TruthBeTold Posted May 16, 2014 Posted May 16, 2014 http://www.nbcnews.com/news/photo/what-choosing-poverty-looks-n75796 One quote: "What happens when you get richer and richer is you dream of making a paradise for yourself," he said. "What I have here is what rich people have." Since when is it "paradise" to live like you're in the Great Depression? Stef has said many times that at some point the government will start turning against the poor that for decades they've depended on for votes. Is this evidence that its already starting? Maybe the first salvo is to romanticize poverty. Added: Weird. For someone that washes his laundry by hand in the river, he sure changes his clothes a lot during the course of this photo shoot.
dsayers Posted May 16, 2014 Posted May 16, 2014 Stef has said many times that at some point the government will start turning against the poor that for decades they've depended on for votes. Is this evidence that its already starting? Maybe the first salvo is to romanticize poverty. As a minor correction, I've only heard him talk about turning on the dependent classes. While this can include the poor, it can also include the elderly or anybody that receives governmental benefits such as unemployment, etc. I glanced over the article. It looks to me like a guy who lives that way by choice. I don't see the State anywhere in it. I could totally live like that IF it included broadband internet. As it is, I do live a bit meager compared to most, but not as pared down as that guy. I would LOVE to be able to not have a car. Such a money drain.
TruthBeTold Posted May 16, 2014 Author Posted May 16, 2014 Funny you mentioned internet, I found his website at http://www.moonlightchronicles.com/hobbit_hole.html . Looking there, it appears the NBC photo story forgot to mention he has a few amenities: space heater, hot plate, tablet, laptop, iPhone, digital camera, and probably internet, too. Something is way fishy about the NBC slant.
nathanm Posted May 16, 2014 Posted May 16, 2014 That guy is not living in poverty, he's living a minimalist lifestyle within a richer, modern, highly mechanized and technological world. You can choose to live like that much easier because of the fancy stuff around you. He's not living like that because there's no other way to go. To me the word "poverty" assumes that those in it think it sucks and want to get out. This guy's life does not seem to fit any of the definitons. Especially not the second one and definitely not the 3rd one. poverty |ˈpävərtē|nounthe state of being extremely poor: thousands of families are living in abject poverty.• the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount: the poverty of her imagination.• the renunciation of the right to individual ownership of property as part of a religious vow. If this story came out in pre-industrial times we would be oohing and awwing at some space age guy who had machines and electronics. He's just the odd duck compared to everyone else. But hey, good for him! It's not for me, I personally like being able to stand up, even indoors!
tasmlab Posted May 16, 2014 Posted May 16, 2014 Funny you mentioned internet, I found his website at http://www.moonlightchronicles.com/hobbit_hole.html . Looking there, it appears the NBC photo story forgot to mention he has a few amenities: space heater, hot plate, tablet, laptop, iPhone, digital camera, and probably internet, too. Something is way fishy about the NBC slant. Even in the NBC photos you can see his iphone and a Blu-ray disc.
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