McClelland writes in “RIP, The Middle Class: 1946-2013” that
the middle class is growing smaller and smaller. It is happening slowly but
surely. The middle class is separating and now people are only being labeled as
rich or poor. He claims that it is easy to make money. Anyone can buy whatever
they want whenever they want with or without a degree. The only thing you need
this day in age is a job. I disagree with this statement because I think
poverty has existed since the beginning of civilization. People have struggle
from back then all the way up until today. I also believe that the middle class
remains and is still the largest class there is. Yes, people can afford the
things they need to live. However, that doesn’t mean they can just buy whatever
they want. Education is very important and it plays a key role in the jobs that
people everywhere have. I believe that this has always been the case. In the
passage “Nickel, and Dimed” by Barbara Echrenreich I got the idea that you
could make something out of nothing. Tammy started off as a maid and now
manages her own company. It makes me feel as if you can do what it is you do
without any regrets. She worked as a maid and had to develop her skills from ground up. It's important to know that you get what you put in. Your results and success should match the work you do in order to reach that level. McClelland states that it's the government's fault but I think that they should only be responsible to some degree. Yes, the government should help keep the citizens on their feet but people shouldn't rely only on them for everything,
Cameron,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement on that the government should help to some degree, but people should not rely on it. I do not think that the American dream is still accessible to the majority of people today. I think it can be achieved, but definitely way harder today. In, “RIP, the Middle Class: 1946-2013” Edward McClelland explains that in the 1970’s it was much easier to make a decent living without an education. He explains that if you were a high school dropout, you could start at a manufacturing job and work your way up making even more than a teacher who has a degree. Nowadays, if you don’t have a high school diploma, you are lucky to get a job at McDonalds making $7.25. After the Great Depression, I think that McClelland starts to blame the Presidents for not making a better effort to help the poor. Although, it is partly their responsibility to help, it shouldn’t be all up to them. Becoming a wealthy person takes work and perseverance. Like, Barbara Ehrenreich; author of “Nickel and Dimed”, although she did not like her job as a maid, she had to work hard and make her way up the pay scale. It is definitely hard work, but success can be achieved for the little amount of people that are willing to work hard for it.
I disagree with both of you vehemently, not only with your viewpoints on the hard work/success question but also with your interpretations of the articles. McClelland argues not that it is easy to get a job and earn a living wage but that it is almost impossible to do so. Not only does becoming a wealthy person NOT always require work and perseverance (e.g. inheritance) simply paying your bills requires work and perseverance. I feel that many people have a mistaken belief that hard work always leads to economic success and those that aren't successful don't work hard enough. This broken view of American capitalism is a large part of what is wrong with American society today. Take yourselves as examples. Most college students will graduate with a four year degree that is essentially equivalent to a 1970's high school diploma. To earn this degree students must spend an extra four years working hard and are almost always saddled with massive amounts of student load debt. We do all of this assuming that we are going to get jobs with our diplomas that make us rich--that probably won't happen to most of the people in this class. Speaking personally, I work 50 hour weeks and pay out of pocket to so that I can get my college degree. I work extremely hard. I will never be rich. Neither will most of you. Companies do not allow you to work hard, move up the pay scale, and define your own success. IT is not only exceedingly difficult to do so, it also requires luck, connections, outside wealth. Did nobody notice that in Ehrenreich's piece--in which she voluntarily worked minimum wage jobs for three months as an experiment--nobody has any options for upward mobility? Ehrenreich is a journalist. She quit that experimental cleaning job and used her ability to write to pay her bills. Do you think anyone else from that story saw any kind of economic success? Did they work any less hard than "rich people" do for their minimum wage salaries? And how is asking for some help in that situation relying on the government for everything?
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