"The greatest country in the world" myth is a common misconception that we're still being fed today, and most Americans actually believe it.

I love this country and the people in it, but we are among the worst in the developed world in education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and social programs.

We are number one, by hundreds of billions of dollars, in war mongering, aka "defense".

have to agree w "superskunk"

we are #1 in debit, helping countries (some who will never repay or help us in any way) helping children in 3rd world countries before our own.

i love it here but dislike many things that need to change.

True Superskunk! The people is what makes this country great. our politicians are using the citizens of this country good name in vain. VET that doesnt trust US GOVERNMENT!

I agree with superskunk, I suppose my intended tone wasn't conveyed properly.

The Liberal U.S. Media has spent the last 5 years insulting Americans with propaganda for a non-existant "recovery". As long as Obama is in office reality will be ignored and the cheerleading will continue.

I will be the dissent here. I propose that if we are, in fact, so much worse than other developed countries, then go to live in these other developed countries. You'll find, in opportunity alone, that the U.S. is far better.

While there are many things that need to be made better, it is just plain ignorant that we continue to have these discussions. You can't go anywhere else around the globe and find as much opportunity to make your own future as you will find in the U.S.

In reference to this story; while many people are in terrible positions in our country, don't forget that a large number of them are in those positions because they chose not to do the things required for success. Please don't give me examples of those who are just screwed. I worked in social services for a while and know they exist. But, many just chose to be in the position they are in. While it is unfortunate for them, it was their choice. The great thing about our country is that they could have chose to go a different route.

the sequester cuts aren't making it easier for the working poor yet not a word but when the greed on wall street created 300K more millionaires it is all the press could talk about. If we don't talk about poverty then it can't be that bad, for the people who are not experiencing it, but for the rest of us whose pay has stagnated while CEO's climb no one cares. They act like rich people are smarter not lucky and have the deck stacked in their favor. When it looked like their businesses would fail We the People bailed them out, now we are looking for our level playing field and it isn't good for the country to raise our pay, what a load!

There is no news or articles on poverty and the poor for one simple reason. IT DOESN'T MAKE MONEY. The people who are suffering from poverty or poor, cannot afford to vote or have the time to vote, they do not have any possessions or money and they do not possess any personal significance. All the ingredients are there to make this the forgotten issue.

Real Army Wife,

I hate to burst your bubble but a fresh, brand new E-1 with dependents GROSSES $29,003.55 a year MINIMUM. This includes Base Pay, Basic BAH (not including locality) and BAS. Keep in mind you pay only taxes on your base pay and medical is FREE. You arent in poverty. I raised 3 kids on an enlisted active duty salary for 12 years from 1996-2008 and I was handsomely compensated compared to my federal civilian pay.

Keep in mind also that within six months of service you get another $200.00 per month pay raise to E-2 which bumps you up to $31,304.00 per year.

In most cases with locality on BAH, active duty enlistees average $40,000 a year for brand NEW enlistees living off base. On base is even better...no BAH, but no RENT or UTILITIES. I loved it.

I don't believe the children have made such a choice.

LBJ, ( Lyndon Johnson ) had, " The War on Poverty ". It went on for years. I always wondered about the switch in interest to "middle class jobs", as that requires a literacy rate among job holders and seekers. The war on poverty is just another example of failed Progressive ideals in urban settings. Rural poverty can be addressed with somewhat more success as land use issues, ( farming, forestry, mining, etc.) can be assessed regionally. Inner city illiteracy issues, are totally those of politics, be they at the School Board level, the State level, and the Federal level. The politics of education can be tied to public employee unions who are more focused on their personal job security, than their job performance and success of producing students literate at grade level. The jobs for the undereducated are not available in large numbers, thus the metropolitan areas decay, the property tax base diminishes, and the school teachers salaries stagnate... because they themselves aren't producing a literate population that can support teacher's salary demands. Duh!

The War on Poverty was a failed political attempt to recharge voting populations in key districts. Now the poverty stricken don't vote, and thus aren't important politically.

I say that the next time southern states want to secede, that liberal northerners should support them. Maybe if we separated into two countries, somewhere near the Mason-Dixon heading south-west, stopping at California. Then the North can have all of the benefits of big government and the South can be the free Plutocracy they dream about. Plus, liberal states would no longer have to support conservative states.

agree with @inthemiddle

Worked with Appalachian families years ago and there was an apathy or inertia that was not shaken off in many families/areas. You can't give someone else will power or determination, all you can do is offer various opportunities. Appalachians don't seem to plug into "the system" and get the services that are available to them, and other areas have generations of families that make a career out of working the system and living off it comfortably enough to not be motivated to break out.

This is still the best place for opportunities,though.

liberal states supporting conservative states?! Get a clue- the idiots that are draining the economy are Calif, WA, Ore, Mass., and Illinois- all wanting a bail out because they are bankrupt. Geez, what color is the sky on your planet? Also, Appalachians don't hold a candle to the career system suckers in Chicago and Detroit!

but we lead the world in people who believe Angels are real

Rob ###### When I was drafted into the army I got $78 a month and a chance to lose my life fighting a war. Inclreased it by going AB for $55 a month more and don't forget Hazardous duty pay of $45 a month. For a grand total of $178 a month. and my reward for doing so was to be called a baby killer and spit on by Americans. I was treated better by the enemy.

