They’re Poor Because They Choose To Be

If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing. – Malcolm X

Reading these words one cannot overlook the?relevance they have today in 2013.? According to a Rasmussen Reports poll,?conducted in July of 2012, 47 percent of Americans surveyed, not only think the government overspends on poverty programs, but also these programs enable poverty.? In comparison, 38 percent polled just one year prior shared these same sentiments.? And according to another survey a mere 11 percent actually favored the government increasing food stamp allocation, whereas 69 percent opposed.? But a poll, which showed 53 percent of Americans who believe food stamp recipients should be finger printed,?truly?indicates how most Americans view those in need.

Although finger printing has become increasingly used as a means of identification, there still is the underlying association of the act with criminality.? But the criminalization of the impoverished is nothing new.? More than a century ago Mark Twain had the audacity to attack this issue head on in many of his writings.

However,?the increasing criminalization of the less fortunate in our society, and the notion that these individuals lack of ambition, is the sole?basis for their condition becoming more and more propagated.? This attitude was reflected in the last presidential campaign by Republican candidate Mitt Romney when he stated:

?There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them…..I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

Two years ago Florida Governor Rick Scott implemented drug testing for welfare recipients, a move which panned out to be a colossal waste of time, money and resources.? In fact during the four month period of testing a paltry 2.6 percent of applicants tested, actually failed.? Moreover, the costs of implementing such tests outweighed the amount in benefits which would have been paid out to those recipients.? And despite all of this, many other states are following in Florida’s footsteps; which begs the question why?

Why is it when we feel?our tax dollars are being?misappropriated to benefit unworthy moochers,?the picture that conjures in our mind is that of a young African-American woman with acrylic nails, a designer hand bag, IPhone?in one hand, and food stamp card in the other?? Or a Mexican immigrant who’s English is less than par, as well as her slew of children receiving Medicaid?? The truth of the matter is, corporate welfare accounts for?50 percent more of government spending than social welfare programs.

That’s right, the real welfare queens, or rather kings, are those great “job creators,”? i.e.?BP Oil, Wal-Mart, Goldman Sachs, General Electric,?Dow Chemical, and so on; $10 billion, $1 billion, $12.9 billion, $32.2 million and $24.9 million respectively.

Yet somehow, we?seldom, if ever,?read or hear about the misdeeds and looting by Bob Dudley and Company.? When was the idea of drug testing the execs at Goldman Sachs ever entertained?? Albeit, a rather valid one, one which I’m quite certain would yield greater results than Governor Scott’s failed attempt.? But the notion of doing so seems almost preposterous to us, even insulting because these individuals somehow earned their wealth.

The media has carefully?crafted this perception in our minds and perception in the absence of truth has become reality.? But the stark reality is there has been, as Chris Hedges aptly states, a corporate?coup d’?tat of our democracy and our liberties.

In spite of?the incessant?corporate malfeasance?we continuously praise these marauders while scorning the unfortunate among us.? We buy into this notion that those who are poor are, thus so, because of their own choosing.? That if they worked a little harder, studied a little harder,?pulled themselves?up by their bootstraps, they could improve their lot.? And if they refuse, well let’s just show them some Christianly tough love by cutting off their resources.? Let’s remove all those safety nets,?government assistance, and food stamps.

Those who advocate such positions clearly have not studied history.? Ask the French and Russians how well starving the poor went over for them.

Edited by SS

Nicole is an American-Israeli, born and bread in Dallas, Texas. She studied journalism at Texas Southern University where she earned her BA in Broadcast Journalism. She has worked in broadcast, print and radio. Writing is her first passion, particularly about socio-political issues and Israel. She has been living in Israel for the past 10 years now, where she considers home.