Many years ago, a friend won the free use of a boat for a day. She invited my family and her sister, a very poor single mom, to cruise the Illinois River with her. None of us was remotely used to such luxury. It was awesome.
The sister, who took a day off from her grueling work as a nursing home CNA, settled back on a cushy seat and said the words that still crack me up today:
“I wonder what all the poor people are doing today?”
All Americans are rich, some people claim.
Around the world, about 719 million people live on less than $2.15 per day, according to World Vision.
You’ve heard it said that Americans (and other Westerners) are all wealthy. Why would a single mom raising two kids on less than $20,000 per year complain? She’s a bazillionaire compared to her sisters in the developing world!
That’s bullshit and I can prove it.
No, the American poor are not rich. That’s a GOP talking point.
Traditionally, we considered food, clothing and shelter to be basic needs, but Americans today need what I will call “soft necessities,” without which they can’t pay for the “hard necessities” of food, clothing and shelter.
You need a job to pay rent, and you need decent grooming to get a job. So yeah, being able to pay for a basic haircut is necessary to avoid homelessness.