50% of Americans living below poverty....

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   moneyfairyposted 10 years ago

   With the average of 50% of Americans living below poverty, is there any chance of recovery or will we as a society keep ignoring it and just hoping it goes away?

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      wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Is that "poverty" as defined in 2014 or the "poverty" that our great grandparents went through crossing the plains in a wagon?  Of that in the 30's, in the Great Depression?
      
      What I see any more is millions of people crying great poverty, to the point of claiming starvation, but with a higher standard of living that my parents had as a straight middle class couple.

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         moneyfairyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Well some of that 50% have no job for at least 2 yrs. but at one time employed and living at least a middle class life now found with tons of debt and no way of digging themselves out.... some with food stamps some with no home living on the street begging....some with no family to take them in and overcrowded shelters and no health care at all just sitting on the street waiting and in some cases wanting  to die. That's the poverty I'm talking about.

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            MelissaBarrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Yet manual labor jobs are experiencing labor shortages... even with all these unemployed people, farmers are having to basically beg people to work for them.
            
            I have my own theories on poverty and especially locational poverty.
            
            Regardless, poverty here means something vastly different than it does in other countries. Starvation, for example, is almost non-existent. Malnutrition happens, but surprisingly most cases of malnutrition in America are in individuals of normal to obese weight.

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               moneyfairyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Yes Melissa poverty in America isn't the same as in other countries but still no less devastating. People living in tent cities throughout the country or under a bridge or in transportation bathrooms( trains, busses, subways) wherever they can find shelter. Some with teeth grey and green and falling out because of poor nurtrition or just rummaging thru the garbage. It's a horribly ignored part of life here in  America.
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               

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                  MelissaBarrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  I disagree that it's ignored. America has one of the best social services situations in the world, both private and government funded. Billions are spent each year to combat poverty.
                  
                  Now I understand what you are saying, and I agree that it is necessary to have such programs in place. However you would be hard pressed to find a town in America that didn't have community service programs in place... and wildly successful ones at that.
                  
                  Now, there ARE sufficient resources. Where the breakdown is comes in several places. Many of those places really are the fault of the poor themselves. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

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            wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Anyone that has been out of a job for two years isn't trying to find one, either.  Not really.
            
            Yes, now they have food stamps - something that wasn't available in earlier recessions that will stave off the starvation that happened then.  That's kind of my point - what was poor now was riches in past years.  The standard of living has changed in the country and what we term "poverty" grew right along with it.

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               gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Wilderness, YOU are always the logical voice, the voice of reason. I love your responses to various threads.

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                  wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  That's because you aren't very PC.  Well, neither am I.

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                     Silverspeederposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                     The definition of poverty has changed as countries have got richer, the benchmark raises every time there is a rise in the national average wage. Here In the UK someone on as much as £20k year could be considered as living in poverty.

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               moneyfairyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Wilderness: You are correct in saying that the standard of living has changed since the 30's but poverty is still poverty and jobs aren't as pleantiful as they used to be either.
               Silverspeeder: Standard of living has changed but poverty is still poverty. If you can't pay for a roof over your head or any of your debts or food you are in poverty.

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                  Silverspeederposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  And I don't think 50% of Americans are in that situation.
                  
                  These sweeping statements about poverty are nonsense when compared to other parts of the world.

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                     moneyfairyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                     Did you even look at the photos above? People living in tent cities?People living on the sidewalk or under a bridge or in transportation bathrooms because the shelters are too full and they have no relatives or any place to go. Poverty sucks no matter where you are and I'm just wondering what more can be done about it. Better education?Better financial planning? I don't know the answer that is why I asked the question. There are people with signs begging on the street for food. People with nowhere to go...the forgotten people. It's just very sad.

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                        Silverspeederposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                        I have empathy for these people but it is obvious your government doesn't.
                        
                        They live in a country where there is still plenty of opportunities to better themselves. If they lived in a war torn sh*thole I would be more inclined to agree.

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                           moneyfairyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                           correct!!! Thank you!!! The government doesn't give a shit, they supposedly created healthcare for everyone but when you have a choice of a hot meal or health care what would you choose? It's that awful. that's why I am wondering what could be done?

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