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Social justice issues today
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Think of a time when America was at its highest peak. Back when jobs were easily accessible and there was enough wealth to go around. Unfortunately, that time is not right now according to Edward McClelland. He believes that the middle class is dissipating and if we do not do something it is going to be a thing of the past. This all encompassed within his article that he wrote this entitled RIP, the Middle Class: 1946-2013. The article goes over the intricacies in which the middle class has diminished over the years. This article is speaking to people who follow up social issues and current events, more specifically people who remembered what the middle class used to be like. McClelland makes a persuasive argument throughout the article by …show more content…
McClelland is an established journalist and author of several books including The Hey Day and Hopes of Americas Industrial Homeland (549). This makes the author credible about talking about this subject matter because this means he has done extensive research on the middle class. It is always easier to persuade people when you are a credible source. Another reason he is a credible is because he has had his writing published in well respected newspapers such as the Los Angles Times and New York Times (549). This particular article was published by a fearless newspaper called Salon (549). I think what makes him most credible is the fact that he was born during a time when the middle class was stronger in Americas society. For example, McClelland makes the point that he was born in the 1970’s and that was a time when if you dropped out of high school, it was still a plausible possibility that somebody could get a factory job and have a above decent paycheck at the end of the day (549). If individuals in America want a high paying job that keep that them financially stable for the the foreseeable future, then they must have to get a higher level of education and come degrees. High school diplomas just do not cut it in the world we live in
In Confronting Inequality, Paul Krugman discusses the cost of inequality and possible solutions. Krugman argues to say that it is a fantasy to believe the rich live just like the middle class. Then, he goes into detail about how middle class families struggle to try to give their children a better life and how education plays a factor in children’s future lives. For example, children’s ability to move into higher education could be affected by their parents economic status. Also, He discusses how politicians play a role in the inequality, because most of politicians are in the upper economic class. Finally, Krugman says how we could possibly have solutions to these various inequalities, but how America won’t get
According to Gregory Mantsios many American people believed that the classes in the United States were irrelevant, that we equally reside(ed) in a middle class nation, that we were all getting richer, and that everyone has an opportunity to succeed in life. But what many believed, was far from the truth. In reality the middle class of the United States receives a very small amount of the nation's wealth, and sixty percent of America's population receives less than 6 percent of the nation's wealth, while the top 1 percent of the American population receives 34 percent of the total national wealth. In the article Class in America ( 2009), written by Gregory Mantsios informs us that there are some huge differences that exist between the classes of America, especially the wealthy and the poor. After
...nd less likely to change. Ewen does suggest that the trends of the middle class are becoming increasingly ingrained in the values and mindset of the middle class because of World War II and the “yuppie culture of the 1980’s.” (196)
Let's take it back to the past in regards to wealth distribution in this country. The fact is that the economy boomed from the end of WWII into the 1970's. “Incomes grew rapidly and at roughly the same rate up and down the income ladder, roughly doubling in inflation-adjusted terms between the late 1940s and early 1970s” (CBPP). Through the 70's economic growth slowed, and the wealth gap widened. Middle-class families were now considered lower class. People relied on the government to help them out with welfare programs. The middle-class class was weakened and the gap grew and grew. There were periods of positive fluctuation, however the middle-class simply never regained it's status that was held in more prosperous times in the past.
The essay “RIP the Middle Class: 1946-2013” was written by Edward McClelland. Edward McClelland is an American journalist. In this essay, McClelland is trying to prove a point that at some point there wouldn’t be the middle class and there would only be the rich and the poor, unless the government intervenes to balance out the economy.
In the article, “Confronting Inequality” by Paul Krugman compares income inequality from the 1960s to the inequality that America society face today. Most commonly is seen the wealth gap between the rich and the poor are difference between their incomes. He gives the reason why he and America should care about the rising inequality. One of his arguments is the economic need to progress for lower or middle class families and the need for seeking more equal of income. Krugman has many quotes from people have a big impact on America help argue his point about inequality. “High inequality, which has turned us into a nation with a much weakened middle class, has a corrosive effect on social relations and politics, one that has become ever more
In David Wallenchinsky’s Article “Is the American Dream still possible?” he surveyed more than 2,200 Americans and 84% of them described themselves as middle class citizens. Wallenchinsky states,“ But many average Americans are struggling- squeezed by rising costs, declining wages, credit card debt and diminished benefits.” For some the American Dream is just being happy and being able to live comfortably but, now who would want to live their life struggling to pay their bills and be stressful? Most of the middle class citizens are living like this. Back then living in America wasn’t as difficult as it is now, everything was affordable, but now with the rise in minimum wages everything else goes up. Taxes go up, prices for things go up, it is a never ending cycle. Now trying to get a job even with a college degree is very hard to
Edward McClelland focuses his essay RIP, the Middle Class: 1946-2013 on how the middle class is no longer able to thrive if the actions of the government continue – or their nonexistent
..., approximately 21,974 men and women held college degrees but were unable to find jobs. Due to the large number people falling to the lower class, the middle class was slowly becoming socially and politically insignificant. Constantly dealing with the possibility that their social class may disappear, the middle class suffered a harsh blow during this time.
