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We found 39 Reddit comments about Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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39 Reddit comments about Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America:

u/JackGetsIt · 20 pointsr/JoeRogan

You bring up a solid point, however you're falling into the just world fallacy. Not everyone that can't put together a 1000 dollars 'deserved' it. My guess is that at least 50% of that 63% number are hardworking americans working multiple jobs that simply can't break out of the paycheck to paycheck trap. The cost of living has been outpacing pay for 30 years.

I agree that some people simply don't budget properly or are miss appropriating or aren't using their time to get skills etc. but that's simply not the entire story at all

There's a good book on this called Nickeled and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.

This is not coming from a bleeding heart liberal either. I'm a libertarian that wants to see welfare reduced but that doesn't mean there aren't some serious problems with the economy right now.

u/iheartgawker · 17 pointsr/politics

There was an amazing book called Nickel and Dimed that discussed this. Basically a decently well-off woman took a bunch of minimum wage jobs to see what it was like to live off minimum wage. She wrote about how difficult it was to make ends meet and how hard she worked, but in the back of her mind she always knew this was temporary. She'd signed up for this "experience" and at then end of it she'd go back to her easier life. It helped her mentally push through a lot of the bullshit she had to deal with, and she said she couldn't imagine how terrifying and exhausting life would be for someone who didn't have her fallback.

u/BumblingHypotenuse · 14 pointsr/breakingmom

First, u/Flewtea, please understand that I am not attacking you or your opinion or experiences, I am simply offering some thoughts from my own personal experience.

Also, to avoid derailing your post u/throwawayisnotgreat, I have tried to make it informative for your perspective. I am not sure I have succeeded, and it did get long. My apologies!

If I'm remembering my reading correctly, this book and/or this book (I'm sorry, it has been a while since I cracked them open) state that welfare's original purpose was to allow mothers to stay at home to parent their children effectively when other options became untenable. This purpose has been twisted and tangled over the decades through laws and interpretations into a dungheap of epic proportions which is used to negatively influence public/political opinion toward the poor and further constrain their ability to function effectively within our society.

A welfare queen, in my humble opinion, is someone who utilizes and abuses the system for her own benefit, without concern for her children's upkeep and well-being.

In this instance, OP is being instructed to utilize the system under the original intent of the Welfare system - in order to care for her child - because other options are not apparent, and it would be a viable solution. However, within the system that currently exists, OP would need to understand that the red-tape and political atmosphere of today would make it as difficult as possible for her to "go on the system" and find a comfortable solution.

OP should know that the process itself can be humiliating and degrading. The solutions provided are not intended to provide for anything beyond basic means and support. It is not a matter of waltzing down, getting a hug, and being handed a check. They make you beg.

Additionally, OP should exhaust every option before applying, and be advised that the answer may still be "no."

OP would then be advised to remember that, upon qualification, retention of assistance is not guaranteed. In fact, the system has been engineered in such a way that a qualifying individual or household can be denied or suspended from the system at any time without any forewarning. There is an appeals process available. It puts the burden of proof on the applicant, who generally does not understand the system. The people who work there have trouble understanding it.

OP should also be aware that getting off the system is even more difficult than getting access to it. The difference between allowance and affordability is a hard line which leaves empty bellies and unpaid heating bills, and no more help - unless one falls below the line or becomes homeless. Then, you have an existing file and new circumstances, and they can just plug in the new information and the dance resumes.

People who use this system more than prove that they need it. Is it possible to work the system for personal benefit? Of course it is. People who live by working any system exist in every system, not just welfare and assistance. They are present in government offices, school buildings, retail stores, corporations, banks, prisons, food suppliers, casinos, union halls - if it exists, someone has figured out how to work it for their personal benefit to the detriment of others. I am going to say "Bernie Madoff" to make this point. There are dozens of others whose actions have been untested in a court of law, or tested and mildly punished or unpunished altogether (think Enron, cigarette companies, the banking system) or even rewarded...

The main differences between these individuals and people on assistance of any kind is the amount of money involved, and the ability to hide or fight back.

I (personally) think "welfare queen" might be a bit strong for this occasion.

