The report titled "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance in the United States" released by the U.S. Census Bureau on the 16th shows that the number of people living in poverty reached 43.6 million in 2009, the highest level in 51 years. This report has sparked heated discussions, with President Obama stating that the rise in the poverty rate indicates that the impact of the financial crisis is still present, and the current economic situation in the United States is very severe. However, Obama mentioned that the tax cuts, revenue increase plans, and healthcare reforms he introduced recently will gradually improve the living conditions of the working class. (China Youth Daily, September 19)
Poverty is an issue that no society can avoid and needs to address, and the highly developed economy of the United States is no exception. However, compared to the United Nations' poverty standard of an annual income of $365 per capita, the poor in the United States are not only not poor but are quite wealthy. The U.S. Census Bureau set the poverty line for 2009 at an annual income of $22,000 for a family of four (equivalent to at least 150,000 RMB), which is nearly 20 times higher than the international standard. Moreover, this figure only accounts for pre-tax cash income and does not include accumulated wealth such as home ownership or non-cash assistance like food stamps.
I once read a widely circulated blog post online, where the author, Mr. Qiao Lei, introduced the living conditions of the poor in America. 46% of poor families in the U.S. actually own their homes, with typical housing generally consisting of three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms (one with a bathtub and one without), a garage, and a patio. Only 6% of the housing is overcrowded. 75% of poor families own one car, and 30% own two cars. 76% of poor families have air conditioning. Additionally, the universal social welfare spending is equivalent to 9% of the U.S. GDP, so the material living conditions of today's poor in America are quite good and comfortable compared to the previous two generations.
It is particularly noteworthy that, as an "olive-shaped" wealth society, the United States has a large middle-class population with annual incomes exceeding $50,000. At the same time, wealthy individuals like the Gates family are generous in their philanthropy, even serving as models for global charity, which naturally maintains social harmony and stability. Nevertheless, some media and government agencies occasionally sensationalize the issue of poverty to draw more social attention and action. There are also political interests at play; for instance, regarding this poverty report, the Associated Press commented that with the midterm elections in Congress scheduled for November, facing high unemployment rates and a sluggish economic recovery, voters will decide whether to continue Democratic control of Congress or allow the Republican Party to take over, making the release of this report particularly politically sensitive.
Regarding the phenomenon of poverty in the United States, domestic media should provide a comprehensive and fair introduction so that citizens can have a clear understanding. We should not revel in the flaws of others; especially, we need to change the long-standing mindset and break through the "three-three system" in publicity—"the first 10 minutes the leaders are busy, the middle 10 minutes the people of the nation are very happy, and the last 10 minutes people around the world are suffering." This type of propaganda model may have worked in the era of closed borders, but in today's internet age, any one-sided dissemination will lose credibility. More importantly, for an increasingly confident China, we no longer need to self-anesthetize with the notion of "everything is great" nor do we need to "save three-quarters of the world's population from suffering." Instead, we should face others' shortcomings with a pragmatic, fair, and calm mindset, using them as a mirror for ourselves, and focus on doing our own things well.
Speaking of poverty, we might as well align with international standards first. China's "absolute poverty" is defined as an annual income of less than 786 RMB, with a population of 14.79 million; "relative poverty" is defined as an annual income not exceeding 1,067 RMB, with a population of 43 million (Southern Network, January 1, 2009); according to international standards, China's poor population may exceed 150 million. In contrast, the poor in America are indeed not poor, and the increasing number of poor people is merely a minor concern in a wealthy society.