Nearly Half of Americans Are Poor or Low-Income

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On other forums some have been accusing those in need of being codependent (relying on others in a childish way), greedy, or lazy. Now that it looks as if about 1/2 the country is suffering from this poverty problem makes one wonder if some of the same finger pointers are right in offices asking for the same assistance they claimed they didn't want their taxes hiked in the name of paying for. Just goes to show when it happens to the complainer, people can see that chance really is more powerful than will when it comes to poverty in some cases. Only thing people can do now is plan for the worst and hope for the best, in that order. If the programs that help get cut and the individual who saves on some taxes has $1000 more at the end of the year, that won't do the individual much good if they loose their job, don't have unemployment generous enough to last until the next job, and doesn't make a decent penny for the next approximately 5 to 10 years it takes to get out of homelessness or the poverty cycle. I'd rather cough the $1000 a year up and call it insurance if I know that when that's the option.

Ocie of TN 4:19AM December 20, 2011

Empires only grow and maintain because they have a growing middle class and a strong military.
What do you think happens when the middle class is overburdened and shrinks?
The very wealthy and politicians probably already know this which is good, but unless they take strides to actually maintain or grow their middle class, then in the end they too will suffer as the empire goes down.
People in power need to think ahead, they need to stop thinking just about themselves and the present times and start thinking about the future, their children's and grandchildren's future.
It would be a damn shame to kill the golden goose and to become a second world country.

Joe Messina of MA 12:34PM December 15, 2011