Almost One Third of America Now Lives in Poverty

And poor, just in case you haven’t kept up on the definition is $11,000 a year for an individual or $22,000 for a family of four.
As world leaders finally begin to admit that we are smack dab in the middle of another Great Depression and the economy stands at the cusp of another earth-shaking collapse of the financial system, the US census reports that nearly 100 million Americans are now classified as living in poverty or are considered “near poor.”

That’s nearly 1/3 of our populace who are living in the worst economic conditions in nearly fifty years.

For those of you that don't have a calculator at hand, $11,000 a year pens out to just over 30 bucks a day. Can you find an apartment or house on that? Food? Medical?
$22,000 for a family of four pens out to $15 and change per person per day.

Here's the cataclysm waiting to happen, people with no money, don't buy. All those jobs that left america made great profit for the corps, but there is the great tipping point. When no one is buying, people are laid off. Then there are less to buy and more are laid off, until one great moment and then the business itself closes down its sales in america.
Is the gov taxing imports to keep jobs here?
No.
Why?
Cause if they did, China would stop buying our debt and the game of shuffling the debt would be over.

So I guess we let our kids starve to death.

Those in power need to remember something...
they tried that in France a long time ago.

So let them eat twinkies...or...whoops.

Those businesses probably knew what would happen but something tells me that they didn't care about that because they set out with a goal and met it. I'm pretty sure they all had a "let the next guy deal with that" mentality. Now my generation and our children are royally screwed unless a miracle happens. It's hard not to blame my parents' generation and their parents' generation when none of them seem to have made much of an effort to prevent any of this and now most of these stupid 20 sumthins are doing exactly as they have been trained and being good little zombies. All the while I often get chewed out by old people about how "it's all my generations' fault..." It really pisses me off because I can't help it that most of my peers are a complete waste of space, I didn't raise them...

and of course...this is why we should cut regulations on businesses, do away with unions, do away with the minimum wage, cut taxes for the top 2%.... you know, for those great job creators.

Well we can look forward to another 4 years of a leftist president, a democrat led senate and a weak innefectual republican-led house.

YAY! Obama! Oh-ba-ma! Oh-ba-ma! Oh-ba-ma!
(Oh-my-gad!)

here's what $30 a day will get ya ...

reply to post by beezzer


Yah...Republicans!!

Wonder how the Government hid all the others as last information I had was 48% of Americans on Food Stamps - this is a good indicator of poverty and when I went to school it meant - just under half the population!

reply to post by Indigo5


You guy are in charge now. have been for the past 4 years as well.

Let's see watcha' got!

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Indigo5

 

You guy are in charge now. have been for the past 4 years as well.

Let's see watcha' got!

What we have had is Grover Norquist and the Koch Brothers running Congress...but that is changing

I am a fierce capitalist, love the free market, but what we have had for the past 30 years is not a free market, but a system rigged to benefit those that have the payola to buy politicians, loop-holes, subsidies, tax breaks etc. while the working class and the up and comers don't have the same resources. Rich get richer...poor get poorer.

The game is rigged...At the Casino, it might seem like you have a shot at fortune, but play long enough and the house will always win...it just takes a few percentage points..in the casinos...in the tax code...in America...

I love capitalism, but someone needs to level the playing field back to a fair competition or we are all effed....cuz who are the wealthy going to make money off of when the consumer class collapses.

exactly how many of those living in poverty , choose to be ? while I have a huge dislike for money and most any one in a position of power, I am not a fan of people who settle in life. the whole "i cant find a job so feel sorry for me " line falls on deaf ears. sure every one wants a 25$ an hour job with no responsibility involved , but those jobs are very hard to find. unless you run for office, then you can pull in some serious $$$ without doing any thing. other than that , people should be responsible and make themselves a better life , as opposed to waiting for an oppurtunity to present itself.

Originally posted by Indigo5

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Indigo5

 

You guy are in charge now. have been for the past 4 years as well.

Let's see watcha' got!

What we have had is Grover Norquist and the Koch Brothers running Congress...but that is changing

I am a fierce capitalist, love the free market, but what we have had for the past 30 years is not a free market, but a system rigged to benefit those that have the payola to buy politicians, loop-holes, subsidies, tax breaks etc. while the working class and the up and comers don't have the same resources. Rich get richer...poor get poorer.

The game is rigged...At the Casino, it might seem like you have a shot at fortune, but play long enough and the house will always win...it just takes a few percentage points..in the casinos...in the tax code...in America...

I love capitalism, but someone needs to level the playing field back to a fair competition or we are all effed....cuz who are the wealthy going to make money off of when the consumer class collapses.

Whether you're a free-trade capitalist or a dyed-red commie, your guy, your party has the wheel. just as it had for the past 4 years.

If things go great? YAY!

If things continue to suck large lemons? (who ya going to blame? )

When the ship goes down

EVERYONE goes down with it

rich and poor

Originally posted by IsawWHATtheyDID
exactly how many of those living in poverty , choose to be ?

No one chooses poverty. And tell me that Americans don't want to work and I will tell you to go ef yourself. Work is in our DNA and always has been. It comes down to mobility...a fancy word for "opportunity" + Level playing field. Education and a fair system to compete.

Opportunity...Not hand-outs. That is where the rhetorical slight of hand occurs when right wing idealogues look to deride the working class.

Not everyone will be wealthy...not everyone will have high paying jobs...but everyone should have the opportunity....and via the tax-code which funnels money upward like a casino earns on the blackjack table....via crappy schools in poor neighborhoods...via outdated thinking that thinks skin pigmentation is an indicator or potential...that mobility, that opportunity has grinded to a halt.

