Please explain to me where these small, non-flat-screen TVs are available which people in poverty are allowed to own thanks

Make no mistake: this booze/fags/smartphones/flat-screen-TVs narrative is all about dehumanising people in poverty. Making it seem that they shouldn't have anything nice, luxurious or enjoyable.

For this to work, you need to believe that people being in poverty is punishment for some kind of moral failing.
They're poor because they deserve it.

Well let me tell you this - anyone can fall into poverty.

To look in the mirror and not feel the fear that this might befall us, we need to ensure there's a safety net for the vulnerable. For those in need.
If we don't do this, we put everyone at risk.

Those who are close to invulnerable to this eventuality* have pushed the 'no nice things' narrative to the extent that it's being parroted by very ordinary people.
They've demonised poverty, so that people are scroungers/feckless/undeserving. Dehumanised.

*Tories, mostly.

Thus it becomes a lot more palatable for large swathes of the population when the gov't takes away support for those they've come to feel are 'unworthy'. It's repugnant.

The vast majority of us, even those in secure employment, don't have six months' worth of salary saved up somewhere. We're most of us 1-2 rent or mortgage payments away from homelessness.

COVID and then Brexit are likely to cause massive redundancies and downsizing, meaning more people falling into poverty.

Now is the time to hold the govt's feet to the fire for MORE support, not less.

Don't accept it, and fall into the trap of doing their dirty work for them.

Next time you see someone giving it 'why've they got a big telly then?', please feel free to send them this thread.

And then this one: https://twitter.com/DaveJProbert/status/1319591090425561091?s=20