The largest group in America is facing extinction. We are talking of course about the American middle class. In 1971 the American middle class population was 36% higher than the population of the lower class. However, today the middle class population is now only 22% higher than the lower class (McDill). This is only a 14% drop spread over 44 years. The major issue here is that while the middle class shrinks, the upper and lower classes are growing. Financial experts believe that soon the middle class will become nonexistent and America will be divided into two extremes, poverty and wealth. This issue has become so severe that the United States government has stepped in and created a “middle class task force” passed as part of the government “stimulus package” of 2009. However most experts including Kent McDill of the millionaires’ corner, Doyle McManus of the LA Times, Erik Kain of Forbes magazine believe that the government’s program is putting a knife in the middle class. They believe this because the government is taxing businesses until they are forced to leave America and go overseas. This, along with the rise of mechanical workers and ignorance of the issues facing the middle class led to the decreasing job market. Jobs in America will soon be split into either very high paying upper class jobs or very low paying jobs. This makes the job market a hit or miss in America. It is predicted that America will soon be either very rich or very poor with no middle ground.
the middle class was growing in size and influence, and the working poor were leaving their
The most often cited cause of the decline of the middle class in the United States is stagnant wages. Between 1955 and 1970, real wages adjusted and inflation rose by an average of 2.5 percent per year. Between 1971 and 1994, the average growth of real wages was 0.3 percent a year. The stagnation of wages has been especially noticeable to middle-class people, who rely very much on the money they make at their jobs. Recessions seem to hit higher income households much harder, which sends them down to the middle class. Middle-income households may or may not be more likely than higher-income households to qualify for unemployment compensation when jobs are scarce. But those who do are more likely than high-income households to receive benefits that replace a greater share of their regular wages, which helps them maintai...
America’s upper class has been getting richer since the past three decades, and we have still not found a way to stop this. We have been unable to find a way to distribute America’s wealth equally, so we can have a decent lower class and a good middle class. Inequality has caused many people to struggle in various ways, but their is alway another side to the story.
Krugman challenges us to think about one question, “Why should we care about high and rising inequality?” (Krugman, 586) Some of the reasons inequality is a problem is the standards of living and the lack of progress in the economy for the middle and lower class families (Krugman, 586). These show that the distribution of wealth in the United States is not equal at all. There is also the damage that the inequality does to the society and the government. Thomas Jefferson once said, “The small landholders are the most precious part of a state.” Today that would mean that the middle class is the most important part of our society, however, the farther we move into the future the weaker the middle class becomes (Krugman, 587). The America that we live in is both unequal in income and social aspects. The rich do not live the same lives as those that are less fortunate and the less fortunate do not get to enjoy the perks that come with lives of the rich people. The inequality does not mean that it is unfair that the majority of the population
However, in recent years, the share of income possessed by the middle class has fallen to a historically low level. Fairchild states, "The middle 60 percent of households earned 53.2 percent of national income in 1968. That number has fallen to just 45.7 percent (¶2)." Interestingly enough, another figure that fell at the same rate was union membership. Because of laws limiting Union power, membership had fallen to an all time low in recent years with 11.3 percent. There are many reasons that these two might correlate. First, unions insured access to a livable minimum wage. This increased income along with health benefits and pension plans makes for a vibrant middle class (Fairchild ¶1-3). Not only do the members of unions benefit, but the presence of unions also raises pay for non-union workers in the same industries. Unions not only raise the floor on wages, but it also lowers the ceiling on the richest of our country. Because of union 's bargaining powers, the compensation of executives at those firms are moderated. It goes without saying, the middle class is at its strongest with unions. If unions continue to lose members and if unions continue to lose their bargaining power, the economic inequality will continue to