Just over a week ago, I shared some reflections around the whole ‘socialist legend’ floating around on Facebook. I don’t know if it is still making its rounds, but I am glad I have not continued to see it re-posted over the past week or so.

One thought I shared in my article was how we think it quite easy to overcome poverty just by simply pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and trying harder. Laziness is the problem and so people simply need to work harder. But, as a friend of mine suggested, poverty comes more at a systemic, foundational level than through simple laziness. Now, laziness might exist, but it might just be present because of the greater underlying, systemic problems. For example, many in the developing world are hard working people. Rather they are born into such a life and need specific assistance and education in helping them understand how to take steps forward out of deep-seated poverty.

To help us ponder the situation more, I encourage you to view this short CNN video below. It comes as a response to a small comment made by Mitt Romney, one that the media took out of context, which the presenter acknowledges such. But, laying that all aside, I think this video will be quite eye-opening for Americans in discovering the level of poverty that exists within the US as compared to other ‘rich’ or developed nations. And, it is interesting to note that the level of poverty is quite a bit higher in the US as compared with many of the more ‘socialist’ economies of western Europe.