent people here (as do all nations), but its virtually impossible to accomodate each and every one of them. But try we do!

Answer 5

Everyone one I know personally is one paycheck away from being homeless. Our govt has never been truly concerned about the poor, because our govt leaders have never been in the position to understand being poor.
There are only two classes in this country: the truly needy and the truly greedy.

Answer 6

I ask myself the same question when I see Americans that are Hungry, Homeless-living and sleeping on the side walks, No jobs (those that are educated and uneducated) and we take in illegals and support them. This is a major concern.

Answer 7

I guess you would need to ask the Mexican government or one of the Muslim countries, they are good at that leaving their people to rot. maybe one day they will advance like America and tax the working people to death, so they can give it a way to those who will not work and who love to keep producing one illegitimate child after another.

Answer 8

Seems to me that the US does more to help its poor than any other Nation does. Its most likely why we get so many illegals and North Korea does not.

Answer 9

We should do all we can to empower the poor to better their situation, but providing more handouts would do the opposite. We don't want to create dependency. We want to foster independence and self reliance. Those who are unwilling to do their part to succeed do not deserve help.

Answer 10

Here are some quotes from civilized leaders. Draw your own conclusions.



"If I were reincarnated I would wish to be returned to earth as a killer virus to lower human population levels." -Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh, leader of The World Wildlife Fund" and father of Prince Charles)

"I got the impression that instead of going out to shoot birds, I should go out and shoot the kids who shoot birds." -Paul Watson (founder of Greenpeace).

"The world has cancer, and that cancer is man." -Merton Lambert, (former spokesman for the Rockefeller Foundation).

"We, in the green movement, aspire to a cultural model in which killing a forest will be considered more contemptible and more criminal than the sale of 6-year-old children to Asian brothels." - Carl Amery (German Greens).

"The human race could go extinct, and I for one, would not shed any tears." - Dave Foreman (founder of Earth First!).

"A Total population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal." -Ted Turner (media mogul and United Nations advocate).