extreme poverty

Response to 2023 State of the Union

What words would you use to describe the message given during Biden’s State of the Union speech? He would like it to have been a message of optimism and strength, jobs and democracy. But to many watching the ‘show’, the message of chaos, confusion, division and crisis is much more appropriate. Not just from the words, but from the interactions.

A World in Crisis

Biden sauntered into his speech by declaring America is the ‘only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger’, and that ‘that‘s what we’re doing again’ referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. But this isn’t the only crisis he acknowledged on Tuesday. From here Biden covered the debt crisis, the climate crisis even calling it an existential threat, the mental health crisis, the opioid and fentanyl crisis, violence in America and abroad, food insecurity on a worldwide scale and unbearable healthcare costs.

Economic Inequality Marks the Time

Pandemic Profiteering_Inequality Org Economic Inequality

The year 2020 has been one for the record books. Pre-Covid, the divide between the “haves and have-nots” reached it’s greatest disparity in fifty years. A few months into a world-wide pandemic and that gap has already increased. Billionaire’s wealth has ballooned over 20% in just three months. Meanwhile, the impact of record unemployment and isolation is just beginning to manifest. There has been an increase in ‘deaths of despair’ such as suicides and overdoses. An increase in evictions and poverty are predicted to reach unprecedented levels.

Consider that among the “G-7” nations, the US has the greatest economic inequality, yet it is one of the richest countries in the world. What is going on?! How did the few in power come to control all the wealth? Incredibly, we were warned that this division would happen! The pandemic has become a means to accelerate this economic inequality and iniquity exponentially. Let’s look to God’s Word to learn more.

Is God Blessing America?

This past week was the traditional “State of the Union” speech given by the US president. The purpose of the speech is to give an overview of exactly how the US is fairing these days and lay out an agenda for the future. Trump matched past presidents by touting a great economy, the “military might” of the US and sighted his personally perceived achievements. His facts on these issues are clearly from one perspective, his. He mostly ignored what is really going on in the world and issues that affect the majority of Americans. Trump was sure to end the speech with “God Bless America!” So the question is, “Is God blessing America?”

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