Tomas that was a needlessly rude post.
And it was as strange and remote from truth as Ajay's.
What got up your nose?
Welcome to our new contributor, do not be afraid we are not all like that.
The subject was not Australian Aboriginal poverty, it was not African poverty it was based on fact.
The question has to be asked what can/are we doing about it?
In the midst of such true wealth so very many live in true poverty.
In our country, as we grow wealthier more street people seem to exist.
Why?

US has always had a high rate of poverty. They banned slavery apparently but really only moved the notch up to instead of providing you a roof and food for "free" we will pay you a little bit instead. They loved illegal migrants. People in very ordinary employment could afford a live in housekeeper, child minder, gardener for a small payment. If the worker was of a different race they were doing them a favour by exploiting their labour. If it wasn't for me employing them for next to nothing they would be on welfare. The US has flourished from the exploitation of many for the benefit of a few. We used to be egalitarian but now we are starting to be the same.

A conservative of US Govt Debt is $12 trillion or $40,000.00 for every person.Per family of 4 this is $160,000.00.With jobs decreasing with income,average families cannot afford it.

Total US debt is said to be $58 trillion.This is $189,000.00 for every man,woman and child.They cannot afford the interest,let alone repay the principal.

The derivative bubble is said to be worth $150 or almost half a million dollars for every person in the USA.Who is pulling the strings via stimulus packages so the masses around the planet get entrenched into even more spiralling debt? They are still pumping more money into the Global Banksters so they can prop up their pyramid ponsy debt scams.

The whole fiasco is an elaborate con that will see the destruction of the middle classes in the West.Do the sums yourself.

The really big collapse is just around the corner.Obama and the US Fed have have just added fuel to the fire!

The once God fearing nation was greatly blessed by God. They sent many missionaries who died making other people's lives better. Unfortunately the people sold out to the secularist over the last 50 years or so and are now reaping the fruit of such stupidity. One would of thought 9/11 which saw even the Democrats praying to God might have been a wake up call. Instead their current President heads down the path of destruction as he appeases terrorist and supports the slaughter of the unborn. One can see God's hand of blessing gradually coming off the US. I hope they repent before they reap the full fruit of their indulgence. We are not far behind. Part of their judgemment is the debt they can't pay back. They have a President who has spent even more than our own PM in trying to spend their way out of recession. Only those trained in economics would approve of such an idiotic strategy.

ThomasfromTecoma,

You are talking cherry picking rubbish, Thinker 2 is correct in his assertion. You might also like to look at W Virginia, Sth Carolina, Tennessee, then throw in cities like Detroit, the other half of LA and most of Miami, as well. The poverty level in these places are horribly disproportionately poor.

In fact, Yabby is correct, that the USA is like two countries. The difference between the top 20% and the bottom 55% is extraordinary.

Australia has a smaller mega rich 10-15% with the indigenous settlement dwellers being the bottom 2%. The situation of the latter is indeed a matter of national shame. The middle class in Australia is much broader as evidenced by the spread of the debt levels.

Reuters, have an interesting demographic map of the US by voting districts. They have as one of their demographic majority sources of income 'predominantly social services'. Much of Louisiana is 'poor rural' and 'predominately Social Services' and the maps history goes back before the New Orleans cyclone.

By the way Casual labour in say bars in Miami can be paid as low as $2.00 per hour, they live on their tips. The minimum wage for a farm labourer is supposed to be $9 PH, but illegals, 'wetbacks' earn about $5 PH. Capitalism is at it's exploitative best is the US.
PS their cost of groceries are marginally cheaper than here but rents can be extortionate. Surprise, surprise, I have been there but wouldn't want to live there.

In 2004 the University of California did a study on on wealth distrubution in the USA.1% owned 34% of the net worth.19 owned 50% of USA net worth,80% owned only 15% of net worth.Some 5 yrs later the reality is far more dismal and getting worse.

It is the Global Reserve Banks and their ability to create money from nothing that creates this disparity of wealth.If you do it as an individual,it is called counterfeiting.