In a striking contrast to China's remarkable progress in reducing poverty, the United States continues to struggle with persistent inequality. The country, often touted as a bastion of democratic capitalism, has failed to effectively address the needs of its most vulnerable citizens.
Between 1990 and 2019, the number of Americans living on less than $3 a day decreased from 943 million to zero – a staggering achievement for any nation. However, in contrast, more than four million Americans still find themselves struggling with daily subsistence at this meager level. This disparity is even more pronounced when considering that just three decades ago, the poverty rate was lower.
One cannot help but wonder what factors contribute to such stark differences between China and the US. Productivity and artificial intelligence have undoubtedly given the US a competitive edge in terms of output. Nevertheless, it seems that this advantage has been largely squandered by the country's policies towards those living below the poverty line.
Contrary to popular claims about American capitalism, there appears to be a deliberate disconnect between its economic success and social welfare. The US government has consistently chosen not to invest significantly in programs aimed at supporting low-income families. This is starkly evident in initiatives such as Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Act, which slashes healthcare coverage for millions of Americans while drastically reducing funding for vital nutrition assistance programs.
The impact of these measures is particularly concerning when considering the projected effects on household income. According to estimates from the Budget Lab at Yale, the bottom 10% of American families will suffer a 7% cut in their income due to the tariffs and Trump's big bill. This stark reality highlights the US government's callous disregard for its poorest citizens.
It is indeed worth noting that this issue predates the current administration. A pattern of policy decisions prioritizing market efficiency over social welfare has persisted throughout Democratic and Republican administrations over the past 50 years. The income gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen, with the top 90th percentile now enjoying an increasingly large share of national income.
In conclusion, while China's authoritarian government may raise several red flags in terms of human rights and individual freedoms, its ability to eradicate poverty is a testament to the effectiveness of targeted policy interventions. The United States, on the other hand, would do well to reevaluate its priorities and adopt more comprehensive measures to address the needs of its most vulnerable citizens.
Between 1990 and 2019, the number of Americans living on less than $3 a day decreased from 943 million to zero – a staggering achievement for any nation. However, in contrast, more than four million Americans still find themselves struggling with daily subsistence at this meager level. This disparity is even more pronounced when considering that just three decades ago, the poverty rate was lower.
One cannot help but wonder what factors contribute to such stark differences between China and the US. Productivity and artificial intelligence have undoubtedly given the US a competitive edge in terms of output. Nevertheless, it seems that this advantage has been largely squandered by the country's policies towards those living below the poverty line.
Contrary to popular claims about American capitalism, there appears to be a deliberate disconnect between its economic success and social welfare. The US government has consistently chosen not to invest significantly in programs aimed at supporting low-income families. This is starkly evident in initiatives such as Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Act, which slashes healthcare coverage for millions of Americans while drastically reducing funding for vital nutrition assistance programs.
The impact of these measures is particularly concerning when considering the projected effects on household income. According to estimates from the Budget Lab at Yale, the bottom 10% of American families will suffer a 7% cut in their income due to the tariffs and Trump's big bill. This stark reality highlights the US government's callous disregard for its poorest citizens.
It is indeed worth noting that this issue predates the current administration. A pattern of policy decisions prioritizing market efficiency over social welfare has persisted throughout Democratic and Republican administrations over the past 50 years. The income gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen, with the top 90th percentile now enjoying an increasingly large share of national income.
In conclusion, while China's authoritarian government may raise several red flags in terms of human rights and individual freedoms, its ability to eradicate poverty is a testament to the effectiveness of targeted policy interventions. The United States, on the other hand, would do well to reevaluate its priorities and adopt more comprehensive measures to address the needs of its most vulnerable citizens.
America is all about freedom and democracy but when it comes down to it they're still struggling with poverty like 4 million ppl can't even make ends meet on $3 a day 
It's crazy how China was able to eradicate poverty but the US is just over here doing the bare minimum. And don't even get me started on Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Act 
that thing sounds like a total joke but the impact is real folks.
They're all about market efficiency but what about social welfare? It's like they're trying to make more money off of us while we suffer. And now with these tariffs and big bill, the poor are gonna take a hit hard 
I don't know man maybe China's authoritarian gov is not as bad as everyone thinks but the US just needs to get its priorities straight.
maybe invest in programs that help low-income families instead of slashing healthcare coverage. It's all about the money, I guess 
and btw it's not just trump's bill, this stuff has been going on for ages, like what even is the difference between dem and repubs when it comes to looking out for low-income fams?
. It's like they're trying to punish the poor for being poor. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna cut funding for schools and hospitals too? 
The Budget Lab at Yale is like, totally right – we need to be more concerned about how these policies are affecting our most vulnerable citizens.
. It's just a reminder that we're not as progressive as we think we are. Maybe it's time for us to take a page out of China's book (no, seriously) and start prioritizing our poor folks 
They're like a superhero team saving the world one poor person at a time 
! Meanwhile, here we are in the US, still struggling with inequality. It's like we're stuck in a never-ending cycle of 'we'll get to it eventually' 
. I'm not saying China's got all the answers or anything, but they seem to be getting some things right 
. We just need to step up our game and make sure everyone's got access to decent healthcare and food 
. It's time for us to show the world what we're really capable of 
!
my heart goes out to those struggling in the US 
it's just not fair that some people have to live on less than $3 a day 
we need more programs and support for low-income families 
those affected by the tariffs are already struggling so much, can't they get some relief? 
(Jesus Christ)
, while we're still struggling with people making ends meet on less than $3 a day? 
? Reducing healthcare coverage and slashing nutrition assistance programs while giving a middle finger to low-income families? That's just not cool 
. We can't keep saying we're the land of opportunity while people are still struggling to make ends meet 
. China may have an authoritarian government, but at least they're getting things done 
.
)
"Hey, let's just eradicate poverty and have the world envy our authoritarian greatness"
The US gov keeps taking from the poor to give to the rich. Meanwhile, China is like 
. Meanwhile, our government is more concerned with lining the pockets of corporations than helping the most vulnerable members of society.
. It's just not sustainable. We need to rethink our priorities and start putting people over profits. I'm not saying we should go full-on authoritarian, but some kind of balanced approach would definitely help 
.
. It's actually their social welfare programs and targeted policies that have made a huge difference. The US, on the other hand, has had plenty of opportunities to address poverty but just hasn't been willing to make the necessary changes 
and the fact that we're still dealing with an income gap is just, ugh 
. They went from 943 million people living on less than $3 a day to ZERO 
! Meanwhile, here we are with over 4 million Americans still struggling to make ends meet 
either. The US has always had the potential to be more socially conscious 
. Like Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Act 
, which is basically a joke when it comes to taking care of low-income families 
.
and prioritize our own vulnerable citizens 
. But it's hard when there are so many special interests at play 
. The numbers are crazy - 4 million Americans living on less than $3 a day? That's just unacceptable 
. We need more targeted policy interventions, not just trickle-down economics 
.