Más sobre la pobreza en EE.UU.

Viene de acá y acá.

El hecho de que la clase media progre argentina se preocupe tanto por los pobres – los de EE.UU., los nacionales y populares les importan tres teresos a la vela – habla volúmenes de su corazón de oro.

Insisto, un pobre en EE.UU. sería de clase media acomodada en la mayoría de los países del mundo, incluida la Argentina:

The poorest Americans today live a better life than all but the richest persons a hundred years ago. In 2005, the typical household defined as poor by the government had a car and air conditioning. For entertainment, the household had two color televisions, cable or satellite TV, a DVD player, and a VCR. If there were children, especially boys, in the home, the family had a game system, such as an Xbox or a PlayStation. In the kitchen, the household had a refrigerator, an oven and stove, and a microwave. Other household conveniences included a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone, and a coffee maker.

The home of the typical poor family was not overcrowded and was in good repair. In fact, the typical poor American had more living space than the average European. The typical poor American family was also able to obtain medical care when needed. By its own report, the typical family was not hungry and had sufficient funds during the past year to meet all essential needs.

Poor families certainly struggle to make ends meet, but in most cases, they are struggling to pay for air conditioning and the cable TV bill as well as to put food on the table. Their living standards are far different from the images of dire deprivation promoted by activists and the mainstream media.