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Originally posted by SeekerofI am exceptionally glad that you got a laugh from this, because quite frankly, I got a laugh when I read the UN report on its citing of "parts of America as poor as Third World....."
Perhaps our laughs were mutually inclusive or exclusive; your guess?
seekerof
The UN released a report yesterday that claimed parts of America are now as poor as third world countries.
Originally posted by Rasputin13
The UN released a report yesterday that claimed parts of America are now as poor as third world countries.
Anyone who has actually traveled the United States, and also been to a Third World nation and has seen homes made of a few sticks for support and dirty t-shirts for walls, would find the above statement completely ludicrous.
Originally posted by Rasputin13
The UN released a report yesterday that claimed parts of America are now as poor as third world countries.
Anyone who has actually traveled the United States, and also been to a Third World nation and has seen homes made of a few sticks for support and dirty t-shirts for walls, would find the above statement completely ludicrous.
HIGHLIGHTS
* The official poverty rate in 2004 was 12.7 percent, up from 12.5 percent 2003.
* In 2004, 37.0 million people were in poverty, up 1.1 million from 2003.
* Poverty rates remained unchanged for Blacks (24.7 percent) and Hispanics (21.9 percent), rose for non-Hispanic Whites (8.6 percent in 2004, up from 8.2 percent in 2003) and decreased for Asians (9.8 percent in 2004, down from 11.8 percent in 2003)
Originally posted by Rasputin13
Anyone who has actually traveled the United States, and also been to a Third World nation ....
Originally posted by ShadowXIX
The US should cut money spent on Foreign aide and use that to help the poor in our own country.
What is the poverty income level for the United States?
The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services both record poverty statistics for the country, but they each have their own calculations for the poverty income level. The Census Bureau numbers are used to estimate the number of Americans living in poverty, while the Department of Health and Human Services numbers are used to determine financial eligibility for many federal programs. However, the two sets of numbers don't differ dramatically.
The Census Bureau determines poverty by looking at money income, plus family size and composition. "Money income" is income before taxes and doesn't include capital gains and non-cash benefits (like food stamps). The bureau does not take geography into account, but it does consider annual inflation levels.
Ask Yahoo
2005 HHS Poverty Guidelines
Persons in Family Unit 48 Contiguous States and D.C. Alaska Hawaii
1 $ 9,570 $11,950 $11,010
2 12,830 16,030 14,760
3 16,090 20,110 18,510
4 19,350 24,190 22,260
5 22,610 28,270 26,010
6 25,870 32,350 29,760
7 29,130 36,430 33,510
8 32,390 40,510 37,260
For each additional person, add 3,260 4,080 3,750
US Department of Health and Human Services
Originally posted by American Mad Man
As a few others mentioned, there is a very simple solution for the US, and that is to take care of our own before we take care of others.
So, here is my proposal:
1) Since it is the UN, derivered from "United Nations", the rest of the nations of the world can unite to pay EQUAL PARTS of the UN budget. It isn't the UNTIFMBTUS, or United Nations That Is Funded Mostly By The US. Thats right - we are all united together in this. In 2004, the US contributed nearly TWENTY FIVE percent of the UNs budget. That should be no more. There are over 100 members of the UN, thus we can take back some 300 MILLION dollars we gave to the UN while everyone else puts up their fair share.
2) Since we can hardly keep our own people out of extreme poverty, the US should pass a bill FORBIDDING any foriegn aid to countries unless we gain something equally valuable in return. Thats right folks, the free money is gone. Now adays, if you want our money, you need to do something for us. Isreal is our dog on a leash in the middle east. You all want Tsunami aid? Tough! We have our own people living in poverty.
Of course, the same bastards that bitch and moan saying that we get involved in too much will be the same ones saying thet we are the greatest evil in the world for cutting off the third world to divert that funding to our OWN citizens. The UN is a joke. In it's current form it serves only two purposes. One is to give it's employees a way to steal money. The second is to give nations hostile to the US a way to promote their agenda.
The US would be much better off without the UN. If the US drops it, then the UN will fall too, and I for one long for that day.
Originally posted by Winchester Ranger T
I'm sure the UN would like this to be true, since everyone loves to take a poke at the USA.
The truth is that parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky etc are indeed as poor as church mice, but to suggest that they are on a par with the likes of the Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia etc is just plain silly.