Domestic Poverty on the Rise

Yesterday's Washington Post had an article chock full of statistics about poverty in the U.S. Check it out. Apparently, according to the Census Bureau, the U.S. poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent of the population for the fourth consecutive annual increase. This is a high number for a developed country, especially considering the fact that for example, Vietnam's national poverty line remains at 28.9 percent, a little over half the U.S. percentage for a smaller population (2002 World Bank statistics, World Development Indicators 05).