msharmony, this website is an international website.
So, the statement "the culture WE live" is rather meaningless.

Now, if you had titled this discussion thread "Not vilifying the American poor", then I wouldn't have asked about all poor people.

The folks who hosted the party in Mexico last night live in a pallet and tarpaper home.
It's off to one side of the yard they are building their permanent home. Cement and block.

I see those folks content and debt free. They build as they can afford materials.

It disgusts me reading post whining about,I need more.

I'll ask. How the hell ya'll affording computers, internet, cable, gold grills, fancy homes?

I do not know of any evidence that poor people outside the USA are being vilified because they are poor.

So, why would any alleged "vilification" be taking place within the USA but not elsewhere?

And that would be a mistaken assumption on your part. If I'm not buying the other BS, why would I even consider being a candidate for any other BS scheme.

And for the ones in the photo, what else is needed? In reality all that humans require for existence is food, water and being able to stay away from those critters that think we make a tasty meal. It's that last one that poses the largest threat to existence.

No other person owes or is owed anything by any other. If something is offered, it is be the charity of the one offering otherwise it is just pure theft.

My vote goes to voluntary donations as opposed to forced taxation.

Merriam-Webster

pov·er·ty
noun, often attributive \ˈpä-vər-tē\

: the state of being poor

: a lack of something
Full Definition of POVERTY
1 a : the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions
b : renunciation as a member of a religious order of the right as an individual to own property
2: scarcity, dearth
3a : debility due to malnutrition
b : lack of fertility

Merriam-Webster

im·pov·er·ish
transitive verb \im-ˈpäv-rish, -ˈpä-və-\

: to make (someone) poor

: to use up the strength or richness of (something, such as land)
Full Definition of IMPOVERISH
1
: to make poor
2
: to deprive of strength, richness, or fertility by depleting or draining of something essential
— im·pov·er·ish·er noun
— im·pov·er·ish·ment noun
Examples of IMPOVERISH

The dictator enriched himself but impoverished his people.
Poor farming practices impoverished the soil.

Webster seems to provide a very explicit definition of both poverty and impoverished, it is but the usage here that is the BS. It is not Webster that is at fault, the fault lies in the implication of what fits that definition.

The only reference I have seen here refers to the Census Bureau that has no authority to collect much less interrupt such data. I guess that next the IRS definition would be used, but does that really define poverty, absolutely not. It would just be the point at which the bankers would consider they could steal from the citizens.

But let's go one step further, if I only make $400 a week before being robbed and I live and have to pay for a $1 million residence, then I would live in poverty because I couldn't afford a roof over my head. If I grew up eating the most expensive caviar but now work for McDonald's and could barely afford the toast points and onion, would I be impoverished, after all I can't maintain a lifestyle conducive to my society.

So where do you draw the line? Would it be before or after the impoverished passed the lifestyle of the suckers paying for it?

Before the government decided they could do better, there were no problems. The charitable organizations were well financed and had money to help.

Now with the armed thieves taking all that money and squandering it, nobody has anything left to help the truly needy.

Isn't it a miracle what you can afford when someone else has to pay for it?

There are three groups that should have a safety net..

1. The elderly

2. Children

3. The disabled


I have no issue with people collecting unemployment. You lose your job you should have some help for a period of time.


But that is in MY OPINION where I draw the line.

And the charitable organization helped them all, especially the churches, until the government decided they could do better. I remember when I was young their was a little old widowed lady a couple of doors down. My mom used to have me take her plates on occasion and someone from the church was always a visitor. There was no government, people just knew and helped each other.

Getting back to what the topic of this thread is supposed to be ...

In what way are poor people in American being demonized for being poor?

de·mon·ize
ˈdēməˌnīz/
verb
past tense: demonized; past participle: demonized

1.
portray as wicked and threatening.
"seeking to demonize one side in the conflict"

So are you implying the government does not demonize the poor. Are you implying that the total destruction of the charitable system this country so proudly developed had no bearing on the current state of affairs.

And actually the topic was...

"Addressing poverty without demonizing the poor... "

The title implies that the poor have been demonized.
I am challenging that implication.

Ms Harmony believes in a collectivist approach to solving the problems in this country. She feels that those of us that pay income taxes should not complain about the government spending $500 billion on welfare programs. When someone does complain apparently she feels we are demonizing the poor.

of course this is just my opinion and doesn't necessarily represent facts or any truth..

So, if poor people aren't being demonized, then what was the purpose of starting this discussion thread?

Well I do believe the OP was....... you, so please tell us. I thought it was to discuss a misconception of the OP but it seems to have degraded into an Odumbo moment, if you can't agree, it must be racist, sexist, or some such thing.

Or is it....



...we should hold up the children and be guilty if we don't agree.

do you not read? seriously?

do you not think making poor synonymous with lazy, or mooching or criminality, or the attitude of letting the poor pick THEMSELVES up

(As if most people who have anything did it completely from their own magic wand with noon else involved in the process)


makes them out to be the 'undeserving' of anything but their suffering type of demonization I CONSTANTLY see and hear everywhere INCLUDING these forums?

I appreciate the input but your assessment is wrong.

I see quite a bit of difference between complaining about a program and belittling the people on the program. ITs the same difference between complaining about wars and belittling soldiers.

I have no problem with the former and even have been happy to see threads that address the implementation of programs.

I have seen ONE thread even started to try to actually address the parts that work and the parts that don't work.

Yet, many continue to just promote discarding the whole demographic that uses the safety nets, to paint them as having personal character flaws or discuss them as if they are some type of sub human , lesser from the other humans that are more 'deserving' of basic life (food shelter safety clothing)in return for their efforts.