A Modest Proposal to Poverty in America

It is impudent to continue to reject impoverished American citizens, impotently wandering the

streets in search of any spare change or sustenance. Parents endeavor to provide for their children who

grow up knowing only of the impoverished world and exist only to strive to survive. Like animals

attempt to survive, the impoverished citizens do one’s utmost to live. The impoverished shall be rejected

no longer, for I state this proposal as a solution to the unacceptable issue. Everything-healthcare and

housing for example- should be free in order to completely diminish poverty among the impuissant

citizens.

By allowing everything to be free, citizens will build social connections amongst themselves due

to the lack of foolish social classes. When going out, citizens will cease to worry about carrying cash or

waiting for the next paycheck to buy items they want. Additionally, all science and medical equipment

shall be free to aid scientists and doctors unlimited access to beneficial equipment. Scientific research

can be collected more efficiently by the assistance of free equipment, and the expensiveness of the

extravagant equipment will matter no longer. Economically, the government would cease to worry over

gaining money through taxes due to the advantage of all things being free. Citizens would no longer

have to attend their time consuming jobs because they will be in no need of a paycheck.

There are endless benefits to the social life of citizens through the astounding rule of everything

becoming free. For example, 19 million people in the United States are unable to afford or access the

internet. Through the solution of allowing everything to be free, more citizens can connect with one

another and keep up with daily news by access to free, high speed internet. Conspicuous social classes

consist of the following: upper class ($350,000 or more), upper middle class ($100,000-$350,000),

middle ($50,000-$90,999), lower middle class ($30,000-$49,999), and lower class/poverty ($29,999).

By allowing everything to be free, social classes will at long last be extinguished, and citizens will more

likely communicate amongst themselves and develop better relationships through the inability to judge

one’s social class. There is a belief that the rule of everything being free will create division- for
example, fighting for items in a store- despite the absence of social classes. However, according to a

study done by Micheal Kraus at Yale University, Americans are quick to judge one’s social class and

discriminate against those of a lower class. Listening to anonymous speakers, participants judged which

social class they believed the speaker was from, and almost all of the participants guessed correctly.

With the absence of social classes, citizens won’t be so quick to judge and discriminate against those of

a poorer class.

In regards to science and medical development, everything becoming free would be a

tremendous step for them and their research. For example, NASA spent 121.1 billion dollars on the

International Space Station (ISS) equipment and maintenance. Through everything becoming free,

NASA would be able to conduct increased research on space without the thought of its costly

consequence. Furthermore, because of the extremely high cost of healthcare, 25% of citizens are

rejecting receiving the medical assistance they need. Take Susan Finley, for example. After losing and

struggling to find a job, Finley’s health insurance was taken away from her; found deceased in her

apartment, Finley refused to visit a doctor for her flu-like symptoms due to the high cost. Because of the

unlimited availability of machines and other equipment, the distribution of those valuable resources

could easily become chaotic. However, many hospitals, UI Health for example, have recently been using

a “self-distribution” system: a system in which hospitals contact the manufacturer themselves and use

their own storage and distribution transportation. Because the hospital handles its own contracting,

ordering, storing and supply distribution, companies are only required to handle the placement of the

order, allowing for more orders from hospitals to be placed.

In 2019, the government spent 4.4 trillion dollars on social security, medicare, and other

mandatory spending required by law while providing little for the 34 million impoverished people.

Additionally, as of 2019, the total federal debt was estimated at 22.8 trillion dollars; the only ways to

slowly decrease the debt consisted of raising taxes and cutting government spending. Due to everything

becoming free, the government could cease to worry about spending money, and their debt would be no

more. The government would make nothing if everything became free, for 3.5 trillion dollars of
government spending comes from their collection of federal revenue. Out of the 4.4 (3.5 of which are

collected from taxes) trillion dollars, only a pitiful 20% is spent assisting those in poverty, and that is

why the issue still remains.

The government has attempted to provide housing to the impoverished, spending $51 billion in

2019. Despite the government’s efforts to assist in housing for the impoverished, 800 million people use

10% of their housing money to attain healthcare for themselves or their families. Furthermore, in 2018,

approximately 77 million American citizens took the initiative to make a difference in raising money for

charity, specifically charities to assist the impoverished. Although much help has been given to feed and

care for the impoverished, a massive poverty rate still remains an issue; as of 2019, the average poverty

rate was 10.5% of citizens, or 34 million people.

Among researching world issues, I stumbled upon the major issue of poverty, and, in attentively

studying more about it, developed a well-thought out and detailed solution of everything becoming free.

Although the solution is quite intellectual, it ceases to diminish the issue of worldwide poverty, only

discarding American poverty. I propose this solution not for my own personal agenda but for the good of

America, for I am upper middle class and cannot speak for the voices of those in poverty.