Rob has hit the nail on the head (again)

http://www.robarnieanddawn.com/RobsSoapboxPoverty.htm


THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS POVERTY IN AMERICA
There are very few topics, save animal cruelty, that get me as angry as the notion that homelessness and poverty are a reality in America. The larger umbrella to place this topic under is, of course, personal responsibility, which continues to be my bailiwick and my passion.
I guess I should very quickly define myself and my beliefs first. Of course there are people without homes in America. That is a fact. There is also what we call a "poverty line," defined as a level of income so low that compared to the wealth of the nation, a person earning that little is unable to operate on a day-to-day basis financially. So sure, based on those facts I can't really argue that homelessness and poverty aren't realities in America… there's just no damn reason for them, that's all. Additionally, the country and the system are not to blame… people are.
There's a great website called www.globalrichlist.com where you can plug in your annual salary and see where you rank compared to everyone else in the entire world. If you are the average American, making $30,000 per year, you are in the top 7.2% in worldwide wealth. If you are at the poverty level in America, making $8,980 per year, you still rank in the top 13.5% on the planet… ahead of 5.2 billion other human beings.
Looked at another way, being poor in America means that you're still doing better than 86.5% of everyone else in the world. To which I say to the poor people of this nation; how dare you?
What a waste poor people are in this nation. We provide every opportunity, every entitlement, every second, third, and fourth chance imaginable and still people fall by the wayside. Choosing laziness is fine with me, just don't try to make me feel guilty about it.
When the Tsunami hit last year and America sent Hundreds of millions of dollars overseas, people in this country whined "what about our homeless problem?" The answer to that is simple. We do things everyday, as natural course in America, to improve our homeless problem. We have systems in place to teach people how to get off of the streets and they fail to grasp on to them. Try talking to people in Sri Lanka about how hard it is to live on $9,000 per year and see if you get any sympathy. What about our homeless problem? I say screw 'em. Every day they wake up with an opportunity to better themselves… in Thailand it takes a devastating tidal wave for them to be given such a chance.
I certainly don't want to hear that crap that problems are relative, either. Many people argue that those in second and third world nations are just as poor as Americans below the poverty line because the people in the foreign lands "don't know any better." America is the wealthiest nation in history, so being poor in America is just as bad as being poor in Brazil, even though the numbers are vastly different, many argue. Incorrect. Being poor in America means that you have access to shelter and free handouts to the level of absurdity. Being poor in Brazil means you drink out of the Amazon and pray that a parasite will eat your insides as quickly as possible putting an end to your miserable life.
Here's another way to look at the relative argument; When we moved from Seattle to Sacramento, there was a 6 month time span when I was paying three mortgages. I was paying for the house my wife (then girlfriend) and I were living in, the home my mother was living in, and the vacant house on the market in Seattle. At the time, that was $7500 per month just in mortgage payments, and it was a real struggle for me. Do you think I got any sympathy from anyone? No, and I didn't deserve any either. Can you imagine the audacity it would have taken for me to explain to the hardworking fireman barely making ends meet to feed his wife and three kids how rough I had it? My God, the gall. That's how the rest of the world looks at our poor people… and they should. Poor baby, you have to find a way to make 3 mortgages payment every month? And you're doing it? Well, life must be rough. Poor baby, you wake up every morning at the"Y" and spend the day begging for food and money which you then choose to waste on liquor before being allowed to seek shelter again at night? And you live like this in a nation of free will? Well, life must be rough.
Poverty in America ranks on my top 5 list of the biggest lies perpetrated on the ignorant American public via the politically correct press. Ever since the Vietnam War, the elites in this nation have learned that they just have to tell you over and over again what they want you to believe, and ultimately you will believe it. It's the media version of the "Jedi Mind Trick." Poverty in America is one of those things. If you asked an average American about the homeless problem they would speak softly and somberly about how horrible it is in a nation such as ours. If you ask me about it, you'll get a quick two word answer, "screw 'em!"
What's that? You want to know the other 4 biggest lies perpetrated on the American public? Sure, why not;
Biggest Lie #1: AIDS is an epidemic (lie, with a sub-lie built in that condoms save lives)
Biggest Lie #2: Global Warming is real
Biggest Lie #3: Affirmative Action is good (lie)
and my personal favorite...
Biggest Lie #4: People who engage in behaviors potentially harmful to themselves must have their behaviors controlled by the enlightened. Think: Smoking, gun ownership, eating fast food, etc.
The list goes on an on, and the more we continue to empower the vocal minority of our nation, the more we lose what's left of America.