<p>I'd also like to comment thank you to everyone that has kept the discussion civil and understanding. There is nothing worse than when the entire thread turns into flames due to small statements.</p>
<p>I don't think the OP would have a problem with the top 1% owning 5% or even 10% of the nation's wealth but the thought of 38% (and growing) is just overwhelming.</p>
<p>But Tufts, how is a poor student supposed to be educated when they're using textbooks that date to the Vietnam War and when they don't have time to study because they need to work from the time they get back from school until late into the night. What if the only way they could make sure their family isn't stuck in complete poverty is by dropping out of high school and getting a job in a garage? Or worse, getting a job selling drugs.</p>
<p>And I do agree that this conversation is so much easier to have when it is kept civil, there is simply no way to have a real conversation when people are doing nothing but cursing and flaming each other.</p>
<p>Anyway, I am signing off this thread - it's time for me to go fill out applications for some of the great fellowships our government gives out to give everyone qualified a chance to study what they want and get ahead in life.</p>
<p>Although the story does grab the sympathy of the reader - the majority of the poor are not stuck with these situations. The very few I know that have such an issue is predominately hispanic. I don't mean this to say that all hispanics are all poor, however, the fact that recent immigrants are oftenly possesing less wealth than previous Americans. </p>
<p>Now with that being said, I'd also like to account the highest rate of class climbing of from being poor to moderate income is also hispanics. Concidence? Many realize that without the social benefits that other Americans are provided - they must be willing to get to a place in the social ladder to obtain it.</p>
<p>Much of the poor are not placed in complete poverty. Many of them do have decent access to even the Internet! (Completely unheard of in actual poverty stricken areas of Africa) The Internet may be the greatest source of knowledge available to them. The choices of however if they wish to actually care depend on them. </p>
<p>I'm not saying scenarios don't happen in which the one you described. However, the frequency of scenarios of too poor and working to avoid poverty, do not occur as wildly as media may relate.</p>
<p>"Wow bman, that is exactly what the GOP says whenever the estate tax is mentioned. Glad to see you keep up with the party line."</p>
<p>Dude, I'm an independent.</p>
<p>Do you know any farmers? Have you ever been to a farm? Have you ever seen your classmates' families struggle when the price of beef or wheat was so low you couldn't trip over it?</p>
<p>in the '80s, the top 1.75% owned 75% of the wealth.</p>
<p>So what, they worked hard to get it.</p>
<p>As the OP I find this debate very interesting, but I am nuetral in the "it is what it is" sense</p>
<p>All I can say is-Wow...I only thought this type of wealth distribution only existed in Third World countries.</p>
<p>Wealth isn't 'distributed'.</p>
<p>exactly, wealth is EARNED.</p>
<p>"exactly, wealth is EARNED"</p>
<p>More like wealth is created. Wealth isn't a constant, wealth get's created the pie of wealth get's bigger, and as a result everyone from the top to the bottom benefits from the creation of wealth.</p>
<p>The poor people in America don't have it better than the poor people in India because they earned it, they got it as a by product of the hard work of the higher classes.</p>
<p>I come from a third world country and I know real poverty, much heavier than american poverty (Of course). About 75 % of the population of my country lives with less than a dollar a day. The houses are made of garbage, there is no light, no electricity, nor bathrooms..Usually there is a single room in the whole house were all the people do their daily activities like eating, going to the bathroom and having sex.Just for a moment think what it would be to grow in a place like that. And those are just the inner conditions. Lack of money makes people violent and the level of insecurity is awful...actually caracas is one of the most violent cities in the world. My point with this description is that the problem with poverty is deeper than just health/food/education. The pyschological traumas that poor people suffer in those conditions deeply affect their perspective of life...If u've always live in a place where u're abused, raped and starved I don't think that u have the moral strenght to say...hey! I'm going to work really hard and concentrate in my classes inspite of the hell I'm living at home. I'm not excusing poor people, because my mom was really poor and she was the only one in the family who achieved a middle-class status because she work her butt off...I'm only saying this because rich bratts should think it twice before judging the poor.</p>
<p>And Venezuela is far from being one of the poorest countries in the world....Very far indeed...Let's take africa as an exemple. Do you really think that a child soldier from Uganda has the right enviroment for hiving his full potential? And talking about africa, I think that u should all remember that the main reason of Africa's tragedy is the fact that they were exploited by colonial empires during the XIX and then were left off when they became independt to deal by themselves with the problems resulting from the colonies (One of the biggest genocides in human history was in Congo during King Leopold's rule). But coming back to the present, u all say that rich people is hard working..yes, true...they have vision, they're success-driven and all tha stuff, but they lack (In a majority) of human sensitivity. It might sound like moralist crap but if u believe that I guy who exploits kids in asia, making them practically slaves should be admired and saluted...then u have no heart at all. The problem with capitalism is that puts money over human lifes, which in my opinion is sad. But it's the economical system that works much better than all the previous one. I'm not saying that we should go to communist but rich people should care about poor and give them a hand. If moral reasons don't convince you, then be selfish and think about your own well-being. How? If you give a hand to the poor and give them a decent life and oportunities the empire that u've built will have stronger foundations that an empire that opresses without mercy those who didn't make it to the top 1 %. Why there are so many companies now that are adopting more ecological measures in their products? Is not because they're angels fallen from the sky, it's because they know that public opinion is leaning towards anti-capitalism...is just a marketing strategy. </p>
