Was Malthus ever poor?

[Ideologue]

Yes, but the problem with relative poverty is where are the lines to be drawn?

I have long argued in favor of ditching relative definitions of poverty and using absolute definitions instead.

Haha.  I'll bet you have.

I know, I'm 1000% sure Money has already made this crack.  But c'mon.

[Ideologue]

For the record I thought Malthus had an expensive stroller, but that the $2,000 stroller was a hyperbolic exaggeration.

Malthus lives in a neighborhood so rich that a sub-$2000 stroller generates gossip, so it's actually worse than if he just bought one for no reason.

[garbon]

For the record I thought Malthus had an expensive stroller, but that the $2,000 stroller was a hyperbolic exaggeration.

Malthus lives in a neighborhood so rich that a sub-$2000 stroller generates gossip, so it's actually worse than if he just bought one for no reason.

I just spit out my drink.

[merithyn]

Sounds like we're in agreement; the debate is about the framing of "poor". Neither you nor CC are ceding one inch on your respective readings.

That's not fair.  Malthus has objectively described his situation and expressed willingness to substitute any appropriate terminology for poor.

Agreed. Malthus seems to be workung on good faith here.

If it matters at all, I see Malthus' and CC's points, and I don't see a simple solution. As I said earlier, from my perspective, Mal spent some time as a broke potter's assistant. If that's poor to him, then he can feel free to say so. However, in doing so, expect people like me to think you mean something entirely different when you use that word. It's a limitation of the English language, and one that can easily lead to bad feelings, as can be seen here.

And FWIW, I don't consider growing up poor some kind of badge of honor. It was my life. I had no more control over who I was born to or how I was raised than Malthus did. I'm neither proud nor ashamed. I'm just fucking glad it's over.

[Capetan Mihali]

These kinds of threads are a bummer to me since I have a lot I'd imagine saying, but don't want to get too personal, either in my own life experience or others.  I keep ending up on the verge of a substantive comment, but pull back at the brink.

[Syt]

My parents were teh poor when I grew up. We had no car, because too expensive (when every other family had one). Before I was born, my family spent a Christmas without electricity, because the bill wasn't paid. Most of my child/teen years, we lived off welfare, while my father was fighting for a disability pension. We never went on vacation anywhere, while everyone else spent two weeks in Spain, or Italy, or Turkey.

Still, my parents always made sure we had something to eat on the table, and clean clothes, and they emphasized education (though I was the only of four kids to take that advice).

[Tamas]

heh, a bit of vile thread.


Clearly Malthus has experienced what it means to be poor, and has a better idea about it then, say, I do.

But one cannot deny the fact that he had a cushion. It wasn't a matter of real survival for him, because he could reasonably expect his parents to save him from ruin.

That said, unless you are something of an immigrant far away from your contacts, or an orphan, or a really big asshole, can you really claim you were in danger of proper homelessness and starvation when you were poor? How many of you had no parents, no family, no friends whom they could expect to fall back on at least temporarily for survival?


There was a comment by CC how his basketball scholarship or whatever was more honorable than Malthus basically inheriting his free spot at uni.
It is true, I imagine getting that sport scholarship was a lot of hard work. Still, the talent and abilities which allowed him to get this result via work were inherited.

[Eddie Teach]

Still, the talent and abilities and the extra-long skeleton which allowed him to get this result via work were inherited.

[The Brain]

A long skeleton isn't enough. You need appropriately sized skin, sinews and muscle or you'll be a freak out of nightmare and not a basketball player.

[Eddie Teach]

I figure those parts stretch & grow to meet needs.

[Tamas]

I figure those parts stretch & grow to meet needs.

In extreme cases they can lag a bit at places like knees, though. 

[The Brain]

I figure those parts stretch & grow to meet needs.

Not everything grows to meet needs.

[Syt]

I figure those parts stretch & grow to meet needs.

Not everything grows to meet needs.

[Admiral Yi]

Haha.  I'll bet you have.

I know, I'm 1000% sure Money has already made this crack.  But c'mon.

wut?

[DGuller]

That said, unless you are something of an immigrant far away from your contacts,