Can poverty be self-inflicted?

I believe that poverty within a democracy is avoidable by the population. Poverty can be self-inflicted, if not by our own carelessness, then by our governments administrations of monetary means or their regulations made for private markets - governments we select via a so-called democracy.

Also, regardless of the criterias made by national and international definitions, the meaning of "poverty", or the degree of it, is based on the subject.
We can all agree on areas that we consider poor! But we should also consider and take into heart that the populations of those areas often have a lower boundary in regard to when poverty is over, which could and should make us re-define our own lives, if we are seen as poor within our democratic countries.
This is probably one of the reasons of why there can never be a global consciousness on the meaning of "poverty", and how we conquer it. Especially as long as we let money do the major part of the talking and ruling.
And this is why you should never forget or avoid to vote or speak up!