# There but for fortune...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 4, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070 "2001-02-04T01:51:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/1 "2001-02-04T01:51:24Z")
This was going to be a Pit thread about GDers who mount arguments along the lines of “Well, I know _I’ll_ never benefit from welfare / contract AIDS / be on death row, so why should I care about those other people who screw up?” Then I caught myself doing some actual soul-searching – something one should never do – and decided it would be better phrased as a non-judgmental sort of poll.
So. Assuming that you were born into whatever circumstances you _were_ born into, and barring fluke scenarios, do you think there’s any chance _you’ll_ ever be:
1. an alcoholic or drug addict
2. HIV-positive
3. dependent on welfare or public assistance
4. homeless
5. in prison for a crime you actually committed
6. on death row
My own answers:
1. Yes, given the right pressures, I could see it happening.
2. Yes.
3. Possibly, if I were disabled or had young children to support. Under present circumstances, I can’t imagine being unable to find enough work to support myself – but then, I have never lived through a major depression, and I honestly don’t know _what_ it would be like.
4. No. I have relatives who would take me in, if nothing else.
5. Possibly, if it were a civil-disobedience type of crime. I’m having a _really_ hard time imagining a plausible set of circumstances that would drive me to theft or murder.
6. No, because I’m a college-educated white female from a middle-class background. It just doesn’t happen.
---
### Author:  [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/2 "2001-02-04T02:22:39Z")
1. Probably not. I don’t drink much now (I think I had a glass of wine three weeks ago), and I’ve never touched drugs. Well, there were a couple of contact highs at concerts…
2. I thought once about some indiscretions from college catching up with me, but it’s been almost 10 years now, so I think I’m in the clear. I’m monogamous and drug-free, and I’ve never had a blood transfusion or anything.
3. Possible but not likely. I’ve had some bad luck in the past, but I’m confident that one of these days I’ll actually keep a job and build a career out of it.
4. It will never happen. Too many family members would take me in before it ever got to that.
5. I doubt it. I’ve never committed a serious crime yet; I see no reason to start now.
6. On death row for a crime I actually committed? Well, I could imagine some _very_ extreme circumstances that would drive me to murder, but I doubt they’ll ever happen. Also, I’m a middle-class, college-educated white male, so I’d say the odds are against me ever winding up on death row even if I did commit a murder; more like life without parole.
---
### Author:  [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/3 "2001-02-04T02:38:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \*
> So. Assuming that you were born into whatever circumstances you _were_ born into, and barring fluke scenarios, do you think there’s any chance _you’ll_ ever be:
**1) an alcoholic or drug addict** Yes, I could see it. I get easily addicted to things…look at smoking. Picked it up like I was born with one in my mouth. It’s why I avoid anything stronger than beer and nicotine.
**2) HIV-positive** Well, yeah. All it takes is a single one-night stand, or trusting the wrong person, or a spouse who cheats on you. It’s still very widespread. I’m careful, extremely careful, but things do happen. If people can get pregnant because of condom failure, then Aids can be passed through failure too.
**3) dependent on welfare or public assistance** Yes, if it was necesary to survival. I have used a food bank in the past, when it was necessary. I would never let my children starve(if I had any)
**4) homeless** yeah, I could see this happening. I’m pretty independent, and it’s hard for me to ask for help, so even though I have family who would take me in, I think it would take actually being kicked out of my apartment and living in my car for a little while before I asked for help.
**5) in prison for a crime you actually committed** Only if I was responsible for a serious car accident. I don’t steal, kill or do anything else that would get me imprisoned. I won’t even get behind the wheel after a single beer.
**6) on death row** Not at all.
---
### Author:  [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/4 "2001-02-04T04:30:44Z")
**1) an alcoholic or drug addict** Yes, sadly enough. I’m genetically predisposed to alcoholism, and there’s a history of drug abuse in my family as well. Statistics show I’m more likely to marry an alcoholic than become one, but I don’t think that’ll happen. We’ll see when I turn 21, I guess.
**2) HIV-positive** I like to think that I’m repsonsible, but I’ve known someone who was in a “committed” relationship, but cheated upon by her boyfriend. She ended up HIV positive. So as much as I’d like to idealistically state that I’m too careful, it could happen.
**3) dependent on welfare or public assistance** Sure. I was as a child. We recieved a big wheel of government cheese once a month. I hope that I’m never in a position to depend on welfare, but I would if I had children who needed it. And if I ever lost my job because I was laid off and didn’t have any money, I would go on unemployment.
\*\*4) homeless \*\* Maybe if I was an alcoholic, drug-abusing, HIV-positive crackhead. My family will always give me a place to live, unless I had a serious drug problem or addiction. I really can’t see them turning me away.
**5) in prison for a crime you actually committed** If I married an alcoholic, and my family was in danger, I could kill my husband, if driven to such an extreme. That’s the only possible situation I can imagine in which I’d be imprisoned. I don’t drive under the influence, I don’t steal or cheat or rape or pillage.