____

edit, fixed typos, tried to address better, and further apologies to u/Flewtea and u/throwawayisnotgreat because I'm not trying to attack anyone or any position, and as usual I mucked it up.

u/Apetn · 13 pointsr/AskSocialScience

For intro sociology, I'd recommend some preachy nonfiction. They are written for laymen but introduce the sociological style of approach. Something like Fat Land or Uninsured in America.

Freakanomics is not exactly sociology, but could be an interesting read for someone interested in social economics / group behavior. Jonathan Kozol is a reporter, not a sociologist, but his stories mix investigative reporting with a human element to focus on topics of interest to the field of sociology. I remember Nickel and Dimed also being a good read.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is not a book about sociology, but rather a specific example of culture clash within the context of medical care. That being said, it is a big reason why I decided to become a social worker (which is a profession in line with the two fields mentioned in your post).

A Place at the Table is a movie that might fit the bill.

Note: I'm American. I imagine other places would have different topics of interest.

Edited: add movie and fix format

u/SWaspMale · 11 pointsr/politics

For realities, except not so much about 'mother'.

u/[deleted] · 9 pointsr/personalfinance

Most people are just fine, until they're not. One medical expense (emergency appendectomy, broken leg, etc) can take you from comfortable to poor nearly immediately. This is far more pronounced with poor people who struggle to save 100 bucks, when a big medical bill can be 5k or more.

Check out the book Nickled and Dimed. It gives you a really great perspective on all the weird exploitations and the thing you never think of when you have money. My family grew up with this kind of lifestyle for the first 12-ish years of my life. It's really heartbreaking to see someone's whole life come crashing down because of one small hiccup, and it takes years to recover. It is pretty controversial (as a book of this subject should be), but for a less emotional look, check out The Working Poor: Invisible in America.

These situations are why universal health care is something I support, even though I know it would ultimately cost me more. If we could take away the single biggest surprise expense that haunts poor people, we give a lot of them the chance to move up the ladder. The people who are against it aren't those at the top, but those just a step up from abject poverty. There's a "pulling the ladder up behind you" mentality that a lot of people have. Same reason that so many people who work low-paying jobs hate minimum wage rises: their wage becomes less "valuable"

u/DokuHimora · 8 pointsr/suggestmeabook
u/arborday · 7 pointsr/ChapoTrapHouse

Give him something sneakily socialist yet normie af like Nickel and Dimed. A teacher gave me that in High School when my politics consisted of nothing beyond "fuck bush" and it was a very good read.

u/ignu · 7 pointsr/CrazyIdeas

Eh. One of the most debilitating things about poverty is the feeling of despair. They're not going to have any of that.

Btw, you should check out Nickel And Dimed
http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681 where Barbara Ehrenreich did this experiment for a year. (But she never forgot all the advantages her privilege still afforded her)

u/cantcountnoaccount · 6 pointsr/financialindependence

Its been written. "Nickled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America," by Barbara Ehrenreich

u/slugsnot · 6 pointsr/personalfinance

>I must admit this challenge has opened my eyes in so many ways I could probably write a book.

You would really like Nickel and Dimed

u/funobtainium · 6 pointsr/personalfinance

Get Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich out at the library. There's an interesting chapter or two in there about the way housekeeping agencies make it hard on their crews. I think it was Merry Maids in the book.

She is definitely better off working as an independent cleaner (and can make her own hours.) I mean, if a homeowner is willing to pay $125 for three cleaners for two hours, one very efficient person can probably do the same work in a few more and pocket 100%. Well, minus materials, etc.

Even if that doesn't appeal and she's busting her hump for less than minimum wage, a different job might be a better way to go.

u/oldneckbeard · 6 pointsr/TrueReddit

Except that's not true. Health care for catastrophes is far more expensive than most people think it is. Hell, this is the entire reason obamacare is a damned good thing, and will really pay off for our country in the next 10-20 years if the republicans don't rape it.

I mean, for colon cancer, you're talking 50k/yr average. I don't care many months of emergency money you've saved, it's not enough. You're talking 2-3 aggregated lifetimes worth of 'emergency funds' to get through something like this.

You're still sitting here with the idea that it's poor choices that drive poverty, and you couldn't be more wrong. There are entire books written on this. There are scientific studies on this. Poor decision making is such a small factor. You are claiming that they make up a majority, but quite frankly, every piece of data out there disagrees with you.