<p>I just would like to add that I think that u americans owe something to black after years of slavery and racism...Wonder why almost all poor people are black? Well, check a bit of your own history. And about europe...Europe might have lost power to the United States, but the wisest, good-hearted, well-centered people I've met are in Europe. And I don't want to start to talk about all the problems of american society because you'll all chew my head off.</p>
<p>Well, Venesuala has a dictator that spends all of his oil money on ak-47s and old fighter jets. That doesn't help.</p>
<p>And "we americans" owe something? Do Native Americans owe something? Asian Americans? Latin Americans? Or are you signaling out white people?</p>
<p>Also, we give tons of aid to Africa</p>
<p>And yes, a non-capitalist society looks good at first, but look where it leads. Hugo Chavez should be enough evidence of that for you. Canada has alot of oil too, but look at how much better off than Venesuala it is.</p>
<p>Venezuala and most of Latin America in the 80's were as bad or even worst off under more capitalist friendly regimes. I'm not gonna go into the reasons because I know some people refuse to believe America is responsible for anything bad so I won't.</p>
<p>So you don't want to even try?</p>
<p>In a capitalist society, the government, if it wanted too, has little power to stop you from climbing the social-economic ladder. In fact they want you too. The more cash you make, the more taxes you pay, and the more money the government gets.</p>
<p>In Venesuela, Cuba, and the Chilie of old, they'd just shoot you.</p>
<p>First of all I don't think that u're in the capacity of telling me how life in my country is. What u read about venezuela it's probably very far from reality. When I was in france with the problem in the suburbs in the US newspapers said there was civil war in france (Alarmists!) Bu, anyway...You're right, we're leading to a dictatorship. Chavez is a poor demagoge with an enormous ego in front of an uneducated mass...but Venezuela's history is not limited (Thank god!) To Chavez, and the problems in our country aren't new..and we're still very far from a true dictatorship...I think that u didn't read the post throughly or maybe I didn't express myself in the right way. I'm not saying that I want a non-capitalist society, I just think that social responsabilty should be in the hands of private enterprises (For their own sake) not to rest completley in the hands of the goverment. And just for your general culture, in spite of chavez's political ideas we're FAR from being a non-capitalis society. In fact in 2005 the comercial relations with the US gave us the biggest income in the country's history and we have a very high-rate of groeth (Oil prices of course, I'm not bragging or anything) Again, Chavez is just 7 year of our history and for the moment we're still a very capitalistic country. Last thig it's morronic to compare venezuela to canada because they're historical and geographical situations and completly different, it doesn''t have much to do with political affiliation of the lates presidents..</p>
<p>The majority of white Americans during the slave period were not rich enough to have slaves. Slavery is no excuse for poverty. Asking current whites to pay back for slavery is itself a racist idea. Should we punish all blacks because Willie Horton was a killer? They never owned slaves, and no slave is alive now. So why reparations? Every race, color, creed, has been enslaved at some time. Whites were slaves to Muslims back in the day. This is simply ludicrous. Why don't blacks pay each other back for slavery? Slavery existed in Africa long before any white man stepped foot on the coninent. Hell, it even existed till the late 20th century there.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If u've always live in a place where u're abused, raped and starved I don't think that u have the moral strenght to say...hey! I'm going to work really hard and concentrate in my classes inspite of the hell I'm living at home.
[/quote]
Possibly people in Venezuela should ask why there is so much poverty in their country and so little in America. The biggest difference is that in America people are expected and mostly do obey the law, even ones they don't agree with. If you abuse or rape someone else, you may very well find yourself in jail. The other factor is that Americans expect each other to obey contracts. Venezuela's dictator just stole the assets of several American oil companies simply so he could say he was sticking it to President Bush. </p>
<p>Maybe people in Venezuela should ask themselves why they are bringing children into poverty when they are also in poverty. If you are an impoverished adult, your ability to increase your economic status does not improve with children.</p>
<p>I have little sympathy for Venezuela. The people of Venezuela brough Chavez to power and now they are stuck with that buffoon.</p>
<p>bmanbs2...What nonsense are you saying??? First of all you cannot possibly put these three countries in the same pool! First of all, Chile has one of the strongest economies in the country thanks to the dicatorship of Pinochet (A right dictatorship) And Michelle Bachelet is a moderate leftist that hasn't touched private initiative...You cannot judge Venezuela's history based on what's going on with Chavez right now..this is the first time in the history of out country that there's an actual socialist in power...We have a long history of capitalism...how do u think we have one of the biggest incomes in the sub-continent? And yes, USA gives tons of health to africa but they exploit them too, and it's not just america, Every powerfull country in the world does it...A lot of charity for the media camera and a lot of filthy bussiness behind the scenes..</p>
<p>^Indeed. Black tribes were the ones who captured and sold their rival tribe's members into slavery</p>
<p>and vikiflaca, you don't live in america, what do you know what it's like here?</p>
<p>And yeah, the geography is different. the vast majority of canada is inhabitable artic, while venezuela is habitable everywhere. You're on the carribian. Jamaca seems to take advantage of that pretty well.</p>