Dear Friends and Family,
Sometimes you read a book and you finish and you move on to the next book. And, sometimes you read a book and you finish and you realize you've learned something new and the book has changed you, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.
I recently finished Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. I have to say it opened my eyes to a world I always knew existed but hadn't thought too hard about, at least not recently.
I grew up in a working class family. Through the middle of fourth grade we lived on the "wrong side of the tracks" and used a friend of the family's address to enroll in the "better" elementary school instead of the one I was zoned for. But, my parents worked hard and my siblings and I studied hard and today we're all better off than we were then. It's the classic immigrants' tale.
But, today, I think it'd be different. I'm not sure, if we had to do it all again, in today's world, that we could. It seems so much harder with more forces moving against you. Without class mobility (aka hope) how does this all work?
Also, when other countries offer universal health coverage and a more structured retirement funding mechanism and we don't, does it become a comparative disadvantage in the competitiveness of US companies and our business models? Especially in an age of the service economy? (not to switch gears on you here, but I think I just did) Again, how does this all work?
And, while I'm on my soap box I might as well rant like a crazy lady. Mr. mouse and I were having a conversation the other night and I asked... do you think the average American realizes that when they buy something that says Made in China on the box they may have saved a few bucks, but in the process, by aggravating an already problematic trade gap and enabling the Chinese to buy more US debt, we're essentially mortgaging our future and giving up some level of control of our destiny and some level of power over our future options? And, Mr. mouse said, mouse, no, the average American doesn't, in fact, most "above average" Americans don't.
And, I sighed. And, I wondered, how does this all work?
Now that I've got all that off my chest, I feel better. Don't you?
Cheers!
mouse
Sometimes you read a book and you finish and you move on to the next book. And, sometimes you read a book and you finish and you realize you've learned something new and the book has changed you, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.
I recently finished Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. I have to say it opened my eyes to a world I always knew existed but hadn't thought too hard about, at least not recently.
I grew up in a working class family. Through the middle of fourth grade we lived on the "wrong side of the tracks" and used a friend of the family's address to enroll in the "better" elementary school instead of the one I was zoned for. But, my parents worked hard and my siblings and I studied hard and today we're all better off than we were then. It's the classic immigrants' tale.
But, today, I think it'd be different. I'm not sure, if we had to do it all again, in today's world, that we could. It seems so much harder with more forces moving against you. Without class mobility (aka hope) how does this all work?
Also, when other countries offer universal health coverage and a more structured retirement funding mechanism and we don't, does it become a comparative disadvantage in the competitiveness of US companies and our business models? Especially in an age of the service economy? (not to switch gears on you here, but I think I just did) Again, how does this all work?
And, while I'm on my soap box I might as well rant like a crazy lady. Mr. mouse and I were having a conversation the other night and I asked... do you think the average American realizes that when they buy something that says Made in China on the box they may have saved a few bucks, but in the process, by aggravating an already problematic trade gap and enabling the Chinese to buy more US debt, we're essentially mortgaging our future and giving up some level of control of our destiny and some level of power over our future options? And, Mr. mouse said, mouse, no, the average American doesn't, in fact, most "above average" Americans don't.
And, I sighed. And, I wondered, how does this all work?
Now that I've got all that off my chest, I feel better. Don't you?
Cheers!
mouse
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment