27 February 2007

Land of the free, home of the poor

If you believe the politicians, especially those associated with the Republican Party, the US economy is just a steamroller that is driving poverty to the dim outer reaches and making more and more Americans wealthy. The problem with this is that, on the fact of it, it just doesn't seem to be true. I have long described America, for friends and colleagues here in Europe (just the UK is part of Europe - just don't tell UKIP) that America has become a first world nation and a third world nation sharing the same real estate.

Now a study of US census data by McClatchy Newspapers shows that nearly 16 million Americans, over 5% of the population, are living in "deep or severe poverty". I guess those tax cuts didn't really help now did they?

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