The United Nations Is Concerned About Income Inequality In America
The United Nations has identified the United States as having the second-highest rate of poverty among a group of the world’s richest countries. According to the US Census, less than 13% of Americans — about 40 million people —fall below the official poverty line. The current poverty line is just over $12,000 for a single adult and $24,600 for family of four. Research suggests that families may need to earn twice the federal poverty line to comfortably access basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare.
In 2014, a team of Stanford University researchers reported that about 1.65 million Americans were living on less than $2 a day, which is near the World Bank’s extreme poverty line of $1.90 a day. The average cost of living for a family of four in urban areas in every US state often triples the official poverty guideline, according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Even in Texas, the state with lowest urban expenses, the cost of living was more than $70,000 a year for a family of four.
How The United Nations Should Focus On Income Inequality In The United States
We’ve talked about income inequality before, but the United Nations getting involved should set off alarm bells. People believe there is something unfair happening within society now when it comes to income and earnings, and these numbers seem to back it up. This inequity is believed to stem from cronies buying both parties and convincing politicians to do their bidding. Historically, wealth has been derived from raw political power, as compared to today when power tends to be derived from wealth, with the wealth a product of providing goods or services others want.
Economic theory and history suggests that inequality hurts our country’s economic future. Still, money is never equal because people not only earn it differently, but spend it differently. You can’t stop that from happening. Liberty and freedom include the ability to make shallow and stupid choices. It’s the price paid for the freedom to make wise and sometimes brilliant choices at other times.
There will always be inequality but that’s not the issue. Instead, the United Nations should focus on the incredible degree of inequality and how that came about and how it is maintained in our nation.
