(11-18-2011, 01:55 PM)Tenet Nosce Wrote: An American on welfare makes approximately six times this amount to sit around and watch Dr. Oz and Oprah.
But do they want to be sitting around? There aren't enough jobs to even provide for all the unemployed, which is a whole other discussion. Some do want to sit around, but going along with the ignorance issue, those people had uneducated and unmotivated parents.
Quote:I seek only to point out that, by global standards, the vast majority of Americans are actually the "haves".
I will press that Americans dividing themselves between the "haves" and "have-nots" must look pretty ridiculous to the 3.5 billion people who live on less than $2.50 a day.
Sure. No matter your level of poverty, it sucks regardless is my point. It's not as if they're living it up.
Quote:The 'undeveloped' poor are 'too poor' for me to place the concerns of an American who got a 120% mortgage on a home they couldn't afford in the first place at the top of my priority list. At least they had a home for a while.
"Conditions and stress" become valuable when they are used to induce change in one's awareness and behavior. If they fail to do so, the "conditions and stress" keep getting amplified until they serve their purpose, or the recipient croaks. This is what Ra refers to as "catalyst".
When I speak of the poor I refer to those who live in ghettos and projects, or small towns with no opportunity. If a person lived outside of their means then that is their fault, I agree.
Quote:Personally speaking, I have spent the majority of my adult life at an income below the poverty threshold in America. Yet I still managed to feed, clothe, and house myself. Pay all my bills, including my debt obligations. And even take a few extended trips outside of the country.
That's good, but in many areas the minimum wage isn't relative to the living wage needed to pull themselves out of being born into poverty. There are too many people competing for the number of jobs available. I think we agree on the main points, so this as far as I wish to go with this topic. I have a feeling it will go on and on.
(11-18-2011, 02:10 PM)Namaste Wrote: If a video helps spark that seeking, then it's been very worthwhile. If you (the royal you) personally find the video limiting or not useful, rather than getting disgruntled about it, let it go and invest your time in something you believe adds value.
I'm in agreement with your whole post philosophically speaking. The issue is not the video itself in the end.
As seekers, and most importantly teachers, we need to be stressing that which is ultimately the most important. If we are not the ones who will ask others to face the ultimate truth, who will? I don't mind the video, but I'm simply saying that more could be accomplished if a balanced perspective is offered. It's a critique.
We need to start advocating balance every step of the way. The "right time" can be accelerated if we provide an environment of honesty, rather than tip-toeing around the questions that really need to be asked.