Exactly why not one American cent should be going for aid to ANY other country! It makes me sick that an American child could go to bed hungry while we are sending our money to countries that basically hate us, or countries that are so far behind, that its just a waste. We are just throwing our money down the third-world country abyss.

"The greatest country in the world" myth is a common misconception that we're still being fed today, and most Americans actually believe it.

I love this country and the people in it, but we are among the worst in the developed world in education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and social programs.

We are number one, by hundreds of billions of dollars, in war mongering, aka "defense".

Sadly, this is somewhat correct. And a lot of it has happened because of the compassion and empathy Americans have for others. So let's stop! Let's stop helping the countries in the middle-east (let them deal with their own dictators, murderes and religious whack-jobs), and let's stop helping the starving and refusing to change their ways people in African countries (who keep having children they can't feed and who's men refuse to wear condoms to help control the spread of AIDS), and all the other countries we give aid to to help them do "something". Keep all aid at home. Stop defending others, and defend only ourselves. Let's see how good these countries fair that say they are better than us. They will fail, just take a look at Western Europe - they are in economic shambles which will eventually bring the rest of their house down.

Time to thin the herd! The USA should only focus on the USA! Let the others fall and/or rise on their own!! I'm sick of people bashing the USA, when we are truly the only country that does anything of substance for others!

I think it was two weeks ago our government sent $60,000,000 to the Syrian rebels for support yet there are children and retired folks in this country wondering if their going to have to hit the soup lines today. The gap between the wealthy and the poor widens on a daily basis and there's little left of the middle incomers. We don't hear about it because the news media is dictated to by it's sponsers.....corporate america. And more dispicable we have a government that has become disfunctional with ragard to it's own citizens. Only at election time do we hear anything from our politicians and after the elections its back to business as usual..... accomplishing little or nothing. A sad commentary on what was once the greatest country on the planet.

If there was more coverage than many would wonder why it hasn't gotten so much worse under the Obama administration and many would realize progressive policies make it worse for the lower class than better.

The food bank in Killeen, TX right outside of Ft. Hood monthly feeds more than 500 ARMY families. Thousands of enlisted families are on food stamps. Try being an E-1 with a spouse and 3 or 4 kids.

I agree with superskunk, I suppose my intended tone wasn't conveyed properly.

It was conveyed beautifully, I was just adding on to what you already stated.

You'll find, in opportunity alone, that the U.S. is far better.

While there are many things that need to be made better, it is just plain ignorant that we continue to have these discussions. You can't go anywhere else around the globe and find as much opportunity to make your own future as you will find in the U.S.

Opportunity is a broad and vague statement. And you also have to look at the enormous class divide that has always existed in this country.

While I will certainly say personal responsibility is lacking in our country, opportunity is also dwindling.

We have an economy based off perpetual war and trash, since the only products made in America anymore are weapons and trash. Unemployment and poverty will continue to grow unless this changes, along with the improvement of our education system.

I'm amazed that our government can over tariff a beneficial product like Brazilian sugarcane ethanol, while iPhones, Nike's, and everything else made outside this country is essentially an inter company transfer free of tax and tariff.

Poverty coverage. Why so little?

One word, Obama.

"...neither advertisers nor readers are likely to demand more coverage, so neither will editors..."

It's true.

The financial bread and butter of the mainstream media are businesses that pay for advertisement space in the print of their periodicals, and program slots for their TV commercials. Advertisers consider it unprofitable to have their most of their ads associated with stories about poverty.

So it's a sad fact about capitalism. It's attracted to where the money is, of course. If the money doesn't go into these economically depressed areas, and the services and the products that advertisers want to sell doesn't have much of an audience that can afford to come up with the money -- save for beer, crack, church and prayer invitations and cigarettes, perhaps. Also, the adverts associated with a demotivating, depressing story, doesn't inspire consumers to spend, then the writing and reporting in America's media won't likely go there either -- unless its a nonprofit piece to drum up public awareness of the poor in these places.

And news about, "the down and out," doesn't draw in any high number of paying readers, and it certainly doesn't drum up Nielsen-rating viewership willing to spend their time and money with the story. No "for-profit" business wants their advertised products or services associated with, "broke losers."

Also, its not something politicians want to see published about the sad conditions of a growing ugly corner of their territory's back yards, either. Most of them will be in denial if such stories are published, and they'll dispute it. It is though, one of the functions of a responsible Press in any democracy. Report on the truth, even if it's about unpleasant and ugly things we would rather turn away from, and act like it's not there.

But if you want to change the world for the better, how else are you going to know where to begin?

Jobseeker, Because President Bush was so fond of the poor. Ridiculous.

Try being an E-1 with a spouse and 3 or 4 kids.

An E-1 earns $1,516.43/month. Generally they are only an E-1 through training then get an automatic jump to E-2 and a raise to $1,699.63. That's basically a little over $20,000/year. BAH adds about $12,000/year. BAS adds about $4200. Now we are back to $36,200/year. There can also be a "separation allowance" in some cases ... an additional $3,000. Of all of that, only the base pay is taxed.

Now granted, that's not a princely sum, but it's a lot better than the starting pay in many other fields.

If that's just an E-1 or E-2 with a spouse, they actually have a nice income -- and the spouse can also work. I can say when my husband and I were starting out, as an E-4 I didn't make near that amount.

