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Thread: USA economic downturn leads to 50,000 homelesss veterans living in the streets in California

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[quote=LEONARDO,298527]Yinduffy & Shesgottobe,

I understand your points. I know poverty is relative. The poor in America may have a better condition than their counterparts in other countries. As I read the book, I found the scenario of the working poor in USA is no better than the living conditions of the poor in China. Kids from the poor family have to drop out of school because of no money. Many a kid suffer from asthma because the poor ventilation in the dilapidated shelters.

>>America has so many social programs and charitable organizations that no person in their right mind would be homeless for long. In fact it has been attributed to the "deinstitutionalization" of mentally incompetent individuals that led to man's communities "homeless" problem.<<

Yinduffy, 
I admit that America's social welfare system is probably better than the rest of the world. Well, we must also admit that American social welfare system still has loopholes.  Your aforementioned points represent the core of "American Myth" or "American Dream".  The author Shipler untangles the "American Myth" based on his investigation. In order to finish his book, the author rooted himself in the life of the lower class of Americans. He had countless interactions and interviews with the working poor almost from the whole USA ranging from the immigrant workers in grape plantations in California to the sweated labour in sweatshops. As the author said, there was no composite character in his book. A lot of book reviewers endorsed him.

Yinfuffy & Shesgottobe,
If you have time, I recommend you to read the book: "The Working Poor: Invisible in America". I read the book when I was a sophomore three years ago. The book is still one of my favorites on my book shelf.

Yinduffy & Shesgottobe, anyhow, thanks for sharing your viewpoints with me. I understand how Americans of middle class (I guess that you two belong to the US middle class) view the poverty in the USA. IPerhaps, there are "the working poor", but they are invisible in American society. I am thinking if the poor can have the access to Internet and computer. If I they have, I would really like to hear their voices on the issue of poverty.

Yinduffy & She, I am grateful to you for your inputs. Bow! ^_^
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