| Poverty is a continuing problem in every nation of the world. Resources are scarce and wants are infinite, the standard of living raises every year as we come up with new gadgets and toys to own. Homes go from log cabins to mansions and we just want more. So of course people are going to be thought of as poor. Fortunately America is the richest nation in the world and we are blessed with many material gifts. Yes very many people in America are not sharing in the relative great wealth of our nation, many live below the "poverty" line and some still are homeless, hungry and in ill health. But despite these hardships we have made leaps and bounds from the Industrial era and the turn of the century when people like the character Jurgis Rudkus struggled to survive let alone feed his family in Upton Sinclair's book "The Jungle." Most Americans do not go without food, shelter, clothing, cable television, and air conditioning. Yes that's right, cable. Many Americans while in poverty still enjoy these great blessings of modern technology and comfort. It seems the problem many politicians have with poverty is not the state of those in poverty but the large gap between the very rich and very poor. They are caught up in a struggle to create sovietesque equaltiy among Americans and breed class resentment and conflict rather than find a solution to help the poor. The creation of our great wealth came from an important principle, that of free markets and capitalism, and will only continue if we hold to these principles. When people have an incentive to earn money, like the ability to keep it, they will work harder to earn it. Sure capitalism creates winners and losers and isn't always effective in every situation but we must hold to it to ensure our collective future economic prowess. We should do what we can to compliment others efforts to be successful but not impede on those who already are nor destroy incentives for the underprivleged. Well these are just some of my thoughts, I may or may not be correct so you can find other resources below and contact me to respond. |
