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Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/14/2007 5:34:56 PM

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quote:

The U.S. government said the number of Americans who went hungry in 2006 was held in check at 35 million people from the prior year, but food advocacy groups said on Wednesday more needs to be done.

The U.S. Agriculture Department said a total of 12.65 million households were "food insecure," or 10.9 percent of U.S. homes, up from 12.59 million a year ago.

The USDA defines food insecurity - its metric for measuring hunger - as having difficulty acquiring enough food for the household throughout the year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071114/ts_nm/usa_food_hunger_dc;_ylt=ApT8a.njF3u2iddSgqNleKhg.3QA

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/14/2007 5:46:34 PM

popeye1250

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And our Congress passed a "foreign aid" Bill of $34.6 B a month ago, up 290% from 10 years ago!

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/14/2007 6:13:30 PM

thompsonx

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quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250

And our Congress passed a "foreign aid" Bill of $34.6 B a month ago, up 290% from 10 years ago!

popeye:
I am sure you know where that $34.6 billion goes don't you? Not to the foreign country but to corporate amerika.
The rich get richer and the poor get pregnant.
thompson

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/14/2007 7:25:07 PM

Sanity

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I can't help but wonder, how does this fit in with the obesity epedimic. And isn't hunger a natural motivater? Who fed our ancestors...

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/14/2007 8:41:09 PM

OrionTheWolf

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And this happens with Democrats as well as Republicans. Until we send a clear message that we are tired of this shit, they will keep on doing it. The cheerleaders, such as many here who are guided by pure hatred of an opposing view, are as much to blame since they refuse to see some of the same corruptness in their candidates.

Can anyone remember the last president we had that was alot less corrupt?

Thomas Jefferson warned about this shit, long ago. We the people have just ignored those warnings or because of the teachings of public schools, are ignorant of them.

Orion

quote:

ORIGINAL: thompsonx

quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250

And our Congress passed a "foreign aid" Bill of $34.6 B a month ago, up 290% from 10 years ago!

popeye:
I am sure you know where that $34.6 billion goes don't you? Not to the foreign country but to corporate amerika.
The rich get richer and the poor get pregnant.
thompson

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/14/2007 11:53:15 PM

meatcleaver

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity

I can't help but wonder, how does this fit in with the obesity epedimic. And isn't hunger a natural motivater? Who fed our ancestors...

The poor generally eat cheap processed food that is high in fat content and very unhealthy.

'And isn't hunger a natural motivater? Who fed our ancestors...' To paraphrase Scrooge. 'Let them die and so decrease the surplus population.'

If you can't see that this is a scandal and a national disgrace for the richest country in the world, you are blind, uncaring and psychopathic. I hope you are never in need and require help. You might get an answer similar to yours, such as 'Fuck off!'

< Message edited by meatcleaver -- 11/14/2007 11:55:25 PM >

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 3:45:51 AM

pinksugarsub

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35 million? That's almost the population of California, twice the size of any other state. It boggles the mind that in the richest country on earth, nearly 13% of the population is going hungry. If we cannot even provide sustance to our residents, what hope is there for our country's future?

pinksugarsub

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 3:54:40 AM

Sanity

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quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver
The poor generally eat cheap processed food that is high in fat content and very unhealthy.

'And isn't hunger a natural motivater? Who fed our ancestors...' To paraphrase Scrooge. 'Let them die and so decrease the surplus population.'

If you can't see that this is a scandal and a national disgrace for the richest country in the world, you are blind, uncaring and psychopathic. I hope you are never in need and require help. You might get an answer similar to yours, such as 'Fuck off!'

Easy there Meat, no one's talking about taking away free government cheese now.

And I never said anything like fuck off, I said hunger is a motivater.

Which it is.

In case you haven't noticed, people are animals. Unless you're some religious extremist, you believe in that. Darwinism, all that.

What happens when you feed the bears at Yellowstone? Pretty soon they have to be destroyed. So it's more kind to not feed the bears, isn't it.

You have to be careful about these things, and really think them through how they're done. Of course you don't want people starving, and they're not starving. According to the article linked to in the OP many who are eligible for help don't seem to want it:

quote:

Food stamps and other public nutrition programs account for about 60 percent of the USDA's spending. Funding for the department's 15 nutrition assistance programs has risen 70 percent since 2001 to $59 billion in 2006, and 20 percent of all Americans are impacted by the programs each year.

Some 27 million people are enrolled in the food stamp program alone, which helps poor Americans buy food. USDA has estimated 65 percent of eligible people participate in the program, up from 54 percent in 2001.

The way you talk there's a famine and people are eating their own young, and that's not the case - so you needn't get so emotional. We can debate this like adults.