Republicans love to froth at the mouth about poor people with cell phones -- how else are they supposed to get a job? And who is going to hire an unwashed street person? Without access to a phone, mailing address, and showers, you're unlikely to get a job. That's nothing to do with laziness or poor decision making, that's a self-reinforcing cycle. Also you leave out the mental toll that being poor takes on people. You also ignore the time costs of being poor.

If you want to actually get more educated about the situation with poor people in America, there's a few books to read: Nickled and Dimed is one of the best books out there, and it's a great first book to read in this arena. It gets into all the decisions and constructs in society and government that prevent poor people from getting ahead on their debts and breaking free of poverty. Any book of this type is going to get mixed reviews, and of course all the 1 and 2-star reviews on amazon are basically entitled people who think like you do -- the poor are poor because of moral failings, not because of any external factor.

Then, read One Nation, Underprivileged. From the description itself: "the fundamental causes of poverty are to be found in our economic structure and political policy failures, rather than individual shortcomings or attitudes." The top reviewer states:

> Two important points stand out in my mind. First, poverty isn't something that just happens to other kinds of people, as the author demonstrates through careful analysis of several large, longitudinal data sets; second, poverty is not the result of personal deficiencies, neither moral, motivational, or intellectual weaknesses (as conservatives would claim) nor educational Rather, poverty is a necessary consequence of the current structure of our economic and social systems. His data sources are much more recent as well, so I find the logical arguments from him more compelling.

If you have an open mind and actually care about being informed, I'd highly recommend these two books. There's a third I've heard a lot about, called Poverty in America: A Handbook. I'll admit I haven't read this one yet, but his message is nearly identical to the other two:

> The persistence of poverty in the United States reflects more than just an aggregation of individual failings. Structural factors, such as the way we understand and define poverty, [and] the inherent features of our economic system that produce income inequality

The idea that the poor are poor because of their own decision making, and that they can just stop making stupid decisions and get out of poverty, has been thoroughly debunked for the last 30 years. But, it's such a simple argument that lets somebody think they understand the world (and of course, such a world has them as a moral paragon for not being poor). The idea that even a majority of people are poor because of bad decision making is, frankly, not true. It's a straight up ignorant statement in this day and age.

u/Alvur · 5 pointsr/politics

THANK YOU. Holy hell there is so much "I got mine" un-constructive circle-jerking going on in this thread. People with under-utilized degrees arguing over scraps. You aren't a better person who deserves a living wage more just because you got a degree. Everyone deserves the right to be able to work hard and put food on the table. Working retail may not be fulfilling work or mentally challenging work but it is still work and it isn't easy. Your head shouldn't explode because the OTHER HARDWORKING PERSON is making a comparable wage to you.

People in this thread need to get off their high horse and read a book (like Nickel and Dimed).

u/TheGoshDarnedBatman · 4 pointsr/cincinnati

I hesitate to say you should feel bad per se, but gentrification is becoming a major issue in urban areas. It's nice when upper-middle class white people take it upon themselves to "renovate" areas, but the people who were there need to go somewhere.

If you're still on the "the homeless are only homeless because they are lazy" train, let me suggest Nickel and Dimed. It's a great exploration of poverty in the United States, although it's a bit dated now.

u/theacctpplcanfind · 4 pointsr/news
  1. So if you agree, don't you think we should set a minimum wage that is livable for single parents before these benefits are widely available?
  2. You are heavily misinformed about unemployment benefits. Currently the only cash-based assistance families can get is from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which serves about 600,000 people, the majority of them children. To qualify for TANF you much be very low income, which varies by state but is typically under the minimum wage. Any countable income that you then receive is deduced from your TANF benefits. The upper limit of TANF benefits amounts to 10k a year per family, and more than half of states have the upper limit at $2500 a year per family,, far below the Federal Poverty Level for even an individual (~12k). TANF is also temporary--even if you don't find a job within the time limit, you will lose your benefits, and many very poor in the US (which also goes hand-in-hand with lack of education/skills) live on no income at all other than food stamps.
  3. Two people also have two mouths to feed.

