The United States is the richest nation that the world has ever known, but unfortunately, its distribution of wealth is massively skewed in such a way, that a very few have an awful lot, while there are a significant swath that have a fair amount, and then again there are those others that as reported by brookings.edu, fairly reflects that America has a systemic poverty problem, as "38.1 million people, or 11.8 percent of the population" suffer from and live in poverty. As bad as that may be, other economists believe that this official number is actually too low. Be that as it may, the fact that such a huge subset of fellow Americans are living in poverty and thereby suffering from all the disadvantages, thereof, is indicative that not all is right within America.
In point of fact, America should be the world's leader in the reduction of poverty rates, utilized as proof positive that its capitalistic system, combined with the social services so provided by its governance is the best mix of private and public enterprise that the world has ever known. But this isn't the case, at all, in which, again and again, America spends an inordinate amount of time, praising the success of its great corporations, as well as indicating how generous it is with the monies so being spent on social services, without ever admitting that those actions are woefully inadequate in successfully tackling and thereby meaningfully dealing with the actual reduction of its poverty rate.
The bottom line is that there is plenty of food, plenty of shelter, plenty of money, and plenty of good infrastructures that this country should be able to avail itself of so as to effectively reduce its poverty rates appreciably from where they currently sit at. In order to do exactly that, America needs to wake up from its indifference to its own disadvantaged people, so as to come forth with a comprehensive plan that is indicative of the minimum levels so being met for education, housing, healthcare, food, and employment opportunities for all of America, and to make it their point that they will not let up, until this is met in every community of this great nation.
While, no doubt, we will always have some poor amongst us, for some people and some situations, are intractable; the point is that we could minimize such by putting forth a comprehensive infrastructure plan that would assure each American, of a proper education, food enough to eat, safe shelter, and healthcare that is accommodative for all those without money, if the United States would just set its mind on doing exactly that. After all, the money is there to accomplish such, of which the United States needs to do so, for often times the price of poverty is the corresponding price of hopelessness, and thereby by providing hope for those that have gone so long without such, we will as a nation, ultimately become stronger and better.
Each American should be fairly entitled to a minimum standard of living, of which, this minimum, would be enough, to assure their safety, their shelter, their education, adequate healthcare, and food for their belly. The fact that this does not presently exist, is to America's great shame, for if America does not feel an obligation to take care of their weakest and most vulnerable, in a current construct in which they are on top of the world, then this clearly does not bode well for its future.