By Frosty Wooldridge
March 21, 2024
If you look up official poverty rates in America, you would be dumbfounded. In the richest country in the world, over 38,000,000 Americans live in poverty.
Official Poverty Measure
- The official poverty rate in America in 2022 was 11.5 percent, with 37.9 million people subsist in poverty. Neither the rate nor the number in poverty was significantly different from 2021.
Another disturbing statistic: according to government records, in excess of 50,000 African American children cannot find Foster Homes…so they live in orphanages. At the same time, 7 out of 10 African American children are born to single mothers subsisting on welfare and Section 8 Housing. All of them paid for by your taxpayer dollars.
Another sobering statistic: in excess of 40,000,000 Americans subsist on EBT cards, also known as “food stamps.” In fact, millions of legal immigrants live on food stamps. In other words, they arrive in America without any means or abilities to support their lives as to food, housing or medical care.
Another sickening statistic: in excess of 582,000 Americans suffer homelessness as of the last count by www.endhomelessness.com (org) That’s over ½ million people living in tents, under tarps, out in the woods, mentally ill, drug addicts, their children lost, and more disgusting situations than can be counted.
Americans face four kinds of poverty. United State House Committee on the Budget:
- Unexpected setback, such as job loss
- Stuck in the poverty trap, through generations of government dependence and policy that discourages work, welfare
- Disabled and mentally ill, who truly need assistance
- Alcoholics, addicts and others who choose this way of life and need to make a change
How many Americans suffer unemployment? While you listen to the news tell you that our unemployment stands at 3.4 percent. That equates to 6.5 million people who cannot obtain a job that allows them a livable income.
Substance Abuse Statistics
Among Americans aged 12 years and older, 37.309 million were current illegal drug users (used within the last 30 days) as of 2020.
- 13.5% of Americans 12 and over used drugs in the last month, a 3.8% increase year-over-year (YoY).
- 59.277 million or 21.4% of people 12 and over have used illegal drugs or misused prescription drugs within the last year.
- 138.543 million or 50.0% of people aged 12 and over have illicitly used drugs in their lifetime.
- Usership among people aged 12 and over is down 0.4% YoY.
- 138.522 million Americans 12 and over drink alcohol.
- 28.320 million or 20.4% of them have an alcohol use disorder.
- 57.277 million people use tobacco or nicotine products (vape).
- 25.4% of illegal drug users have a drug disorder.
- 24.7% of those with drug disorders have an opioid disorder; this includes prescription pain relievers or “pain killers” and heroin).
American Highway Deaths from Alcohol, Drugs and Texting
- 95,000 Americans die from alcohol-related causes annually; 68,000 of them are men. 27,000 of them are women. 47,500 deaths are attributable to the long-term health consequences of drinking too much over time. 80% of alcohol-related deaths involved adults aged 35 or older.
- Around 18,000 die from crashes
- Around 11,000 texting accidents annually, 4,000 deaths
What are we doing to our country?
The insanity of these statistics shows the irony of our priorities in America. With all the nightmare facts just presented, Joe Biden just invited another 11 million homeless, mentally ill, unskilled and totally incompatible human refugees into America in the past 39 months.
We’ve got so many of our own problems that it would take a book to enumerate them. Yet, we allow that bunch of 535 Swamp Rats in Washington DC to continue without solving our own problems let alone the rest of the world’s.
You cannot help but ask yourself, “How did America get so screwed up?” “How did we let our politicians’ endemic corruption continue to be re-elected?” “Why do we allow incompetent/corrupt politicians to be re-elected for decades when they’ve proven they are useless and corrupt?”
Looking across the American landscape in 2024, it’s terribly despairing if not depressing as to how downgraded our country has become. This journalist is not optimistic as to 2024 and the years ahead.
© 2024 Frosty Wooldridge – All Rights Reserved
E-Mail Frosty: frostyw@juno.com
