America's shame on Four Corners this week

The ABC Four Corners programme revealed America's shame this week with a heartbreaking documentary about the working class poor.

The show followed a 21 year old mum of two girls, a forty-something dad of six and a 52 year old father of two.

The mother lived in her car and drove around San Diego all day, trying to find menial work while two small children literally hung of her. The two dads lived in motel rooms with their whole families.

Yes at least the latter have roofs over their heads but.....a whole family in a motel room?

I found myself thinking: there are people in third world countries who have it tougher than this. Which is true, there are terrible levels of poverty in other places but there is something about watching America crumble that is heartbreaking.

It's like watching someone slowly destroy themselves on drugs or alcohol. They begin as respectable citizens: job, family, law abiding, pay taxes, brush their teeth.

Then slowly they fall from grace.

America was a powerhouse for as long as I have been on this planet. You weren't really famous if you hadn't made it in America, you hadn't really travelled or lived until you'd been to America.

But underneath all the glitz, there was a weak foundation. We all know that now so I won't go over it. After my own turn at the Royal Bank of Scotland during the Global Financial Crisis gosh knows I can't find the energy to analyse THAT disaster any more.

At the end of the programme, I found myself thinking: and yet all these 'people' like the Kardashians, Kendra, The Real Housewives of wherever....are getting paid millions for being ridiculous and honest Americans who just want a job, an income (even if its small) and a good meal are sleeping in designated parking lots for the 'half homeless'.

Now that's a disaster.

Lauren