desembarazarse wrote:Zambales wrote:desembarazarse wrote:Zambales wrote:The comment about poverty is laughable especially since he still had an income from running a consulting firm.
How much income? It's possible to have an income and still be in poverty.
The word 'poverty' gets banded about far too freely. Notice the difference?


Sure, I notice the difference. If we judge "poverty" by comparison to a malnourished child in Africa, well, then, almost no one in the U.S. is living in poverty. And maybe that's your point. But, I'm sure you also realize that it is going to be a lot more difficult to adjust to African standards of living after 48 years in the U.S. than after spending the same amount of time in Africa. You can tell poor people in the U.S. that they have nothing to complain about because they are so much better off than people in Africa, but that is a cold comfort to people on the bottom rung of the society that they live in.
In his suicide note, he wrote, "I choose not to go through a phase of homelessness and/or dependency on the charity of others or the State if the only result is to delay for a time my arrival at that same inevitable place." If he was actually facing homelessness (and you might argue that he wasn't), then he was facing poverty.
I understand what you're trying to say but being homeless in a developed country still isn't poverty in the true sense. I've been in this position albeit for a short time back in 1990 and yes it's not particularly pleasant but it wasn't the worst experience I've ever endured and I certainly wouldn't give it that label.
Even being unemployed or being on a low income isn't true poverty. It can lead to a bleak existence especially if circumstances stay the same for years on end. If it's just for one or two, life still isn't great but it isn't terrible.
This guy may have had to cut his losses and suffer hardship adapting to a different climate so to speak but there's always a way out. That way out is unlikely to appear overnight though but if you're determined enough to whether the storm, doors will open for you with the right attitude.
When I was at my lowest ebb circa 2002/03 I was in a dark place too financially and mentally which ultimately resulted in a breakdown. In early 2004, I secured a position at a company that didn't require any previous experience or qualifications. The pay?
Nearly three times the minimum wage. Proof that there are opportunities out there for everyone to make a decent living.
Like others have said, he assessed the situation wrongly. Life has a habit of throwing tests in front of us though, and it's up to we as individuals to show our mettle. Success maybe one thing but learning to overcome adversity is another. That's an education in itself.