That is a great point. None of the censuses ever list the condition of the homes/cars that the people have only the "official" size and amount.

I know someone who works for welfare and he has been in the homes of poor people. He said that the condition of the homes, the furniture, and everything about the homes was deplorable. However, the thing that amazed him was that practically everyone of these poor people had the big sized TV's that run into the thousands of dollars. For someone to have that type of TV means they are paying out big bucks for cable. Also, they were all walking around with cell phones, which can be expensive, depending on how you use them. My friend said the only rationale as to how these poor people on welfare came up with these items is that they are working under the table ..... not all of them, but quite a few.

You have to judge poor people by terms of the society they live!

Cell-Phones are probably the temporary pay cards variety,
bought when ever they have the $20.00, many times they are the only phone in the house,
and you must admit that it is hard to get along,
in American society today without one!

You have to put things in perspective.
You cant expect to judge a poor, struggling American family
by the same terms as a poor struggling family in Afghanistan!!

Just as you cant judge their rich by ours!!!

right on.

I have dial up internet and a 19 inch tv.yes i have cable(basic no premium)and no cell phone but i do have a land phone.I drive 20 miles to work round trip in my 7 yr old hyundai.I am not on welfare or food stamps.I live in one of the top 10 most expensive places to live so I get a rent subsidy.I will confess I spend money on sheets,towels and wash clothes.Such luxuries as soap and shampoo I also slip in.Sometimes i put more than 1/2 a tank of gas in my car.At todays prices milk is the luxury cause ice cream is cheaper than milk!!Seriously,I will not deny my child the simple things in life like ice cream,because someone feels it's a luxury.
Eating out at McDonald's is a luxury not ice cream.Let's keep things in perspective here.

No, I'm not spoiled. I'll put my business out there now.

I drive a 1996 Taurus that's engine died last month so it now has a junkyard engine. My last car was stolen and set on fire and I had no insurance on it. I had to take my child to school in a cab for awhile until I saved up money for another car.

Yes, I have a TV. My cell phone is for emergencies. I only pay $35/mth. under a family plan with my family. The internet is a necessity. It is required by my child's school. I've only had it for a year.

Yes, I am savy shopper when it comes to food. I try to get the cheapest prices and sales. Other than dates or family get togethers, I don't eat out. I do own my own home. It is a small, modest home and it's cheaper than rent.

I am not spoiled. I get by.

sing it girlfriend.The working poor are the backbone of this country.

Now I see the root of your wrong headed thinking. You are not an American. America is a country, not a continent. Do they not teach proper geography in your country? Perhaps they teach you that the entire world belongs to you in socialist schools. You do seem to think you have a right to take what ever you want from anyone else. Socialism serves only to keep everyone poor and beaten down. It is the root of your unhappiness, not the USA. So let me offer you an education in what our capitalist system is about and how it works and why there is none better...........

Capitalism F.A.Q.

1. What is capitalism?

Capitalism is not merely an economic system, but a political system as well. It is based on private property rights, free markets, and an objective rule of law. It depends upon the recognition of an individual's unalienable rights to life, liberty, and property, as famously championed by John Locke, and upon legal institutions that enforce the law justly and consistently (i.e., there is not one set of laws for those who govern or who have gained favor with those who govern and another set for those who are governed). It is a system under which people engage in trade through voluntary action for their mutual benefit, where each is free to pursue his own happiness, but no one is guaranteed to realize happiness.

2. What are the benefits of capitalism?

The greatest prosperity and standard of living can only be attained through capitalism. This is so because under capitalism the incentives to produce and create are unhindered by government regulation or mandate. Entrepreneurs are willing to take risks to bring new products to market, or to create new technologies to do things quicker, cheaper, or easier than before, because they are free to reap the rewards (i.e., their profits) of their efforts.

By contrast, when government prohibits or limits business activity, or when it confiscates a significant portion of the product of one's labor through taxes, there is little or no incentive to innovate. Government does not have to create anything to survive. It need only take from some to give to others. It operates in a zero-sum game. Government cannot give to some without taking from others.

