You are right... As one comment says:
“I really wish we could come up with a different term for “poverty”. I have traveled to places with real poverty (e.g., Central Africa and Central America). By comparison, there is zero poverty in the US.
We would be a whole lot better off as a country if our “relatively poor” understood that they are blessed to live in a country where they are richer and better off than about 90% of the rest of the world’s population.”
And for the FYI of all, I’m the guy behind Commentopia... an ex Reader’s Digest editor (from the grand old RD days,} who tries his best to find both sides of an issue for a balanced view of so many vital issues challenging our nation.
You are so correct. Of course there are poor and cashed strapped families in this country. But as a rule there is help available from government programs, churches and other charities. The young people I know think they are deprived if they don't have a cell phone.
In my world, the third world countries with no resources are impoverished.
(What a fascinating career you must have had!)