    I think that you, like many people, have a lot of engrained beliefs about poverty that aren't fact-based but learned from a lifetime of media angles, biased and anecdotal accounts, etc that you haven't questioned yet. If you'd like some good reads to expand your education on the poor in the US, $2 A Day and Nickled and Dimed are great reads.
u/RayWencube · 3 pointsr/ShitRConservativeSays

> Any money they saved up

What money? How much money do you expect someone earning ~$290 a week (minimum wage) to be able to save? And even if they could save money, do you really think it will be enough to afford a down payment and a mortgage and a car payment?

>sell their unnecessary stuff

What unnecessary stuff? And to whom?

>Moving with friends/family

So now we're only talking about those people who are in a position to move AND who know multiple other people who are in a position to move AND who want to move to the same small town? And even if they did, what about anti-brothel laws that in loads of municipalities prevent multiple unrelated people from living together?

>Small towns dont have gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants?

Sure they do, but not many. And even if our would-be relocator could find a job in one of them, what makes you think they would be treated any better just because they are now in a small town? And don't forget, now they have a mortgage and a car payment and have been drained of any savings they originally had.

>Presumption of racism is a bit of a stretch, especially when theres laws agains that

There are laws against it, but racism is still pervasive in the workplace. Here is just one small example of how that manifests.

You seem like you mean well, but you also have demonstrated a lack of understanding about the reality of life of urban poor. And that's okay--unless you've lived it or specifically gone out of your way to learn about it, there's no reason you shouldn't lack knowledge of the subject. But I really encourage you to go out of your way to learn about it--and keep an open mind. It's kind of boring, but I strongly recommend starting with Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.. She defintely has an angle, but the factual narratives are elucidating, and it provides a good foundation for further learning. If you're comfortable PMing me your e-mail address, I'd be happy to buy you a copy.

Edit: formatting because dumb

u/noxetlux · 3 pointsr/TalesFromRetail

I think you know next to nothing about "the system" nor the people who are part of it. Who, exactly, do you think of as "the poor"? It's not just lazy trailer-park dwellers or single parents anymore. Being poor can mean being a full-time student working multiple part-time jobs. Or not being able to work due to mental or physical health issues. Or even having a job and making so little that you can't make ends meet. It's nice you and your wife have fairly good jobs but I bet you couldn't begin to identify the actual poor among you. This is a good look into how one can work and still be destitute: [Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America] (http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376894758&sr=8-1&keywords=nickel+and+dimed+on+not+getting+by+in+america)

When I was working full-time making what I considered to be a quite good salary, I still qualified for yearly fuel assistance and I was damn thankful it existed. Now I'm thankful that I qualify for EBT. They know all the details of my situation and they made the decision to give me assistance. I don't get unemployment and I don't get disability...not that it's really any of your business.

I have the internet because I pay for it.

You don't know me, my life or my situation, and I honestly couldn't care less what you think about me.

u/SnapesGrayUnderpants · 3 pointsr/LateStageCapitalism

Jack London lived like poor people in London around 1903 (People of the Abyss) and Barbara Ehrenreich did the same in the US in the late 90's or early 2000's (Nickle and Dimed: On not getting by in America). Both proved there is virtually no way to get out of poverty by your own efforts when you cannot get a job or can't get one that pays about subsistence level. When people can't escape poverty playing by existing rules, some asshole inevitably comes along and says they have no right to basic necessities. In my opinion, that's why uprisings happen.

u/songbolt · 3 pointsr/HumanTippyTaps

Okay, thank you. I've added it to my reading list. However, I do not see that I can spend the time reading this book in the near future (or have the money to do so). I was hoping you would have some more immediate answer.

u/idknickyp · 3 pointsr/travel

well, duh, but if you remember that servers are human beings trying to live off what you give them, you probably already tip well so the change in price wouldn't be as much as you might think, or might be close to zero. feel free to read some more about it here,
here, here, or here. and those sources were just what I found quickly searching.

an interesting read on minimum wage in the US in general is Nickel and Dimed, although anecdotal, it is robustly filled out with facts and statistics.

u/takeandbake · 3 pointsr/personalfinance

Get this book from the library:

http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681

Read author's AMA

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/23d7n9/

If your library has it, watch the documentary Paycheck to Paycheck by HBO

Keep in mind that you are 18 now but your opportunities for better jobs are significantly stymied without postsecondary education. And your opportunities for postsecondary education are significantly stymied by isolating yourselves from the parents.

u/agphillyfan · 3 pointsr/politics

I came here to say this, he could have saved himself a week. Here's a link for those who are interested.

