Good article

[velvetpage]

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/43778/

Excerpt: "I wrote this book because I love this country, and I think America is a gift. Its greatest gift is this: people have come here from all over the world, and all they expected to do was work hard. And what they hoped was that their work would be rewarded. What they dreamed about was that their kids were going to do better than they were. That was the American Dream. And despite a civil war, two world wars, recessions, depressions, the American Dream has survived. Until now."

Comments

[merlyn4401.livejournal.com]

Something that always strikes me as interesting is that "poor" in America is still "rich" to the rest of the world. The poor often have cable, a computer, and broadband internet. I'll have to go find the stats - I just read them the other day. I know several women in Booju say they are on food stams and receive welfare, yet they are on their laptops with cable internet. I'm not saying whether it is right or wrong - I just find it fascinating.

When our parents and grandparents were working, the necessities were food, shelter, clothes. If you were lucky you had a car, and a TV set. Now, food, shelter, and clothes are a gimme, and the "necessities" are cell phone, computer, and two cars. The standard of living has risen sharply, and the bills with it. But if you are willing to live without all the frou frous, you still can make it. I worked a minimum wage job in North Dakota for a year. My apartment was 285 a month, food was 150, utilities, including phone and cable came out to around 100 a montn (basic service on everything), health insurance was 72 a month, and I socked away about 250 a month. I had a used bronco that was completely paid off, no computer, no cell, no frills.