# Paul Krugman:  Poverty is poison

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-krugman-poverty-is-poison/438088>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 18, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-krugman-poverty-is-poison/438088 "2008-02-18T12:05:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-krugman-poverty-is-poison/438088/101 "2008-02-21T01:14:47Z")

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[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian]  
I provided a nice comprehensive summary of the links between toxins and neurological deficits. That means that exposure to toxins causes cognitive problems. These toxins are higher among those in poor areas. I’ve already said that, for the purposes of this “debate” it doesn’t really matter how they got there.  
[/quote]

That’s not exactly what you said before. Here’s what you said (in case you forgot):

> [@](#):
>
> Generally wealthy communities have the resources to force toxin producing companies to be located in other people’s backyards, and also don’t have the need to tolerate less than ideal conditions to increase their tax base.

In any event, while it may by psychologically satisfying to decry these chemical plants that are poisoning the poor, for purposes of actually addressing the problem (if there is one), one would need to know (1) what is the vector for these toxins; and (2) how much of an impact do they have.

It appears that you haven’t answered either of these questions.

> [@](#):
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> Would you care to cite the relative amounts from various sources (factories/paint/proximity to highways), if it matters at all where they came from?

Not really. You bear the burden of substantiating your claim, not me.

But here’s a start:

[http://www.cdc.gov/Features/ChildhoodLead/](http://www.cdc.gov/Features/ChildhoodLead/)

> [@](#):
>
> The most common sources of lead exposure for children are chips and particles of old lead paint.

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-krugman-poverty-is-poison/438088/102 "2008-02-21T01:50:02Z")

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[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian]  
There are, of course, some things that are more offensive than insults.  
[/QUOTE]  
Very true. However, in the course of seeking an exchange of actual ideas, the forms of expression are important so as not to let that exchange turn into a second grade name-calling contest where the ideas are lost in the invective.

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