With all that in mind, I think my original questions have merit;

What of the obesity epedemic.

Isn't hunger a motivator?

Who fed our ancestors.

< Message edited by Sanity -- 11/15/2007 4:26:49 AM >

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 3:58:41 AM

Sanity

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pinksugarsub

35 million? That's almost the population of California, twice the size of any other state. It boggles the mind that in the richest country on earth, nearly 13% of the population is going hungry. If we cannot even provide sustance to our residents, what hope is there for our country's future?

pinksugarsub

Greens insist we stop drilling for oil, and convert our crops to fuel instead. Greens are effectively telling the quote end-quote hungry to fuck off...

What of that

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 4:07:36 AM

NeedToUseYou

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I really don't understand stories like this.

First it says 10.9% are "food insecure" not starving, as I take that to mean, not sure if they will have enough food, or go through short periods lacking some foods. It's not a good thing but, no one in the US will starve unless they are to proud to ask for help. Period. There are emergency food stamp programs. There are churches, There are non profits. There are regular people that would help. I don't believe for one second that there is any reason for a person to starve in the US under the present system. I'm actually food insecure right now because I'm to lazy to go to the store!!!(that's a joke, I know that isn't what they mean). Munching on crackers.

I grew up on Welfare, unfortunately, so I know because my mother got food from churches a few times, she stood in The YMCA line for the cheese, no joke(and despite all the jokes I wish they sold it in stores, that is the best cheese for grilled cheeses ever), as well as some charitable individuals helping, and food stamps. She wasn't a victim of the system she simply wouldn't work for large parts of my childhood. And still we didn't starve. Like I said it takes a special kinda of person to starve in the US, or let there children starve. People will buy you food, regardless of the reason you are in that situation.

So, it's a bit of bullshit when people are interpreting this as "America is screwed because it lets people starve". Just a Note if you want to see how much food this country wastes, go behind a grocery store, and look in there dumpster sometime. It's appalling, Food that 2 days ago was sitting on the shelf is in the dumpster. Seems if we wanted to stop starvation, all you'd have to do is let grocery stores donate food that is getting close to expiration, and still allow them to write it off.

But at least around here it is total bullshit, that anyone could starve to death, unless it was willful.

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 4:25:15 AM

meatcleaver

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity

quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver
The poor generally eat cheap processed food that is high in fat content and very unhealthy.

'And isn't hunger a natural motivater? Who fed our ancestors...' To paraphrase Scrooge. 'Let them die and so decrease the surplus population.'

If you can't see that this is a scandal and a national disgrace for the richest country in the world, you are blind, uncaring and psychopathic. I hope you are never in need and require help. You might get an answer similar to yours, such as 'Fuck off!'

Easy there Meat, no one's talking about taking away your free government cheese now.

And I never said anything like fuck off, I said hunger is a motivater.

Which it is.

Well yes it is, that was one of the reasons for the French revolution. If people are locked out of the economic system they will be motivated to do something about it. If there are no jobs or only jobs that don't pay enough to live on people have two choices, go hungry or take what they need in other ways. Don't let me spoil your fantasy that capitalism provides for everyone, it doesn't even though it might provide enough for everyone, the richest country in the world proves that. Capitalism requires dirt poor people to make the rest get out of bed and work their lives away on a fantasy, that's were hunger as the motivator comes into it.

Hell, if hunger was such a motivator, Africa should have booming economies. The truth is that is the capitalist economic system requires poverty as a warning to everyone else.

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 4:34:41 AM

Sanity

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So if I agree to become a socialist does that mean that the government will have to feed me? No one has to work anymore?

Or if they work, what motivates them to work in your little fantasy world

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 5:20:18 AM

pinksugarsub

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From the dim days of my college poli sci classes, i think You are referring to Communism, not Socialism. Remember the slogan "from each acccording to his abilities, to each according to his needs"? That's Leninist doctrine.

i have several friends who are currently facing homelessness and hunger, people with skills and motivation and solid resumes who just can't find work. If 35 million people are in similar shape here, we need to address it systemically, because something isn't working properly.

pinksugarsub

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 5:42:30 AM

meatcleaver

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity

So if I agree to become a socialist does that mean that the government will have to feed me? No one has to work anymore?

Or if they work, what motivates them to work in your little fantasy world

Socialism is very much a part of the European social democratic system, universal healthcare, redistribution of wealth through progressive taxes, adequate social benefits, etc. The Anglo-Saxon systems in the US and UK seem to think that poverty and hunger is the great motivator for the poor and greed is a great motivator for the rich but some societies see themselves as societies and not a nation of individuals kicking each other in the teeth to get on. People work because of necessity for themselves and the nation and not just for themselves and fuck the rest. As the French say, the Anglo-Saxons states see themselves as the protector of big money at the expense of the poor, as though big money needs protecting.