\*\*6) on death row \*\* No way. I’m not a minority. AFAICS Death Row exists to punish the people who can’t afford, via circumstances such as race, wealth, and education level, proper counsel. I’ll never be in that situation, but if I am, I promise you this: I will NOT discover God at the last moment. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/5 "2001-02-04T04:44:03Z")
1. an alcoholic or drug addict
Resigned smoker, mild drinker with no signs of letting up. So: yep.
2. HIV-positive
Nope. That is, I don’t think I will, but I suppose it is _possible_.
3. dependent on welfare or public assistance
No.
4. homeless
Possible. I’d “move” to a southern, coastal state however, so I could at least fish off a pier and avoid the whole “begging for change” thing as much as possible.
5. in prison for a crime you actually committed
Erm… ::blushes:: Does a suspended sentence count?
6. on death row
Nope.
---
### Author:  [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/6 "2001-02-04T04:47:31Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \*
> \*\*
1. an alcoholic or drug addict\*\*
Possibility. I don’t have an addictive personality in general but then, I have trouble stopping myself from drinking Mountain Dew–who knows if I got into drugs that made me feel really good.
**2) HIV-positive**
I’d say that currently working in a hospital puts me at a slightly higher risk than I would be ordinarily. There are always accidents that happen when you work in the vicinity of body fluids etc.
**3) dependent on welfare or public assistance**
Very likely if I had children that needed to eat. I have pride when it comes to myself but that pride is a thing of the past if I have someone else depending on me for survival.
**4) homeless**
Slim to no chance. Family on both sides would be more than willing to help.
**5) in prison for a crime you actually committed**
Pretty good, actually.
**6) on death row**
Chances are reduced since I am a woman but I don’t think they are very high to begin with.
---
### Author:  [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/7 "2001-02-04T16:09:19Z")
**an alcoholic or drug addict** No. I don’t even do caffeine. The only addictive behaviour I seem susceptible to is over-eating, and I’ve turned that around.
**HIV-positive** I suppose in truth this could happen to anyone except the Pope, but I’d say it’s really, really unlikely. I’m so cautious and careful that at times I wonder if I’m really male.
**dependent on welfare or public assistance** Unlikely. I don’t even claim stuff I’m entitled to. I think I’d always find a way to get by.
**homeless** Possible. I take a lot of risks with my career / income / survival. If my bright, shining plans for my future go pear-shaped all at once, I don’t have much of a safety net. Taken in by my family? Thanks, I’ll take homelessness.
**in prison for a crime you actually committed** No. I’m so law abiding I’m appalled at how boring I am. I’m the only person I’ve ever heard of who didn’t even do a bit of shoplifting as a teenager. I’m not trying to sound virtuous. I think I’m just dull. Being a policeman’s son may have been a factor.
\*\*on death row \*\* No.
---
### Author:  [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/8 "2001-02-04T16:47:49Z")
The OP just arrived after I did some pondering on at least a couple of these subjects, so here goes:
1. an alcoholic or drug addict
I don’t think so. It’s probably too late in life for me to start illegal drugs, and I go without alcohol for weeks without thinking about it. Coffeine is nice, but I’ve gone without for weeks on several occasions and hardly noticed.
2. HIV-positive
Hard to definitely say no this one, isn’t it ? I don’t consider it likely, but it has surprised more careful people than me. Trusted partner gets infected through carelessness, passes it on - could happen.
3. dependent on welfare or public assistance
Barring major societal changes, I don’t see this happening, but bad luck has caught up with smarter people than me. Of course, if everyone decides that the Internet is overrated, there won’t be much to do for a networking engineer - I do have other skills, but they’re not as marketable. (Or, in case of that one specific skill, illegal to market in many jurisdictions ;))
As for accidents or illness, I’m pretty well insured, though part of that is through public means, that being the Scandinavian way of handling this.
1. homeless
Same as for 3. Loads of friends who’d give me crash space for a while, but whatever bad luck got me could very well hit them as well.
2. in prison for a crime you actually committed
Bad luck strikes again: Getting carried away in a barfight or something similarly stupid. It’s pretty easy to step over the boundaries of self-defense in a lot of jurisdictions, and that might land you in jail.
3. on death row
Not unless I move. No DP here.
Hmmm, it looks like I had better check those insurance policies again ?
S. Norman
---
### Author:  [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2001, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/9 "2001-02-04T18:16:12Z")
1. **an alcoholic or drug addict** Not drugs, most likely, but there was a time I hit the sauce kinda hard, and the possibility exists (though I like to think I’ve moved past it) that I could do so again.
2. **HIV-positive** Sure. That can sneak up on you no matter what you do.
3. **dependent on welfare or public assistance** Yeah. At the very least, I could collect unemployment at some point. I don’t know that I’d ever have to go on welfare, though.
4. **homeless** Nope. Like others, many options for temporary crashing.
5. **in prison for a crime you actually committed** Possibly. I can’t really think of a scenario, but it’s always possible.
