i don’t know anything about you. Hence only conjecture not a statement of fact. As I clearly stated. Sure the woman who chooses to care for her sick husband or children or mother or father has made a choice. That choice is clearly of no value to society
the woman who stayed with an abusive husband for too long because she had been cowed into submission made a choice. One that clearly you think she should continue to pay for with no help
the woman whose employer decides they’ll hire someone younger because - well that’s what you do when she’s got wrinkles and isn’t so pretty to look at - I guess she made a choice to work for such a part, and to allow herself to get old.
the man who has worked for the same place for twenty five years and finds that suddenly his business has gone bust because behind the scenes the directors were siphoning money - and because he is over fifty he finds it hard to get work that will pay the mortgage or any work and gets depressed made a choice to be loyal and try to support his family while his wife stayed at home to look after the kids
or the person over fifty five who becomes unable to work after contracting a disease at work made a choice by taking on a job that many wouldn’t do and despite working hard on low wages was committed to care based work because they could see they made a difference to others lives
if you think that working hard, going to university, putting off self gratification or being a decent, honest, hardworking partner of worker saves people from poverty you might want to expand your exposure to people. Life turns on a dime. Choices it may have been but it’s one thing if it has been the result of a scurrilous, self serving or dishonest life - another entirely if it is just normal people trying to live a normal life.
of course it’s wonderful if you didn’t fall into poverty or you got yourself out of it but those who think that everyone should be able to do the same as a result lack empathy and compassion. Gratitude, empathy and compassion are the cornerstones of a decent civil society
