5 Ways That Raw, Unregulated Capitalism Is Acting Like a Cancer on American Society

http://www.alternet.org/economy/5-ways-raw-unregulated-capitalism-acting-cancer-american-society

***SNIP


1. Attacking the Hungry

The uncontrolled growth of investment wealth is diverting resources away from vital programs, effectively smothering them. The average Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipient received about $1,500 for food for the entire year. At least ten Americans each made that much in under ten seconds from their investment gains in 2012, about the time it took each one to fluff his pillow and roll over in bed.


***SNIP

2. Suffocating the Students

The corporate style of capitalism allows young college graduates, the bright hope of the future, to work in minimum wage positions while carrying an average of $26,000 in student loans, which accumulated because tuition rose ten times faster than the cost of living, and which now come with interest rates many times higher than the banks pay.

***SNIP

. Weakening the Children

The disease has been spreading since the 1960s, when life expectancy began to decrease along with increasing health care costs. Capitalism has betrayed our children. A UNICEF study places the U.S. 22nd out of 24 OECD countries in "children's health and well-being."

***SNIP

4. Depleting the Taxpayers

The body of our society has been drained of its vital juices by tax avoidance. Loopholes and exemptions cost the public about a trillion dollars a year, and underreported income costs another $450 billion. The total is much more than the cost of our stable but always threatened Social Security program