Footwedge;1478859 wrote:SMH. I've shown the math. Believe what you want. You factor in the high cost of living here, the 34K would be lucky to be in the top 10%. Get a clue.
Which part of "net" are you struggling with?Footwedge;1478859 wrote:SMH. I've shown the math. Believe what you want. You factor in the high cost of living here, the 34K would be lucky to be in the top 10%. Get a clue.
But the U.S. has a safety net and has numerous programs and tax entitlements, including but not limited to, tuition breaks, free lunches, food stamps, EITC, etc. And if nothing else they enjoy the same public amenities - good streets and highways, proper sewer systems, public utilities, etc. that the richest enjoy. I'm not sure the poorest nations in Latin/South America, Southern Asia and Africa have this type of infrastructure. As relatively bad that the poorest Americans have it (and I'm not discounting it), it doesn't compare to literally living in your own s&$t that many people in say, India, do.O-Trap;1474893 wrote:Eh, that's possible. I'm curious how the cost of living affects it here.
If the average person in Haiti makes $276 a year, but the cost of living is such that it costs the average person $212 a year, and if the average person in the United States makes $34,000 a year, but the cost of living is such that it costs the average person $41,XXX a year, one might say that poverty in the US is still knowable.
I agree. It is worthwhile goal to try to improve the living standards of all people in the U.S. There's no doubt some people have a tough time "getting by" within the confines of our political economy but it's simply not comparable. As Peter Singer says, many of the poorest Americans live a more comfortable life than King Louis the XIV.Manhattan Buckeye;1478996 wrote:But the U.S. has a safety net and has numerous programs and tax entitlements, including but not limited to, tuition breaks, free lunches, food stamps, EITC, etc. And if nothing else they enjoy the same public amenities - good streets and highways, proper sewer systems, public utilities, etc. that the richest enjoy. I'm not sure the poorest nations in Latin/South America, Southern Asia and Africa have this type of infrastructure. As relatively bad that the poorest Americans have it (and I'm not discounting it), it doesn't compare to literally living in your own s&$t that many people in say, India, do.