A bit delayed in posting these – but better late that never to urge more focus on the shifting landscape of poverty in America, the rotten Farm Bill, and the generosity of the ruling class.
A point to consider which Hightower doesn’t make about poverty statistics: 50 million poor in America. That’s the equivalent of an entire generation – Generation X. 51 million more who are near poor in America; another entire generation sinking into poverty. The equivalent of 2 generations of poverty-stricken in the combined 101 million Americans descending into poverty. Another lens would be the number of poverty-stricken in America today exceeds the number of Baby Boomers born between 1946-1964 – approximately 77 million. The entire generation of Millennials, the largest in number, estimated between 80 and 90 million, still isn’t as large as the number of Americans in poverty in 2013. An awfully disgusting reality and a reality that should be of grave concern to all. Those who it should concern most are those in positions of governance. To the shame and disgust of the nation, poverty endures because there is no agenda devoted to alleviating it (at least within the two-party system dominating all of the political spectrum).
Bipartisan Victory as Republicans and Democrats Agree Poor People Should Go Hungry | Common Dreams
Here we find, as we so often do these days, compromise that yields little for any agenda that isn’t market extremist, cruel, and inhumane.
Finally, we find the twisted solution for the poor – rely on the rich! The richer the rich become, the more they give to the poor, ergo the more the poor become less the poor? … rationalization of the ugliest order disguised as ethical reasoning.
The globalization movement of this country, begun defacto with Reagan being elected to governor in California–principally from Japanese support–is a great contributor to the decline of the middle class. Government rushed into the arms of foreign investors after the crash of 74, opening markets formerly protected by union influence and relaxing financial constraints imposed after the great depression in order to compete with huge Japanese and European banks. Protests of the Viet Nam War turned American youth into enemy. Recession turned Unions and local manufacturing into unaffordable luxuries and trade protection faded. All this has been building international corporate strength for over 40 years, and has infested all U.S. government even the Supreme Court. #MoveToAmend.org