Poverty should be clearly defined as a particular standard of living instead of some percentage of incomes. When percentage of income is the metric, it must always be kept in mind that half of all income will be below average.
The shorthand phrase that I tend to use is, "The bum on the corner with the cardboard sign has access to better medical care, nutrition, transportation, communication, and sometimes housing conditions than George Washington had at the height of his career."
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Poverty should be clearly defined as a particular standard of living instead of some percentage of incomes. When percentage of income is the metric, it must always be kept in mind that half of all income will be below average.
The shorthand phrase that I tend to use is, "The bum on the corner with the cardboard sign has access to better medical care, nutrition, transportation, communication, and sometimes housing conditions than George Washington had at the height of his career."
Exactly. It is politicians that like imprecise terms.
They get away with it because we let them.
Imagine the lack of progress if mathematics were allowed such imprecision.
Language goes beyond math of course, but an assumption of honesty and integrity is required precisely because it has no definitive proofs.
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