The next Third World Country: The United States of America

There are over 6 million individuals unemployed in the United States. Many of these individuals are collecting unemployment benefits and some welfare benefits. However, in today’s economy the funds being received are barely enough to cover the costs of “having a roof over your head”. Thus many families are existing on less food than when the parents were gainfully employed. According to a Feeding America, a non-profit agency, more than 3.5 million children will not receive the recommended daily allowance of food need for their cognitive development. This makes the United States of America the next Third World country with families and children that are impoverished. The children would be suffering from malnutrition and physically and mentally underdeveloped. How can the United States allow so many children to be undernourished when they are allowing “big business” to pay retention bonuses to dysfunctional employees. The characteristics of many third world countries focuses on the underdevelopment of standards of living, healthcare, education, economics, and globalization. While the US had made some gains in globalization, there are significant deficiencies in standards of living, healthcare, education, and economics that can categorize the US as a Third World country. The standard of living in the US has been impacted by the financial crisis with many families homeless and without money for even their basic needs, such as food and water. The healthcare system in the US promotes the provision of healthcare to the employed and not the unemployed which contributes to the societal genocide as many families are unable to seek medical attention when needed. The education system is still focused on the elitest although it touts open access, yet SAT and ACT test alienate the minorities that are unable to meet the tough standards of the tests that provide for scholarships and grants that alleviate some of the financial burdens that can make college more accessible. The question for President Obama, Secretary Sebelius, and Congress is “What strategies can be put forth to alleviate the lack of ability to meet the basic needs of the common US Taxpayer when unemployment and welfare benefits are not sufficient?” The answer, without a doubt, is the raise the amount of unemployment benefits and the welfare benefits to a level that is appropriate to meet the standard of living for society in general. This means that families cannot survive on $312 per week in unemployment benefits or $240 per month in food stamps and be at the standard of living that they had when employed. When the US continues to provide billions of dollars to corporations so that they can survive (and the corporations use the monies to pay retention bonuses) then surely they can increase benefits for unemployment and welfare so that families can afford to meet their basic needs, especially when there is the potential for so many children to face severe hunger in the next few years.

3.5 Million Children Under 5 on the Verge of Going Hungry:http://wcco.com/health/kids.hunger.families.2.1003701.html