Poverty or Wealth: Through the Lens of Public Policy

Brenda Joy Foster

May 13, 2026

The opposite of poverty is wealth, status, affluence, prosperity, opulence, dignity and respect.

These signify an abundance of financial resources and material possessions, directly opposing the lack associated with poverty.

My argument is wealth over poverty, through the lens of public policy. And then, how to achieve it. Here’s why.

Wealth is the Abundance of valuable possessions or resources.

Affluence means the abundant supply of money or property.

Prosperity is a state of flourishing, thriving, or successful financial status.

Opulence is Wealth, often characterized by luxury or abundance.

Abundance or Plenty means a large quantity of resources.

Enough or Sufficiency means having sufficient resources to live; not necessarily by extreme wealth.

Dignity and respect represents the opposite of the dehumanizing effects of poverty.

A high quality of life includes luxury, richness, dignity, respect, and comfortable circumstance as well as personal power.

Poverty may earn a paycheck, but it can simply disappear at any time. Wealth is the ability to generate income that produces financial freedom. Economic empowerment and real social security.

Therefore, poverty can be described as a psychology. So can wealth. Hint. Madam CJ Walker. But most of us were not exposed to wealth. We learned to earn. We learned poverty. We learned dependence.

Nevertheless, like most citizens who never learned to generate wealth, you get tired of hoping. You got tired of waiting. You get tired of depending on the system to give you what you need. A job. Housing. Food. Healthcare. That’s poverty.

Wealth is, abundance, affluence, opulence, luxury, prosperity, flourishing, thriving, dignity, respect, and social security. These are human entitlements.

Politicians cannot give us that. I don’t care if they’re Democrats or Republicans. It’s not their place. Those values are intrinsic. But politics loves to take them away.

Politicians live a whole different life. They give us Nothing. Just promises, often broken. Why do we need them?

Besides, who are politicians to determine who gets what? Does thye system determine our worth?

After all, we pay the politicians salary. We also contribute to their campaigns, to do what? Design our future? That’s our job as individuals.

That being said, poverty becomes a choice. So does wealth. Which one are we fighting for?!