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Fri, 4 Jul 2008

On Poverty: an rant

or rather, the definition of poverty.

Did you know that "fuel poverty" is defined as having to spend more than 10% of your income to heat a room to 21°C, or 70°F? Those people would be less poor if they turned the fucking thermostat down and put on a jumper.

And then the normally respectable Joseph Rowntree Foundation has said that the minimum acceptable standard of living costs £13,400 for a single person. Apparently the "essentials" that that will get you include booze, chocolate, a DVD player, CD player and a TV. If you have two children, then it is essential to spend £225 on a birthday present for each of them.

Delving into the details, apparently some people think that croissants are essential, that they need takeaway pizza, and that a suit is both essential and would cost only £40. Mind you, they only expect that shit suit to last two years before having to be thrown away.

FUCK OFF.

Of those, the only one that is even arguable is a CD player if you have children, on the grounds that good music is educational.

Posted at 00:17 by David Cantrell
keywords: politics | rant
Permalink | 1 Comment

I would have to agree that there is poverty in the world and even some in the glorious nulabour new repiblik. However as you say the definitions used in the media are an insult to the real poor and a sad indictment on how trivial and superficial our society has become.

Posted by Adam on Fri, 4 Jul 2008 at 22:49:09


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