Following the recent discussion about inequalities and differences in life opportunities, I was wondering what people thought of the research by the UN published today? Do those people who said inequality of opportunities didn't exist still agree with their statement?
What are they using to determine this? The way the U.S. determines poverty, I have lived in poverty all my life but maybe 2 years. So I always laugh when people say how much poverty we have in America, because I would not consider the way I lived impoverished. Now I also know that there are people in the U.S. I would consider impoverished, but overall most are not. I also don't believe that the welfare system benefits people, but at the same time I am willing to help those in need get on their feet. So please don't misunderstand me.
Gee, what a suprise, the UN trashing the US all the while with their hands out UN needs to be ignored by the USA. Fudge 'em.
I very much agree with this. As I was growing up, my family, if you went by this criteria, would be considered "improverished" or "poor". But both my parents worked, we had an apartment (then later bought a house), and we were never without food, new clothes, etc. But according to all the measurements used to determine if a person is poor, we would STILL be considered poor! But we never considered ourselves poor because, frankly speaking, we weren't. I get the feeling this is the same set of rules that they use to determine if someone is "obese", the criteria of which states that even football players are "obese", or that Arnold "Mr. Universe" Schwarzenegger is "obese".
I am sure that for about the first 8 years of our marriage we probably would have qualified for food stamps. Then you see people on 20/20 type shows saying they are sick of eating ground beef so they got food stamps and they looked like they had a lot more wealth than us. I admit ground beef and chicken can get old, but I won't complain cause we are blessed.
Poor in America: The following are facts about persons defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports: Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio. Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning. Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person. The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.) Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars. Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions. Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception. Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher. The Kicker: In good economic times or bad, the typical poor family with children is supported by only 800 hours of work during a year: That amounts to 16 hours of work per week. If work in each family were raised to 2,000 hours per year--the equivalent of one adult working 40 hours per week throughout the year--nearly 75 percent of poor children would be lifted out of official poverty.
Ya, bill gates needs to share some of his car collection with me! And of course some gas money to go with it.
We may not be poor in the belly, but we're definitely impoverished in the minds... MORE MTV MORE MTV!!! GRRR!!!
I wonder what the poor do all day? Hint: -Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions. -Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.