The US Census Bureau reports that about 15% of the American people live in poverty. That statistics seriously underestimates how many American families are living close to the financial edge. According to Paul Buchheit, “the IRS reports that the highest wage in the bottom half of earners is about $34,000. To be eligible for food assistance, a family can earn up to 130% of the federal poverty line, or about $30,000 for a family of four.”Income inequality in the United States has worsened more in the last three years than in the previous 12 years. The US Congress is considering making more budgets cuts in food, housing and education budgets than the richest 400 Americans made in the stock market investments last year. There is something seriously wrong with this situation.
Israel has announced that it is planning to build 1,000 new settler homes in mainly Arab areas of Jerusalem. The move comes as US Secretary of State Kerry is trying to restart the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. These settlements are illegal under international law, and the US has consistently spoken out against the building of new settlements. The Palestinian share of the West Bank continues to shrink at an astonishing rate.
China is rapidly increasing its military capabilities, and many in the US think that the military increases are threatening to American security. It is important to understand the basis for Chinese support for its military–comparing the US increases to Chinese increases leads to a distorted view. Much military spending has little to do with foreign threats–it is also driven by domestic political and economic considerations. Here’s an article that places the Chinese military development in a slightly different context.
World Politics News 
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