Poverty in the USA is a scandal

[Cato]

You're right, Rythm. They are doing their dead level best to create one by dragging us back to the pre-Teddy Roosevelt days when the Robber Barons ran rampant and the poor lived in shitty tenements and worked in unsafe factories for a pittance. The republicunts and the libertarian allies call that "freedom" but its really only freedom for them.

I just finished Bertrand Russell's Proposed Roads To Freedom. His ultimate conclusion was a guild socialism. I don't see this as a viable solution, but I have 90 years of hindsight to argue with.

What he did say, that caugth my attention, was that nobody should have to work more than four hours a day, with advancing technology, to subsist. I don't think anyone can imagine that Russell meant that subsisting means living in a tent city or in a water drainage system or that we cannot be compassionate as a society to ensure that we are all fed and properly looked after; dare I say medically?

Proponents of capitalism claim that there has never been a greater force for the advancement of the human condition, but only repeat this bromide when given examples of those that don't enjoy the advancement. This claim is true, but only if one has the capacity to exclude those that don't enjoy its fruits (the losers in previous arguments in this thread). Although there is an opportunity for advancement of situation, it still largely depends on a lucky sperm (or egg) club mentality. In the very sage words of Everlast "You know where it ends/ Yo, it usually depends on where you start".

The problem with the 1%/99% argument is that most people through propoganda (non-political propoganda = marketing) don't realize they are part of the 99%.

I would go on, but I've already proven myself to be brevity challenged in this matter.

[Annik]

Or maybe a capitalist society would view the poor as the losers in a competition (in which there is always a loser) and leave it at that? If the system is a game then the presence of losers does not indicate that the system is broken, but that it is working as intended.

That is mainly what I was referring to, I'll be more clear next time. : )

[Minimalist]

"John Steinbeck once said that 'socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.'

At some point in time one must begin to accept that the bulk of the American populace has been conned so completely by red, white and blue bullshit that they cannot even feel the dick up their asses.

[The Grand Nudger]

What he did say, that caugth my attention, was that nobody should have to work more than four hours a day, with advancing technology, to subsist.

You know I've got to add here, along the lines of how much a person should have to work, we spend more time "foraging" than our earliest goddamned ancestors are thought to have spent. At what point am I going to see some increased leisure time as a benefit of technological advancement?

[Minimalist]

An old Indian chief sat in his hut on the reservation, smoking a ceremonial pipe and eyeing two US government officials sent to interview him.

"Chief Two Eagles," asked one official, "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his material wealth. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

The chief nodded that it was so.

The official continued, "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

The chief stared at the government officials for over a minute and then calmly replied, "When white man found the land, Indians were running it. No taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, women did all the work, medicine man free, Indian man spent all day hunting and fishing, all night having sex."

Then the chief leaned back and smiled, "White man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that!"

[Autumnlicious]

Good thing the system has improved for women then.

[Justtristo]

The United States is not the wealthiest nation. Going by gross domestic product at purchasing power parity per capita, the USA is in the top ten, but not the richest in the list of countries.

I was more referring to the sort of poverty which currently exists in the United States. To give an example; many people's health is being seriously threaten because they don't have health coverage (either they are ineligible for government coverage or cant afford health insurance).

Also I was referring to the United States being the wealthiest country in the world all up, as opposed to wealth per capita.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Australia isn't much better Trist

Yes, that we HAVE homeless people at all is a disgrace.

However, we DO have; universal health care, a far higher minimum wage,a long tradition of welfare housing AND a far more generous system of welfare payments and pensions. Plus Family Allowance payments and child care subsidies. PLUS mandatory national superannuation.

Not much better my arse.

[Justtristo]

Australia isn't much better Trist

Yes, that we HAVE homeless people at all is a disgrace.

However, we DO have; universal health care, a far higher minimum wage,a long tradition of welfare housing AND a far more generous system of welfare payments and pensions. Plus Family Allowance payments and child care subsidies. PLUS mandatory national superannuation.

Not much better my arse.

I agree with Padraic on this one, while I would like to see unemployment benefits (which are quite low) increased greatly and medicare to be extended to dental treatment. Things are a lot better in Australia than in the United States at the moment. Also not to mention people who are working part and even full time, being in the situation they cant afford to eat and house themselves.


I would bet everything I had, that Australian politician would dare to say what Ron Paul said in a Republican Primary debate, about leaving a guy to die if he had no capacity to pay for his treatment (even if it would save his life).

[Autumnlicious]

Two political and totally inacurrate but never fails to whip conservatives into a frenzy words:

"Welfare Queen."

Until Americans let go of their puritanism, they'll never let go of their incredible rage at a ridiculous but believable scenario and subsequently base their ideology off of that.

Good old cock sucking Ronnie Reagan was quite a pioneer in Impossible Edge Case theatre.