To put things in perspective, the poverty level for a family of four is about $23,000. A minimum wage worker in Texas makes about $15,000.

To Bullett45 - Yes, about what I got in 1972. The reason for the very large pay jump over the past 40 years is that then the military was conscripted - no choice (except CO or Canada) but to go. Not much in the way of sophisticated equipment - just a rifle and a poncho and an entrenching tool. Now the military has to compete for labor and that labor needs to be highly trained. Go back to the draft and see how fast we get out of unneeded wars and how fast the military budget falls

RealArmyWife: Re food stamps and "Try being an E-1 with a spouse and 3 or 4 kids."

Who suggested someone have more kids they can afford, and why is it anyone else's responsibility to take care of them?

Many junior enlisted are older with established families. They have joined because it's the best job out there with insurance, which by the way isn't free, it's earned. It is better pay than many but don't those that serve this country deserve more? They aren't given anything or expect anyone to take care of their kids, they serve this country and put their lives on the line. Hey NORM, lets reinstate the draft, you and your kids go first.

Our once thriving Free Trade economy will continue to tank with a Communist at the helm.

Many Presidents have made mistakes, but this is by design.

Sabot, you are a nut job.

@ Real Army Wife

The problem is...you don't know who Frank Marshall Davis is.

The reason you don't know is because you don't want to see the truth (or you're the nut job and know the truth, and want others to be blinded.)

One thing I can promise you...everything he does will promote America moving closer to his Socialist agenda. That requires Corporate hyper-regualtion in order to strangle peoples dependence on our free trade system and move it towards Government bound system. That insures our economy will ends worse under Obama than when he recieved it.

President Obama is Communist sympathizer and only a fool can ignore that he himself even talks about being mentored under a card carrying Communist for the better part of a decade. He also admits to running in circles that housed such Marxist extremists as Bill Ayers. (Ayers is connected in terrorist incidents right here in America.)

Real Army Wife....he talks about this stuff....in his own book.

Please feel free to refute this data that President Obama has provided himself.

@ Real Army Wife

P.S.

You are a nut job.

(Your entire argument consists of calling me a name? Weak.)

At least those people in China and India are working, unlike those here that think the rest of us should foot the bill for them. For all you know Veronica, 17 cents and hour over there may be like getting 15 bucks and hour here.

gday67,

Many more here in the USA would be working if they could find jobs. No one wants to live off the government. The pay is very lousy. I do think we are obligated to help those less fortunate, by doing so, they have hope to have all the things they once had, like jobs, with no hope, people give up. Helping those in need is a hand up not a hand out!

That is the fairy tale some of us keep telling ourselves
over and over again, just to avoid looking at our own, ugly reality. Those jobs
that are taken to other countries should be for the jobless people here.

i think the point of the discussion is to worry about home, there is government in place for those countries to handle their issues, its sad but there are sad stories of your fellow americans that need help and coverage. #justsaying

There is coverage but most people will as well switch channels or skip the page right after the headlines. Plus they do not have to pay what an average American has to pay to make ends meet.

And...gday57...I guess you could care less about your relative or neighbor in times of stress. You'd probably say "it's your fault". Do some more research and you'll find out that most people on food stamps do work, but they are paid so little that they can't make ends meet. Many of them are soldiers and their families, junk food and big retail store's employees and laid off people.

We could keep more jobs here if we could keep the cost down. Unions and federal regulations tend to hike costs up to a point where it is cheaper to buy raw materials from one nation, ship them to another, have them assembled, then shipped to the U.S. This is not a cheap process, yet our costs are still higher.

This hogwash about the cost of American labor being the reason for shipping jobs overseas is BS!The cost of goods isn't going down and corporations are showing record profits. The corps just want to use slave labor so they can live high of the hog. The don't care about America or it's people, just lining their own pockets.

Jippy, don't play that bleeding heart crap with me. For all you know I'm on food stamps. It's not governments place to take from one to give to another. It is governments place to make an environment where everyone has a chance at a decent life. Just because some don't want to work for that decent life doesn't mean that they should still get a decent life at someone elses expense. Yes there are people that truly need help and I'm all for that. We all know though that there are many people out there who lost jobs and have found work but won't take it because it doesn't pay what they used to get.

Amen, Joe F Las Vegas! And one comment for the In The Middle - I've both been a recipient of and worked in Social Services - it's easy to say 'poverty is a choice' but who choses to get sick? I work in a 'right to work' state where you can be fired for any reason - including sickness or missing work to care for a sick child. An employer who learns you have a disabled child will also often look for reasons to fire you, on the presumption you may miss work. As a welfare worker, I had clients who couldn't get a job because they were either disabled, mothers of young children, or had disabled children. And even though they're not supposed to, job interviewers will ask those questions. My ex-husband was a manager in a company who instructed him to note the addresses of applicants - if the address was in or near a public housing project, he was told not to hire them. The presence of a Union, however, keeps these people from ending up on welfare.

Lois------"No one wants to live off the government." Are you blind, Chicago is full of them, Detroit,,, and the list goes on.

yes because it's uncomfortable and we'd rather keep living on a river!!

not me I have over the last five years I have taken in two homeless people one of which was a meth addict. I am proud to say that both now have good jobs and sober. people that look the other way when people need help make me sick to my stomach. I have also taken in abused women to protect them from their @#%#@ husband. I my opinion people only look the other way because they are so wrapped up in their own selfish needs they can't be bothered to too care for anyone but themselves.

