UN hits back, parts of America are as poor as Third World

[G_j]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article311066.ece

UN hits back at US in report saying parts of America are as poor as Third World

By Paul Vallely
Published: 08 September 2005

Parts of the United States are as poor as the Third World, according to a shocking United Nations report on global inequality.

Claims that the New Orleans floods have laid bare a growing racial and economic divide in the US have, until now, been rejected by the American political establishment as emotional rhetoric. But yesterday's UN report provides statistical proof that for many - well beyond those affected by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - the great American Dream is an ongoing nightmare.

The document constitutes a stinging attack on US policies at home and abroad in a fightback against moves by Washington to undermine next week's UN 60th anniversary conference which will be the biggest gathering of world leaders in history.

The annual Human Development Report normally concerns itself with the Third World, but the 2005 edition scrutinises inequalities in health provision inside the US as part of a survey of how inequality worldwide is retarding the eradication of poverty.

It reveals that the infant mortality rate has been rising in the US for the past five years - and is now the same as Malaysia. America's black children are twice as likely as whites to die before their first birthday.

..more..

[Karmadillo]

1. Thank you for posting this. If any thread deserves to reach 100 posts,

this is the one. More ammo for the Democrats to use against the Bush regime. I just hope they don't ignore it.

[kick-ass-bob]

3. That is why I have added this kick

and recommend.

[Deja Q]

17. Don't worry,

they will ignore it.

Business as usual.

There is a LOT they could be saying. Yet haven't.

[mattclearing]

18. Agreed. Kick!

:kick:

[freemen2005]

2. No surprise there

Its easy not to see the slums when all you can see for hundreds of miles in either direction are so called "urban" developments.


The average salary in Louisiana is $16,000. go figure
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22000.html

[Ravenseye]

15. No that's Per capita money income

That 16,000 figure isn't salary, it's per capita money income. Essentially if someone were to make 60,000 a year and his wife stays home raising their nine kids they'd have a 6,000 per capita money income. It's not Salary. It's Salary divided by population.

Also that seems low but I don't know. In comparisson just my county here for Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania is 22k. 6k higher.

Westchester County in New York is 36k. 20k a year higher per person.

Just trying to get a baseline, but yeah...apparenly 16k for pcmi isn't good.

[redqueen]

4. THANK YOU!

War on drugs? What we need is a war on poverty.

[AbbyR]

11. I think we had one and we lost.

Just being sarcastic and nasty. I am SO disgusted with this administration. I'm avoiding my repub acquaintances as I just don't feel like listening to any more stupidity.

Kicked and nominated

[CanOfWhoopAss]

24. I work with a bunch of repukes and they won't touch politics around me

Frustrating but I read so many progressive sites that I kick their @$$e$ every time. They usually just get mad and resort to the usual "life's not fair deal with it". When I tell them that goes both ways they really get sh!t faced.

[getting old in mke]

16. War on Poverty?

Nah, that one was initiated by LBJ and declared complete by Ronald Reagan...sort of a "Mission Accompished" moment.

This administration has the "War on the Poor"

Practically the same, huh?

(Edited for stupid typo)

[newyawker99]

37. Hi getting old in mke!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[RaleighNCDUer]

28. There was one.

Then Reagan took over and made it a war on the poor.

[etherealtruth]

36. ... then Bush took over and tried genocide ...

But Georgie who will pick up all the trash, clean your house, work in your factories ... if all the poor are gone?

[peekaloo]

5. Recommended.

BBC reported earlier this week that while the U.S. may be the richest nation in the world their citizens are not. Lots of stunned faces from around the world at our situation.

[Me.]

6. Love This

Considering that Bolton and the US has been threatening the UN, in recent weeks, and demanding they make 450 changes to the new proposals for changes, it seems as the UN make be standing up to the admin. and fighting back.

[Just Me]

13. The administration wants to destroy the UN anti-poverty programs.

The administration serves predatory profiteering by US multi-national corporations. They don't give a damn about advancing the needs of human beings.

The administration is also largely responsible for the steady increase in American poverty over the last 25 years with a bubble the last 5 years.

[izzybeans]

7. kick

:kick:

[Jo March]

8. But folks ridiculed Edward's "Two Americas" theme

Yes, we have two Americas - one for the very wealthy and the other for the rest of us.

I have lived in poverty. I grew up in it. You never overcome it really. It does things to your soul to go without what you need to live and survive and thrive.

Two Americas.

[bobbieinok]

42. RW radio said Edwards ADVOCATED 2 Americas ..heard on Savage

[Sapphire Blue]

9. When...?

When will the poor become visible to the people of this greedy bush/republican led country? When will the poor be treated with justice and dignity? When will the people of this godforsaken bush/republican led country demand justice for the least of these???

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' " - Matthew 25:40

And in the words of Cardinal Bergoglio, the cardinal who might have been pope...

"to trample upon the dignity of a woman, a man, a child, an elderly person, is a grave sin that cries out to heaven,"

http://www.chiesa.espressonline.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=6893&eng=y

[G_j]

10. whatever you did not do for one of the least of these,

Matthew:

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

[Sapphire Blue]

12. 'Lord, when did we see... ?'

