Governments and their friends love to publish lies about the 'poor'. Generated from census analysis, the poor are always shown to be growing, in danger of becoming 'poorer'; and that the 'rich' are becoming so much richer in comparison. Given the fact that society is wealthier, incomes across all levels are higher; and that being 'poor' today is a lot different from being 'poor' 50, 100, or 200 years ago, such 'statistics' should be treated with contempt.

Governments and their various agencies distort numbers for their own benefit. This is especially true of 'class' warfare – a major platform for government expansion. If government cannot justify its own existence than it can't keep expanding. Hence the constant need to demonise the 'rich', lie about poverty levels and complain of inequality.

In both Canada and the US independent analysis puts the level of poverty at between 5-8% of the population. This is the percentage of families comprising 4 members, who survive on less than $20.000 per annum in income. This level excludes cash grants; transfers; and net assets that the family might own. Hence a statistical anomaly can occur. I might be very well off but not declare income above $20.000 – ergo I am poor.

But that is not the main problem with government funded 'facts' showing rampant poverty. Government poverty rates are typically 2-4 times higher than actual rates. The contrivance is done on purpose, to convince the lay public that widespread inequity must be resolved by more income redistribution; government programs; and 'compassionate' values. No human wants to see another starve, but the lie that government helps alleviate poverty, or any problem for that matter, is one of the great distortions of history. Governments make poverty worse not better.

Governments create misery by distorting markets, wages and stopping natural processes from occuring. Governments for example create entire regional welfare traps, where regions receive government money or welfare, and never implement the tax, fiscal, social or cultural policies to allow success. Over time these welfare subsidies become a 'value' and a 'right'. All they do is keep the region in economic misery. The same applies to welfare families where 2 or 3 generations fall into the welfare trap; to subsidized firms and entire protected industries. All government is doing through welfare support is destroying wealth and creating clients of the state.

State fabricated lies in the US and Canada routinely cry that 16-25% of the population are poor. Half starved children's images are used to reinforce this government created fantasy. Various statistics, numbers, and studies are shown to confirm this number. But the lie is outrageous. There is no possibility that 1/5 of the population in Canada or the US is poor. The bottom quintile might not be rich, but 2/3 or more of this bottom income earning group, are certainly not poor.

There are facts that such studies casually 'miss' about those income earners in the lowest quintile:

-Over half of those in the lowest income level own large assets such as cars, appliances and homes. In fact in the US half of the poor own their own homes, and in Canada fully 40% have home equity.

-Many of those in this category are part-time workers; seniors or teenagers – namely those not at risk from poverty and in the case of seniors, those whose government assistance is not counted in their total incomes.

-Even outside of seniors, poverty cut-off levels do not take into account cash grants or government transfers which can increase incomes by 1/3 to ½ and they ignore black market transactions which many lower income people participate in [and which accounts for about 30% of GDP].

-25-35% of the population is now paid 'off the payroll' as independent contractors. As small business people they can write off expenses and lower their reported incomes. Many of these people earn more net income in this manner than being on a payroll and showing higher gross incomes, but lower net incomes after all taxes.

-Net assets are excluded. You cannot be poor if you have home, car or asset equity which can be turned into cash.

-Deflationary costs in many goods thanks to trade, Walmart and competitive factors are ignored. The quality, affordability and cost of almost all consumer goods is lower today than 25 years. The exceptions would be in government created messes – gasoline and food prices for example.

-It is a fact that family income is up 20% in the last 15 years, yet this important reality is never reported on by the media. How can poverty increase if in general every year national income is growing? The answer for Marxists and government unionized workers is that the income is being consolidated at the top of the income ladder, but this is untrue. All categories of income earners are growing their net income yearly.

There is no doubt that the 'poor' today are vastly better off than the poor of 1980. If you normalise income for the above and look at total net income, assets and purchasing power the total income of the bottom income earners is increasing by about 1 % per year – or about the same growth as those earning incomes in the top 20%.

Importantly as well, thanks to income and 'class' mobility, the people who are poor today are not the same ones who were poor in 1980. In fact the lower income earners usually move out of the lower income level within 6 years. Most young workers start out with low incomes and work their way up to the middle or high-income group. Incomes peak when people hit middle age and fall again as they approach their early 60s.

But you will never hear such facts and analysis in the school systems or the 'unbiased' media. And perhaps the biggest point of all from government census and income data is never mentioned. Those whose earnings rise the fastest and furthest have one thing in common. They are married, they stay married, and they are constantly employed. Simple but true – but never emphasized by government 'studies'.

There is an entire poverty industry, including unionized goverment workers; agencies; lobby groups and of course politicians who make their living from the 'poor'. They need and demand an increase to their constituency base. In addition to moronically simplistic themes about the environment, children, or 'values' it is a political winner – who will argue against helping the poor? It is however a pity that anyone would believe such lies, when as plain as the nose on your face, society is much better off than 25 years ago – at all income levels.

The sad truth is that those who constantly cite rising poverty levels will implement policies that will hurt those earning lower incomes and decrease the total wealth of society. They will raise taxes, put up trade barriers and try to unionize Walmart forcing up retail prices. These are policies for losers. The so-called poor will be the worst affected by the populist policies of vote-buying charlatans – but the media will never tell us that.