IN a Bertelsmann Foundation study on social justice released this fall, the United States came in dead last among the rich countries, with only Greece, Chile, Mexico and Turkey faring worse. Whether in poverty prevention, child poverty, income inequality or health ratings, the United States ranked below countries like Spain and South Korea, not to mention Japan, Germany or France.
It was another sign of how badly Americans are hurting their middle class. Wars, famine and violence have devastated middle classes before, in Germany and Japan, Russia and Eastern Europe. But when the smoke cleared and the dust settled, a social structure roughly similar to what existed before would always resurface.
No nation has ever lost an existing middle class, and the United States is not in danger of that yet. But the percentage of national income held by the top 1 percent of Americans went from about 10 percent in 1980 to 24 percent in 2007, and that is a worrisome signal.
So before the United States continues on its current road of dismantling its version of the welfare state, of shredding its social safety net, of expanding the gap between rich and poor, Americans might do well to glance south. The lesson is that even after a large middle class emerges, yawning inequities between rich and poor severely strain any society’s cohesion and harmony.
If ever a geographical stereotype had some truth to it, it would be that in Latin America, where a handful of immensely wealthy magnates wielded power over a sea of the poor. If there has ever been a social cliché with roots in reality, it would be that a vast middle class was always the backbone of the United States’ strength. Read more....
What a crock of shit. The "poor" in the U.S. live like the middle class in Europe and the rich in third world countries. But through a political ploy none of the government benefits our "poor" get are ever counted to determine their status. Our "poor" on welfare typically make more in benefits then a middle class family does earning $40,000 a year. But they are still counted as being "poor".
ReplyDeleteBut in the interest of fairness I have a suggestion that will help our "poor" and allow the Latin American countries prove how smart they are. Lets export our "poor" to Latin American countries where those smart "social justice" teachers can show us their genius. It would be a win/win. The Latin American countries could prove to the world how much smarter they are then us stupid Americans and our "poor" would get social justice...
Ahh, did we not warn the idiot running this site that posting mainstream rubbish would cause him to lose readers?
ReplyDeleteThe middle class in America is already dead. So how exactly are we not in danger of losing the middle class?
It's funny how Blenn Beck bozos like 3:14 seem to equate prosperity to material possessions owned, all the while saying we have lost decency and respect. Unfortunately, few people among the middle class are actually able to live comfortably, buy things, and get by without worrying about bills.
Income is irrelevant, between 20,000 and 80,000 dollars we're in the same boat. The irony is that millionaires are entering a worse condition than anyone else. When millionaires lose their wealth, they end up in serious holes without any hope of getting out of it.
But, the writer here seems to think 14 trillion dollars in debt is okay. FUCKING IDIOT. I can't wait for reality to reveal itself, then we don't have to listen to these manipulative liars spew poop out of their brains. They won't have jobs any longer.
Thank God that things are going to burn down. This is becoming a nightmare watching everyone lose everything. The suburbia and colleges alike, once home to sophisticated, ambitious individuals, now are infected with brain dead drug addicts who are largely low class in all mannerisms.