Going to Bed Hungry

On Sunday night (March 6 2011) 60 Minutes (http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml) ran a feature on the new poverty levels among children in the United States.  In the past about 15% of the children in America were considered to be at or below the poverty level.  Within the last two years that level has jumped to 25% overall and up to 30% in some regions of America.  That is, one in four and in some states one in three children go to bed hungry.  No matter how one defines poverty that number borders on the scandalous for a country that boasts that it is the number one economy in the world.

No one suggests that China is a children’s haven and no one would suggest that living under an authoritarian regime is better than living in the West.  However, China has taken huge steps to deal with child hunger in that country.  True, this may not be an altruistic gesture on the part of the leaders.  Child hunger leads to revolution and civil unrest.  There is already enough of that in China.  But America boasts world-class achievements in business, science, technology etc. It cannot boast about child hunger.

I have lived in the United States for many years.  Many Canadians believe that the undefended (not so much now) border, a common language (with a significant second language) and much importation of cultural detritus means that we are like them and they are like us.  Not so.   There are so many ingrained differences that to compare Americans to Canadian is to compare chalk to cheese.

The American nation was born out of conflict. This long-ago conflict gives rise to Wild West attitudes. These include First Amendment rights that insure that even the most venomous speech is protected by the Constitution and freedom of assembly rights that protect Nazis walking the streets spewing anti-Semitic and racial slogans with impunity.  The right of the individual is so paramount that the collective ethos is to disregard basic social safety nets that we take for granted in Canada.  Providing basic healthcare is seen as a government takeover of society. Americans cherish their rights.  Including the right of children to go hungry and receive poor medical services. 

I would invite everyone to see the 60 Minute segment.  It’s heartbreaking.  What’s more, the long term negative effects both economically and socially on these children are yet to be felt. 

Millions, even billions of dollars have been spent on bailing out the banks in America.  Billions are spent in largely useless wars.  Where is the money to bail out these people?  People have been dispossessed of their homes and their jobs.  People’s families have been ripped asunder.

We are far from blameless in Canada for neglecting our poor and our homeless.  However, I believe that the Canadian ethos is more inclined to spend public money to bring relief to these people. 

Bernie.