It's fun to play with statistics, isn't it? Like look here:



Here's another one:



Here's one showing the huge and unfair tax cuts the rich got under Bush:



And here's one on how the "rich" don't pay their "fair share"



And here's one showing how the poor have to fight America's wars:



Now, after you get through digesting, i.e.: fuming, at all these statistics please note that the figures on poverty DO NOT COUNT the value of food stamps, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, etc. into these income statistics. In other words, the purchasing power of someone who "makes" $11,000 (which is a little over half-time work at the minimunm wage. Full time is closer to $20,000) is far greater than $11,000. The rest of it is given to you by your friendly government. Now take the resulting figure and compare it with the average salary in

Africa, Asia, and South America, and then let's talk about who lives in poverty.

Originally posted by beezzer
Whether you're a free-trade capitalist or a dyed-red commie, your guy, your party has the wheel. just as it had for the past 4 years.

If things go great? YAY!

If things continue to suck large lemons? (who ya going to blame?

)

Congress holds the purse strings...They pass the laws...they change the tax code...the GOP.

But in two years when they are finally ousted from Congress, as I don't think even the 2010 census/gerry mandering will save them - just like voter suppression backfired...when they leave in 2014, I'll be more than happy to blame Democrats for the state of the country come 2016.

Originally posted by Indigo5

Originally posted by beezzer
Whether you're a free-trade capitalist or a dyed-red commie, your guy, your party has the wheel. just as it had for the past 4 years.

If things go great? YAY!

If things continue to suck large lemons? (who ya going to blame?

)

Congress holds the purse strings...They pass the laws...they change the tax code...the GOP.

But in two years when they are finally ousted from Congress, as I don't think even the 2010 census/gerry mandering will save them - just like voter suppression backfired...when they leave in 2014, I'll be more than happy to blame Democrats for the state of the country come 2016.

Lemme get this straight.

Whomever controls the House, gets the blame?

reply to post by winterkill


I applaud the 1/3 of Americans that live in poverty and say Well Done. Bravo!

I make under $11,000 a year - yet I have tons of money and do spend it all the time. I own every modern convenience the Jones's have. I work for myself and make as much or as little as I want or need. I own my own home. If you (a two family house hold) actually need more than 11.000 dollars a year because you cannot live well - your doing something Wrong. Your buying the wrong things, living in the wrong place, your spending is out of control, your in debt to banks and lenders ( of which I am debt free) you don't know how or where to shop for food, goods or services. You live badly and waste your money.

BTW, I don't receive any government assistance. I simply know how to be smart with my money and live well. When I do work, I make between 20 and 30 dollars per hour and only work when I want to.

Being in this imaginary Poverty level is nothing to be ashamed of. It's meaningless except to those who wish to pull our strings trying to get us to believe a lie they created. I have more than many middle class people do.

Originally posted by beezzer

Originally posted by Indigo5

Originally posted by beezzer
Whether you're a free-trade capitalist or a dyed-red commie, your guy, your party has the wheel. just as it had for the past 4 years.

If things go great? YAY!

If things continue to suck large lemons? (who ya going to blame?

)

Congress holds the purse strings...They pass the laws...they change the tax code...the GOP.

But in two years when they are finally ousted from Congress, as I don't think even the 2010 census/gerry mandering will save them - just like voter suppression backfired...when they leave in 2014, I'll be more than happy to blame Democrats for the state of the country come 2016.

Lemme get this straight.

Whomever controls the House, gets the blame?

Lemme get this straight. Whomever controls the House, gets the blame?

beezzer, My intelligent friend. You know if they can't Blame Bush, then it's another Republican they Blame, Obama can do no wrong, Obama can only Sacrifice himself for his Faithful Followers, They Worship him.

For Obama gives them their Daily Bread and part time jobs so they can be illegible for Welfare and Cell Phone Service.

Originally posted by schuyler
It's fun to play with statistics, isn't it? Like look here:

Sure...lets exlcude every tax any of us pay every day in any way and only count Federal Income tax revenues...nix payroll tax from that too..plus state tax...groceries, gas..etc. etc. The 90% of general tax revenue generated by the 99%. Lets cherry pick...

And then you can ask yourself why the folks that rake in 50% on the money in the economy only pay a 35% share...before loopholes etc. that give Mitt a 14% rate?

Yah...Right wing idealogues can make charts...the problem is that they begin with the answer before they play with the numbers.

Originally posted by JohnPhoenix
reply to post by winterkill

 

I applaud the 1/3 of Americans that live in poverty and say Well Done. Bravo!

I make under $11,000 a year - yet I have tons of money and do spend it all the time. I own every modern convenience the Jones's have. I work for myself and make as much or as little as I want or need. I own my own home. If you (a two family house hold) actually need more than 11.000 dollars a year because you cannot live well - your doing something Wrong. Your buying the wrong things, living in the wrong place, your spending is out of control, your in debt to banks and lenders ( of which I am debt free) you don't know how or where to shop for food, goods or services. You live badly and waste your money.

BTW, I don't receive any government assistance. I simply know how to be smart with my money and live well. When I do work, I make between 20 and 30 dollars per hour and only work when I want to.

Being in this imaginary Poverty level is nothing to be ashamed of. It's meaningless except to those who wish to pull our strings trying to get us to believe a lie they created. I have more than many middle class people do.

edit on 27-11-2012 by JohnPhoenix because: sp

\

You bought your own home on $11k per year? I think someone is not telling the whole story. Do you live in Bangladesh?