The United States was recently ranked 26th out of 29 wealthy countries by UNICEF regarding overall child welfare. The report found that the United States has high rates of child drug use, obesity, homicide, performs poorly in education and teenage pregnancy and infant mortality.

Although there are many factors — including overpopulation — that are frequently attributed to the reason for this low ranking, reports such as these fail to look at the bigger picture: Child well-being is just one part of a larger, systemic political problem. In the last 30 years, policies have turned in favor of extreme wealth, and the disparity between the rich and poor has sharply intensified.

There is also a clear ideological barrier in our method of aiding impoverished children, namely the ludicrous belief that the poorest class is already living lavishly off the government dollar. This ideology leads politicians to campaign against aid for those living below the poverty line and cut spending on welfare programs. As the UNICEF report demonstrates, the poor in America do not live comfortably because of government aid, and children in this country are suffering greatly because of it.

Our youth are clearly in need of improved social services. Instead, the religious right pours its time and money into preventing abortions, while staunchly opposing policies that would make children healthier, safer and better educated. We are not doing what we need to for our kids because we are distracted by the anti-abortion lobby, which, if successful, will ensure that more children are born to parents who cannot afford to care for them properly.

The tragedy in Newtown, Conn. has renewed a political emphasis on the welfare of America’s children — rightfully so, because after all, shouldn’t the test of a truly developed nation be its ability to provide the most basic security and opportunity to its most helpless citizens? The United States unequivocally fails this test on multiple grounds. Our politicians clamor about protecting our kids but hedge on gun proposals supported by 90 percent of Americans, restrict any debate regarding children to abortion and then blame the poorest for being a drain on our system. Hypocrisy permeates our entire political system, and the duplicitous refocus on the welfare of American children is shameful.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, April 15 print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at [email protected]