As a social problem such as poverty, racism or sexual harassment becomes less common, people expand their definition of it, leading many to think it is actually becoming more common. This explains much of why so many mistakenly believe the world is getting worse.
What I mean to say is that relative poverty depends on the average standards of living, which are always rising, regardless of wage growth. What is also rising is the floor of poverty, as evidenced by increased availability of homeless shelters and the aforementioned food banks.
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In absolute terms, the poor of today are generally better off than the poor of yesterday. Relative poverty, on the other hand, is a symptom of inequality, which I agree is rising and should be considered.
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Let's take an example. My dad was a postman. No postman nowadays could do what he did - raise 8 kids on a postman's wage. The poor of today may seem better off and in lots of ways they are but when you can't put a roof over your head or feed and clothe your children, you're poor
End of conversation
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1) I don’t think you need to explain the relative poverty measure, the clue is in the name. 2) The standard of living is not always rising. The vast majority of people in this country have seen their wages fall in real terms over the last 10 yrs.
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3) Are you seriously offering the rise of foodbanks and homeless shelters as evidence of a decrease in poverty?
End of conversation
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