On poverty: it’s not just a geographic thing, but a temporal thing. Imagine telling people in the 1950s that today’s poor would all have televisions, microwaves, computers, and medical care that includes ultrasounds, MRIs, and pharmaceuticals. Now imagine going back to the 1910s and telling someone that a “poor” person in America would have running water, electricity, a car, the aforementioned medical care, vaccines, air conditioning, internet access, but would have to go to the local Kinko’s to use a fax machine.

To the class-warfare ideologues: imagine what capitalism can do for the poor of 2110. Let the current system continue – let people get rich off of innovation, efficiency, and talent; let the rich subsidise the development costs of new technologies – and try to imagine what the left-hand side of the bell curve will be like in a hundred years. Bill Gates’s fortune can only buy him two more things than the lower-middle class of a future, capitalistic America would possess: more living space, and less worry about money.

If you actually care about improving the lot of poor people, you would get up every single morning, smile, pump your fists into the air, and launch into a cheer for capitalism. Then again, if it’s all about envy of those who have more than you, or a power grab, then you’ll hate on the thing which does nothing to alleviate your envy, or get you power, but does everything to help the less fortunate.

They probably didn’t want that at all, so they got a wad of ‘more’ trustworthy folk to come on down dressed in their weekender clothes and take a meal from the first lady.

I’m sure they didn’t scan them for electronic devices first. Next time journalists, have a look at the wrists of those accepting meals at homeless shelters from politicians or their wives, what do you want to bet there will either be an expensive watch on that wrist or a large lump in the back pocket from the cell phone, blackberry, or over stuffed wallet.

As with anything involving sock puppet, it’s an illusion.

That is so sweet of Michelle Obama to serve the homeless $100 Wagu steak prepared by her personal chef from her Chicago mansion, and have Stevie Wonder entertain while they dine.

Wait…

TN Mom on March 7, 2009 at 6:51 PM

And don’t forget that they live in a huge mansion in downtown Washington, surrounded on all sides by fences (elitists), with a butler and probably a driver, too. Just who do they think they are?!

Anyone notice the “mushroom risotto” on the menu sign? The “homeless” are eating better than I am!

SouthernGent on March 7, 2009 at 1:12 PM

Who cares how much it costs? It’s donated. The place where I normally volunteer sometimes gets amazing, hearty soups specially prepared by some of the best restaurants in town. Better than anything I eat.

Are they required to eat gruel, just because they’re homeless? (Stop by, if you want, we don’t check pay stubs.)

You can realistically earn $35-40K a year tax free from the variety of programs available for “the poor”. No surprise that a recipient of THE ONE’s free food has a cell phone. And I will wage his phone is better and has more cool feature than my 3 year old phone.

Hey, lets attack the poor.

Stay classy.

getalife on March 7, 2009 at 1:47 PM

What is your definition of poor? What is your definition of homeless? Are they the same? Poverty has many faces. Some of the so called impoverished are poor by choice. Some do need a helping hand (preferably from their neighbor).

Hey, lets attack the poor.

Stay classy.

getalife on March 7, 2009 at 1:47 PM

Seems like they’re attacking me. I budget!

And yes, there are truly poor people in this country. Someone mentioned Appalachia, and that they “choose to be poor.” I know this will destroy a myth, but there are actually people out there who are not capable of doing anything other than manual labor or very basic work, and living on minimum wage is barely above the so-called poverty level. So it may not be a “choice” to be “poor.”

And then there are the elderly. Many senior citizens didn’t have pensions or their medical expenses are over whelming. I worked with many elderly people who barely manage to get by, after a lifetime of work.

Wait…

…or any of the other too often employed Allah-esque, cutesy and whiny sounding subtitles. It cheapens things and makes it come across as something akin to a ‘woe is me, it’s such a chore to do, but I must’ shtick.

Give us the goods, as you tend to do and less of the sideshow.

Please and thanks.