Is it possible that many of those people who look the other way are just barely hanging on themselves? I find it hard to believe that someone so judgemental and harsh would do the things Neko mentions.

Dude I make barely over minimum wage but I am smart with my money that is why I am able to help those less fortunate than me. I can't help it that is just the way I was raised.

Neko, I think it's great that you are able to take in homeless people and give them a hand. I have often thought of doing the same thing for the people I see at the intersection dividers. What stops me? A lot of homeless people have mental health issues. Not all, I know, but how do I justify putting my family in that position? Quite honestly, it's not a chance I'm willing to take.
So my question to you is, how do you vet the needy you take in to your home?

Well, I "look the other way" because I donate to three organizations every month. I pick one, the wife picks one and the daughter picks one. Are we selfish because we feel that is enough? I don't think so. I applaud anyone who is willing to help. Just don't be so quick to judge those who don't do it the same way as you.

lola I live alone so I don't have to worry about family or children being in danger. In my experience most are so grateful that someone is willing to help them out of their situation. Don't get me wrong the first one I took in had bad mental issues but there are programs out there that help them get their mind stable enough to at least able to work in society.

in the middle donating money is great and I applaud you for it but most of those people need more than just a hot meal and a homeless shelter. Because all that really does is keep them alive but does not address the real problems.

I know a single mom who makes min wage, works 40/hrs a week and doesn't always have enough for food. They rent a room in a house and the 11yr old sleeps in the closet. She struggles every day and has to worry all the time about something breaking down or medical problems because she has nothing for that (or they barely eat). This is a travesty for a country that used to be a beacon of hope for the world.

Actuall research has shown most,around 90%, of the freeway panhandlers are con artist. One of our local reporters went undercover talking to them and it was absolutely shameless what scammers they are

dude u need a reality check...most peeps make it by getting govt assistance....please tell me how you'd live on minimum wage???

mike hu I make far less than 100k I'm doing ok. I eat every day I have a roof over my head. Why are you slamming people who make less than 100k? you complain about government workers pay. Do you want them to work for free? Should we fire them all? Talk about what unemployment would be, plus your taking the money they make out of the economy. Think about that one for a moment.

You're one of those five cents a reply union bloggers (spokespersons) aren't you?

So now expecting government workers to work for less than $100,000 a year is asking them to "work for free?"

mike hu If I'm a five cents a reply union blogger your a dumba$$ conservative blogger who works for free.

Please show me some proof that all government workers make more than 100k a year? Thats what your saying in your first post. Just so you know here are some government workers who make less than a 100k. Mail carriers, Park Rangers, and soldiers.

Where are you getting your numbers, Mike Hu? Just over 11% of the total workforce belongs to a Union. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm And you're blaming them for the poor economy? Really?

As for your griping about people who actually make a living wage -- where'd you get that $100,000 figure, anyway-- you're like the woman who gets a wish from a genie, and instead of wishing for something good for herself, she asks for disaster for her neighbor. Instead of wishing for a cut in salary, or even for loss of a job for others, you should be working for laws that guarantee better treatment for the entire working population, including retirement, and paid sick leave and vacation. Everyone deserves a decent life, even you, Mike.

Mike Hu your are an idiot! the bottom line is our government with the help of wall street transferred the nations wealth, so to make any real money is almost impossible and they sent all of our jobs overseas because Americans will not work for pennies. cooperate greed and corrupt government is why there are so many impoverished Americans. how can you make money when there are no good paying jobs.

Why are you slamming people who make less than 100k?

Where exactly did you read that? Because I must have missed it. What he is slamming is the leftwing propaganda and lies.

Smitty I am right there with you I make way less than 100k and my home is paid for my new car is paid for and I am only 33. I have done all this by not buying a bunch of useless crap that no one needs. It is called living within your means.

I love irony. Tree, in the same statement, says that jobs have gone over seas because Americans won't work for pennies, then immediately starts spouting off on corporate greed. Anyone else find this a little funny?

Hey, Tree, not every level of worker deserves to own a home, or buy nice new cars every two years. You have to earn it, while working for pennies sometimes. I did this though college, then bought nice things when I earned them, and never complained about my pay. I appreciated having a job and never had to pay a union due.

and never had to pay a union due.

Then you do not count as a "working class american" by the left.

@MikeHu - If all government employees make 100K+, then I'd say you are an idiot for not getting one of those plush government jobs. And if you are not doing the work, then who are you to criticize their pay? You righties are always saying that CEO's deserve whatever the 'market' will pay them, by that logic, the market, via the government where we can actually vote on the leaders, is driving the compensation of these government employees.

by that logic, the market, via the government where we can actually vote on the leaders, is driving the compensation of these government employees.

By that logic, you just proved you are completely illogical and void of common sense. There is no "government market" there is no competition to drive salaries up or down, how did you come up with such an idiotic lack-of-thought process?

You call yourself "honestdebate" and then make a totally asinine statement like that? You actually believe that "the left" only counts 11% of Americans as working class, because that's the approximate percentage of union members in the U.S.

"Life is tough, it's even tougher when you're stupid." John Wayne

honestdebate @ 4.7 Where did you read that?

