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Comment by akira2501 | Hacker News Reader

> but I can't really think of someone who is willingly poor

It's not an isolated choice. Their choice to be poor is usually a consequence of them deciding that some other activity is easier and better than attempting to build wealth for themselves.

I've lived this way for large portions of my life. America is not fun to live in while facing this proposition, and the current climate seems to require a certain tolerance or willingness towards corruption that I personally cannot abide even though I am poorer for it.

It wasn't a judgement. It's just an anecdote about how solving the problem may look quite a bit different than the frothy suggestions posted here.

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>Their choice to be poor is usually a consequence of them deciding that some other activity is easier and better than attempting to build wealth for themselves.

I would say your choice to be middle class or not wealthy is a direct and easily understood consequence of deciding that some other activity is easier and or better - for example I'm going to be a Public Defender and help people!

Also I guess I want to learn about Ancient Sumerian instead of pursuing an MBA!

But those are not choices guaranteed for poverty, they are choices not to pursue wealth.

choices for poverty are generally not willingly chosen or are at least not direct and clear consequences but sure I bet you can with diligent searching turn up some examples.

> But those are not choices guaranteed for poverty

Your encoded is assumption is that not only did they make these choices but that they were successful in choosing them. You're also missing the most obvious way people make this choice:

Having a child. Which, is not always a _predictable_ addition to life.

Everyone is acting like I've got some "anti welfare queen" bias here, when in reality I have an "anti bleeding heart" bias here. We should solve the problems. To do so, we should first be /honest/ about what those problems actually are.

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> But it's usually choices your parents did, and the community you live in.

What is your source for this assertion?

> "individual choices cause bad"

So, your expectation is, if you fund the schools and fix the "resources," everything is suddenly going to be better because everyone will make the best choices naturally? What experiences or data are you drawing from here?

> What is your source for this assertion?

Having eyes and keeping them open.

You should look up the term "sealioning". Then stop doing it.

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