The Truth and Non-Truth About Poverty in America

Just ten observations:

1.  Oddly, as much as people see and perceive this great 'darkness' hanging over the nation in terms of poverty....every single day, people are finding legit and non-legit ways of getting into the nation, and be part of 'something'.  If this were so bad, they wouldn't make the effort to enter some giant poverty 'pit'.

2.  Poverty in California means that the income levels required for just a marginal way of life....are not possible.  Yet if you drove over 500 miles and escaped the state.....you'd find jobs, the income level, and local costs to be within your capability.  That means all poverty....is not the same.

3.  Thousands upon thousands of people throughout the nation are happy getting some government 'aid', while in this state of poverty, and see no real reason to exit the free deal.

4.  For about half-a-million Americans....if they had a choice of a start-up job at some pizza shop, or a week's worth of Fentanyl....they'd take the Fentanyl.

5.  People who are motivated to escape poverty...usually escape it.  People who lack the motivation.....stick with it.

6.  There are couples out there, pulling in $250k a year combined....who are one single month of zero pay from being in poverty.  What kind of idiots get themselves in that shape of poverty?

7.  The number of kids exiting college with $70k or more in debt, and really no great plan on the future and how they will pay the money back?  In some ways, they are attached to the poverty-scene and unable to really to see anything much until they pay off the debt.

8.  Aren't people in each advancing generation....escaping poverty?  That is part of the dilemma that experts can't seem to wrap their hands around.  Some are finding success and motivation appears to be part of the story.

9. The sadder part of this story is that hundreds and hundreds of political people have worked for fifty years....to end poverty, and basically....the bulk of their work has amounted to nothing.

10.  So you come to the end....an Indian guy has procured a visa and will arrive today in Dallas, and be picked up at the airport by his cousin.  In five years, he'll own a hotel (maybe a crappy Motel-6), and stand for a photo before it with his wife, and tears will flow down his face because he entered the country with less than $1,000 and is now a business owner five years later.  How is this possible, with all this poverty-chatter? 

'Tropic Thunder'

One of my favorite movies to watch (I've probably watched it ten to twelve times now)...is 'Tropic Thunder'.  If you've never watched it.....a bunch of bigwig Hollywood actors (fake actors) are drafted into this Vietnam-like movie, and told that cameras will be hidden as they are flown onto 'location'.  As they arrive....things start to fall apart, yet they still think it's all real, and part of the script. 

I admire the whole movie because it's all fake.  Every character....every part of the action....the reactions...everything is simply fake. 

So over the past two weeks, I've come to view all this riot business, images, and political dialog....as part of some modern 'Tropic Thunder' movie.  Even Covid-19 and all the ban chatter....it fits well into the same script. 

The likely scenario blending into voting problems in November?  Same deal....'Tropic Thunder'.  The win by Trump in November and the riots to come after that?  More 'Tropic Thunder'. 

Even the news media has played into this and represent some fake or fraudulent element of the 'show'. 

As much as the actors think they are hindering Trump.....they are actually motivating the audience more and more....to see the fakeness of the landscape, and be more pro-Trump.  I would almost go and suggest that Trump himself is writing the 'Tropic Thunder' script and directing the whole thing.

The Fake Old Dude

I sat there last night and was observing for about ten occasions....this video of the old guy in Buffalo, NY....who stepped toward the cops....did some wave at his weapon, and the cop brushed his hand aside.  Then this old guy does some twist and turn, stumbling backward, and falls on his backside....head against the concrete.  Blood is coming then out of his ear.

The cop or two involved?  Suspended immediately.

So this odd thing bothered me.  There is this twist and turn....like a Chevy Chase fall.  The blood comes out of the lower part of the ear....not the central point.

Someone saw the same thing and blow the image up. "Larry" (my name for the fake old dude).....has three 'strings' for this stupid mask.  One appears to be leading from his mouth, around the ear, and to the front of the ear, where the blood seems to flow.

Fake shot?  Oh yes.  To get the camera guy in the right position....he was also part of the fake image. 

I would say over the past seven days, I've seen seven situations where the image was simply constructed, and fake.  Could there be hundreds of these?  Maybe. 

What happens with the suspension of the cop?  The DA is going to review the old guy's complaint, and then ask for the medical report.  My guess is that NO report will be generated.  Then the DA will ask....you got all this blood, and a obvious concussion....but no medical report?  No.  So the DA says fine.....suspension is finished.  No action.  Folks will get all riled up and angry.....over a fake old dude and his act. 

There's something serious wrong here, but you can't resolve this fakeness.