Quote:This is a rather unverified sentiment.

 

Here in the USA the poor are still richer than in other poor countries because the poor here started out richer due to a structure of programs and laws stemming from Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ.

 

The elevated status of America's poor has nothing to do with the free market and everything to do with what came before. As things continue along the current course and infrastructure continues to crumble and social welfare programs are continually degraded the living standards of the poor will continue to degrade relative to third world nations.

 

Of course if you compared what it's like to be in poverty in the USA and what it's like to be poor in the better European countries you'd find that America's standards are already lower than the European world's poor.

 

Are you on my side?  You just proved my point completely.

 

America amassed a good amount of wealth prior to Teddy, FDR, and LBJ when they were that world's leading lender, backed by the gold standard.  Then, like every capitalist system that converts to socialism, social programs suddenly elevate the poor to a standard of living almost middle class.  And now you are beginning to see how the poor have stagnated.  Outside of the Great Depression, the poor had a higher standard of living than the rest of the world and it was on a continual, slow, steady incline.  Social programs are always a shot in the arm, but never a cure.

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