47 million Americans are now on food stamps,. In 2000 the figure was 18 million.

It is not so much that there are insufficient jobs (although there are insufficient jobs!). The fact is that wages will not allow those who used to regard themselves as part of the middle class to earn enough to live on the proceeds of one job. There had been a race to the bottom, whether it has been the outsourcing of production to China or the reduction of pay by American companies. Money saved by lowering wages goes into the pockets of the CEOs.

Americans like to regard themselves, mainly, as christians. Since the majority of them seem to have lost their ethical bearings and it is hard to regard them in any christian light, it is incumbent upon humanists and Epicureans to uphold the old standards of compassion, generosity and common sense. We should pressure Congress to help those struggling in a cruel world. They could make a start by raising taxes for the best off and give more tempoary help to those desperately under pressure. Less war, more humanity.