Here's a Wikipedia entry on the book.

u/ciaphas22 · 3 pointsr/politics

There are many reasons for the higher crime rate in the US versus most other countries. One of the biggest, which ties into income inequality, is the fact that we have a very harsh probationary system for people who have been released from prison as well as a very weak social safety net. People who have been convicted or have taken a plea deal have an incredibly difficult time finding work in the US, and when they do it is typically part time and low income work. Not only are ex-convicts denied most social services like food stamps, but they are also required to pay "probation fines" which can be ~$50-$90 a month while they are under probation. On top of that Obamacare now requires that all Americans purchase insurance, or are forced to pay penalties, adding further financial burden. Add to all of these things the fact that America has a larger incarcerated population than any other country on the planet. So in many of these poor communities people end up in a cycle of incarceration, where they are jailed for a minor offence, lose their job, serve time, are released and expected to fend for themselves while not provided with a means to do so, and then are forced into crime and gangs in order to survive.

Hopefully I provided a decent summary about why America has such a disproportionally high crime rate compared to other developed countries.

Though it doesn't directly deal with crime, the book Nickel and Dimed gives an incredible picture of how difficult life is for poor Americans. Mind you the research for the main portion book was done in 1998-1999 when America's economy was significantly better than it is now, the 2011 version of the book adds an even more bleak picture of the situation of America's poor.

u/Aaod · 2 pointsr/bestof

You scrimp and you save five dollars here 10 dollars for mowing a neighbors lawn maybe 20 bucks because food was cheaper one week... then bam a part on your car fails you have the choice of letting the car go or paying 200 to fix it and you need that car to get to work. You could take public transportation but it would be an hour one way and 60 bucks a month so you swallow your pride and put that 200 into the car praying hoping that it does not break again. This is just one example of why being poor is so expensive and makes it nearly impossible to save. If you want actual books on the matter http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454131226&sr=8-1&keywords=nickel+and+dimed This is a good one.

u/wasabicupcakes · 2 pointsr/jobs

> I feel like not defining yourself by your work can definitely make it easier to deal with.

In that regard, yes. I have very few memories of my parents every talking about work or complaining about their day. I knew they went to work but that was about it.

I was first asked that question by an old therapist of mine who was really big on environment: home, family, work, etc. I have never defined myself by what I do and sometimes others equated that to "lack of ambition". Sorry, there is more to life than 80 hour work weeks. My parents were always home in the evening and seldom worked OT.

Several good books if you have time:

  1. https://www.amazon.com/Working-People-Talk-About-What/dp/1565843428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520902801&sr=8-1&keywords=working%2Bstuds+terkel

  2. https://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520902843&sr=1-1&keywords=nickel+and+dimed

  3. https://www.amazon.com/Games-Mother-Never-Taught-You/dp/B00163OD2Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520902869&sr=1-2&keywords=betty+harrigan

u/knuckles523 · 2 pointsr/CrazyIdeas

There is a great book on this topic. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich granted she is a liberal journalist as opposed to a conservative, but the concept is the same. Can a college educated female make it on her own, working menial labor jobs (waitress, hotel maid, and Walmart associate) without any help from personal contacts.

u/chasmoffaith · 1 pointr/KitchenConfidential

This book if you have not already read on it, might give you some insight.

http://www.amazon.ca/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681

u/OB1-knob · 1 pointr/videos

You're almost correct on that statement but because I'm actually focusing on the rich, it doesn't exactly work.

The SJW term is a pejorative used by the Right, but I embrace it as Social Justice Worker. Since the very wealthy 1% tend to work against any social safety nets (the social part), if we all worked to even the scales more (that's the justice part) so the average joe on the poor end of the scale had a better shot at achieving the American Dream (instead of being nickeled and dimed to death), then we'd have a strong middle class and a much more robust economy.

But you're right about the fact that we're always pitted against each other. The difference is where you have your sights set.

If you have your sights set on crushing your Left or Right brother in the street, the the rich have won. If you have your sights set on the rich then that's what they don't want and you'll find yourself beset on all sides by the conservative poor that have been endlessly brainwashed by AM radio hate jockeys, right-wing bloggers and media pundits on Fox to hate Progressives, Democrats, Demonrats, The Left, Commie Pinko Socialists, SJWs, Obummers, feminazis, Ivory Tower/Limousine Liberals, etc, etc.

