Whether it assuages the conscience of white collar Americans or not, the fact is that the poor in America have it pretty good. The average poor person in America is overweight, not starving, and enjoys a standard of living far better than most people in developing countries. I have trouble relating to anyone for whom that isn't a relevant fact in any discussion of poverty.

I grew up poor, in the south, and am now comfortably middle class (still in the south). In my experience, the thing that keeps poor people poor is an unwillingness to put long-term success above short-term pleasure. Poor people buy cars they can't afford; they blow off work to go to the club with their friends; they have children young. Many poor people work hard, but very seldom are they working _toward_ anything beyond the next paycheck, or the next beer.

to what do you attribute your ability to overcome the trappings that keep your peers down? genetic makeup?

a huge chunk of HN directly or indirectly makes their money from advertising. what do you think that industry is about if not fine-tuning the mechanisms that get people to buy stuff that they don't need?