How can we close the divide between rich and poor?

Question

We read constantly about the widening divide between rich and poor, within the United States as well as between richer countries and poorer countries. But what has been done? What can be done to effectively close this divide?

Answer 1

that is a tough question to answer. a good one although, but tough.

how can it be accomplished?
are we going to force the rich person to give up his hard earned cash to accomodate the poor?
what about the middle class?
that is going to be difficlut.
how did the rich get there in the first place?
what is the poor doing to better themselves or are they?
toughy but a goody. hope we find the solution.

Answer 2

I believe there will always be a huge divided space between the rich and the poor.
Much of the poor are a group of people that did not have or want a chance to better themselves. Then there are the ones that have somewhat more but have because they receive welfare for some reason or the other. This is either because of health or other reason beyond their control. But then there are those that have learned the lesson of how their friends and family taught them that Welfare of some sort is a job in it's self, what ever it takes to learn how to rip the tax payer off.
I see every day those that want no better and simply do not want to work and save to get what the want that do not have today. Too lazy to get out and sweat to work for a living.
Go to school or get a informal education, see you move up the scale as others have worked for.

Answer 3

If the divide between the rich and the poor had been widening as much as they say it has been for the last hundred years we'd be living on different planets. The only way to help the poor is to provide them with education. Artificial methods do not work because they soon collapse.

Answer 4

The answer to this question lies within the hunger and drive of each individual who is "poor". The rich will not willingly give up what they have. The poor must better themselves economically through education and hard work.

I question whether the lower socio-economic strata really wants to move up the scale. I heard last week that the majority of people living below the poverty line have more than one color tv and are overweight. Clearly they don't lack for entertainment or food. Our gov't gives them subsidized (if not free) housing, a monthly check for living expenses and extra funds for food. I just hope the number of people on the public dole doesn't outweigh the number being taxed to keep them there.

Answer 5

dude sounds like a school paper question. just so you know its not going to happen, not until we have another cival war in this country and our corrupt Goverment is thrown out AGAIN and the people regain power, until then there will be no way to fix it the rich will get richer and the poor poorer, thank God Im not on the poor end, was most of my life and stuggled and worked to not be there! The truth is its so out of balance already that there is no way back! I am all for helping people but not for High taxes, welfare and social services! People come to this country and all the taxpayers pay for them to have kids, feed them, house them, give them medical care equal to what people who pay there insurance get. IM SORRY BUT IF YOU WANT IT EARN IT!!! we all need help sometimes and thats ok but it should be like a max of three months of benifits every 10 years and thats it! there is also the problem of people who work and dont pay taxes! GUESS WHAT THEY EARN MORE THEN YOU BUT CONTRIBUTE NOTHING BACK TO HELP SUPPORT THE NEXT GUY COMING IN! so how can we close a gap with a system like this? you cant! once again! start a fair and legal government in this country and your problem will be solved, until then most ignorant people will continue on with their sad lives until they are broke! BECAUSE THEY DONT CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE, they just figure someone else will take care of them! Sad part is I have worked since i was 12 and I WILL NEVER SEE MY SS< YOUR GOVT has already spent it plus more and the crappy part is that all the people who are workin under the table are the problem because they are not contibuting to anything! IN MY OPINION< THE USA SHOULD DO AWAY WITH SS give everyperson back what they put into it with interest! at the prime rate and let US decide how to invest for our retirement! AMERICA IS TO LAZY TO stand up for this though so to once again answer you question! ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN ITS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE!

Answer 6

This is very difficult because you are dealing with human nature. In America there IS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. It sounds like you are seeking equality of outcome and that is silly because of human nature.

Do you think everyone would sacrifice like what it takes to become a CEO of a Fortune 500 company?

I think the only thing you can do is give people access to quality education, that means letting them choose where they send their kids, not forcing them to go to government education camps (the public school system), try to start teaching values again, hard work, ethics you know the stuff it takes to become successful and then give them a helping hand, not a handout.

Equal outcomes have been guaranteed in many government efforts over the years and the only outcome that everyone got was equal misery. BTW, those governments have all failed.

Answer 7

When you regulate income you will find that you have also regulated initiative. If you want a world of people who look alike, act alike, think alike and sit around waiting for someone to tell them what to do, then you can get it by removing the will to improve and the need to be rewarded.

Look at a hillside full of sheep grazing and you will have some idea of a world where incentive and initiative are controlled and regulated.

A sound tax system is one way to handle the needs of the country but it should not prevent a person from reaching as high as he possibly can.

If you don't care and are not willing to work, then you should not have any more than you deserve to subsist.

Answer 8

its not about closing the divide, its about trying to eliminate extreme poverty. I feel that in the USA pretty much anyone who wants a better life can have one by working hard. People who live in extreme poverty in the USA usually do so because of bad life choices, this being the reason that you can never entirely fix the problem since most of the time it is caused by the same people it affects. I know there are cases where this does not apply but overall this is the main reason.

Answer 9

This is the reason that progressive tax systems were put into place to begin with! The reasoning being that if it only takes 50K a year to live decent then anything above that should be taxed- and the greater the amount above that the greater the tax!
This is fair because those that make more use more of the public services. Is the millitary right now preserving wealthy oilmens rights or workers at walmart? So who should have to pay for those services??

Answer 10

Start with a flat tax , The poor people should do research to find out how the elitist creeps have made their money and boycott what is making them rich. Only do business with the wealthy people that still have a heart. Anuses that believe financial wealth makes them a more deserving person need to be brought down a few pegs.Most people that are truly wealthy (not just middle class, with delusions of grandeur) had their money passed down to them through several generations. It will run out eventually if there was a flat tax.

Right On, justice4 and Russ - Preach it! Preach it to Elitist, much? He is living in another world.