Easy, bumper sticker labels are essential propaganda tools to keep the masses fighting. The question that you alluded to is best put this way: How do 30 guards control 3,000 prisoners?

The answer: Race baiting and increased rations for the winners giving them a false sense of power. You can keep this up indefinitely by rigging the game to switch "power" between the two factions every few intervals.

I understand the game that's being played and I'm trying to explain it to you. It serves no purpose if some rich prick like Trump or Hillary gets in office and we scream "we won" to people in coffee shops. That's a false sense of power and about as useful as feeling elation because the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Superbowl. Does it help you? No.

Does the average conservative working joe "win" anything if a gay couple in another state is refused the right to marry? Nope.

Why would he then cheer when this happens? Is it some kind of moral victory even when he loses so much personally?

The more we can all agree what's worth fighting for, then we can all unite and demand our taxes and our efforts be put toward things that help all the working joes, right and left. First though, we have to get our brothers to see how they've been duped and direct their energies to making real progress.

u/quantic56d · 1 pointr/personalfinance

If your mom likes books buy her this:

http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681

The entire book is about how difficult it is to pay basic expenses while being on minimum wage.

Also, can she borrow the balance from her parents (your grandparents)? If that was the case she could pay "rent" to pay them back. You are right to be concerned. She is on a path to potentially lose it all. It's a story of many Americans.

u/seasonaloreos · 1 pointr/books

I can't help at all on the ancient slavery side but Nickel and Dimed is a really interesting look into modern day minimum wage labor.

u/DuckTruck · 1 pointr/askphilosophy

This book, Nickle and Dimed, presents a good account of American working-class poverty in the 90's.

http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681

u/Thereian · 1 pointr/politics

Barbara Ehrenreich did a book about her experiences doing just this. It's called nickel and dimed. It is an eye-opening read, even though she complained a lot.

u/whattodo-whattodo · 1 pointr/SeriousConversation

> how can one live in a tiny, filthy, rundown apartment with 3 kids and hardly have any food to eat and no disposable income?

I suppose it depends on what your options are. If your choices are between that & death, then that might not sound so bad.

> How much does upbringing have to do with it?

My guess is a lot. Though on the opposite end; Barbara Ehrenreich wrote a great book called Nickel and Dimed. She basically researched how the other half lived for a book. The terms were simple, she could use all of the intelligence, skills & mindset that she had developed over the years of excellent upbringing. However she couldn't use the status. She couldn't tell anyone that she went to college, call in favors from friends outside of her new life, use her savings, etc. It's pretty nauseating how far she didn't get in society.

u/Leisureguy · 1 pointr/wicked_edge

Good that you could jump to a new job. Some cannot. You might find Barbara Ehrenreich's book Nickeled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America of interest.

It would be nice if corporations did not exploit their workers, but most seem to eager to cut costs and increase profits, and frequently that comes out of the hide of employees. That's why unions arose and that's why so many laws and regulations are required. Most recently, we've seen many reports of wage theft by corporations.

You might want to look into it a little more.

u/mariox19 · 0 pointsr/Economics

I just finished this book: Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. It's worth reading. The kid did pretty well for himself, and he did so because he was strict with himself. The same way Robinson Crusoe was.

I bring up Crusoe because the article mentions this fictional character:

> If you're Robinson Crusoe you don't think ahead to what you'll build in two months, just to what you'll eat today. It's not a question of character [...]

Has the author read Robinson Crusoe? The whole point is that he worked on that island to secure his immediate needs while adding to his store of capital so that he could improve his conditions. The whole point of that book is moral instruction, making it very much a question of character.

I've read much of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, and I mean to read the whole thing. But from what I've already read, what keeps the people in that book down are things like having babies when they shouldn't. No one in this age of reliable contraception and safe and legal abortions should be having babies when they ought not to. It's the quickest way to poverty.

I think the article makes a very good point about stress and the precarious situation poor people are in, and about how poverty is (often) a matter of psychology, but an article like that is a veiled attempt at arguing that capitalism is wrong because people aren't rational: meaning, people don't deserve to be free. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it.