Capitalism is a positive-sum game. Under capitalism, people must produce in order to acquire wealth. Furthermore, capitalism benefits all, not just the rich or the elite. Entrepreneurs and CEOs cannot do all the work themselves, so they must hire employees. They must also provide products that people can afford. By offering new goods and services and making existing goods and services cheaper and more efficient, business owners and investors benefit from profits while employees benefit from higher wages and consumers benefit from lower prices and a greater selection of goods.

3. What is the moral basis of capitalism?

In a word, freedom. A capitalist system recognizes that men are free, thinking beings. Man must think for himself, choose his path in life, and act accordingly to pursue the goals and ends he has chosen. He must use reason to discover truth. Capitalism allows people to think and act freely, unobstructed by coercion from government or from other individuals. It allows one to work in whichever profession he wants, buy and sell whatever he wants from whomever he wants to do business with, say what he wishes, worship as he pleases, or not at all, and pursue his own definition of happiness. It requires only that he earn his living honestly and not take from others without their consent.

4. Who is responsible for the philosophy of capitalism?

Many of the principles of capitalism can be traced to Adam Smith, particularly in his famous work, The Wealth of Nations. Smith recognized the failings of the mercantilism that prevailed during his day, under which protectionism and the hoarding of gold and other precious materials by the state was viewed as the way to preserve wealth. Smith, along with David Ricardo, extolled the virtues of free trade. The economic theory of capitalism was further developed by Frederic Bastiat, by those of the Austrian school of economics, named for its Austrian founders such as Carl Menger, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, Ludwig von Mises, and, to a less consistent degree, Mises's Nobel Prize-winning pupil Friedrich A. Hayek. Though Milton Friedman has also been less than consistent at times in endorsing capitalism, he, too, has made valuable contributions to the scholarship of capitalism, and his books Capitalism and Freedom and Free to Choose are well worth the read for those interested in a deeper explanation of capitalism.

The moral justification of capitalism was developed primarily, and most famously, by Ayn Rand through her philosophy of Objectivism. Objectivism holds that

There is an objective reality, as opposed to that based on faith or "feeling,"
That man and his life are ends in themselves, not to be sacrificed for the ends of others,
That reason is man's tool for perceiving reality, and
That laissez-faire capitalism (i.e., where markets are truly free and unhindered by government regulation) is the ideal political-economic system because it allows men to live on these terms.
For more information on Ayn Rand and Objectivism, see the Ayn Rand Institute and the Objectivist Center.

5. How does capitalism compare to socialism and other economic and political systems?

While capitalism is rooted in respect for individual rights, socialism demands that individuals sacrifice their rights, along with their labor and wealth, for the sake of society at large, for the "greater good," as determined by whoever holds political power at the time. Though it is often said that communism is the extreme at the "left" end of the political spectrum, and fascism the extreme on the "right," they are merely shades of the same color. They are both examples of statism and require that the individual surrender to the "needs" of the collective.

In 1932, Benito Mussolini, writing a definition of fascism for the Italian Encyclopedia, stated: "The foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty, and its aim. Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State." Replace "Fascism" with "communism" or "socialism" and you have the foundation for all collectivist political systems. Nazism, dictatorships, theocracies, and absolute monarchies are, likewise, merely different forms of statism. Thus, the distinction should be not among different variations of collectivism, but between political systems that depend upon service and sacrifice to the collective and those that are based upon recognition of individual rights.

Capitalism is unique in its acknowledgment of individuals as the creators of any state, that the "state" is thus subservient to the individual, not the converse. This respect for the unalienable rights of man stands in stark contrast to collectivism. Under capitalism, life is celebrated and men are free to pursue happiness, each in his own way, while under collectivism, life is viewed as constant struggle and sacrifice (in fact, this is seen as the ideal!) and life is valuable only to the extent that it serves the state's ends.

