Now that is surprising (not)
June 22 (UPI) -- A study for the U.N. Human Rights Council has concluded 40 million people in the United States live in poverty -- and more than half of those live in "extreme" or "absolute" poverty.
The 20-page report by Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, says U.S. policies benefit the rich and exacerbate poverty.
"The United States has the highest income inequality in the Western world, and this can only be made worse by the massive new tax cuts overwhelmingly benefiting the wealthy," Alston said in a statement about the report.
The report cites vast numbers of middle-class Americans "perched on the edge," with 40 percent of the adult population saying they would be unable to cover an unexpected $400 expense.
One fact that is always overlooked (it is too uncomfortable) is that many people immigrate here for economic reasons. They may make more money but the cost of living is higher and often end up worse off than before. Also, assimilating others is expensive. When one imports poor people why are we surprised when the poverty levels go up. We are not this hughly rich country that so many others make us out to being and, yes, the wealthy do bend things to go their way but too often we let them. The wealthy industralists want to bring in more poor outsiders that will work cheap and be more controlable. One major piece of legislation that would have precluded building a 'wall', called e-verify, was recently narrowly defeated. We say we want to help others but then, often at the same time, also say they will do the work we won't. It's called exploitation.
The US is top for inequality. Top for serial killers. Top for school mass shootings. Top for iatrogenisis (death caused by medical treatment).
We're number one! Yea!????
Ha ha!
What is really amazing is how successful the top 1% has been at getting those on the edge of the economic precipice to vote against their own interests. It's truly remarkable!
And getting worse with republicans sucking the rich off
This has been happening for seventy years. We're just now watching it snowball faster than ever.
More like the last 35 years, largely due to supply-side and neoliberal economics.
@eric788 Wage disparity has been growing since the 70's.
@Nottheonlyone True, but it's really accelerated since Reagan.
It takes a nation like that to elect an unpresident like trump.
trump is better than Obama or Hillary
And Nikki Haley called the report "ridiculous." The 1% are living in intentional denial.