UN Report Says Parts of America as Poor as Third World

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

Seeker

I just this morning drove thru the Navajo reservation, Jicarilla Apache Reservation and the Jemez Pueblo. Sure looked 3rd world to me. Maybe you should get out more. The crushing poverty I saw was anything but funny! I took up a load of clothes and pots and pans as part of my churchs' outreach program. We would love to have you join us!!

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.

Seekerof, if you're saying the the U.S. isn't the only wealthy nation milking it's middle class to produce a thirdworld class within it's own borders then I agree with you.

If however you think that good, hardworking people haven't and don't lose what they've worked for at the stroke of a government pen, like their homes and now rare, regular, secure employment and then rapidly fall into poverty, well ....I can't expect you to understand that there are "other" "classes" of people in these wealthy nations who for a very long time have had it MUCH HARDER than the dissapearing middle class.

Lambast the U.N. all you like, I personaly give them the respect I'd give a three legged flea, but don't ignor what people are allowing to be done to people in the race to not become one of the all too many and rapidly growing, poverty stricken.

Defend the U.S. all you like but displaying SOME compassion for it's policy's victims would show you have a heart and clear mind.

The threat of forced poverty through legislation is THE GREAT TERROR being inflicted by the worlds power nations against their people. Lack of food and shelter kills far more than "terrorist" bombings yet the worlds leaders are making more and more people that can't afford to pay for "the right" to live.

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.

I have spent years in the Third Word and years in the US. I have to say some parts of the US do resemble what I've seen in the Third World (though of course not all.) Parts of Spanish Harlem and Indian Reserves come to mind.

However, this wasn't the point of the UN report. They weren't saying "parts of the US resemble the Third World."

The point was that certain statistics are on a par with what is expected of Third World nations, such as child poverty and infant mortality.

-koji K.

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.

Rasputin

When you traveled in the US, did you get off the interstate. If you had of been with me this morning on the Rez you would have seen the UN statement not so ludicrous. I think your ideology has clouded your vision to the reality that some in this country actually do live in third world conditions. As I said to Seekerof; you need to get out more; and my churches outreach group would love to have you along and show you some of our Native American living conditions.

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.

I'm sorry, but are you aware of how much money the U.S. owes the UN currently? Maybe you should have rechecked your information afore hand.

Luxifero

Theres no doubt to that. Some people in states are so broke they can barely afford Mc. Donalds once a weeK!

Rasputin,
I've been to South America, and in many places there is much poverty.
I've also been to North America and I can tell you that the Appalachians have some of the largest concentrations of impoverished people in the U.S.

I have lived and visited many third world countries and I can tell you this - What characterizes them is not the little wobbly legs on houses that someone mentioned; that is the perception of someone who has not actually seen an entire 3rd world country, but a few images on television during a hunger telethon.

What characterizes it is the marked contrast between rich and poor. You will see palatial mansions, filthy rich properties and autos and armed guards to secure it. Just around the corner from that you will find people that are so poor it makes you ashamed of being human.

In the US recently this seems to be the trend: increased riches for the rich, working classes getting poorer and a wide divide between them and a dwindling middle class. There will always be a rich and poor class in the US, but it is the level of poverty that is being compared to other nations. Poor children in a weathy country are dying as they would in a country like Malaysia.

I wonder why someone would want to dismiss this report. Is it because they don't like someone else pointing it out? Granted you despise the UN but you can't just call bias because you wish it to be untrue. All you need to do is take a good look around you and maybe you will see what other people are starting to see.







[edit on 12-9-2005 by nikelbee]

i found this page with tons of valuable info about the US' poverty rates (for the year 2004)

check this: www.census.gov...

here's a snippet:

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)

[edit on 12-9-2005 by XyZeR]

Originally posted by Rasputin13
Anyone who has actually traveled the United States, and also been to a Third World nation ....

Yep. I have. Been all over America as well as Venezuela and Bolivia.
(our daughter is adopted from Bolivia).

The poor in the Appalachians .. the Indian Reservations ... yep, definately
they are on a par with the third world. I have no question about it.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
The US should cut money spent on Foreign aide and use that to help the poor in our own country.

You have a good point here, but the problem is that while most of the well off population look at foreign aid as a moral right and wagging wars and the reconstruction of other nations as "Iraq and Afghanistan" as ok.

When it comes to helping the needy and poor in this country we have been groom to believe that is a waste of tax payer money and resources.

This is the result of the differentiation of classes in our nation, in order for the rich to stay rich the poor has to remain poor.

Help should come from faith base programs and the church.

Pity.

Thanks for that link XYZer. I have another link which in tandem with yours should determine the poverty rates if anyone is interested:

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

By the year 2015 more than half the U.S. population will be over 65.
Most of us who are barely scraping by now on our full salaries will be living
off social security and what ever we may have tucked away.

I doubt that any COLA will cover the increased costs of property taxes, housing, food, health care, utilities and long term care.

People who spent their entire lives working and contributing will be living below poverty level and it will only get worse.

Like it or not, we're going to have to change the system.

Imagine trying to make ends meet right now with a 40% pay cut.

Then imagine another 10 years of inflation.





[edit on 12-9-2005 by FallenFromTheTree]

thats pretty bad title, its more like America has poverty than to say America is poor as most third world countries because i dont see third world countries having the most political, economical and military influence.. if we are that poor than i guess we should leave the UN because we cant afford to pay for it. no more money for peace operations by UN over Africa no more food aid, no MORE!!!!!!

full article
www.commondreams.org...

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.

I dont think your idea would be that great. Most of our "aid" allows us to rape those very same third world countries of their natural resources which really only fatten the pockets of their US appointed corrupt leaders, and fatten the pockets of our ultra rich here. By cutting off our aid (bribe money) we would be shooting ourselves in the foot.

How bout this instead, get rid of the trillion$+ tax break for the ultra rich here in the US. Make everyone ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE pay a 10% income tax across the board. That means if you make 36,000 per year, your share is 3600. If you make 10billion, your share is 1 Billion. Period, that simple. Take that money and put it into our horrible education & healthcare programs, and civil service programs to raise those poorest areas up to first world standards.

Here is another idea, quit playing bully police officer to oil rich countries. Lets take some of the money spent on these pointless wars (now costing us hundreds of billions) and fund the tech for alternative energy sources. Why the elite haven't capitalized on this is beyond me....I think their greed has made them stupid.

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.

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.

You miss the point. As explained above, it is the treatment of the poor, availablity of healthcare, child mortality etc...not the fact that they live in a desert or have a mud hut.

Try and use your brain and put it into context instead of dismissing it out of hand because you wish it to not be true. It is all relative, whilst the poor in the US may indeed be much better off than the poor in Angola, they are still living in squalid conditions with minimal access to healthcare, education, decent food and basic services that they might as well be, as they are supposed to be citizens of the richest country on earth.

I think that it is the US aversion to social programmes that has created this scenario..

Although you can travel to parts of the UK where people are reliant on state handouts in order to make ends meet and are technically living in poverty as well..

It is not just confined to the US, but across the western world. I think the US has been highlighted in this report due to them being at the top of the food chain.

Had Italy been at the top, I am sure the report would have cited them instead.