What percentage of Americans are poor?

[Pax]

I'm definitely not poor, but someone once said that most americans are a paycheckn away from being homeless or poor. I think that this is about right.
A lot of the cars, tv's, clothes, and etc are purchased on credit. Americans are highly in debt. Have one of the lowest amounts of savings. For a good portion of us losing our jobs would be devastating.

[Jaguar]

That's about right. Any American who works can easily have two TVs, a car, a stove, oven, microwave, computer, etc. But if they lose their job they're basically screwed.

[:) Smiley]

A bigger problem is that with more single adult households, one has to work even harder to get the TV, car, nuke, etc. than when you have a two adult household or an extended family living under one roof.

Those eight Mexicans who buy a $250,000 house together are on to something. Imagine how well eight middle-class people, each making around 50k a year, could live that way.

[Imran Siddiqui]

middle class would be blue collar and lesser white collar (clerks, cashiers, service, secretaries, some lower accountants)... living in small towns, trailer parks, and cities

Middle class trailer parks .

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Smiley
A bigger problem is that with more single adult households, one has to work even harder to get the TV, car, nuke, etc. than when you have a two adult household or an extended family living under one roof.

Your private households have nukes? One can argue about the right to possess a gun or not, but that seems to be a bit overdone, no?

[SpencerH]

You didnt know that Ralph? Yes, every american home above 3 bedrooms has its own nuclear generator that can be turned into a nuke using a screwdiver and few small adjustments.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Only if they watch enough McGiver reruns.

[SpencerH]

Of course.

[chequita guevara]

Those who think the poor in America are better off than most o the rest of the world have no idea what real American poverty is like. There are parts of the Unites States where people live like they live in the Third World.

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Those who think the poor in America are better off than most o the rest of the world have no idea what real American poverty is like. There are parts of the Unites States where people live like they live in the Third World.

Yes, but once you become that poor, you cease to be an American.

[Al B. Sure!]

Imran:

middle class trailer parks? anyone with a ****ing full-time job is middle class. excluding homeless people, nearly everyone in the city of Philly is middle class...


and i dont understand the leftist position here... so what if you were born into a ****ty family? it is still up to you whether you succeed or not. there's still a public education system and there's still caring people out there who will help you out.

Frankly, I think living in the ghetto is a motivator because everyday you see what you dont want to become. the problem is, some people give up and become addicts or thieves and other people actually want to succeed but they do it the wrong way (ie- sell drugs). still, people generally know education is key and there are people out there who try to make sure as many people as possible rise up... there's organizations out there (such as Amer-I-Can)

so i contend that the child born into poverty has more motivation to work hard and succeed than someone born into a wealthy family...

[GePap]

Certainly far far fewer americans live in total abject poverty, as in many other areas, but just as with wealth, poverty is relative due to differeing costs of living.

The problem is that the US, in general, has higher rates of poverty than the other rich states, as oppose dto comparisons with somethird world state.

[Pax]

When I was growing up I did'nt see many people make it out of the ghetto. I don't have statistics in front of me but I dare say it's worse now due to the rap music that promotes self oppression through the drug selling iced out gangsta ***** nigga for life mentality it promotes.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by GePap
Certainly far far fewer americans live in total abject poverty, as in many other areas, but just as with wealth, poverty is relative due to differeing costs of living.

The problem is that the US, in general, has higher rates of poverty than the other rich states, as oppose dto comparisons with somethird world state.

[jk]

Freakin poor immigrants bringin our ratio down

[/jk]

[GePap]

I am sure they do to a small extent-though the fact is a immigration has gone up, the rates have gone down, until the latest economic downturn.