The first line of his post. I see that as a slam. By your posts you agree with Mr hu thinking its lies. Coming from the right what do you expect?

honestdebate @ 4.10 Then you do not count as a "working class american by the left.

That comment shows you don't know what a hard working American is. Go to any work site in a right to work state and say that to any worker there and see what that gets you. Better yet go to a chicken kill plant and say that to the workers there. I'll bet you would be on a chicken hook in no time. LOL!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!

Mike, sorry but I am correct, democrats only care about union members.

Smitty, you have issues with reading and interpretation don't you?

honestdebate No only in your eyes. In the rightwing world everyone who disagrees with you is wrong. So thats life. LOL

And yet you still spun what two people said into what you wanted them to have said, so what is your point?

honestdebate And your point is. If I could only spin it the way breitbart could than you would understand. When one only has the the breitbart mentality there is no talking to them.

Well maybe those women should have thought better, before they got knocked up. Did somebody hold a gun to their head?

You make good choices, good things happen; you make bad choices, bad things happen.

get over your self WalkWithMeInHell.....bad things happen even to good people....seriously.....u are what's wrong with this country.....SMDH at you...I bet your a Christian too!!!!

WalkWithMeinHell,

Why are you only chastising the females in these situations? Maybe no one held a gun to the head of the women you refer to, however, I'm sure that no one held a gun to the males heads to take thier tallywackers out of thier pants either. It still takes two to tango! When I was in school, the young men I went to school with went to great lengths to get the girls to give it up. I'm sure that has not changed in all these years, but the girls are still getting all the blame. I guess the statement, some things never change, rings true, at least in this case.

Walk... It takes two to make a baby. Maybe those Dads should have kept it in their pants or stuck around to man up and take care of the child.

Then those same "helpless" women are still utter ignorant failures. What kind of loser is so stupid, or has such low self-esteem, that they will pick men that are even greater losers?

Welcome to Liberal Amerika. You caused yourself to be in your situation? That's OK, it "NOBODY's Fault"... right?

I guess WalkWithMeInHell lives a charmed life. Not everyone who has had to apply for assistance is someone who just lives to take from him (and those like him) Karma is a bitch, he (she) had better hope that nothing ever happens to put them in a situation where they are the ones asking for that lifeline to get them back on their feet.

@ccdjr

You are a typically misinformed degenerate.

My mom grew up in the poorest neighborhood, in the poorest town. Half of her family is still on some sort of ghetto public assistance. Their is no fundamental difference between my mother who made it out, and her dirtbag siblings - who CHOSE to have 6 different kids by 3 different fathers. The other siblings poverty is a "LIFESTYLE CHOICE".

I fought suffered and persevered in life, and so can anyone else.

You make good choices, good things happen; you make bad choices, bad things happen.

And often you make good choices and bad things still happen.

It's amazing that Walk gets so abused by pointing out some well known facts.

Like Walk's family, I stopped the downward direction in my family. So did my brother. We came from the very, very low end of the economic scale and are doing great now, because we chose to change it.

While there's always an exception, most people are where they are because of the decisions they make. We know this is true, yet you people are attacking someone for pointing it out......how pretentious.

Hell, if our decisions did not impact our lives, why even bother living?

Head, that is the exception and not the rule. Your make it sound like it's not even worth doing the next right thing. How sad for you.

^sure, bad things sometimes happen to good people. There are some examples I can think of:

1) Your first day of College you get hit by a meteorite.

2) Your first day on the job, you get maimed in a car accident.

3) The day your first kid is born, you die from a heart attack.

The above example are "accidents". Most other "unforeseen" things, actually can in fact be foreseen - it's called intelligence and wisdom.

Walkwithme, so are you advocating better education for our young women to make better choices in life? They already pay for the consequences of their actions. Perhaps you are even advocating discounted or free college for these women? Not everyone from these circumstances have family who are willing and able to support the right choices they want to make, so I applaud the direction of your thought to give these women the direction and options they might otherwise not have. It also seems to me that these positions are more in line with what Democrats advocate than the, you are all on your own, pull yourself up by your bootstraps philosophy of the right. In fact you remind me a lot of Paul Ryan, who benefited greatly from the government when he needed it, but now wants to burn that bridge behind him so that no one coming up in his situation will get the same benefits he received.

WalkWithMeInHell, I too grew up in poverty and have worked hard to get out. I also know people who have spent their lives getting everything handed to them, they are not who I am talking about. I am talking about people who have worked very hard all of their lives, done things right, and have had a serious illness in the family that has eaten through their savings, ect and could use a little help until they are back on their feet. Oh well, you won't understand or care....

walkwithmeinhell I'll be looking forward to joining you in hell. The way you talk your the example of what is right in America. Sounds like you have zero tolerance for people who have less than you. That says allot about you. Show me some proof that 90% of the people who need assistance have the problems you say they have. If you can't you will be walking deeper in hell than I. Why because your making this $hit up.

The real question is how 1% of the population in the US got control of the nations wealth.

WalkWithMeInHell, are you really that blind, or that stupid? Do you have a clue as to what is happening in this country?

