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Easily spoken by someone of means who lives in the United States.
I'd wager if you asked someone of lowest income quintile in Myanmar, Sudan, Honduras, etc. if they'd switch places with one of the Americans in that quintile they'd accept in a heartbeat. The whole indoor plumbing thing is such a novelty.
Indoor plumbing is nice. Flush toilets are a luxury for much of the world population. Hot and cold running water available at indoor faucet [kitchen and bathroom] is a huge privilege available in wealthier cultures.
Grid power and an electric coffee maker combine to a huge luxury. In the US most Americans do not need to leave their homes to have a fresh cup of coffee every morning.
My home is off-grid on solar power, yet we retain all of the comforts that are generally available to Americans; like indoor plumbing, and all the electric appliances that wealthy cultures are known for. And this is all available on a Minimum-Wage income.
Easily spoken by someone of means who lives in the United States.
I'd wager if you asked someone of lowest income quintile in Myanmar, Sudan, Honduras, etc. if they'd switch places with one of the Americans in that quintile they'd accept in a heartbeat. The whole indoor plumbing thing is such a novelty.
We should be directly comparing our poor citizens with other developing nations and affluent countries, not with Sudan and Honduras. Thanks to our Federal Reserve and low interest rates policy US wealth gap is reaching the proportions of the wealth gap in Brazil and Mexico. This immense wealth gap in America is a hallmark of a 2nd or 3rd world country and nothing to be proud of.
You all should be asking yourself this question; Why does a "rich" country like the U.S. treats our poor citizens so badly? One of the answers is that many Americans are still unwilling to see the social issues of poverty. Somebody with three jobs works extremely hard, and does not get ahead. For many Americans in the higher echelons of society that is something they are unwilling to accept, blaming instead the person for a situation that (s)he is unable to change.
Health care is a big factor as well. Nearly all other developed countries give their citizens health coverage as a human right. The standard of living for anyone making less than around $100,000 USD is better in western european countries than in the US. Health care and education are free or heavily subsidized, you can get everywhere with public transportation, there is good subsidized public housing, the public infrastructure (parks, hiking trails, swimming pools, etc) is excellent, and there is a surprising amount of free entertainment and street fairs also subsidized by large EU cities.
For our poor citizens living in America is like living in a nightmare that they cannot wake up from. The Federal Reserve together with Wall Street Bankers are directly responsible for this nightmare, especially since 2001. Socialism for the Rich policy and low interest rates have doubled homeless population in America and is systematically destroying our middle class.
The US poor are NOT better off then poor in other countries.
Quote:
Originally Posted by C2BP
We should be directly comparing our poor citizens with other developing nations and affluent countries, not with Sudan and Honduras.
Ah so when you said "other countries" you meant only a subset of them that fit your argument. Let's just move these thirty meters to the left
Quote:
Originally Posted by C2BP
You all should be asking yourself this question; Why does a "rich" country like the U.S. treats our poor citizens so badly?
And you should be looking up loaded question fallacy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by C2BP
For our poor citizens living in America is like living in a nightmare that they cannot wake up from.
This is some poetic hyperbole, surely you have extensive personal experience with this situation to so dramatically describe it. May I ask how much time you've spent living as a poor citizen in the America?
Indoor plumbing is nice. Flush toilets are a luxury for much of the world population. Hot and cold running water available at indoor faucet [kitchen and bathroom] is a huge privilege available in wealthier cultures.
Grid power and an electric coffee maker combine to a huge luxury. In the US most Americans do not need to leave their homes to have a fresh cup of coffee every morning.
My home is off-grid on solar power, yet we retain all of the comforts that are generally available to Americans; like indoor plumbing, and all the electric appliances that wealthy cultures are known for. And this is all available on a Minimum-Wage income.
What if the cost of living is so high you can't own a home In general?
What if the cost of living is so high you can't own a home In general?
Thankfully here in the USA we have opportunity to move around to lower COL regions. We do not need to get government permission to move to another state for example. We can just do it. You do not need an income higher than Minimum-Wage to support a family and own a home.
Thankfully here in the USA we have opportunity to move around to lower COL regions. We do not need to get government permission to move to another state for example. We can just do it. You do not need an income higher than Minimum-Wage to support a family and own a home.
Name one place that lets you live on federal minimum wage. My job would become lethal in hot/cold climates. I extremely ill when it was 107 out.
You mean to a place with no jobs and horrible weather? This isn't the 50s where 160k would make you the richest man in a small town.
Average income in our town is mid-20k. If you were earning $50k you would certainly be among the top 10% of income earners in town.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Perma Bear
Name one place that lets you live on federal minimum wage. My job would become lethal in hot/cold climates.
Sure, I can play that game. Here in our town.
Argyle TWP, Maine.
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