someone tell me why america is the wealthest country in the world but people starve to death, die everyday????
440219
Sure, America is rich, but the money is not distributed evenly. There is a small number of Americans that possesses a large percentage of the money that the nation currently has...
574420
People, don't be under the illusion that America has the best health care in the world.  Even if you "pay for it", it is still lower quality than what you would get in most European hospitals for free (or almost free).  I know this from experience.  I am an American living in France, my wife delivered our baby here, and I can assure you we were treated like the supper rich for only 45 Euros.  They didn't want us to leave as early as we did; 4 days in a private suite.\n\nThe reason the French can afford this is because they don't spend what America does on the military.  But then again France isn't controlled by oil companies and weapon manufactures like America is.\n\nIt is the price we paid winning WW2.  Economically speaking the weapons sector of the American economy became the most powerful and influential power in the world in only 4 years.  Before WW2 our boys were training with wooden guns.  Today the fly billion something dollar stealth fighters.   \n\nOut here in France the paratroopers are grounded because the government doesn't want to pay the fuel costs for the airplane they use to train with. Their helicopter "fleet" is rotting and they take "spare" parts off of other choppers to keep a few in working condition. \n\nTwo very different realities.\n\nPersonally I think we need a military.  But if we just cut a slice from its budget we could enjoy a much better American dream.\n\nNo kids going to bed hungry.  Everybody has top notch health care.  More police on the streets.  And maybe invest a little of what is left over in renewable energy technology (like what the French and the rest of the educated world is doing).
451369
Because we have always been the land of plenty.  And we don't know what it is like to starve.  Even the people who can't afford to eat have food stamps and other gov't assistance to help them.\n\nI get upset at all the good food that is thrown away at restuarants.  It's like they give you double portions for twice the price, and when you don't want anymore, it goes in the trash.  That could have been a nice meal for a homeless person.
478203
I disagree.  This is basically a communist idea.  The Universal Living Wage would cause america to lose a ton of jobs to lower wage countries.  We are already having problems competeing with counrtries that pay their workers 500 dollars a year.  This would drastically raise unemployment which is bad especially for poor people.  We would be looking at unemployment rates like those found in France and Germany of around 12 percent.  It would also stunt long term growth.  Everyone in America can eat well enough.  I have know obese people who were on welfare.  People in America are well off, poverty is more of a relative thing.  Poor people in America still have a lot more than people in the Sudan.  It is only when compared to insanely rich people in Manhattan that they seem so poor.  That is not to say that poverty is not a problem in America it is, but a Universal Living Wage would amplify this problem not fix it.
496597
What we have here is a false dichotomy. There is no reason why we can't do BOTH. I see both those next door and those in the next continent as my neighbors. I care for both equally. Too often we value the lives of our own countrymen more than those who are not. I think that's wrong. There is absolutely no reason why anyone on this planet need go hungry. The earth produces FOUR TIMES the amount of food necessary to feed every individual on this planet. The fact that there are starving people anywhere can mostly be blamed on greed and misplaced priorities on the part of world governments. If we work to solve the problems of the poorest among the human population, we will simultaneously improve conditions for those in more affluent places like the USA, Britain, UAE, etc. The average person in these affluent countries throws away more nutritious food than the average person in a third world country receives as food. It's this sort of thing that we need to change in order to feed the hungry here and elsewhere.
157615
The richest country in the world by absolute wealth is located in the middle of North America.  If you wanted me to say it's the United States, you should have asked "which" rather than "where." :)\n\nPer capita, the richest country is located in Western Europe between Germany and France.  And it's name is Luxembourg, which would answer the question you probably meant to ask rather than the one you did.\n\nDon't take it personally, loads of people on here uses incorrect grammar (unless you really did mean "where").  And I make fun of all of them. :)
1074856
I am quite content with being fairly well to do in the United States.  Though not wealthy compared to some, my countrymen (and countrywomen) live better than the emperors and kings thousands of years ago.  We also live almost shamefully well compared to others on this planet.  Having sufficient food and shelter for everyone on the planet is an attainable goal as is adequate health care.  \nI am sad only when my expectations are unrealistic.
87545
wow, i was just saying this the other day. America has become like a third-world country. Why?\n*Out of control (corrupt) governenment\n*There are many homeless people\n*many people without proper healthcare\n*many people without any healthcare\n*debt of over 8 trillion dollars\nFor these reasons i think america's superpower status will be gone, and it will have more than a couple similarities to third-world countries. sad but true.
615582
Oh what bullshit about "Gods way of making us work hard..." blah blah blah...the majority of rich people were born rich. Alot of it happens because of the goverment, and location. There's many factors...but don't bring something like GOD into this. What a lame ass answer...
679371
Definitely your health.  If you do not have good health, all the money in the world won't help you, besides all that money will go to the health problems and in this country you will have nothing left.  So if you are in good health, mentally and physically, then you are more wealthier than the richest person!