6. Doesn't capitalism allow businessmen to exploit workers?

First of all, workers cannot be exploited in a laissez-faire capitalist system because all contracts, including employment contracts, are made on a voluntary basis. If a worker is unhappy with his employer, he is free to leave to try to contract with another employer for better working conditions, greater benefits, or a higher salary, or to start his own business.

In a purely free market, workers compete for jobs and employers compete for workers. Thus, just like the market for goods, the market for labor ensures through competition that resources go where they are most valued. Competition among employers will drive up wages, particularly for potential employees with special skills or knowledge. (Again, note that the capitalist system has a built-in system for rewarding achievement. So long as workers have the drive to innovate and to work harder and smarter, the opportunities available to them are potentially limitless.) Since profits are the bottom line, employers have an incentive to reward the hardest-working and most-innovative workers with higher salaries or benefits, in order to keep them from leaving for better employment offers. Capitalism, then, ensures that employees are paid the true value of their production - no more, no less - so it cannot be said that workers are exploited under capitalism.

7. Doesn't capitalism allow large corporations to exploit poor countries?

Anti-globalization activists often charge that multinational corporations move into poor countries, rob the land of its resources, and exploit the people that live there. This exploitation story is pure fallacy. New companies provide new jobs. Despite the sweatshop image portrayed by the opponents of capitalism, workers are generally paid wages much higher than the local average per capita wage. Among the most impoverished nations, this allows people to acquire skills that they would otherwise not have the opportunity to obtain.

Because multinational corporations see an opportunity to make money, untapped resources (including labor) are put to productive use to create products and technologies that are useful and more efficient than previous products and technologies. The results are higher incomes from higher wages and a higher standard of living from cheaper and more efficient goods. The farmer tilling his fields by ox may become able to afford a tractor, so he can produce more food more cheaply, so his customers can eat better and have income left over for other needs or wants. Wealth creation has a ripple effect. It is precisely because capitalism provides opportunity to anyone with ability or a strong work ethic that the poor benefit most under a capitalist system.

8. Without government regulation, won't unbridled capitalism lead to dangerous monopolies that harm consumers?

The only dangerous monopolies are those created by government.

Even in cases of true monopoly, where one firm sells all of a product in the market, consumers need not fear that they are being ripped off. This is because whenever something can be produced cheaper, at higher quality, or with better service, an opportunity exists for someone else to come in and make money off of it. If Microsoft becomes too content with its success and tries to price gouge its customers, a demand will arise for a cheaper or better technology and a competitor will be created to satisfy that demand.

The difference between laissez-faire capitalism and government is that Bill Gates cannot force you to buy his products or prevent you from buying other products. However, the government can do just that by enforcing prohibition laws and by preventing competition through licensing requirements, regulatory burdens, and franchise agreements. This may ensure that campaign contributors get something in return for their donations, but it greatly harms consumers, who are forced to deal with firms that have little or no competition, and thus little or no incentive to innovate or to provide the best quality of service at the best prices. This is where the real gouging takes place.

9. If capitalism is unregulated, how will people be protected from corporate fraud or unsafe products?

The first rule of a free society is "Do no harm." Acts of aggression are attacks on individual rights and acts of fraud are breaches of contracts, and they are punishable under the law in a capitalist system. Since a capitalist system requires that each individual be treated equally under objective laws (i.e., those that are not interpreted arbitrarily or inconsistently), everyone has the opportunity to seek recourse for wrong done to him by aggression, deceit, or negligence.

Consumers are much safer under a true free market than under a government-controlled or government-regulated system. If dangerous products cause injury, or if some individual or business commits fraud, consumers have legal recourse. Damage awards from litigation can be very costly, so it is in the businessman's interest to deal honestly and put forth the safest products possible.

