Perhaps even worse than that, some right-wing conservative Republican organizations have even presented so-called "research" that is misleadingly designed to "prove" that poverty doesn't even exist. For example, they point out that many low income families can afford television sets and other "luxury" items, and they conclude that therefore these families are not poor. But those right-wing conservatives stoop very low to try to deceive people with that kind of propaganda, and they simply ignore or deny that there are very good reasons why so many people are driven to crime, why so many children are hungry and malnourished, and why food banks and soup lines and food stamps and toy drives and homeless shelters are so badly needed by so many people.
Unfortunately, cold-hearted right-wing conservatives have succeeded in fooling a whole lot of gullible, uninformed or misinformed people, who have bought their lies and consider them as truth. That's why so many people mistakenly think poverty is either inevitable or non-existent. And, if they are faced with evidence of it, as most of us increasingly are, they just look the other way.
Remember, the Christ Jesus said: "For I was hungry, but you gave me no food. I was thirsty, but you gave me no drink. I was a stranger, but you did not take me in. I was naked, but you did not clothe me. I was sick, and in prison, but you id not visit me. Then they shall ask him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not care about you?" (Matthew 25:42-44) And Jesus gave the answer when he said, "As you do unto the least of our brethren, so you do unto me."
Most Christians do not understand that Jesus said that knowing that it would be just as appropriate right now, at the end of the age, as it was then. In fact, he provided full clarification of that when he said: "I tell you the truth; It is to your advantage that I go away: for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in me [or my teachings]; of righteousness, because I go to our Father [to heaven] and you see me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself [or claim authority for himself]; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he declare, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall declare it to you." (John 16:7-15)
In the Spirit of truth I deliver that prophesied message, and it is directed especially at America not only because it is the most influential nation in the world, but because under Reaganism (and Bushism, which is an expanded continuation of Reaganism) it most represents the symbolic "Babylon" of prophecy. And I tell you truly that we must now face the fact that even the American political-economic system is unfair and inequitable, and the conditions under which so many people have to live because of it are not inevitable, natural conditions.
It is time to expose the right-wing conservative political claims about economic "realities" as some of the biggest lies ever told. Because we, the people, can do something about it. In fact, we can eliminate hunger, poverty, and homelessness if we finally use the common wealth for the common good.
First, however, everyone needs to know the full story about the cause and the impact of poverty, because unless we all are aware of what the problem is, we cannot fix it. I've told you about some of the unfairness, but I need to tell you much more.
Of course, in America we all know that the rich have gotten much richer while the poor have gotten much poorer. We all know that the highest incomes keep getting higher while the lowest incomes keep getting lower, and low and even middle incomes have less buying power. We know the middle class is shrinking, and more and more people are falling into the working poor population. But there is much that most Americans do not know, or do not want to face.
In America there are tens of millions of people working full time but are still living in poverty because their income is simply not adequate and they do not receive a living wage. Far more than half of American citizens live hand-to-mouth, and are in debt and one or two paychecks away from financial disaster.
Increasing numbers of people are becoming worse off financially, while most of the wealth is increasingly being distributed to and hoarded by a relative few. Today, consequently, about 35 million Americans suffer from "food insecurity," which means that they often don't have enough money or resources to get food. Twenty-four million of them suffer from "low food insecurity," which means they go hungry or are at-risk of going hungry most of the time. And this is according to government reports that are based on grossly outdated formulas for determining poverty, so the actual numbers are far greater than that.
About 40 million Americans cannot afford health insurance. Most high school graduates cannot afford to go to college, and most of those who do make it to college are forced to depend on student loans and go deeply and hopelessly in debt because they have to borrow a lot of money to go to and graduate from college. Most newlyweds and working poor families cannot afford to buy a home and have to pay absurdly high rents, and face skyrocketing costs for food, utilities, medicine, health care, insurance, etc.
Many severely disabled Americans are denied Social Security Disability benefits, even if and when their eligibility is questionable. In fact, this has become so unfair due to the policies of right-wing Reaganites that there are many American law firms that make a good living by dedicating themselves solely to winning appeals for disabled Americans who have been unfairly denied Social Security benefits. But, in spite of that, the Social Security Administration officials have been ordered to maintain their policies because most disabled people who've been unfairly denied benefits do not realize it, and they accept the denial and suffer in silence.
Indeed, most Americans are suffering in one way or another from the consequences of Reaganism (which some have now called Bushism). The disabled or dislocated or dispossessed or downtrodden poor and the working poor suffer especially, because the attitude of the New Right Republican Conservatives amounts to "It's every man for himself." They claim we should be "self-reliant" and not "depend on government." That, however, is a ruse, and it has allowed them to increasingly shirk their responsibilities and pay far less than their fair share of taxes.
Consequently, the majority of people suffer in one way or another, while the wealthiest few live palatially in lavish luxury because they rake in, hold and control most of the wealth.
The trouble is not only that many people have been led to believe it's an inevitable and natural situation. It's more than that. We have also been kept in the dark about the real cause and impact of the injustice and inequity.
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