How come if we are the richest country then why are so many AMERICANS so poor?

Answer 1

The greatest wealth is owned by only 5% of the population. This is why!

And those that are so quick to blame Bush for this, keep in mind that the richest woman in this country is Oprah - a Democrat. The wealth is equally shared regardless of political affiliation - among the 5%, not the country.

Answer 2

TO set the record straight America is th Richest, most powerful, and the The Greatest Nation of all time.

And to answer the question they are only poor compared to the rich successful people in this country. However if they were to go to any other country let's say Mexico right now just for an example, if they made as much money in Mexico as they make living here they would be in the top 1% of rich people in Mexico.
Or any other country.

Answer 3

Big business has the highest profits ever, while hundreds of thousands of jobs are outsourced, Tax breaks abound for the wealthy, while lower and middle-class working people are taxed at nearly the same rate, on incomes that haven't risen in 30 years! Government programs to help the average American have been slashed by the Shrubocracy and Republicans in general, while they dole out millions in contracts to their buddies in the oil and defense industries.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, obviously. Lou Dobbs has a new book out, "War on the Middle Class, How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back". He's not the only one saying this, obviously, but his style is very straightforward and he's well-informed. Pick up a copy at the library.

Answer 4

So why are many Americans poor?

Most Americans (now a days) live 'paycheck to paycheck,' and they barely have anything left for savings. For you see, most of that money goes to the credit companies. It's not that they spend their money on frivolous things (half the time they do), but it has come down to the point that many Americans cannot afford basic necessities, like food or shelter (even if they have a job). So, most people depend on their credit cards to pay off the rent, utilities, buy groceries, and/or gas. As the costs of living in the US is getting higher, many Americans are getting more into debt.

Answer 5

Define poor!!! I see people every day who are declared to be poor, but weigh in excess of 300 pounds, drive 30,000 dollar cars, wear designer jeans... and shop with food stamps. The "poor" in this country never seem miss any meals, or flat screen tv's, or Cd's, DVD's or trips to the local bars. Compare the money these "poor" Americans spend in a year, with the money earned by the truly poor in third world nations, and you'll see that the American poor aren't all that poor!!

Answer 6

The USA is the richest country in terms of total GDP. Relative poverty in the USA is far far better than in sub-Saharan Africa, and essentially Americans keep what they earn.

If you want to help people who are poor, then you should do something about it yourself - give part of your own wealth away, give your time, and if you aren't willing to do that then there is little reason to be concerned (or to expect others to do so).

Answer 7

First, let's note that "poor" is highly subjective. The poorest Americans rival the richest Africans, and the "middle class" live like rich Europeans (most Europeans live in small apartments, and few actually own their own houses). Wealth is generated from the realizations of the opportunities in America to be productive, but many in this country choose to destroy their families (hence single parent homes and harsh divorce battles in court), to destroy themselves with excessive drug use, to damn their own productivity in favor of either welfare, pity, or union protection and government "job security." Riots, crime, and socialized government have all destroyed a great amount of wealth and opportunity for all Americans, especially the poor. People do not accumulate wealth in the presence of the fear of losing it (i.e., theft either by criminals or by government under the guise of "wealth redistribution").

Furthermore, productivity, the pillar of wealth, is greatly influenced by tax law. Americans are taxed for working by the corrupt income tax, instead of for spending by a fair sales tax like the FairTax (HR25/SR25). The income tax discourages the generation of wealth, whereas the sales tax discourages the spending of wealth, thus encouraging saving and investment.

Answer 8

You need to realize that EVERY county in the world has "poor" people. If you actually saw how many poor people there are in other countries, you would realize that us Americans are very fortunate.

Also, and FYI....America is not the richest country in the world.

Answer 9

First, you are not the richest country.
Second, they are not that poor, I mean compared to the people really poor in the world.

Answer 10

There's poor, poor-poor, poor-poor-poor, and Poor, it's all relative. A poor person in the U.S. cannot be compared to the poor of 3rd world countries. Some people don't realize they are poor until they are told, which was the case of the U.S. Appalachians. Their way of life was all they knew and they accepted it and went on with their lives. Then 'do-gooders' from the North told them that they were poor and disgusting and to apply for government assistance. They then became 'poor'.