Criminalization of Poverty in Capitalist America Essay

As a result of the government-mandated segregation, resistance in both the United States and South Africa escalated. In other words, the history of the African civil rights movement taught: “Nationalism has been tested in the people’s struggles . . . and found to be the only antidote against foreign rule and modern imperialism” (Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom 2008, 156). By comparing and contrasting the Jim Crow Laws and apartheid, we are able convey that nationalism ultimately lead to activism and reform.

More than 800 million people in the world are malnourished, 777 million of them are from the developing world (Raphel, S., 2014). Poverty is an issue that must be addressed to the population loud and clear or everyone will end up suffering. There are many families trying to survive and live from paycheck to paycheck. Unfortunately, there are some families that are unable to support himself or herself or any family member. One important key issue of poverty in the United States is inequality. Many Americans blame the poor people for their own fate but you should never judge a book by its cover. There can be many reasons why an individual or families end up in poverty. For example, low wage jobs, discrimination and social inequality, vulnerability to natural disasters, war and political instability. Another big issue we face today is child poverty. This is a very critical issue because these young children are our future. If we let these children live in poverty, there is a higher chance they will drop out of school, look for work in order to support their family, or give up in life.

Economic status is a relevant aspect in the experience of punishment. To an individual who sternly believes that the American justice system entitles every person to the same standard of due process, the previously mentioned idea is blasphemous. Unfortunately, the concept is false. The American justice system does not equally accommodate the needs of criminals placed on trial. Class is relevant in the experience of punishment only because economic inequality is barely recognized in the formulation and carrying out of prison sentences. The foundation of this unjust punishment is laid down at the trial, where disadvantaged individuals find themselves the victims of stereotypes, poor legal representation and haphazard verdicts. Once imprisoned, lower class criminals become immersed in an environment which mimics the troubled circumstances that originally led them to commit crime. Having received an ineffective sentence, convicts return to their poor communities and are expected to reintegrate into society without proper treatment.

The inconsistencies in the implementation even partly contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War (xxx, xxx). The European powers mobilized their African subjects with propaganda vilifying the racial-supremacist ideology of the Fascist powers. This set-in motion a process in which “Fascist nationalism produced the opposed reality of anti-Fascism; and anti-Fascism became antiracism; and antiracism led in due course to an end of colonization” (Davidson, 1992). The result was the erasure of European colonial rule from large swathes of the African continent within a relatively short period of time (xxx, xxx). Consequently, this led to the development of a decolonized version of the self-determination concept. The decolonization version of self-determination was based on the following three principles: i) all dependent peoples are entitled to freedom; ii) the peoples so entitled are defined in terms of the existing colonial territories, each of which contains a nation; and iii) once such a people has come to independence, no residual right of self-determination remains with any group within it or cutting across its frontiers (Emerson 1964). This version of self-determination had numerous implications. The concerned entities often did not find it necessary to demonstrate effective legitimate authority to gain and

The United States, a place where anyone can “pick themselves up by the bootstraps” and realize the American dream of a comfortable lifestyle. Well, for over 30 million Americans this is no longer possible. Though we live in the richest and most powerful country in the world there are many who are living under or at the precipice of the poverty level, “While the United States has enjoyed unprecedented affluence, low-wage employees have been testing the American doctrine that hard work cures poverty” (The Working Poor, 4). This translates to families of four making around 18,850$ a year. And as soon as they find work or move just slightly above that 18,850$ a year (which is still a meager and deprived way to

The issue of poverty in the United States seems to lie on the grounds of race education and family structure. As expected I found that educational levels paralleled poverty levels. Unexpected , research was found to prove that race did in fact play a substantial role in poverty. Family structure along with other influential factors either locked an individual into poverty or provided a means for escape from the continuing cycle. Other factors contributing to poverty was the location of homes or neighborhoods and the accessibility to better paying jobs.

America is said to be one of the greatest countries in the world. Advanced technology, thriving agriculture, the so-called land of opportunities all obtainable in our beautiful America. So why then do we still have people going hungry every night? Why does such a disparity exist between a person who has an abundance of food and routinely discards food that is perfectly edible and one who digs for those same scraps in trash bins? At times, these people are living within a few miles of each other.

