Friday, September 09, 2011

Nickel & Dimed- Updated for 2011-Homework 9/12

Write a 2-5 sentence reaction to the article or a particular section of the article.  In addition, offer your personal opinion as to what is the solution to the poverty of so many of America’s working people?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-ehrenreich/nickel-and-dimed-2011-ver_b_922330.html

*Vocab Quiz tomorrow (1st half of GOW words)

29 comments:

  1. After reading the article, I now realize that it isn’t the poor’s fault for being poor, all of the time. Many people give the poor and welfare seekers a bad name. But, it isn’t these people’s fault; It just so happens that they were the unlucky ones to be laid off. Also, I think that it is ridiculous how poverty is criminalized. First, they get their jobs taken away. Next, they get harassed for being homeless. In all honesty, what else are they going to do? There is nothing for them to do, and I don’t think many people, including myself, fully realize that.
    I think the solution to poverty is as follows. There need to be more jobs available. More jobs means more people getting money, which leads to more people buying goods, which means more money going in. if more money is going in, then people should get more money from their own jobs. Thus, the economy is stimulated, and the cycle continues. Although easier said than done, I believe this is the real answer to poverty: more jobs for people, and/or other means of obtaining capital. This is a plan for grown up people. I have a way to avoid being stuck in poverty before it happens. The answer to this is education. Education is one of the most important things in the world. It can bring you very far in life. It’s sad to say, but a high school education won’t get one very far in life, and the chances of one being in poverty are a lot lower if one extends his or her education. Education is key.
    Alex p. 4

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  2. It's interesting that Barbara mentioned her story wouldn't have happened if she tried to do it today. The economy has declined significantly, and she pointed out that she wouldn't even be able to find a job. She said, "In 2000, I had been able to walk into a number of jobs pretty much off the street. Less than a decade later, many of these jobs had disappeared and there was stiff competition for those that remained. It would have been impossible to repeat my Nickel and Dimed 'experiment,' had I had been so inclined, because I would probably never have found a job." Times were terrible then, but now they’re even worse.
    I think a major solution would be if more job opportunities came about that don’t require so much of its employees before they are even hired. If there were more jobs that did training at the workplace instead of having to take a college course, it might be easier for lower-class workers to get money to support themselves. Also, raising minimum wage could help workers, but consumers would have to pay more for what they wanted.
    I agree with what Alex said as well. Education can get someone very far in life. I’ve noticed through my mother’s job search that a lot of employers want someone with a college education. Unfortunately, my mother didn’t go to college, and she got trained at her former workplace. Now, she can’t find a job because not many people want an employee without credentials despite the fact that she knows how to do a variety of processes in relation to accounting without training in a school. She worked for twenty years at her old job, and none of it matters.

    Alessandra M., Per. 4

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  3. After reading the article, what stood out to me the most was the section when she was talking about how she wouldn’t be able to try the “Nickel and Dimed” experiment again. This stood out to me because it is true, the economy has gotten so bad that it is really hard to find jobs, let alone all the jobs that she had in the novel. I think that if this was possible, and she did it again she would help a lot more people. I think that the solution to poverty is that there needs to be more jobs available. But not just low-paying jobs they need to fix how big companies are going bankrupt. I think that by doing those two things the economy would start getting better.

    Kathryn. Period 4

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  4. The entire article was incredibly eye-opening to what it’s really like for the poor in today’s world on a daily basis. Any little thing that they do can be considered a crime. I think that the police should be more understanding and sympathetic to those that are forced to live on the streets, but what angered me the most was that a man in a shelter was sent to jail for being homeless. There’s no reason to penalize anyone for living like that. It was also sad to see that suicide rates increased in areas that had high unemployment. It’s terrible that people have chosen that as their last resort in their time of desperate need. I’m not really sure as to what the solution to poverty should be, but I think businesses should be given more money to help create more jobs for the working class. I know that this has been done, but if the businesses use the money wisely, any money left for jobs is better than nothing.

    -Kelly D. Per. 1

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  5. One of the things that surprised me the most in this article was that many people were committing suicide in regions with particularly high unemployment rates. Reading this book has opened my eyes and made it easier for me to understand what it’s like to work in low class jobs. However, I could never see myself going to such extreme measures because of getting fired from a job. Also, I felt sympathy towards Kristen and Joe Parente. It must be very hard to not be able to support your family because of an injury. It isn’t right that they can’t claim disability benefits because they can’t afford a MRI scan. To be honest I’m not quite sure what the solution is to solving America’s poverty problem, but I think starting more businesses so more people can have jobs would be a good start.

