For your information H666, the average POOR in America is = to AVERAGE European. The average poor in America has about a 1200 Sq ft. home, same or better than the Average European. The average poor in America has a washer, dryer, 2 televisions and a two cars in a family of 4. So don't tell me that Capitalism is bad. With a strong middle class and high productivity, the "pie" is larger thus the poor have more. Anyone with the willpower, and hard work, can make a fortune in America. If the poor, making America's minimum wage would save 10% of their income, they would be a millionare at retirement. Only reason for poor in America is due to being lazy, or not smart enough to make it, drugs, or alcohol. We have had a breakdown of family in America, and too much emphasis on helping the poor without requiring responsibility or accountability. European socialism had given them high unemployment and stagnant economies or very slow growing economies. You can give a person a fish, but if you teach him to fish, he can feed himself. Education is only part of the answer, morality, and decency, along with honesty and hard work, used to make a person middle class or wealthy in America. Free markets have failures. If GM had filed bankrupcy last fall, it would be back in business a leaner company. The government has too many strings attached. We have Toyota, Nissan, Hundai, Kia, and Mercedes plants making cars in America. GM is not as big as it used to be. If companies make bad decisions, they should be allowed to fail. Same with banks making bad loans. Government is not the solutions, it is the problem. Government caused this latest market failure, by forcing banks to make bad home loans to the young and the poor, with the excuse of having them own their own homes, without reguard to their ability to pay.