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?

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.

Look for millions more to be thrown into hopeless poverty.

Why am I not surprised? Look for millions more to be thrown into hopeless poverty.

So trillions over the decades on the "war on poverty," they are self proclaiming their loss of ground, and want more. Sounds about right for the statist march. Even Bono from U2 has come to realize that capitalism is the only way to raise large numbers of people out of poverty.

Yes, I get it. And it is feasible. But this has been going on for quite a while. Is it possible that there isn't a grand plan to enslave everyone but it is just people getting soft? That and the fear everyone seems to have of being perceived as "cold hearted"?