a dream exposed:

The American Dream has come to represent a new meaning for me. The dream no longer symbolizes hope, rather it is the imaginary world in which we wander, unwilling to acknowledge the reality that awaits us when we open our eyes. It is time to awaken, and walk out of the dream into the light. While our mind still clings to visions of opportunity, much of the world leads a life of oppression. Take a moment to review some of these statistics that show how the world is for those outside of the American Dream:

More than 1.2 billion people – one in every five on earth – survive on less than $1 a day.

12 million people die each year from lack of water.

1.1 billion lack access to clean water and 4 billion (2 out of 3) go without wastewater disposal.

Every year more than 10 million children die of preventable illness – 30,000 a day.

Currently 115 million children are not being educated.

More than 840 million people in the world are malnourished – 153 million under the age of 5.

The income of the world’s richest 1% equals the income of the world poorest 57%.

The three richest people in the world have assets that exceed the combined GDP of the 48 least developed countries.

2004 © Zgroove Inc.

within reach:

9 billion: Annual cost to provide clean water and safe sewer to the world.
11 billion: Annual amount Europeans spend on Ice Cream.

6 billion: Annual cost to provide basic education to everyone in the world.
8 billion: Annual amount American’s spend on cosmetics.

13 billion: Annual cost to provide basic health care and nutrition to the whole world.
17 billion: Amount spent on Pet Food by America and Europe.

40 billion: The United Nations estimated cost to provide basic education, adequate food, basic health care, clean water and safe sewers for the world’s population.

41 billion: Combined 03-04 tax cut given to the top 1% of Americans via President Bush’s 2001-2010 tax plan.

45 billion: The requested increase for the U.S. Military budget from 2002 to 2003. (2002 Budget was 360 Billion Dollars)

(Information gathered primarily from United Nations Development Reports 1997-2003)