So you were indeed simply trolling me in the other thread, got it.
Rephrase your question. Are you asking me to admit that people are poor because they're stupid?
Not stupidity, ignorance, there is a difference.
This could be a cool philosophical debate if we wanted.
I believe the majority of the poor don't know how to be anything else. Those that go to the government for assistance are given a fish instead of tools to fish with perpetuating the problem.
I'm sure I can find a study to back this up, it's humanities, we can find studies that will agree with us no matter the opinion, so I'll keep it philosophical.
From my experience, there are recurring traits that most poor have. The belief that it's not their fault and the belief that the government isn't doing enough.
It's a common thought that if we divided all the money in the country up between us, within 6 months the vast majority would be back in their present situation.
Our war on poverty while noble, is misguided. As the OP says, 22T in real dollars. That's money that could have been much more efficiently spent. We now have 4th generation cradle to grave welfare and that's a shame.