Third World U.S. Where One In Three Children Are Under The Poverty Line
Politics / Social Issues Nov 08, 2014 - 12:35 PM GMTBy: Jeff_Berwick
I often call the US a "third world country". Of course, in some ways I am kidding as the original meaning of 1st, 2nd or 3rd world countries was the following:
After World War II the world split into two large geopolitical blocs and spheres of influence with contrary views on government and the politically correct society:
1 - The bloc of democratic-industrial countries within the American influence sphere, the "First World".
2 - The Eastern bloc of the communist-socialist states, the "Second World".
3 - The remaining three-quarters of the world's population, states not aligned with either bloc were regarded as the "Third World."
4 - The term "Fourth World", coined in the early 1970s by Shuswap Chief George Manuel, refers to widely unknown nations (cultural entities) of indigenous peoples, "First Nations" living within or across national state boundaries.
In those terms, the US is clearly not a "third world country" as the meaning of a 1st world country is that it is under the American influence.
However, this term has now morphed over time so that people call a generally poor and dangerous country a "third world country".
In those terms the US fits the bill more-and-more every year.
The United States is a terrible place to raise children, according to a new report from UNICEF. Nearly one-third of US children are currently living in households with an income below 60 percent of the national median income for 2008: $31,000 per year.
That might sound like a lot of money, and at one time it was. But thanks to a little understood economic tool known as inflation, $30,000 is not what it used to be. As Wikipedia explains,
In economics, inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money – a loss of real value in the medium of exchange and unit of account within the economy. A chief measure of price inflation is the inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general price index (normally the consumer price index) over time.
Inflation is something of which the American consumer is well-aware. It is a constant reality in the USSA.
But, of course, as the government loves to tell us, "there is no inflation!" The truth is, Federal Reserve money printing policies have made it nearly impossible for people in the US to keep up.
A number that has been floated around for a long time - that 1 in 5 children in the US are below the poverty line - has been in dire need of an update. That number is false. Today, one-in-three kids in the US are below the poverty line. At this rate, in 20 years, all children in the US will be growing up under the poverty line. In truth, once the US dollar collapses, nearly everybody except those who protected themselves with savings in hard assets (preferably outside of the US) and things like bitcoin will all be destitute.
Notice the US is now just lagging behind Mexico in terms of children living in poverty. And it should be noted that the Mexican economy has been growing tremendously in the past decade as it moves much more free market as opposed to the US which is on a march towards perfecting fasco-communism.
32.2% of children are suffering below the poverty line in the US. The US ranks 36th out of 41 wealthy nations included by UNICEF in the report. The number of US children living in poverty has gone up by 2 percentage points since 2008. In 2012 there were 24.2 million US children living in poverty. That is an increase of 1.7 million children since 2008. That's Barack O'Bomber's "hope and chains" for you.
"Of all newly poor children in the OECD and/or EU, about a third are in the United States," according to the report. On the other hand, 18 countries were actually able to reduce their childhood poverty rates over the same period.
"Between 2006 and 2011, child poverty increased in 34 states," according to the UNICEF report. "The largest increases were found in Nevada, Idaho, Hawaii and New Mexico, all of which have relatively small numbers of children. Meanwhile Mississippi and North Dakota saw notable decreases."
The United States also has one of the higher infant mortality rates in the developed world. If you survive past your own birth in the US, can avoid the genital mutiliation customs (circumcision) and you end up in one of the nation's public indoctrination centers, then you have lots to look forward to. Here is our list of just a few traumatizing events your children could experience.
#1. Andrea Hernandez, a senior at her high school, refused to wear the RFID necklace her school demands students wear. The school offered to let her wear a badge (like the Star of David Jews wore in Nazi Germany?) with no chip in it so it just looks like she's being tracked like an animal, and she refused that, too. The judge declared Andrea property of the school, and said she must wear the chip. Her and her family argued against it on religious grounds.
#20. A former Los Angeles elementary school teacher charged with blindfolding students and spoon-feeding them cookies laced with his semen pled no contest and was sentenced to 25 years behind bars. He had a history of complaints against him.
If your children are not arrested, molested, beaten, murdered, etc. in the American public education system, then there are the lessons they will learn to look forward to. As TDV Correspondent Wendy McElroy wrote in The Dollar Vigilante,
Obama is cementing his redefinition of America by federalizing the minds of its future: children. The federal Common Core program seeks to “align” the curriculum and standards of public school systems that have been under state jurisdiction. The program is said to be voluntary but then, so are taxes.
The incentives to adopt Common Core are huge; for example, adoption is required for any state that wants a bite out of an allocated $4.35-billion. Moreover, adoption offers a state exemption from the widely despised No Child Left Behind Act by which states are required to assess the basic skills of students. No wonder 45 states signed on in 2011, far before the program was finalized.
The federal rollout has been so disastrous that Common Core is being dubbed ObamaCore because it does to education what ObamaCare is doing to health care. Both teachers and parents are protesting, and for much the same reason. Teachers are virtually relegated to reading from a national script in the classroom, with little personal input being allowed. Parents and local authorities are effectively shut out of influencing their children's education. And the quality of education has hit a new low.
Advocates of Common Core argue that the program is a set of standardized tests, not a curriculum. The argument is disingenuous. The Common Core standards determine the content of the tests which determine the content of the curriculum, which is provided by publishers who can claim their material is "Common Core-aligned." That is, the material conforms to the national standards and will facilitate the goal of “testing well.” And every student must pass the tests to receive a high school diploma and a chance to enter college.
Life in the US is difficult. It is becoming increasingly likely that you will be born into destitution, a police officer will murder you (especially if you're black or latino), but not before public school teacher's will disrespect and brainwash you, cafeteria lunch ladies poison you, a teacher here-and-there feeds you their semen, detention, summer school, a job that doesn't pay, at which you're surrounded by people who are likely depressed if not sociopathic, you'll be wooed to join the military to kill or be killed, all culminating (or so you think) in a marriage approved by the state. But that ultimately falls apart and is followed by divorce proceedings in which the state essentially audits you. Shortly thereafter you will probably die due to a lifetime of being poisoned (flouridation), foods devoid of nutrients, poison from above (Chemtrails) and just the overall stress of constantly having the currency you use be debased while being extorted (taxed) for what little you managed to keep. If through it all you managed to have any savings a significant portion will then be taken by the state.
There are plenty of other options out there, not least of which is living the Prior Taxpayer/Permanent Traveler lifestyle (PT) that I have proudly carried on and which Harry Schultz begun in the 60s. Leave the US and learn about the many beautiful cultures in the world. And unlike most Americans who travel to exotic places, go there without the intent of murdering and occupying the country. Go there to learn, and be free. The PT lifestyle is the most liberating thing I have ever stumbled upon in my many years. Very few people know how to do it nor are actually living it like ourselves here at The Dollar Vigilante (subscribe to find out more).
Anarcho-Capitalist. Libertarian. Freedom fighter against mankind’s two biggest enemies, the State and the Central Banks. Jeff Berwick is the founder of The Dollar Vigilante, CEO of TDV Media & Services and host of the popular video podcast, Anarchast. Jeff is a prominent speaker at many of the world’s freedom, investment and gold conferences as well as regularly in the media.
© 2014 Copyright Jeff Berwick - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.
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