I know many people who complain about migrants “faking their conditions” or “getting bribed by biden” because they have a smartphone which they can only imagine is an iPhone. Like if you don’t have have a polka dot sack tied to a stick and wearing plastic bottle sandals and using Nokia flip phones, you’re not struggling. But funny enough, if you live inside your car that’s fully licensed and registered, then they’re unable to make the connection that the person is not so far from our own financial situation.
I had to sit there and explain to them the concept of prepaid phones and how there are a billion android phones available with 3 cameras, face unlock, capable of shitty mobile games, and so on starting from $5 to $300. Not everything is a $1000 iPhone 20 XL. And despite this, their final thoughts are “ok, but still the democrats are bribing them.”
Even as late as the 00s and 10s, I saw conservatives saying that poor people weren’t really poor because they owned color TVs.
You still hear the odd “Flat Screen TV” comments these days and it’s like buddy the only CRTs on the market are antiques for hobbyists and they cost more than a basic TV.
If you’re really poor you’d be on the phonograph.
As someone who had one of those early color tube tvs that had to “warm up”, I find that aggravating as hell. Heck, my grandpa’s black and white would at least show an image faster.