60% of the personal bancruptcies in this country are due to medical bills. Add to that high unemployment, falling wages, predatory banksters, Wall Street speculators who have caused billions of dollars' worth of losses with impunity, many of them to retirement funds, and what do you get? A rapidly escalating poverty rate. Or are you going to accuse the old and the infirm of making "poor choices"? You figure that maybe they never should have retired, or put off that cancer treatment for few years until they saved enough for that operation?

You should be ashamed of yourself. Please take a few trips to places like soouthern Mississippi or Alabama, the ghettos of Philadelphia, formerly affluent neighborhoods in Florida, ask a few questions. Do a little reading before the next time you make a fool of yourself in a public forum.

@smitty

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Want to see the size of my new house? It's 3x bigger than my last one! I got it for 1/3 off value ($200k). I ski right out my front door, even though I am an hour from the nearest ski resort. The best part is, I actually made a profit of my last house - because I was "smart" and bought low 14 years ago.

Yep, I am a horrible conservative. My mom grew up in the poorest neighborhood, of the poorest town. I went to college, worked my butt off to make a living in the corporate shark tank.. I waited until I was 27 to get married, and until 30 to have kids.

Yes, I am such a dirtbag for working for everything I have. Yes, I am horrible for learning how to WIN in life.

Marxist want the successful people to feel like it's their fault, that other losers can't get off their tuchus and do what I an millions of other "poor" folk have done.

@ eve

1) Your post is reported. Liberal degenerates always insult first, because they have no actual substance to argue.

2) I worked a job to put myself through college. That is how I succeeded, but thank you for proving to Amerika that you are a dysfunctional Liberal who thinks people can only succeed by handouts.

Nobody helped me up. If anything society kicked me down, and that's how I learned a thing completely missing from "cry me a river liberals": SELF RELIANCE. My brains are the secret to my success, sorry but there are evolutionary losers and winners.

Do you want to come skiing at my house, or would you rather wait for the warm weather when the equestrian centre down the road opens? Sorry though, I don't golf, this ghetto rat never learned how.

What's sad, Walk, is that people like you and I have made a blueprint for getting out of the gutter. We could actually help, but these bozo's are too offended by the truth to let it do some good. They're so scared that a politically incorrect world will offend someone, that when the solution presents itself, but is not to their liking, they attack it. These folks are brilliant.

Just like you, I worked to put myself through college. I helped my sister get her education. Then I worked my way up. Today, chances are very good that I make more than you do. I, however, am not contemptuous of the poor, nor do I disdain those who are less fortunate, or less lucky and never get that chance at an education, a good job, a beautiful life. But I try to help. Scholarships are my charity of choice.

If you believe in the ciruclar pattern in life, What goes around, comes around, you will eventually see how the other side lives. And I hope that when misfortune finds you, those around you that can help are more undestanding and charitable than you are.

Walk - Not legally in poverty, but enough to qualify for some assistance. I can't afford my bills because I went to university. Honor roll through high school, decent major GPA in university. No drugs, barely drink, not pregnant (and never been). Sorry to burst your illusion.

walkwithmeinhell Want to see the size of my new house. its 3x bigger than my last one!

Well good for you. Your just like all the other rich people putting your rich people stuff in peoples face. I know your type well. just keep telling us how much your money is buying your happiness. But all we know different! Money can't buy everything.

Some people have been born with or acquire severe health problems. You must be too young to understand ALL the reasons why people are poor.

Having lived more then a few years on this earth I have learned that everyone , and I do mean everyone , will have some tragedy in life that will bring them down and they will need some kind of help to get back up.

Yours too will come inevitably. I truely hope that the help will still be there when you need it. I know for a fact your attitude will change at that time .

Eve & Walk... One of y'all walk on over to the other's trailer and you can argue this out in person. SMH braggin in a forum like this about the size of your house/salary/car is pretty futile.

See I am the Sheikh of Alibaba and I live in a castle so I beat you both. That's how that works.

Thank you for being a voice of reason.

Agree that this is often (though not always the case) - It is called taking personal responsibility. I chose not to have children until I could afford to (and I still work, making a very good living to help my husband support OUR family). I read too many poverty stories about high school drop-outs with 2+ kids, making minimum wage and getting government assistance. What kind of life will these children have? Let's break the cycle of poverty by educating the poor / helping them make smarter choices in life.

Yes its the free stuff they all want right? So do you people want to cut everyone who gets assistance off?

Smitty - it isn't about simply cutting people off of assistance, it is about providing the much-needed education about finances, birth control, job-training, etc in tandem with the actual financial help. So, yes...ultimately the idea would be to wean people off of the government assistance by supplying them with the appropriate tools to provide a better life for themselves and their children.

Starlight, I agree with you that we need to educate our youth and help to give them job skills etc. But if you want to do this, I would guess that this means raising taxes for the schools. I can just hear the hue and cry about this. It is a viscous circle with no good answers.

Starlight Whoa here I agree with what you say about education & Job training with financial help. people with no education will go know where. Why does the right want to cut education, job training, Plus other support for people. As for birth control give the stuff away to anyone who wants it. Birth control is cheaper than paying for unwanted child births. Plus sex education should be taught early. Just telling Dick & Jane not to have sex is not working. Plus I have no problem having my tax dollars spent on free birth control to keep a unwanted baby from coming into this world with with the odds going against it from the beginning. So you and I are pretty much on the same page.

ccdjr - I wish I had the answer. I don't know that raising taxes for the schools is necessarily it. You could spend $100k per student, but without the support from the parents, neighbors, etc. that student would still fail. Perhaps introducing positive mentors and role models during the early years in school would provide these children of poverty with an example to strive to follow.

