manufacturing sheep...though my sci-fi mind can't conceive what happens when the masters and sheep assume their coveted roles. What happens next? Genocide? For what purpose? And then what? None of it makes sense, yet here it comes.

The tragic part for me is that these numbers encourage people like Obama to do more of what they are doing. What they are doing is what is making these numbers as bad as they are.

Yes, that is interesting! But my question is how does the government benefit by exaggerating the number in poverty? Or more correctly by raising the poverty line so much?

I know a lot of folks that fall under the new "poverty" line but can't recall any of them actually going hungry. Hardly any grow a garden as I do and even less can / dry / freeze thier food. The average person below the poverty line has a cell phone, a car, and satellite tv.

Is this all to create the cycle of dependence or am I missing seething here?

Socialism (read: Communism Lite) requires as many victims to capitalism as can be counted.

Raise the means testing for poverty, and you have your victims....

Obamacare subsidies! The federal poverty line affects who is eligible (must be under 400% of the line). So, raise the line, make more people get subsidies and make their healthcare dependent on that government program continuing. They'll vote accordingly "if they know what's good for them."