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There are fascists who consider themselves humanitarians, like cannibals on a health kick, eating only vegetarians.

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 5:44:14 AM

meatcleaver

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pinksugarsub

From the dim days of my college poli sci classes, i think You are referring to Communism, not Socialism. Remember the slogan "from each acccording to his abilities, to each according to his needs"? That's Leninist doctrine.

That was Marx and to quote Marx 'I am not a Marxist.'

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There are fascists who consider themselves humanitarians, like cannibals on a health kick, eating only vegetarians.

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Post #: 15

RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 6:35:15 AM

Sanity

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From: Nampa, Idaho USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver
Socialism is very much a part of the European social democratic system, universal healthcare, redistribution of wealth through progressive taxes, adequate social benefits, etc. The Anglo-Saxon systems in the US and UK seem to think that poverty and hunger is the great motivator for the poor and greed is a great motivator for the rich but some societies see themselves as societies and not a nation of individuals kicking each other in the teeth to get on. People work because of necessity for themselves and the nation and not just for themselves and fuck the rest. As the French say, the Anglo-Saxons states see themselves as the protector of big money at the expense of the poor, as though big money needs protecting.

So if you work too hard and generate too much wealth / food / housing, etc you're punished with "progressive taxes" under your system

Yet anyone who says they're too sick, and wants to hang out in Mum's basement all day is rewarded

That the right recipe? What am I missing.

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 8:43:07 AM

meatcleaver

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity

quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver
Socialism is very much a part of the European social democratic system, universal healthcare, redistribution of wealth through progressive taxes, adequate social benefits, etc. The Anglo-Saxon systems in the US and UK seem to think that poverty and hunger is the great motivator for the poor and greed is a great motivator for the rich but some societies see themselves as societies and not a nation of individuals kicking each other in the teeth to get on. People work because of necessity for themselves and the nation and not just for themselves and fuck the rest. As the French say, the Anglo-Saxons states see themselves as the protector of big money at the expense of the poor, as though big money needs protecting.

So if you work too hard and generate too much wealth / food / housing, etc you're punished with "progressive taxes" under your system

Yet anyone who says they're too sick, and wants to hang out in Mum's basement all day is rewarded

That the right recipe? What am I missing.

Look at the 2006 OCED report on social mobility, social mobility in US was less than all other industrialized countires. Just ahead of the US was the UK. The countries with the most social mobility was European social democracies. What you are missing is that the more capitalistic democracies trap people in poverty with bad housing, bad healthcare and bad education while effectively giving the wealthier members of society welfare in the form of tax breaks and better education for their children.

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 8:54:38 AM

InnocentYoungSub

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Its not punishment. You can't just assume they will give back and contribute to society on their own without being made to. Thats not human nature. Also, the government has to collect enough tax revenue to function adequately. Do you honestly think its fair to put the heavier burden on those on the lower side of the economic scale? The economically 'strong' already enjoy the benefits of their wealth and they don't have to foot a fair portion of this country's bills? All these capitalists talk about a free market. Well shouldn't a free market be fair? A tax system that is not progressive favors the rich and is most certainly not fair. Thats not a level playing field. In fact, its kinda like the opposite of communism, IMO. Its the government favoring the upper class over the lower class.

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 10:38:42 AM

popeye1250

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From: New Hampshire
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quote:

ORIGINAL: pinksugarsub

From the dim days of my college poli sci classes, i think You are referring to Communism, not Socialism. Remember the slogan "from each acccording to his abilities, to each according to his needs"? That's Leninist doctrine.

i have several friends who are currently facing homelessness and hunger, people with skills and motivation and solid resumes who just can't find work. If 35 million people are in similar shape here, we need to address it systemically, because something isn't working properly.

pinksugarsub

"Political Science." Why do they still teach that in colleges/unis?
"What's your major?"
"Political science."
"Ah, so you're going to be a waiter, eh?"
In Boston kids with degrees in English work at McDonalds.
Colleges are like Pubs in Boston, there's one on every corner.
"So, you have a degree in political science eh?"
"Yup."
"Good, do you have a driver's liscense?"
"Yup."
"Good, then you can start out by driving that mop on the floor."

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RE: Over 35 million Americans faced hunger in 2006 - 11/15/2007 11:48:32 AM

RealityLicks

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It's not that often I can agree with Meatcleaver but I do here. The one thing I will say is that artists, creative people and many professionals can make this leap because they get high job satisfaction. The average joe is usually only thinking bread and circuses, sadly.

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