The Socially Acceptable Prejudice

People do not like to think of themselves as prejudiced. Everyone likes to believe that they are open-minded, and that they evaluate others, not for superficial reasons, but based on their character, that is, who they are and what they are like. Being prejudiced is no longer fashionable in most parts of the USA.

Except for prejudice against poverty. That prejudice is as fashionable as the latest fashion trends in Vogue magazine.

There are millions of people living in poverty in the United States. Many of us think that it’s their fault. In fact, Margaret Thatcher once said that “Poverty is a personality defect.” It isn’t.

We say that anyone can become wealthy in America. If they don’t, it’s their fault, not ours.

While it may be true that “anyone” can become wealthy, or at least not impoverished, it is not true that “everyone” can. At least not the way the rules play out against the current economic backdrop. Think of it like this: any American can make it in the NBA, except there are only 450 NBA roster spots. If you are among the other 342,857,000 Americans who don’t have the right height, the same level of skill or physical attributes, you can’t be in the NBA, no matter what the myth says.

We blame poor people for their poverty. But it’s not “their” poverty. It’s “our” poverty. Or at least we should think of it that way. We, as a society, will not be able to effectively address poverty until we stop blaming poor people for being poor.

My opinion: I believe that poverty is related to the number of individuals – Black or White – who are wrongfully killed by the police each year (or each month or each day). I believe that Black people and other minorities are more likely to be poor, not just because of the history and legacy of the Atlantic slave trade, but because of how “Othering” and beliefs about poverty are embedded in our group thought processes. A police officer is more likely to pull over a dilapidated vehicle for a traffic stop, which is more likely to be driven by a poor person, who is more likely to be a member of a racial or ethnic minority, because of the historical and present relationship between poverty and racism. Poverty and racism are inextricably connected.

I am not a Marxist, a communist, or a socialist. I am a capitalist who believes in a progressive and fair income tax structure like that of the Eisenhower era. Since so much income is transferred via stock deals, the income tax is insufficient. We also need to restructure the IRS code to implement an excise tax on unrealized gain for certain types of assets.

In America, anyone can be born into wealth, and anyone can become wealthy. And in America, anyone can be born into poverty, and anyone can become poor.