Many reforms in the UnitedStates have been passed to help fight against the “War on Poverty”; but it has not been effective in eradicating poverty in the U.S. There are about 46 million people who are living in impoverished conditions and poverty continues to be a social issue in this country (Heritage Foundation, 2011) In the beginning, our country was formed under the belief that “this land is the land of opportunity and if we worked hard enough the American Dream can be gained” (Schwarz, 1997). People immigrate to this country today in hopes of becoming rich so they could gain a better life. In spite of coming to this country for a better life, many are faced with the lack of skills and money to succeed. In the end, most will end

Yes I believe poverty still exist in America. First what is poverty? Poverty is a pervasive human condition of being unable to obtain or provide standard level of food, water, and or shelter (debt.org). Many Americans still live in poverty, being unable to literally feed themselves, talk less of a family. Single families especially find it difficult to raise their kids and work at the same time. However, poverty is America is relative compared to other countries like India where become can barely feed themselves, talking about uncertainty to basic necessities and a lack of security. Even though America has no starvation, it has an amount of poverty that leads to malnutrition which causes series of diseases and massively truncated life expectancy.

Also income is less concentrated than wealth. Also the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is the main source to obtain information related the allocation of wealth for household. The SCF income distribution received approximately a third of all income in 2013 data also shows that the top 3 percent of the, while the top 3 percent of the wealth distribution held 54 percent of all wealth (Stone, et al).  Similarly, the top 10 percent of the income distribution received a little less than half of all income, while the top 10 percent of the wealth distribution held three-quarters of all wealth. In fact, the average wealth has amplified over the past 50 years, but it has not developed equally for all groups

Often an internet search on “Black Nationalism” will yield results addressing topics like Gaveyism, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement. Images related to the search will show mostly black and white pictures of well-known figures and symbols such as the Black Panther Party and the symbol of a raised black fist fill the screen. If one adds the word “Today” to that search, new results featuring article titles like “Will Black Nationalism Reemerge,” or “Where is Black Nationalism Today” appear. Regardless of the views shared by many people, Black Nationalism is still around in the minds of many blacks. Today it leans more towards cultural nationalism. Cultural nationalism, then and now, does not affect the status quo. The goal of Revolutionary nationalists is to reform or overthrow the status quo. The government will seek to wipe out anything that might threaten itself and the society it governs. It will not seek to wipe out cultural

European domination of Africa had global influence economically, politically, and socially. Areas such as France and Portugal saw some benefits economically and places such as Britain saw social and political benefits. Contrastingly, in regions of the world today, people of the African Diaspora are still seen as lesser and tribal. There has been little progress for people of color, but the progress that has been made is significant. However, the progression of people of color has been met with oppression from an ideal that has evolved from years of unchecked privilege; white Supremacy. White supremacy is not just radical KKK groups but a different version of “racial and social discrimination because it is systematic and more fully theorized.” White Supremacy is a notion that white people are superior based on their characteristics and attributes. This ideal is both conscious to those who act on it and subconscious to those who use their white privilege

     How many times have you been on your way home, or somewhere around downtown, and at a stoplight you see someone sitting at the intersection with a cardboard sign that reads something along the lines of, “Homeless and hungry”? If you have ever been in a car that passes through a large city in the U.S., then like most others you probably have. What have these people done to be in a situation like this? What can you do to help? Are they really homeless? These are commonly asked questions, however few really take the time to find the answer. An outstanding injustice that I see prevalent in today’s society is the amount of people living in poverty in the United States.

Poverty and inequality exist in every developed culture and often are only patched in order for society to continue upwardly. Poverty and inequality in the United States exists for many reasons; reasons that very from the prospective lens. Interpretive theories in particular ask us to question our reality and its constructs. Interpretive theories require us to looks at the world as a social realm, one that we created and constantly change. Interpretive theories study the relationship between power and the construction of social roles as well as the invisible collection of patterns and habits that make up domination, (Delgado & Stefanic, 2001). Susan Kemp argues that the view of the world is dominated by the experiences of white western

Today they say that we are free, Only to be chained in poverty -- Bob Marley