1048395
its not just Americans my friend its the same all over the so called modern world,,\npeople who have very shallow lives believe money is king and to have a fancy car that's bigger &better than the next persons is a measure of their success.\nthey should take a vacation in one of the poor countries and see what their capatilism is doing to the world,,\ni have said it often and i will keep saying it the banks and the capitalist in this world are the biggest threat to man kind,, more than any terrorist group\nuntil the small pea brained people with to much money realise how pityful they are ,we will not improve as a human race,,\ni dont object to people working hard to beter them selves(thats fair&deserved) i am really talking about the greedy B......ds that have millions and sometimes billions lying in a bank when we have woman & children dying that could be saved for less than the price of their vintage champagne, it makes me sick,would you believe that the poorest 22% of the worlds population donate 89% of the monies giving to charity,,\nthey will die one day my friends and i wish i could be there to see them meet their maker,, its one party they will not enjoy,,\npeace to all ...\nps you greedy people know who you are ,,have alook at yourself in the mirror..
100761
People are too materialistic here...they think that money is pleasure which is not always the case. People will go to all extents for money and the worst is when they sue each other or companies for the dumbest reasons. The latest I heard is someone sueing Apple 'coz iPod can cause deafness, which I personally feel is a really stupid excuse. So instead of enjoying all things in life people spend day and night running behind money. Respect for other people is almost absent compared to other civilizations like Asian, Indian, etc and you can see that the people there have less stressful lives (although they might not be faring as well monetarily). They have a culture which Americans don't. People dont fake their love for other people like many people do in the US. I am not saying that all people in the US are bad and all people in the above countries are good. But these are cultural tendencies...
1089101
No one is starving in the united states. We have food stamps, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, churches, canned food drives, welfare checks, and all sorts of other handouts. We also have the richest and most generous population on earth. Whomever is starving is a crack addict or is too lazy to beg the government for my money, or is making good money pretending to be poor and begging on the streets for booze money.\n\nI repeat: No one is starving in the United States.\n\nHowever, I agree with the premise that we send too much aid overseas, when that aid is stolen by aggressive governments who fund terrorism and butcher thier own people an buy weapons with the money sent for aid.
545629
I hate to admit it, and I might have the CIA knocking on my door in a few hours for saying it, but I dont like Americans. I have lived here my whole life and I think that as a whole, Americans are arrogant, greedy, simpleminded, intolerant, ignorant, and superficial. (Case in point: work2twerk who posted your first answer.) We have a horrible system of not taking care of our children and elderly and those who are sick. We can not see a doctor when we need to because we are uninsured and we can not go to college because we can not afford to. Something isnt right when the richest country on the Earth can not care for it's citizens.
198914
I am going to totally answer your last statement. We do need to focus more on what is wrong in America first, as long as we have people living in third world conditions right here, no homes, no running water, no food. Pitiful. Did anybody catch Oprah the other day, it is horrible how some people have to live in this country, while some are filthy rich and have more than they and 30 families would ever need. Now I'm getting the heck out of here.
571345
Why should we in the U.S. care about the plight of ILLEGAL immigrants when we have our Own to help!!\n\nWhy shouldn't we as bad for the poor in the U.S. as much as others feel sorry for those in other countries? How is what happened in New Orleans any different than the Asian tsunami? Why should it be 'self pity' for us to aknowelge our fellow citizens who are living in squallar? Anyone can see the U.S. is becomming a two tier economy. It's been heading in that direction for quite a while now, and there's no sign things will change for the better. If you don't know what a two tier economy is, please look it up and educate yourself! Almost all of the income growth in the States since 1975 has been for the richest 20 percent of households. Today the economic gap between between rich and poor in the United States is greater than ever. There's nothing like taking a walk around your (bank-owned) house, then going outside and kneeling down in your (bank-owned) lawn and grabbing a handful of (the bank's) dirt to make you realize how precious (their) land is. Americans aren't that 'rich'! lol. \n\n\nWhy are Americans above all nations so self-delusional? They aren't that rich, majority are poor. They work longer hours for things they will prob. never REALLY own. They have to BORROW more, as in credit cards. The american education system is laughable. No health care. What does the U.S. REALLY have going for it besides WEAPONS??!!!!!! Nothing......\n\nDidn't the Roman empire died eventually? Why do Americans think that it will continue to be the "world leader" in anything? Many, many people around the world don't like Americans because they believe they are full of themselves.\n\n\nWhy shouldn't the world feel as bad for the poor in the U.S. as americans feel about others? Is it a feeling of superiority?? Possibly?\n\nWhat about New Orleans?? PEOPLE STARVED TO DEATH WHILE THE U.S. GOV. WATCHED ON T.V.!!! What about the elderly and the children who are "lost"?
1036589
Speak for yourself.  You're to fat, lazy, and stupid to type or spell  correctly.  And your opinions reflect your stupidity and laziness.  America is the greatest country on earth.  We have done more good for the world than all other countries put together.