An Awful System

Everyone is aware of the poverty of many children in countries in Africa and Asia but what is not as well known is the plight of many children in the USA. 'The persistent rise of child poverty in Massachusetts - confirmed by last week's census figures for 2013 - is the result of costly day care and housing, the proliferation of low-wage jobs, and a labour market that can be difficult for young parents to break into, according to specialists in the field. Nearly one in six children in Massachusetts was growing up in poverty as of last year, data from the US Census Bureau show; in households with single mothers, it was one in four.' (Boston Globe, 22 September) It speaks volumes for the awfulness of capitalism that such poverty exists in one of the most advanced countries in the world. RD