When will they see??? :cry:

[napi21]

14. WOW! Wonder if this is ever going to hit the Press in the US?

I see the link to the story is from the UK!!!!

I sure hope our MSM broadcast this, and confirm to all Americans that uncontroled Capitalism simply doesn't work!!!!

[Just Me]

19. kickola

:kick:

[G_j]

20. ==

[G_j]

21. pass it on... n/t

[nonconformist]

22. Republican rule has made the US comparable to Third World nations

recommended and kicked!

[Generator]

23. That is THE story of this hurricane

The poverty. The poor don't count as fully human in America as the better off..and add race to the mix, all intertwined. And they don't have the access to power..no one to call..no one to help..it's our big dirty shameful secret and the world is watching how we are a huge cry from the greatest country on earth.

Shame. Waiting to be rescued..waiting..waiting..and no one came. Not as important as the others. Not as human. Shame.

[Just Me]

25. Yes. The veil has been lifted.

Neither the government or the media can paint an illusion over that reality.

[nini]

26. The Ameican dream has become an American nightmare

3rd World.. - yep.

[GreenPartyVoter]

27. F you very much, Mr. Bush!

------------------------------------------------------
Ditch Bu$h and save the Gulf: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=22507&mesg_id=22507

Then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[Karmadillo]

29. Kick

nt

[Karmadillo]

30. Has anyone heard a major US media outlet focus on this story?

nt

[Mein Bush]

31. Under Bush America ain't no moral superpower!

[baldguy]

32. I said the same thing here a couple weeks ago, and my post was removed.

Americas Third World is Red.

[oxbow]

33. its time for a good old fashIoned MEDIA BLITZ!

start with countdown and send it to everybody else. this is right in everybody's face right now. The UN is right to call these monsters out.

[G_j]

34. agreed

and this not some random statement/opinion by a lone UN official.
This report has teeth.

and media blast and LTTEs would be very useful

[bobbieinok]

44. predict RW response--UN is anti-American....UN has been radical right's

target ever since it was founded

heard on radio and read in paper growing up in 40s and 50s in OK....even attacked UNICEF collecting money on Halloween b/c it was commie

[G_j]

35. morning kick

[Karmadillo]

38. Kick

nt

[Zynx]

39. It just so happens to be true.

I've been in poor areas of Wisconsin that I would characterize as third worldish and states like MS, LA, AL, and TX have far worse than the worst we have up here.

[Sapphire Blue]

40. kick

[G_j]

41. kick

[killbotfactory]

43. It's by design

republicans love poverty.

[G_j]

45. The End of “Greatness

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Sept05/Bouzid0909.htm

The End of “Greatness"

by Ahmed Bouzid
www.dissidentvoice.org
September 9, 2005

First it was Abu Ghraib, now it's Katrina.

With Abu Ghraib, the world witnessed in shock the spectacular collapse of America's self-erected moral high ground; with Katrina, the collapse of America's image as the limitless land of economic might and material plenty.

Of course, ‘the world’ has all along been well aware of America's deep moral flaws. The world remembers America's original sin that made its birth possible -- the genocide of Native Americans, the sin that made its emergence as an economic power a reality, Slavery, and its long history of military interventions and political sabotage (the Philippines, Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, the Honduras, Chile, Iran, Greece, to name just the tip of the iceberg).

<snip>
How about, say, France, America's favorite whipping horse?

Infant mortality in France is 4.4 (per 1,000 live births), while the United States stands at 6.7 <1>; life expectancy in France is 78.8 years, while that in the US is 77.1 years <2>; only 5.6% of French children live in poverty, while a whopping 20.3% of American children live below the poverty line <3>; France spends 5.90% of its GNP on education, while the United States spends 5.30% (no surprise that the French have us beat in mathematics, reading, and science literacy). <4> This, in spite of the fact that France's GDP per capita is at $25,400, while the United States’ GDP per capita is more than $10,000 greater at $36,300. <5>


..lots more..

[G_j]

46. kick

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[G_j]

49. pounce if you like, but

Nowhere does it say "inequalities in health provision" is the same as "denial of access" to health care


<snip>
Being born into an uninsured household increases the probability of death before the age of one by about 50 per cent.

More than a third of the uninsured say that they went without medical care last year because of cost

Uninsured Americans are less likely to have regular outpatient care, so they are more likely to be admitted to hospital for avoidable health problems.

More than 40 per cent of the uninsured do not have a regular place to receive medical treatment. More than a third say that they or someone in their family went without needed medical care, including prescription drugs, in the past year because they lacked the money to pay.

<snip>
The clash on world poverty centres on the US policy of promoting growth and trade liberalisation on the assumption that this will trickle down to the poor. But this will not stop children dying, the UN says. Growth alone will not reduce poverty so long as the poor are denied full access to health, education and other social provision. Among the world's poor, infant mortality is falling at less than half of the world average. To tackle that means tackling inequality - a message towards which John Bolton and his fellow US neocons are deeply hostile.

[G_j]

48. NEW LINK:

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20050909125053734

OP link now only available to subscribers. The link above has the entire article.