Ionssaigh,
It must be great in your house where, when ANYTHING goes wrong, it is always the fault of someone else; perhaps the rich, or the Americans, Gordon Brown, Adam Smith, Andrew Carnegie? Doesn't matter, it'll be someone's fault.
Let me just take a second or so to enlighten you. First of all I do not associate poverty with laziness, however there are alot of people who have no work ethic whatsoever. In this country they tend to be looked after by the state. There are equally alot of lazy rich people with no work ethic. They tend NOT to be looked after by the state.
I don't think I've had any better or worse opportunities in life than anyone else. I'm quite sure, if I was to use the same measure which says 900,000 people in Scotland live in poverty, I'd find out that I myself was brought up in "poverty". It didn't stop me getting off my arse and wanting to make something of myself. I didn't sit around and think well I'm 'poor', I'm always going to be poor, what's the point. I decided I'd stick in at school, I'd get myself a degree, I'd get a job, and I'd work my sizeable erse off.
What about the work shy super rich who have never done a stroke of work in their lives, according to your analysis that would be down to the fiscal prudence of Mummy and Daddy.
They don't bother me, because as far as I'm concerned my hard earned taxes aren't paying for their stately homes. Let the super wealthy sit on their erse all day, and, you know what, if this was down to their parents working hard and getting on in life, then good luck to them I say.
What about the council worker who grafts hard in all weathers, say repairing the roads, according to your reckoning they, if it merely depended on the amount of work going in, would in fact be wealthy.
No, that's not how my reckoning works. How it works is, a street sweeper probably earns in the region of £13,500, this may be a perfectly acceptable wage to said street sweeper, and may be perfectly happy with this. If however, said street sweeper would like some more money than is available to them in this professionen maybe they should look at getting into a different profession. Alternatively they may be looking for promotion within their organisation. There are numerous free courses (government funded) to help him/her cross train to another profession. Not really sure what your point is, but that's mine.
As far as being an 'apologist' is concerned - you're right - I'm sorry that there are alot of people in this country who actually want to work for a living and get on. I'm also sorry that there is a section of society who want to sit on their arses, contribute hee haw to society, blame everyone for their ills, and I have to pay for their privilege. But mostly I'm sorry for the real apologists in society, who are people like yourself, who want to apologise for some of the people who are poor because they are lazy. In your eyes there is no-one in Drumchapel poor because they are lazy, it's the fault of the system. You're the apologist I'm afraid.
You seem to be pre-occupied with what happened to others in their youth, I'd be interested to know what happened to you, to turn you into, what would appear to be on the face of it, a very bitter individual, with a sizeable chip on your shoulder. Your clearly an intelligent person, but I wonder what "life changing" moment drew you where you are now?
Welcome to 'Planet Ionssaigh' Abandon all hope ye who enter here, but don't worry 'cos it's not our fault!