The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied... but written off as trash. The twentieth-century consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing.

Summary

This quote conveys the idea that poverty in the present era is distinct from the past. Unlike traditional poverty caused by limited resources, today's poverty arises from the unequal distribution of wealth enforced by the privileged class. As a consequence, instead of being sympathized with, the modern poor are disregarded and considered worthless. The quote further suggests that our consumer-driven society has reached a point where beggars no longer serve as a reminder of social inequality and poverty's existence but are instead seen as insignificant and inconsequential.

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