In Russia, with 142,423,773 people, they produce $22,105 per person.
In China, with 1,367,485,388 people, they produce $14,179 per person.
In Finland with 5,476,922 people, they produce $41,081 per person.
For 2016, the Federal poverty guideline is an annual income of $24,300 for a family of four. That is four people living at under 1/2 of the GDP per person--per ONE person. (Yes, I get that kids don't produce, but they are part of the population, they eat, they wear clothes, and they get sick, so they don't live free---AND I included them in the $55,854 per person)
The 2013 poverty rate (most recent data available) was 14.5%, down from 15% in 2012, and the first decline since 2006. However, it was still higher than the 12.5% living in poverty in 2007, before the recession. Nearly 1 in 5 children live in poverty (19.9%), while nearly 1 in 10 seniors do (9.5%) and that is WITH social security. (Source:U.S. Census, Highlights, Poverty Thresholds. The next report will be released in September 2016.)
That is at least 46 million people that are not sharing in the wealth of this countries production.
Russia has 16% of its population living below poverty level.
China has a 14.7% poverty rate.
Finland, on the other-hand, while its per person product is less than the USA, has fewer than 5.6% of its population living below the poverty level.
In Norway--that number is even smaller.
We can no longer remind our children to eat their food because there "are starving children in china". These days, we can merely threaten to move them to Detroit--with a 58% child poverty rate, or Tampa--with 32% of its children living below the poverty threshold.
Shoot, with 20% of our children living in poverty--there is a 1 in 5 chance they are already living there and wishing they had more food, not griping about their peanut butter sandwiches.
Of course we can always threaten them with worse conditions like Somalia or Syria, but the condition across town or over the state border may also scare them into compliance.
If you are one of the lucky 4/5th of US children, there are worse places to be a child.
Half the world lives below the poverty level. About 45% of children in the world live in poverty. Thousands die day daily from starvation.
(That might include our 20%--but that only makes the news when they are found in a dog kennel in the garage).
Ok, if you only compare those amazing countries we like to consider ourselves #1 amongst, we were number 2 for child poverty rates. Only Romania beat us with 23% child poverty. Iceland was at the bottom with only slightly over 4%.
http://www.communitychange.org/page/study-ranks-us-second-highest-in-child-poverty-among-35-developed-countries/
So----you can threaten those ungrateful kids with Somalia. (You can threaten me with Somalia--a country down in the horn of Africa that is slightly smaller than Texas. It is a country with drought, civil war, anarchy, terrorist splinter groups and pirates). It has human trafficking, forced child labor, child soldiers, no birth control, no condoms so that HIV is endemic, it has no free education system--and few schools outside of urban areas. And girls don't go to school.
And it's only the sixth poorest country in the world.
http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/world/poorest-countries-in-the-world/
What do most poor countries have in common?
They have something a rich country wanted--and it isn't their residents as neighbors.
- natural resources like gold/diamonds/silver/waterways/ivory/furs/coffee/chocolate/spices/
- cheap labor/slaves
- land to get rid of their own criminals and poor and undesireables.
Seventeen of the 20 poorest countries are in Africa. There but for the grace of God go the America's and Australia. The other three--Afghanistan, Comoros and Haiti have similar issues.
But we in the USA have done an unfortunately great job of keeping the English Class system alive and well.
I've been reading
"White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America "
It's interesting, and my dive into genealogy definitely hinted at this--I'm fairly sure that those elite societies like the DAR weren't seeking the descendants of those that arrived as bond-servants or on penal ships.
Those African nations that were held in thrall by European countries until the last half of the 20th century were left without education to function in the current world and little memory of how they functioned successfully 500 years before that. And now, they are floundering, trying to survive in a time that is both complex and unforgiving. And there are still people out there trying to use them for their natural resources and living resources--working with those people native to those places that have lost their souls in their search for power and riches. AND there are rich and powerful people in each of those countries.
But what about the USA? Why do we have the one of the highest per person GDP AND one of the highest rates of poverty without putting "third world" in front of our nation?
Because we were settled by the same nations that created those third world nations. We revolted and have had over 200 years to decide who we would be when we grew up.
Apparently, we decided to follow in the footsteps of the motherland--feudal all the way.
Too bad we didn't learn from the people that were already here.
Too bad we didn't assimilate more than food from all those immigrants that brought their knowledge.
Too bad we didn't make a new and better government in which the words implied by the constitution were meant to reach everyone--everyone--all races, all religions, genders, ethnicities---the real meaning of "everyone".
Maybe it would be easier if we could convince all those delusional folks that are afraid we are going to fix the inequality right before they got theirs that they weren't ever going to get theirs until everyone could do better.
After all, how many kids and their parents encourage their children to focus completely on sports, getting into an Ivy league college, compete in gymnastics, dance, sing, play an instrument, become a Doctor or Lawyer or Politician because they want them "rich". Most children pushed hard in those directions don't make it to the top 1% or even above the position of their parents.
Maybe we could work on narrowing the wealth divide; make it possible to be a successful plumber, kindergarten teacher, artist, office worker, food service worker, retail clerk and have time and money to enjoy our avocations like softball and piano or volunteering.
Maybe we could all enjoy our lives like we are rich with opportunity and options, a little free time and a financial pad beyond food and rent.
It's not 1500 anymore---we can reshape the future so we all have a good life.
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