Vonnegut on the Poor

"America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves. To quote the American humorist Kin Hubbard, ‘It ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be.’ It is in fact a crime for an American to be poor, even though America is a nation of poor. Every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than anyone with power and gold. No such tales are told by the American poor. They mock themselves and glorify their betters. The meanest eating or drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: ‘if you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich?’ There will also be an American flag no larger than a child’s hand – glued to a lollipop stick and flying from the cash register…

Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue. Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say Napoleonic times. Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent, is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves."

Found on Redditt

Poor people in America are shamed beyond measure. I supposed it is this shame that gets most to keep voting for those who put the bankers on high like they are our "moral betters".  In the Republican "Christian" world there is a worship of the wealthy that is beyond glaring. It's why some of the poorest people I know want to vote for Cruz, who will do even more to make wages be repressed, rescind more worker's rights and dismantle even more of social security. Not that Clinton will be even better with her mega-corporate ties. Yes, they tell people it is easy to make money, like high paying jobs can be plucked off a tree.