Excuse Me, How Does It Feel to Be Poor?

An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question:
What's your response to this question from a Post national poll of low-wage workers? "What role does God or your faith play in helping you get through tough financial times?"

The new poll on poverty has a certain brazen quality about it, or is it rubbing salt in the wound accidentally? The poorest people in any society are the most vulnerable to economic anxiety. They are the least able to afford downturns and have almost no power to improve their lot through political leverage. The poll revealed that the poor are aware of their teetering situation. Did anyone expect that they would discover anything other than pessimism?

To the degree that the poor still believe in the American dream, a Marxist would say that they have been duped. There are more opiates of the masses than just religion. However, there are no unbesmirched Marxists left, it seems, so the social wheel must turn in a new direction. Having abandoned the welfare state in its most liberal and generous aspects, America ignores the poor as never before -- the idealism of the "respectable poor," the compassion shown to victims of the Great Depression, and the social crusades of the sixties are gone. Is there a new idea that can bridge the immense gap between rich and poor in income, education, health, and opportunities?

Religion certainly isn't that new idea. Asking the poor if they turn to God in hard times -- and discovering that the vast majority do -- revives the specter of Barack Obama's "clinging" episode. It also validates, if validation was needed, that clinging to religion is a very real phenomenon, one that has its own dignity and worth. Few people in any income bracket fail to pray in a dire crisis or to hope that a higher power sees their plight. There may be no atheists in the foxholes, as the wartime slogan went, but there are few on a sinking ship, either. The pessimism revealed in the poll is simple realism as seen from the lowest deck.

Forty years after Michael Harrington's groundbreaking book, "Poverty in America," which launched the War on Poverty with high ideals that never materialized, our knowledge about poverty is enormous, but our will to attack the problem is slim. One reason is obvious. As many economists point out, the poor subsidize America's enviable lifestyle. Every underpaid hotel maid, McDonald's cook, migrant farm worker, and school janitor living below the poverty line is contributing money to the rest of us. Without the poor there would be no American dream, and yet they are the least likely to benefit from it.

If I am being asked what sustains me in economic hard times, my answer isn't conventional religious piety but a new vision of possibilities. Such a vision must be spiritual at its core. Begin with the notion that all souls are equal, and that each person can evolve in consciousness. Give the poorest people -- and everyone else -- the tools to expand their own awareness, and heartless questions about how it feels to be poor won't be necessary anymore.

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http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/deepak_chopra/

Comments

[KillgoreTrout43]

Fascists.

[TrooAmerican]

How does it feel?
It feels like CRAP man.
It feels frustrating.
Painful
Sad
Worrying
Stressful
Overworked
Undervalued
Loss of pride
Loss of self Esteem
Anger
Hate
Depressing
It feels like being on the edge of a cliff every day
It feels deprived

on the flip side when viewing the glass as half full
It feels grounded
feels In-Touch
experienced
Humbled
Brings closer to God, (because most people grow closer when they have loss and hurt)
Efficiency
Small things provide pride
Righteous
Ethical
Christian
Generous
Giving - I believe if you only have $78 and you give $15 to the homeless shelter, it means a lot more than a guy making $8,456 /month with 1.2million in net assets, handing over a check for $1000 and getting a big party for it.
But thats just my opinion.
Theres more poor giving a few dollars to charities, than rich people giving a Big check. Why? Because theres CRAP loads more poor than rich and poor see it every day.
Besides Rich people always have an "Agenda" for their money.
Their doctrine is:
Need to know exactly where its going, what religion, whats going to do, what the return on it is, & whether it correlates with their preconcieved Organization's giving model. All tax deductible of course.
They also give to specific targeted charities based on the above statement. But often ignore the ones that directly help those desperately in need like a local homeless shelter or local habitat for humanity.

[PatA]

When Santa Fe, New Mexico started their big boom in the 90s, who do you think paid for it in spades? The service people, because they couldn't afford the property taxes and were soon commuting as far as 50-60 miles one way. The elders also lost the homes that had been in their families for more than 100 years.
We always pay.

[TheBlackCat]

Wonderful article. Thank you.

[Jonahson]

Very true, the poor provide cheap labour and they are the first to lose everything during any Depression.
They are the first to be taken advantage of and be exploited. So a great country is formed from the blood ,sweat and tears of the poor. No wonder we need poor people and things that benefit them like universal medical care are not highlighted by politicians.

[bethinCary]

Very well said post Deeak.
Agree with everything you've said--and living in the south, was confused about comments re Sen Obama and "clinging".
(because they are TRUE)