Reply #54: poverty isn't that relative [View All]

[rman]

There will always be people who make less then anyone else.

However, depending on their income and the cost of living, these people may in fact not be poor.

As long as people can afford housing with the basic comforts (clean water, heating, electricity), and sufficient transportation, and as long as people can afford decent food (including vegetables), and as long as people can afford basic insurance, health insurance and a pension - then these people are not poor even though they have the lowest income.

In the US however there are many people who cannot afford one or more of these basic necessities in spite of the fact that they do have a job. Suppose you have to choose between either a home to live in, or health insurance, what would you choose? More often then not a minimum wage forces you to make that choice. So, the fact that these people do have a home to live in doesn't mean they are not poor.

There is such a thing as a minimum standard of living.
Maybe we should ask the wealthy elite what they consider to be "minimum standard of living", and wether or not they think that standard applies or should apply to everyone.