(Parental) Personal responsibility still plays an important role in the education. Just like with a smoker - they won't quit until THEY want to. You can't force education and personal responsibility on people - they have to want it, for themselves, for their children. Unfortunately there isn't a one size fits all solution to poverty, but simply throwing money (food stamps, subsidies, etc.) at it is not the way to resolve it or prevent it.

Smitty, offering an education is not the same as someone getting an education.

You think that if we make it more available that these same people, described above, would take advantage of it? No, they probably would not. I took on debt to get educated, and I am now educated. Everyone has the same opportunity I had. They can take it or leave it. They chose to leave it. Shoving it down their throats is not going to make them take it any more.

So Marie, we close down the food banks so these un-deserving people don't get free handouts, even though it is not the kids' fault. And then these families show up in the ER and we either pay for it thru Medicaid or pay for it thru higher premiums since these people won't/can't pay their bills anyway.....I wonder which way is cheaper, never mind which way is more humane....

in the middle @ 10.8 Where did you get shoving education down their throats from my post @ 10.6? Don't put words that I didn't say in your posts.

Smitty, I came up with that in a similar manner that you came up with the idea that the right wants to cut education. That's not true. You imply that they want to reduce it, which is an incorrect assumption. Try, reorganize and make more efficient. The current system does not appear to be working given the high rate of failures from our system, and poor life choices resulting from that system.

Regardless, if you exaggerate to make your point, you should recognize the concept when others do it to you.

in the middle Read the ryan budget there are education cuts in it. Read it no exaggeration it that. That should say it well enough.

Smitty, cuts in funding do not automatically result in reduced output of the service. It only means that the service delivery needs to change. Be creative. You're not being intellectually honest by reporting only half of the issue.

Regardless, throwing more money into the existing broken system won't help those that are too lazy or unmotivated to do it now. I did not come up through the best public school system, and back to my point, I chose to make my situation better.

In fact, it could be said that the existing system is so bad that we should defund it entirely and start over. I'm not really promoting this, but it is something to think about.

So invading Iraq pre-emptively and passing a massive tax cut at the same time (never done before) was not radical....but allowing gays the same freedom everyone else has and attempting to reinstate a ban that was in place in the 90's is radical? Nevermind that there was higher illegal immigration under W. than there is under Obama and Reagan granted the same amnesty people keep accusing Obama of trying to implement. But please, don't lets facts get in the way of opinion.

we need antoher Regan - to cut more vet benefits and force those in hospice care into the streets

How long has poverty been around? I never knew it started under Obama's financial policies.

Everyhting bad happened right after the black guy was elected...you only have ty look at the strident bullsh$t coming out of them to know it

The stagnation of salaries, sky-rocketing cost of health care and redistribution of wealth toward the top escalated enormously with the Reagan administration, deregulation, and supply-side economics. Even former Reagan administration officials say that they knew right from the start that Trickle Down was just eyewash. It was, as GWH Bush said, "voodoo economics," and it never changed. Don't believe me? Read a few history book.

this retard is trying to spout out his version of history - Bush is the one who bailed out WS - and we just celebrated 10 year anniversary of murder (shock and awe)

This isn't something that just started, there has never been that much coverage of poverty. There is arguably more coverage now that there was under W or Clinton.

I don't remember being awash in poverty articles before he was elected. Do you?

need another Regan - give more $$ to the rich - piss on the poor

They are not being ignored. The number of people on welfare and food stamps is at all time records highs and has increased dramatically under Obama. The real problems no one wants to deal with are the root causes of poverty which include bad personal decisions (dropping out of high school, drugs, teen pregnancy, gang membership), lack of education, lack of motivation, lack of aptitude and ineffective or absent parents. By the time somebody is getting government assistance, the upward mobility ball game is pretty much over.

You pretty much missed my point, poverty in the United States is rampant, 64% of Americans live at or below the poverty level, while our govt and leadership continually give billions of $$$ to other countries, as I stated, "Charity begins at home" and that doesn't mean 'welfare' and 'foodstamps', that means invest in America, create jobs, if FDR could do it during the great depression, our current govt and leadership can do it now...

Obama has proposed jobs plans. The first one was scaled back greatly by the Republicans, and the one on the table now is being stalled by them. They also just defeated a minimum wage hike. But Obama gets blamed for the bad economy. Every idea he advances gets scrutinised, then rejected, or watered down. Yet, Obama keeps trying, and the economy is slooooowly going back up. I am furious at the idealogue Republicans who will repeatedly vote for horrible damage to our economy and then vote to go on a break.

And I suppose you're going to blame the Republicans for Obama spending a trillion, that's $1,000,000,000,000, his first 90 days in office...??? explain that away, or try to find a way to pin it on another...

what a retard - completely idiot and assinine

If you actually knew the facts, you would know that spending under the Obama administration has gone up less than under any president in the last 40 years.And one huge reason for the lack of jobs is that the first jobs bill that Obama got passed was watered down by the Republicans before they would grudgingly pass it, and the jobs program he has on the table now is being stalled by them. Without Republican cooperation, a President can't get anything passed. And so far, seniors are enjoying more drug benefits now because of Obamacare, young people are able to stay on their parents policies until they are 26. If the Republicans would spend more time trying to work out a budget and jobs plans, instead of just trying to make the President look bad, the economy would recover more quickly.