Consider the engineer charged with building a bridge. If he skimps on building materials and uses cheaper, poor quality concrete or fewer support beams than safety would require, he will be liable when the bridge collapses and people are hurt or killed. Thus, his long-run costs (or even potential costs) will far outweigh his short-term gains, so he will be sure to build a safe bridge. Government mandates on product quality are often more political than scientific, and may be too strict (wasting resources) or too lenient (causing injury; notice that there often is no recourse when the government is responsible).

Perhaps you are very ill and wish to take a chance on an experimental and potentially-lifesaving drug therapy. Unfortunately, even though you are willing to bear the risk and the cost and the drug maker is willing to supply it to you, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved the medicine, and has thus signed your death warrant. Now tell me who does a better job of protecting consumers from unsafe products, while simultaneously preserving individual liberty: businessmen or government bureaucrats.

10. Is the United States of America a capitalist nation?

The America that was created by the Founding Fathers was a free and capitalist nation. It generally remained that way until around the late nineteenth century, when it began sliding down the path to socialism. Things really took a turn for the worse during the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the 1930s and 1940s. American capitalism has never recovered from those days, and the government has continued to grow and become more and more intrusive.

From tariffs to minimum wage laws to corporate and farm subsidies to entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid) to anti-consumer antitrust laws to government regulation of numerous industries to the burdensome taxes that are needed to fund all the state's redistributionist programs and policies, America looks little like the bastion of free enterprise it once represented. Capitalism has made this the great and prosperous nation it is today. America can regain its former glory, but only if its citizens realize that it is the free and voluntary actions of individuals, not government-enforced agendas, that lead to happiness and prosperity.

the history american government is now in session

Yes, McDonald's is a luxury. I do know when it's a necessity, though. How about being 30 minutes from home and you won't be home for a couple of hours and a child is complaining that they're hungry?

the internet is not required unless you run a buisiness from your home. last i checked the library still had all the resources a child could want.

mcdonalds is not only a luxury, it's a stretch to call it food. fast food does not save money either.

frankly, i'm surprised that a suv/truck or large car wasn't mentioned. often times one can save hundreds of dollars a month by getting a car that will do 40mpg, usually save a good deal on insurance as well.

cell phones are not required for daily life for most people, we just think they are. a hard line is nice, but still not always mandatory.

why use a cab to get your child to school? last i checked, most places provided school buses, your tax dollars pay for such things.

onto food and the poor folk who are fat.. not all foods are pumped full of that crap, just the easy to make ones. if more vegitables and grains were bought, it would not be an issue. hell, everyone who has a yard should also have a garden.

many folks don't use public transit that is available. i do not have it available to me and would kill for the use of it.

btw, that immigrant's quote was in praise of this nation. maybe being a little facetious about american's opinion of what it is to be poor, but the overall attitude was happiness. the person was doing much better for themselves in america than they ever could in their home nation.

I live 5 miles from the school but the school thinks I live too close to send a bus to my area. And some areas cannot not be reached by public transportation.

Yes, the libraries have computers. In my city you have to make an one hour appointment in advance. That does not help when a child is assigned homework that day and it takes a couple hours to complete. The school, church, and scouts send me emails.
I found out that the school was closed due to snow from an email, not on the television. Hello? It's 2008.

it is 2008. we still do not need many of these accessories for normal life, whether you think so or not.

myself, i'm going to buy a motorcycle this summer and save on gas and insurance. some of them can get up to 70mpg, most all can get 40.

it's sad how much of a materialistic microwave society we have

Ill wait for the Readers Digest version...at least that one comes with pictures.......


JNP:.how about a geography lesson? the land mass from North to South America is known as a "continent"...North, Central, South America are contries....and YES I am an American...and proud of it..
I say down with the subversive classist capitalist system that makes the "poor" defend their right to eat ice cream, have a car, watch cable or use the internet....Who's F*ukn' business is it if they do or dont???? Because one group can afford it that means they have the right to dictate and judge what the other group may or may not have????
F*ck the Capitalist system, if you're not part of the 1% that revels in it you're screwed...want to live like that?? go ahead work till you drop dead, and take your debts to the grave because thats the only thing you'll ever have under your precious "lifestyle"...

