No, Seriously, TDog,
I respect such statistics that show that we, the US, have so many poor people among us. Actually, fear is more like it, because, deep down, I don't know what's causing it. Where I live, Northern NJ, there are many "Help Wanted" signs posted, and an army of "cash and carry" new immigrants have all the work they can do cutting lawns, trimming trees and painting houses, paying no taxes and probably claiming that they are very poor.
It's a serious question: What causes those frightening statistics of poverty? Being relatively secure myself, I tend to think that our Welfare system has a lot to answer for, in that it "rewards" people who stay out of the marketplace and even creates whole societal groups that feel relatively secure in looking at the Government for everything, and do everything they can (get pregnant, split up, whatever) to stay there. "I don't have it because nobody from the Government gave it to me" is a powerful mantra these days, and Obama is cashing in, promising even more if they vote for him. I sympathize, but, this last aspect of it is a terrible situation.
Where do NEW jobs come from? Not IBM, I'm sure you understand that. It's the corner DryCleaner who hires extra help, it's the local Doctor who needs an extra hygienist, it's the Executive's wife who needs help with the kids and shopping and painting the house. In today's market, they make $200,000 to $300,000 per year, or thereabouts. That's Obama's prime target, think about that. He plans to hit them hardest with new taxes, perhaps because they threaten his dream of a HUGE Government that "cares for all." Baloney!
Honestly, how can all those millions of immigrants find work and prosper if there was no opportunity for work and prosperity left? Something's very screwey here, I can feel it.
Our political and economic system promises us opportunity, not results. Sweden (with the highest rate of alcoholism and suicide is the world) is very different, I can't learn too many things from them.
Plus, I'd rather be poor than drunk and dead, you understand...
