I think it depends on what you mean by poor. The American poor may be richer materially than other First World poor people. A poor person in America might have a car, even own a house, and have a very large television. But they don’t have access to a good education and medical care. Lacking access to good education and medical care — keep people poor. If you’re poor in America, your social mobility — your ability to change your fate and that of your family — no matter HOW HARD YOU WORK — is diminished. Below is a list of countries with the highest social mobility in the world — note the US does not appear in the Top 20. The Europeans rank highest in social mobility.
I think the things Americans don’t understand is that —- the poor in America are meant to be kept poor by the system. It’s really the only way an unbridled capitalistic system can function — i.e., it’s the only way you can have the number of billionaires we have. The same system that can make some people very rich — means some people must be kept very poor.
Consumerism only makes you feel rich — having an expensive home, an expensive car, brand name clothes —- these are not the things that lift you out of poverty —- actually, the OPPOSITE! They are the things that keep you POOR!
Poor Americans don’t have the things that give you a glimmer of hope in life — a way to elevate yourself. Those things are —-
- equal access to education
- access to fresh food
- free and universal medical care
So, NO. I wholeheartedly disagree with you. If you’re poor in America — you have it THE WORST way worse than any European.
And we haven’t even begun discussing the Middle Class — the engine of any economy. But it’s the same issue — the focus on consumerism instead of things that further you in life.
Materially rich —- folks, it means nothing.
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