My daughter and son-in-law are getting back more than they paid in because of their deductions and what helped them the most was the child deductions & credits. Now both of them work 40 hour weeks. So are they the problem?

The federal govt. along with the state govts. need take individuals off of the "welfare" system who are available to hold down a job and give them assistance for a two year period to help them get back on their feet.

So you're going to give them a job? There are a fair number of people with families who had jobs who are now living on public assistance because their job doesn't exist any more. What's your solution for that?

And I suppose they "should have waited to have kids until they could afford it." Well, maybe nobody but the rich should be allowed to have kids because they are the only ones who can be sure they'll always be able to afford it.

While it annoys me when I hear the oft-repeat myth of the welfare king/queen, I personally know people who are able-bodied yet collect SS disability for vague mental maladies. Their income allows them to live a lower-middle class existence without working.

There needs to be tighter controls on who gets benefits. Except for the genuinely disabled, public assistance should be limited and temporary

In the psych community there are plenty of recipients taking a monthly visit to the doc to continue their disability "crazy check".........and yes, these people are the problem, and they suck. And don't for a second try to say they don't exist. I managed a clinic and frequently heard these morons bragging about it while puffing away outside. There are more of these people than you would probably imagine. They irritated me so much I found an entirely new line of work and changed my career path at 30.

I can't wait til the 'gub-mint' takes away your ssi and any chance at medicare; we'll see how soon you 'cry foul' when it's your ass on the line

and WTF retard - why aren't you reporting this POS who is stealing your tax $$ for the fraud he is - you are what's wrong with this country; bitch and complain but do nothing piece of crap

do us all a favor

die alone and homeless

taxed-891387,

We are in debt because of a depression, which our government still calls a recession, two unpaid for wars and a prescription drug plan unpaid for by our last administration. Then, we bailed out the big banks without any stipulations, so they could pay out the bonuses promised earlier by the CEO's of said banks to the tune of billions and gave the richest in this country a huge tax break! That is why we are in debt, not "poverty programs" as you call them.

Something like half the people in China have never even made a phone call in their life - ever!

And the rest of them have cell phones that make an iPhone 5 look like two tin cans and a length of string.

There are always poor people in any coutry - rich and poor. Some one must exist in order to serve someone else. Whenever there are programs for the poor they never receives 100% money. Some rich people always benefit from the govt's program for the poor. Let say if we stop the medicare program for the poor right now then what happends to hospitals, to doctors, nurses and all services related to the healthcare sevices?

Some poor peolple receive govt's assisstant and are able to get off later. Some don't. And that the way it is in this country or any other countries.

Poor people have no voice. If they raise their voices who listen and respect their voices?

And if you can't come up with the $200,000 it takes to raise a child up front, don't have kids. After all you might be unemployed some day.

And if you can't afford any other entertainment, then you don't deserve sex, the only one that's free. And free birth control. Why should I pay for your free birth control? That's a violation of my religious beliefs.

How about we just spay/neuter anybody with a net annual income of less than, say $20,000/year? Keep the undesirables from breeding.

Yeah I love the "Stop having sex" crowd. That is gonna work. Ya know how 'bout we address reality with realistic measures or is that just too much to ask.

Some people make bad choices because they just don't freakin know any better. I was lucky I had good parents and a decent family. I still did stupid things when I was young and stupid. I was however exceptionally lucky. In addition to being lucky I also had support so that when I made a bad choice and it had a bad consequence it didn't end my future or set me back a decade because I had people to help me. So many people live without the benefit of anyone to show them a better way or help them in a real way if they find themselves in a bad spot. YES some of the people that get help make bad choices and you know what? At the end of the day all of society will pay for them in one form or another regardless.

Yes some forms of welfare are enabling. No giving people a hand out/up doesn't always end in them become productive members of society. What is your suggestion? Let them and their stupid poor kids starve? Maybe the guy thought he was doing alright in construction. Maybe that is what his dad did and he had a pretty good life. The girl obviously made dumb decisions while in HIGH SCHOOL so her and her 2 resource suckers can also starve I guess?

Catching these people young and showing them a different way of life and then giving them the tools to acquire it is the only way.

Corporatism is Fascism The hypocrisy of the right-wingnut America is unbelievable. It is only surpassed by their gullible stupidity, as they are to slaughter by the very people who's feet they kiss daily.

It should have been a$$ they kiss daily. I agree with you on your post. Your a person of reason!

Here's a dirty little secret that should upset ideologues like you - by global standards, the Democratic Party has a center-right , authoritarian platform. They occasionally throw their base a bone on social issues, but don't let that fool you. They're in bed with "big business" almost as reliably as the GOP.

my opinion ,you left a fellow soldier on the battle field wounded and dieing. I'm glad I served with better men then you. theirs only so much money and the Rich and Big corporations have taken more than their fair share in order for the economy to run correctly for everyone so without jobs people do make a lot of wrong decisions. The man's decision to join the military wasn't a bad choice, it wasn't till he was out of the service his problems started like no job,so if your lucky enough to have a job , then shut the freak up lucky man on your high horse