lebanese and U.S economy
...s that the pace of recovery may be slowed. Although both U.S and Lebanon are democratic countries, there are differences in their economies that make the U.S more successful. Yet, we seem to have a persistently high tolerance for the poverty of others. Of approximately 280 million people in the United States, 35 million are officially listed as poor. The count is based on federal guidelines, which set the poverty level for a family of four at $18,100 per year. Many advocates argue that such guidelines greatly underestimate the cost of living and, consequently, grossly undercount the number of people actually living in poverty. Kraydi 2 Worldwide, more than 1 billion of the world's 6 billion people subsist on less than one dollar a day -- less than the cost of a cup of coffee in many U.S. cities. Why should you and I care? Some folks say we shouldn't be concerned that millions of men, women, and children struggle through daily life without basics like clean water, adequate food and shelter, and decent medical services. But many of us are concerned. Our concerns most often are moral, political, or economic in nature. Moral concerns frequently are rooted in religion, with most of the world's major faith traditions calling their adherents to aid neighbors in need and nurture community. Political concerns often point out that effective democracy requires an informed and involved populace -- the fertile soil in which equal opportunity, competition, and fair play can thrive. In short, poverty forces large numbers of citizens outside the economic mainstream, with severely limited opportunities to improve their lives. Lebanon, a nation that once proudly called itself the Switzerland of the Middle East, is today a country in name only. Its government controls little more than half of the nation's capital, Beirut. Its once-vibrant economy is a shambles. And its society is fragmented - so fragmented, some believe, th...