Impoverished Americans in Record Numbers: The government says what we already know

Finally, there is a beginning of an acknowledgment that the United States of America is becoming increasingly an economically gentrified country. A report published by McClatchy Newspapers found that the number of people living in deep poverty is increasing at very alarming rates. Of course, this is not news to the majority of Americans who have seen the buying power of their wages erode over the years, but a corporation (McClatchy News) has actually noticed and done their job as the Third Estate and brought the dirty little secret to light.

If the McClatchy papers were to follow in the grand tradition of the Third Estate today's report would only be a beginning, and the story would gain momentum until those in power would have to notice and act. Alas, that is not likely to happen as the Third Estate has long since abandoned their social duties and focused on the profits to be had by publicizing the Anna Nicole Smith circus or Brittney Spears losing battle with hair clippers.

Normally, Operation:Mindcrime does not agree with the words of the Cato institute, but they spoke a deep dark truth by saying, "What appears to be taking place is that, over the long term, you have a significant permanent underclass that is not being impacted by anti-poverty policies" (emphasis added by author).

It is a sad turn of events that in the wealthiest nation in the history of this planet, there is rampant and increasing poverty. Nearly 16 million Americans live in deep poverty which is defined as less than 50% of the poverty level. (9,000/yr for a family or 5,000/yr for an individual) That is outrageous. These Americans combine for an income of only 144 billion (rounded off and assuming all make the highest level of 9k/yr.) That is less money that George W Bush wants to spend in Iraq in a year.

These numbers alone are disturbing, but they don't begin to tell the whole story. That number grew 26% between 2000 and 2005. During this time there has been a so-called economic recovery and expansion of the economy. This further shows that those who discuss the state of the economy live in an ivory tower and only look at the top strata.

"The plight of the severely poor is a distressing sidebar to an unusual economic expansion. Worker productivity has increased dramatically since the brief recession of 2001, but wages and job growth have lagged behind and the share of national income going to corporate profits has dwarfed the amount going to wages and salaries." This is the most damning statement on the state of the economy I have read since America:What Went Wrong? by Donald L Bartlet and James B Steele. In fact, if you extrapolate forward what Bartlet and Steele wrote forward from 1992 to 2005 this is the logical result of the trends referenced in their work.

In fact, let's break down the above quote one more time bit by bit, and I think that it shows the underlying culpability in the situation, and points to the nearly criminal attitudes of the corporate masters of this country.

*"The plight of the severely poor is a distressing sidebar to an unusual economic expansion." A rising group of impoverished people is referred to as a 'distressing sidebar' to an economic expansion? This sounds like classic Orwellian Doublespeak for "They don't match what we want to see, so we will brush them aside with false pity rather than look at their plight as truly part of the economic picture." Or more simply and even less Orwellian, "they don't count." How is it an 'economic expansion' when there are increasing numbers of people in poverty?

*"Worker productivity has increased dramatically since the brief recession of 2001, but wages and job growth have lagged behind..." In other words people are working harder to get more done, but they are getting less to show for it.

*" and the share of national income going to corporate profits has dwarfed the amount going to wages and salaries." I happen to think this speaks quite well for itself, in its damming of the handling of the economy.

This is a direct result of the corporate culture run amok. It is about maximizing profits at all costs, especially through sending their work overseas. It is because the industries that pay living wages are sending their work overseas, and the jobs that are growing are the retail and fast food sectors which pay poverty wages.

Sadly, unless this report wakes up those in power, which I happen to doubt even with the Democratic takeover of Congress, this is a trend that is going to continue. In fact, there is a report that Hershey is getting ready to trim 1,500 jobs by closing plants and moving operations to Mexico. (so much for the Great AMERICAN Chocolate Bar.)

RIP Molly Ivans

Wow, what a loss for the opposition in this country. Molly Ivans was a great voice against the Bush administration, who used wit an humour to keep the administration on its toes. It is sad to know that her effective voice has been silenced from the political chorus in this country.

In this age of the right wing hack in the mold of Sean Hannity & Rush Limbaugh it was refreshing to have Ms Ivans's humour skewering the venomous words of the loud mouths.

Rest in peace, Ms Ivans, you will be missed