40% of Americans can't cover a $400 emergency expense
This makes it clear why our current capitalism doesn&#x27;t work. The ruling class &#x2F; rich and wealth people  and businesses could extract <i>more</i> wealth out of the middle and lower classes than they do now, if the lower classes were more stable and secure.<p>In the US especially, but nearly everywhere, there are hoards of people trying to lower or eliminate social services, basic science research, etc, with the dog-whistle claim that those things are not necessary and should not be provided by the state or using state funds. This line of thinking is extremely common in conservative circles, where they claim that societal prosperity would come from hurting the poor as much as possible in order to extract the greatest amount of wealth from them.<p>But when you look at statistics like these, it is clear that there is no more wealth to be extracted from the lower classes - they are all just merely trying to survive. Provide UBI or something like it, along with all other things necessary for a strong social net, <i>and watch the rich get even richer</i> while the poor grow into a stronger middle class.<p>It is especially confusing that this outcome seems to be hated by the rich, despite it certainly lifting their wealth. It makes me wonder if much of conservative policy is just as much about hating the poor as it is helping the rich - because conservative policies that hurt the poor are increasingly obviously hurting the rich. I just don&#x27;t understand why it isn&#x27;t taken for granted that we need a stable society to make more money over time. That seems clear to me.<p>Many of those in poverty today are there because of the systematic oppression of the poor across America for the last many hundreds of years. Blaming them for it isn&#x27;t going to help - they aren&#x27;t even being provided basic education, as that is also being cut in many places in the USA (so how do you expect them to become financially aware, anyway, if they are not taught that growing up in school? Parents raising children in poverty are in no place to teach their own kids financial management skills).<p>To lift people out of poverty we must change our attitudes towards class and capitalism and be more compassionate to create a more stable society.