Poor Richard's Almanack

America has a number of struggles in today’s economy with poverty and our understanding of what it is like to be a “low-income” worker. Barbara Ehrenreich, the author of Nickel and Dimed, points out many flaws in our economics through her own experience by going undercover as a low-income employee and recalling her journey throughout her book. Although she had set limitations prior to embarking on her experiment like always having a car, never allow herself to become homeless, and never go…

An individual can get sick or suffer the consequences of having a poor hygiene if not practiced regularly. From the website Wash your hands an article entitled “Consequences of poor hand hygiene and the importance of hand washing”, states that some diseases that people may get are Campylobacter, Salmonella, MRSA, Flu, and Impetigo. Campylobacter is found in the gut of animal…

surrounding American social welfare policies in most cases they seem to be punishing the poor more than they are helping them. In many cases, poverty is still being looked at as being an individual’s fault because of their actions or believed lack of actions. The concept of working hard to achieve greatness is still something that is prevalent. Ehrenreich’s experience shows that no matter how hard some poor individuals work, they will always be stuck in poverty due to the lack of programs to…

to people that don’t have the privileges that some people who have money. In this article Leonard explains all the tragic things that has happened to the little town of Haiti. The thing that makes these people less privileged is that they are very poor and they have a history for having political instability. Another thing that Leonard states about how the earth is cruel is how the bad weather will always hit the places that have less money or don’t have stability in their society. In the…

jobs and increase the minimum wage. This should happen because if you live in poverty it will affect your brain negatively. If you live poverty will most likely stay in poverty your whole life and if you live in poverty you are more likely to have poor health. Poverty has been around as long as there has been currency. Poverty is a problem because people aren’t able to make enough money to support their families. This problem affects people that are in poverty. This problem is happening…

clothe, and house a family. Ehrenreich reveals the problems of economic issues that the working class faces. A family “. . . earning nearly $40,000 a year, which makes them officially ‘middle class’ . . .” (Ehrenreich 131) should not be living in a poor neighborhood. The block is infested with drug dealers; the dining room ceiling leaks whenever the bathroom above it is used; the toilet can be flushed only by pouring in a bucket of water. And why are they here? Because on her $9 an hour as an…

By 1990 Walmart was the nation’s number one retailer. At that time, it also went international. Walmart is the largest employer in the United States employing 2.1 million full-time employees. They are the largest employer in 25 states. Walmart is known for having the lowest competitive prices on merchandise. Local and small businesses cannot compete with Walmart’s low prices because they hold the power over other businesses in the economy. Walmart is able to sell merchandise at low prices…

After viewing World on Fire, reading chapter 9 and reflecting on my own life I truly comprehend how where we live makes a difference. Where we live shapes the lives we lead in relation to technology and access to education. In the United States, we are one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, and in many low-income countries there is little to no advancement in technology. This is mostly due to the high importance placed on cultural tradition in many of these countries…

goods by developing factories. This was a great way of making money and easing the lives of individuals in society. The Industrial Revolution was the start of economic progression for society, but it was a viability and inviability for the poor and working poor. (http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/IndustrialRevolution/IREffects.html) The Industrial Revolution was a major change for society. This brought improvement in the production and trading of goods and…

critique of turn-of-the-century industrialism with pervading themes of poverty, anti-corporation, and socialism. A commentary that exemplifies the Progressive era and the embodiments of freedom that came with it. Through his detailed descriptions of the poor working conditions of workers in industries such as meatpacking and steel, Sinclair makes a strong case for government as a moral arbiter to protect workers. A class, the book concludes, that should rise up against their oppressors to form a…