Why is there hatred for the poor?

[Azrael]

Ok, I've decided to ask the flip question to the "Why the hate for rich people?" thread. Why do so many people demonize the those inflicted by poverty, blaming them for the current credit crisis, government deficits, and the country's healthcare woes?

Personally, I think the poor make easy targets - it's easy to say welfare spending is bankrupting America instead of taking a hard look at military spending, corporate bailouts, or fraud/waste/abuse. It's easy to blame the poor for the subprime crisis and ignore the absolute greed and short-sightedness of the financial sector. It's easy to say that the poor are destroying America's healthcare system and ignore the fact that many of the working poor cannot afford healthcare. It's easy to demonize all poor people for being lazy/on drugs/criminals when the majority actually do work, just in low-skilled jobs with no benefits. There's also never any mention of the lingering affects of racism, or that in a global economy glutted with cheap labor, it's not that easy anymore to pull yourself up by your bootstraps.

Anyhow, interested in your comments.

[Sean]

Well i think that the hatred runs along the lines of when a person sees someone who's homeless, the come up with the thought that they did it to themselves. And if you give them money they'll just spend it on alcohol. So I think it's all just stereotypical.

[Dogenzaka]

I don't hate the poor.

Though I will say, people have to be thankful that in countries like the U.S., you have a public educational system where if you work hard enough and want something bad enough you can get educated and get a good-paying job and make money to support yourself. You are not denied the right to education through high school, unlike many countries. And from there, there are so many universities and job opportunities and study paths that you can take, it's unbelievable. You can always build upon what you started with.

I think about where I came from, and unless you were a rich snob and could afford private Catholic school, you simply didn't go to school, and had no hope. No public education. No government help. No loans. Nothing.

Therefore, I'm very thankful for our educational opportunities in the U.S., and it's sad some of the gangbanger high-school drop outs don't see that and take advantage of them.

[Iridium]

Well i think that the hatred runs along the lines of when a person sees someone who's homeless, the come up with the thought that they did it to themselves. And if you give them money they'll just spend it on alcohol. So I think it's all just stereotypical.

It pretty much is stereotypical as not everyone who is poor or homeless had the opportunity to better their lives. Life isn't fair, and there are those who do suffer things that they don't rightfully deserve. Sadly, some can't see that and they'd rather look at them in a negative manner. I can see why since a good deal of "the help" so to speak, inflicted this upon themselves through bad decisions. Though that's not a majority of the lower class it's almost impossible to pick between the bums and the helpless.

[∞]

Eh, they had an opportunity to do better for themselves, and they didn't take it. Something along those lines.

[Watson]

People seem to believe they're lazy jackasses who deserve their current lives because they didn't try hard enough.

To those people, I respectfully disagree.

[Azrael]

Originally Posted by ∞

Eh, they had an opportunity to do better for themselves, and they didn't take it. Something along those lines.

A conservative Republican philosophy I do may say so myself without considering other factors in the US socio-economic class structure which prevents social mobility.

[∞]

Originally Posted by Sa'id

A conservative Republican philosophy I do may say so myself without considering other factors in the US socio-economic class structure which prevents social mobility.

I am well aware of pre-existing factors that might make easier or harder the efforts of individuals to lead a 'good' life. I still say that everyone has an opportunity to make something good of themselves, however small.

[Azrael]

Originally Posted by ∞

I am well aware of pre-existing factors that might make easier or harder the efforts of individuals to lead a 'good' life. I still say that everyone has an opportunity to make something good of themselves, however small.

It's not an equal chance of success although there is technically "equal" opporunity.

The wealth is mostly concentrated on those who inherit it.

[∞]

Neither was I talking about equal opportunities in terms of quality or number, but there always is an opportunity.

[Azrael]

Originally Posted by ∞

Neither was I talking about equal opportunities in terms of quality or number, but there always is an opportunity.

Very true Jezza.

Yet not every opporunity will lead to success.

[∞]

Originally Posted by Sa'id

Very true Jezza.

Yet not every opporunity will lead to success.

With enough properly-directed effort it can.

[Azrael]

Originally Posted by ∞

With enough properly-directed effort it can.

Sadly such an effort has not yet occured in the USA that I know of nationwide.

[∞]

That's why it was with enough and properly-directed. Those two things have yet to come together successfully anywhere in the world.

[Home bound]

We tend to blame an unfortunate event on people as their personality and explain what happen to us on the situation. Which is why we say poor people are poor because it was their fault. Stereotypical I know.