See, you have no idea what you are talking about. South America is a CONTINENT, not a COUNTRY.

A continent is one of several major land masses on the earth. There is no standard definition for the number of continents but you will commonly find that the numbers six or seven are used.

By most standards, there are a seven continents - Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Most students in the United States are taught that there are seven continents.

In Europe and other parts of the world, many students are taught of six continents, where North and South America are combined to form a single continent of America. Thus, these six continents are Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Many scientists now refer to six continents, where Europe and Asia are combined (since they're one solid geologic landmass). Thus, these six continents are Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Eurasia, North America, and South America.

Geographers divide the planet into regions for ease of study. Various geographers have various definitions of these world regions.

This Official Listing of Countries by Region divides the world into eight regions: Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Australia and Oceania.

Asia

There are 28 countries in Asia; Asia stretches from former "stans" of the USSR to the Pacific Ocean.
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Kazakhstan
North Korea
South Korea
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Philippines
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Vietnam

Middle East and North Africa

The 22 countries of the Middle East and North Africa include some countries not traditionally part of the Middle East but their cultures cause their placement in this region.
Algeria
Azerbaijan*
Bahrain
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel*
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Morocco
Oman
Pakistan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Somalia
Syria
Tunisia
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

* The former republics of the Soviet Union are typically lumped into one region, even 15 years after independence In this listing, they've been placed where most appropriate.

* Israel may be located in the Middle East but it is certainly an outsider and perhaps better belongs attached to Europe, like its seaward neighbor and European Union member state, Cyprus.

Europe

With 48 countries, there aren't many surprises on this list. However, this region stretches from North America and back to North America as it encompasses Iceland and all of Russia.

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland*
Ireland
Italy
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland*
Vatican City

* Iceland straddles the Eurasian plate and the North American plate so geographically it is halfway between Europe and North America. However, its culture and settlement is clearly European in nature.

* The United Kingdom is the country composed of the constituent entities known as England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.


North America

Economic powerhouse North America only includes three countries but it is most of a continent and thus a region onto itself.

Canada
Mexico
United States of America


Central America and the Caribbean

There are no landlocked countries among these twenty countries of Central America and the Caribbean.

Antigua and Barbuda
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Nicaragua
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago


South America

Twelve countries occupy this continent that stretches from the equator to nearly the Antarctic Circle.

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela


Africa

There are 47 countries in Africa. This region of Africa is often called Sub-Saharan Africa but some of these countries are Intra-Saharan so Sub-Saharan Africa just won't work as a name. Africa will have to do.

Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cote d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe


Australia and Oceania

These fifteen countries vary widely in their cultures and occupy a large swath of the world ocean although (with the exception of the continent-country Australia), do not occupy much land.

Australia
East Timor*
Fiji
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Nauru
New Zealand
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu

* While East Timor lies on an Indonesian (Asian) island, its eastern location requires that it be located with the Oceania nations of the world.

And really, do you have to use such foul language? Oh, wait, I forgot that is often the tactic used by those without a valid argument. So is name calling.

And lastly, you are NOT and American. You must be a citizen of The United States of America to be an American. This is accepted worldwide.

Wow...guess I really hit a nerve there huh??? take it easy, relax drink something, eat something, sit in front of your tv and enjoy what ever celebrated program is currently running in honor of Easter in your continent...let this go and stop hijacking the thread...If you have such a need to be right and have the last word...here..I "officially" hand it over to you.

Frankly no, you have not hit a nerve. I am not so easily rattled. I merely offer you some facts, rather than emotion. I will agree when you are correct, and will counter when you are incorrect. Simple as that.

Home come everyone wants to talk shet about poor people and gov handouts, yet say nothing about the morgage bail-out instituted by the Gov?

Does anyone remember ENRON ????