6. **on death row** Nah. Again, like others, I’m a white guy, and I’d faint before I’d be able to pull off the freaky shit that would get a white guy on death row.
---
### Author:  [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/10 "2001-02-05T15:02:13Z")
**1) an alcoholic or drug addict**
More likely the former.
**2) HIV-positive**
Anything is possible in this aspect. The wrong partner, rape.
**3) dependent on welfare or public assistance**
Been there (jobless after a bad break). Didn’t last too long, but definitely a sobering and eye-opening experience dealing with bureaucracy.
**4) homeless**
Been there (see above).
**5) in prison for a crime you actually committed**
No, I still have somewhat of a conscience/overdeveloped sense of guilt. I don’t even like taking an extra catsup package if I don’t need it.
**6) on death row**
Would really take a major crime and serious amnesia for me to be there.
Then again, I could have ended up as a middle-class yuppie wife/mommy had I actually fallen in love with the nerdy but brilliant kid guy who had a crush on me in high school (but I was too shallow to realize I really did like him), despite other people teasing me about him), got a degree in chemical engineering and has been financially well-off and happily married since graduation.
I miss him, but still can’t see myself as a mommy.
---
### Author:  [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/11 "2001-02-05T16:05:51Z")
**1) an alcoholic or drug addict**
Possible, but not particularly likely.
**2) HIV-positive**
Only technically possible. I really don’t see it ever happening.
**3) dependent on welfare or public assistance**
I doubt it. It’s plausible, but farfetched.
**4)homeless**
yeah, if I have a nervous breakdown.
**5)in prison for a crime you actually committed**
Possible, but it would be a computer crime. Piracy or unauthorised access, that sort of thing.
**6)on death row**
No.
---
### Author:  [@Stella\_Fantasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stella_Fantasia)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2001, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/12 "2001-02-05T16:37:22Z")
**1)an alcoholic or drug addict**
Yup. Alcoholism doesn’t just run in my family, it gallops. & for about a year, I was drunk more evenings than I was sober. Maybe that means I _am_ an alcoholic, a recovering one. I still drink, but no more than most people. I have tried just about everything except heroin but the only drug that I’ve done more than once is pot.
**2)HIV-positive**
Absolutely. I’m monogamous now, but I used to be a major slut. HIV can take longer than six months to show up in the blood…I’ve heard it can take as long as ten years. So ask me again in eight years…
**3)dependent on welfare or public assistance**
I got WIC when I was pregnant. As far as actual welfare, theoretically, it could happen, though I doubt it. I used to be a social worker, & I pretty much never saw anybody like me. I’d never have a child I couldn’t support (I’d abort or give it up), but I don’t want to say that I’ll _always_ be able to find work. & if I became disabled, I’d probably be on it for a couple of months until my Social Security came through.
**4)homeless**
Now this one I don’t foresee happening to me. My family sometimes drives me bananas, but they’re definitely better than life on the streets, & they’ll ALWAYS take me in. Plus I have a big enough family that when my mom gets sick of me, I can go to one of my uncles’ houses, or my grandmother or something.
\*\*5)in prison for a crime you actually committed \*\*
Unlikely, but possible. If I went, it’d be for possession of marijuana. I don’t do antyhing else that gets one sent to jail.
**6)on death row**
Nope. I think in Maryland, where I live, you pretty much have to kill somebody, or a bunch of somebodies, to get on death row. I can’t think of anybody who I hate that much.
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### Author:  [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2001, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/13 "2001-02-05T17:15:49Z")
1)an alcoholic or drug addict
Very possible. I am a sober alcolholic and drug addict already.
2)HIV-positive
Possible. Got lucky before, and am now monogamous. But who knows what lies down the road?
3)dependent on welfare or public assistance
I had my son on welfare. I don’t see myself returning to it, but it could happen, I guess.
4)homeless
Doubtful. I have too many friends and family for that to happen. Unless possibly I return to the boozing/doping life, and ruin everything with everybody.
5)in prison for a crime you actually committed
Unlikely. I’m not the criminal type.
6)on death row
Extremely unlikely.
---
### Author:  [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-but-for-fortune/53070/14 "2001-02-05T18:58:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> 1. an alcoholic or drug addict
Sure, I could see alcoholism, not drugs though.
> [@](#):
>
> 1. HIV-positive
3-4 years ago I would have said no, as Im married. A cheating ex spouse cured that little bit of optimism.
> [@](#):
>
> 1. dependent on welfare or public assistance
Not really, I’ve always found work unless I absolutely don’t want to. I’ve lived on savings three months just to take some me time.
[/quote]
4) homeless
[/quote]
With the market like it is in the SF Bay Area, it could happen I suspose but not very likely.
> [@](#):
>
> 1. in prison for a crime you actually committed
If it involved someone doing something to my kids, absolutely.
> [@](#):
>
> 1. on death row
Well, I’m black, so if #5 happened, number 6 probably isn’t a stretch. OTOH, I’m probably better off financially than your average defendent, so let’s say 50-50.