Poverty is relative, wealth is absolute
To understand wealth is to know its non-utilitarian nature; wealth is excess beyond usefulness.
SHOCK HEADLINES greeted the release of new federal government statistics on poverty, fueling a vitriolic debate about wealth and poverty in America.
Ancient rhetoric is resurrected every election cycle to confuse the issue and further divide the populace. For a meaningful discussion of issues, we must keep in mind that poverty is relative. We must also seek to understand the nature of true wealth.
We can and do quantify poverty. According to the newest government figures, 15.7 percent of all Americans — about 46 million people — are poor. Poverty lines are drawn based on income: $11,344 for one person, $22,113 for a "unit" of two adults and two children.
In New Jersey, the poverty rate is now 10.3 percent, and 14.2 percent of the state's children live under
