Poverty in the United States, a Commentary

Poverty in the United States is completely unnecessary and contrived.  It is well documented how the elite take gross advantage of the poor.  Of course, this is not an all American way of life, it occurs all over the world.  In America, we pretend otherwise and have made walking all over the poor into an art that goes unrecognized.

Walmart began this practice at least 40 years ago by finding ways to work around labor laws that require employers to care for their employees.  Walmart was the leader of the labor rape movement by keeping employees under 40 hours so that they could avoid providing benefits and by lobbying deeply and profitably against an increase in the minimum wage.  That depression of the minimum wage has been extremely profitable for Walmart shareholders and what better description is there than to say, the wealthy stand on the backs of the poor?

When I speak about the Fightfor15, people are dubious.  They say things like, what about an education?  Or, I worked my whole life for $17.00 an hour!  I just want to cry when I hear, normal, everyday salt of the earth people speaking against a living wage.

It is well documented that no one can live on the minimum wage.  It is also clear that of the 20 million people who still have no health insurance, the majority of them work full time jobs.

Who believes that if they work full time they still should not afford to live and can have no health care?  Who believes that this should be the way of the world?   The truth is no one believes that this is true or right, but folks do not take the time to understand what is truly going on in our culture.  At some point in America we made the decision to worship money and those who can make money.  We even allow the ends to justify the means, if you are wealthy, you must be doing something right.  It is quite the joke on us – America.  The wealthy have only used our culture to trick us into being satisfied with what we have or by punishing ourselves with credit card debt.  Because we are a “responsible” culture we blame it all on our own selves and don’t question the powers that enforce our marginalization and falsely depressed economic state.

Yes, the majority of America is marginalized.  There are the poverty stricken, the marginalized middle class, those who have lost their wealth to cheaters and swindlers.  There are very few who can say they have done well and continue to do well.  Those that have done well are a small number, perhaps afraid and wishing to protect what they have.

Bernie Sanders speaks truly, if not believably.  I am deeply grateful to hear that this conversation is finally becoming national.  Thank you Bernie.