: : It provides for a small percentage of rich and a large percentage of poor : Poor as in poorer than the richest, or poor by some objective standard?
K: Poor as in those who do not have enough money to live on. But no need to take my word for it, just have a look at some of the evidence (all from the USA):
Q: How many people live below the poverty level and what is the poverty rate for the most current year?
A: The poverty rate decreased in 1997 to 13.3%, down from 13.7% in 1996. The number of poor people remained statistically significant at 35.6 million people.
Source: From US Census Bureau report, "Poverty in the United States: 1997" prepared under the direction of the Acting Chief of Poverty and Health Statistics.
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Q: How many women live below the official poverty line?
A: 24% of all women live below the official poverty level.
Source: From US Census Bureau report, "Poverty in the United States: 1997" prepared under the direction of the Acting Chief of Poverty and Health Statistics.
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Q: How many families live below the poverty level?
A: In 1997, 7.3 million families or 10.3% of all families live below the poverty level. Source: From US Census Bureau report, "Poverty in the United States: 1997" prepared under the direction of the Acting Chief of Poverty and Health Statistics.
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Q: What is the poverty rate for children?
A: As of 1997, 19.9% of children under 18 were below the official poverty level with children under 6 being the most vulnerable. 40% of the poor population falls under the age of 18.
Source: From US Census Bureau report, "Poverty in the United States: 1997" prepared under the direction of the Acting Chief of Poverty and Health Statistics.
Guess the 'invisible hand' aint working for these people eh.
And remember that poverty has MAJOR consequences, it afffeests these people in terms of education (those in poverty more likely to be less academically inclined), criminal activity (well obviously), violence, marriage breakups, etcetcetc
: : because it thrives off the constant cycle of cheap labor and resources.
: It thrives off activity among people.
K: What like the activity of young children whop are forced to work in Nike factories? Or maybe the slave labour they employ in Burma, or maybe the child slave labour in Haiti that makes baseballs? (ironic isn't it, the baseball that went for the record # of homeruns in a season worth what, 1 million dollars and it was probably made by a child slave)...etc
: : Capatilism doesn't work!!!!
: By whose standard?
K: By the standard of humanity.
