@Happysquirrel. What I meant wasn't that the level of wealth couldn't change but in a society at any moment in time there is only so much wealth. If this wealth is all concentrated at the top then clearly the wealth is not at the bottom. Also there is a choice, it isn't black and white. You can grow the pie while redistributing some of it. To not redistribute any of it is awful, it means that unemployed people would have no home, no healthcare and no way out - America already redistributes some of this wealth through social security and medical programs.
@MrStickBall. There is a difference between the poverty line and the standard of living for people well below that poverty line. You were at one but (I'm assuming) not the other. Certainly Americas poorest do not have a great standard of living and one that is well below most others in the Western world.
