Inevitably, comparisons with the Great Depression, when food stamps did not exist, are being made. Then, a quarter of the workforce was unemployed, compared with just 5 per cent today. By one estimate, 60 per cent of the populace lived in poverty in the depths of the Depression. The 30 per cent poverty experienced in some US inner cities and depressed rural areas today is showing signs it is capable of reaching that level.

While some media outlets have challenged this characterization, and politicians have been wary of using such grim terms, the confluence of economic stresses is such that looming recession may be just another cause of what could be serious eco-political upheaval. Already, the Bush administration has implemented monumental changes to the US financial regulatory system.

The ‘Though tLeader‘ from South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper puts in this way:

Of course this means that whoever assumes the presidency is going to inherit not only two wars, local and global recession, the re-emergence of Russia and China as well as climate change, but also a host of other pressing issues from terrorism to genocide.

One issue of which they will be acutely aware — but which will probably not feature near the top of their list of priorities — is poverty. While all presidential candidates commit themselves to uplifting the poor, there appears to be a lack of substance behind most of the rhetoric.

Part of the problem is that the current system is not adequately taking into account how much the overall global economy now depends on sometimes underprivileged consumers and their ability to participate in global markets, either finding work in stable or conflict-free locations, or in keeping up with prices for food staples.

A widening gap between the wealthiest and the poorest across the world is in part due to the failures of the marketplace to distribute goods and services effectively, a situation which could be remedied as information is extended more freely, beyond borders, and technology plays an enhanced role in the lives of those currently excluded from its direct benefits.