Why the Rich are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer: Analysis
In this essay by Robert Reich uses a metaphor to describe the social classes. The metaphor goes as follows. There are three boats, the first sinking very rapidly, the second boat is sinking but at a slower rate, and the third boat which is steadily rising. The lower-class workers he defines as routine producers, the middle class is stated as the in-person servers, and the wealthy are known as the symbolic analysists. Reich begins with the lower class and explains that they are becoming poorer due to job loss caused by more competition from other countries that will work the same job for a lower wage. He explains that the middle class is almost staying the same, but slowly sinking economically because of lower salaries due to an increase in social security. Lastly the upper class is rising because the class is composed of thinkers and scientists who are “…busily selling their discoveries to global enterprise webs.” (Reich, 525). After reading this essay I couldn’t help but agree with Reich’s ideas and views on the social classes. Beginning with the lower class, not only are they struggling with competition from other countries, but they also are more likely to have a …show more content…
The baby-boomers will be reaching retirement, and with double the amount of elderly people compared to 1988 (Reich 524), there will be a higher demand for health care workers. Occupations such as nurses, hospice aides, and home-care providers, will skyrocket. There is one small problem that makes this less exciting, the fact that baby-boomers will not be able to afford their retirement expenses, which will cause money to be taken from the in-person servers. While it may seem like a good thing that people will be hired as the baby-boomers age, in return it won’t change very
In this essay by Robert Reich uses a metaphor to describe the social classes. The metaphor goes as follows. There are three boats, the first sinking very rapidly, the second boat is sinking but at a slower rate, and the third boat which is steadily rising. The lower-class workers he defines as routine producers, the middle class is stated as the in-person servers, and the wealthy are known as the symbolic analysists. Reich begins with the lower class and explains that they are becoming poorer due to job loss caused by more competition from other countries that will work the same job for a lower wage. He explains that the middle class is almost staying the same, but slowly sinking economically because of lower salaries due to an increase in social security. Lastly the upper class is rising because the class is composed of thinkers and scientists who are “…busily selling their discoveries to global enterprise webs.” (Reich, 525). After reading this essay I couldn’t help but agree with Reich’s ideas and views on the social classes. Beginning with the lower class, not only are they struggling with competition from other countries, but they also are more likely to have a …show more content…
The baby-boomers will be reaching retirement, and with double the amount of elderly people compared to 1988 (Reich 524), there will be a higher demand for health care workers. Occupations such as nurses, hospice aides, and home-care providers, will skyrocket. There is one small problem that makes this less exciting, the fact that baby-boomers will not be able to afford their retirement expenses, which will cause money to be taken from the in-person servers. While it may seem like a good thing that people will be hired as the baby-boomers age, in return it won’t change very