Who do I think is poor in the US and Globally? In this session, it was stated that even though Americans generally have higher living standards than the people in other countries, the United States have a higher poverty rate compared to other countries. Child poverty rates are also higher here, which is a shame.
Why do I think US and globally is poor? I think that Americans are even more poor because we tend to use alot of our money on things that are not even necessary. Personally, I buy everything in excess even things that I do not need. Also, it seems as though the US import more goods than we export compared to other countries, they export more than they import.
What do I think is being done about poverty? Not much is being done about poverty. It's actually getting worse because of the economic condition the US is in right now. It's bad for other countries that have a close relationship with the US too because now, they are also affected by oir economic downfall.
How well is poverty being addressed? Well, poverty nowadays is pretty normal I would say, compared to years ago. So there is alot going on in the news about people robbing on another, killing one another, because these people are desperate.
What do I think should be done? I think that the minimum wage in the US is too low, even compared to other countries, so it should be raised. Also, there are not as many publuc benefits here in the US as compared to other countries, as stated in the session.There is also a huge gap between the rich and the poor, so income levels are are unequal, very unequal.
Income inequality definitely exists in the U.S. but I think that is the result of the free market economy. Love it or hate it the free market rewards those that take risks along with punishing those who may have not been as fortunate. I'm not saying that socialism is any better at the other end of the spectrum but there needs to be a middle ground. Your point about the trade deficit is a very good point and speaks to the fact that the U.S. does not really manufacture anything anymore. Although the trade deficit has come down dramatically over the past couple of years it still sits at near $300 billion for the first half of 2010. The loss of the manufacturing sector in the U.S. over the past 50 or so years I think has contributed to the income inequality due to the loss of higher paying skilled/semi-skilled manufacturing jobs. I know that all of the material that I have read so far in this class shows that the U.S. does not offer as many public benefits as other wealthy nations but my contention is that the over $500 billion of benefits in the federal budget are mismanaged.
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by your saying that many people are robbing because they are desperate. But for what? There is far too much materialism in the U.S.; people feel like they have to have the latest STUFF in order to fit in. They are not stealing food for their families, though. It is a shame how materialistic Americans are when people in other countries have no food or shelter. Even children are left to sleep on the floor in public places. But Americans judge each other by what they have.
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