Poverty is a known, defined problem that we could end if only we had the will to do so. So why doesn’t that happen?
Think of a disease, like smallpox. At one point in time, we didn’t know much about smallpox. Then we learned what it was, how it was transmitted, and how it could be treated. Then it was a difficult, but straightforward, process to eliminate smallpox.
Like smallpox, we know what poverty is. We can easily separate out the people who live under the poverty line from those living above it.
We also know what causes poverty. And finally, we know how to “treat” it. It regularly happens that an individual or a family is raised out of poverty. We know what to do to erase it from someone’s life.
So why, then, haven’t we, as a society, taken the final step and eliminated it, just as we eliminated smallpox? We could rid the world — or at least our country — of food insecurity, unstable housing, lack of health care, etc.
Of course, eliminating something is not easy. We can treat other diseases, but not eliminate them.
For example, cases of measles are on the rise in some communities, even with an effective, cheap, commonly-available treatment. While the numbers are down significantly from its peak, we’ve never been able to eliminate measles.
And, of course, poverty and disease differ in many ways. The analogy is not exact, and it may be that the differences are telling.
But the point is that we know there are things that can be done to reduce poverty, like pay higher wages or increase affordable housing. However, we don’t do them. Why not?
Related questions: Can we end poverty? What is the purpose of money? What are our responsibilities to others?
Okay. I have some quibbles with the analogy in the context. Also, I don’t think raising households above the meager, official poverty line is ambitious enough. But I’m just going to answer the question.
We accept poverty as a part of America’s form of capitalism because it is essential for our system to operate. It supports the wealthy elite, who control many of the country’s economic decisions. Specifically, our economy depends on some people being unemployed and others accepting poverty wages to keep everything running. Additionally, we rely on cheap labor to produce low-cost, disposable, or constantly replaceable goods for consumers, ensuring continuous economic growth.
On a more insidious level, poverty serves to make those in the lower working class feel fortunate that they’re not “those people.” They both fear falling into poverty and often harbor hostility toward a class of people they see as undeserving of sharing in America’s dreams. It fuels a hatred targeted at some of the poor who receive minimal benefits to survive by those just above that level who don’t. The unsubsidized lower working class wonders why those in poverty get benefits when they do not. It helps keep their disdain focused on the very poor rather than the wealthy oligarchy that hoards the nation’s wealth and fights tooth and nail to prevent things like universal healthcare, ample and quality affordable housing, and adequate food assistance from helping the poor and lower working class survive at a decent level.
Other quasi-capitalist nations provide these guarantees of universal healthcare, affordable housing, adequate food assistance, and paid time off work. But they also tax appropriately to fund these programs. Many of the wealthy in this country, however, don’t want such a system. So they pull the strings to prevent justice-oriented politics from winning.
Let’s be clear. Our version of capitalism has serious implications. Whole communities can’t thrive. Also, millions of children grow up with the toxic stress of poverty that hinders healthy brain development, leading to severe physical and mental health consequences, stunted learning abilities, and lowered life expectancy rates. Poverty-stricken adults suffer from poor health and shattered dreams of someday escaping their financial distress. Only a limited number of the poor will break free from their economic hardships — just enough for America’s unrealistic dreams to persist and for the poor to be divided against the very poor, instead of focusing on the wealthy, who truly benefit from America’s form of capitalism.
If it were simple it would probably have been solved by now. But it is complex. Poverty is not just one thing with one cause. For instance, maintaining freedom, free choice, free will. Also, some interventions are not welcomed. People don’t want to be coerced live a certain way. Do they.