    Kelly Loftis Period 1

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  6. This article was quite eye-opening and it provided new information to me that I didn’t know before. Such as, tough times really get to people, they go to all the help sources they can find and in some cases when they have nowhere to go and no one to turn to they might even commit suicide. Another key point that was said was that neither rich nor poor people are to blame, people might blame owners for laying off their workers but it’s honestly one’s luck and how well they have been doing their work. And honestly, it might be hard for owners to afford that many workers because of this tough economy. Maybe if the economy was better on track we wouldn’t have to deal with this issue; however I believe that it is understandable that people cut back because money has become scarce. It shows that most Americans/ residents of America prefer to put themselves before people below them. They think that they need to save money for themselves before giving it to others. In a way, we all are at fault for this situation but truly, everyone should work together so that we could make a better stable economy which in return, would help each other out.
    -aisha period1

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  7. Barbara Ehrenreich’s novel, Nickel and Dimed, provides a realistic and extended analysis of how the 29% of Americans live in poverty. This article counters the misconceptions about the novel and the low wage lifestyle, while allowing Ehrenreich to express her thoughts on the novel and her experience. This article in its entirety serves its purpose dutifully in educating individuals across the nation and world about the truth behind being poor. The second section titled “Post Meltdown Poverty” communicates to the reader a clear message about the depravations of low wage workers, particularly in choice of diet, housing, and health care. I find it extreme as to how our economy has changed in the few years that have passed since the publication of Nickel and Dimed. It is stated within the article that the success of her experiment could only be attributed to the success of the economy at that current time. The state of the economy not only affects the availability of work, but the overall drive of the people fighting for survival. The article also brings across the evident exploitation of the lower class, by corporations and government. It is gut wrenching to see that a country as great as the United States of America fails to provide sufficient health care, tax relief, and employment options for those who happen to fall in the worst of times. As others have previously stated above, I believe there are two solutions to combating America’s battle with poverty; the first being education, and the second being innovation. If we as Americans can cut off the decline to poverty before it can happen we will become better as a nation for the future. There is no immediate and miraculous solution to this problem, only time and education will better the individuals within the country and prepare them for success. Secondly, the power of big business is highly centralized into few hands along with the majority of the nation’s wealth. It is the responsibility of corporations and IBMers to make our country a more innovative community with a higher availability to full time careers and consistent income.

    - Alexander Borkowski Period 1

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  8. In many ways, I expected for Barbara to note that things have gotten worse since her experiment. The fact that the suicide rate has gone up in a lower class part of Indiana, is terrible, but believable. Many of the people who were well off before the recession are now struggling, therefore, it is not surprising that these people's lives have become so difficult that they have chosen death over struggle. These people could not live because they can not afford the basic needs of living. As for finding a solution to poverty in America, at this time, it is very hard to create one. It is easy for the government to raise minimum wage, but if you raise minimum wage, then everything goes up. This one action by the government then causing a chain reaction, and puts the economy more into a hole. When the economy is back on its feet, that will be the time for America to figure out a way to help the poor.

    Ashley Murphy, Period 4

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  9. This article made me fully realize what is happening in the lower class, and the working class families. Also because of the recession that's going on now, some middle class people are also in debt.
    My opinion on ending poverty is; if the few people who had money spent it it would go in the economy and make it balance of the economy better.
    kc
    per.1

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  10. This article was a great sort of epilogue to Barbara's book, solidifying the point that poverty is not an issue that will suddenly disappear with minimal effort. Reading some of the stories that the author mentioned concerning the homeless truly horrified me to the point of indignation. How can the government create such laws that convict a homeless person for being homeless ? These unfortunate people, who already suffer from a lack of luck, are destroyed further by the cold shoulder given by the government. Fixing this problem with such a twisted political system is beyond me at the moment; however, if I were to offer any suggestions as to how this country can at least ease the pain of these impoverished people, I would say that universal health care is the first place to start. As seen in both Barbara's book and this article, work-related injuries are crushing, and a person without health coverage will surely meet a great boulder in his or her path back to an able form for working. As I said before, this road to beating poverty will not be a red carpet; the willingness to help the fellow human beings around you is a necessary first step towards developing new ideas and plans to fight poverty.

    Zhanneta, Period 1

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  11. After reading the article, the part that stuck out to me the most was all of the different ways people can get cheated out of money. For example you need a recent MRI to file for disability benefits, and yet an MRI can cost $800. I also thought it was smart of her to point out that she can no longer do a Nickel and Dimed experiment because of the current recession. If a person was able to get 3 jobs today, it would be a blessing in itself.

    Chrissy B. Period 4

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  12. I often hear the phrase said to me, “At times of need, you know who your true friends are.” It was a shocker to find that of all the forces that would be against me if I ever met poverty, it would be the government in which I would expect to receive help from. Particularly on the issue of homelessness, from state to state, town to town, major cities set out to scout the area, looking for homeless people who are apparently doing illegal activities by sleeping on the streets. First of all, by the definition of “homeless” they have no home, so where else can they go? Would living in a shelter make any difference if one is still under the government’s radar of suspicion for having slept on the streets before, begging, doing drugs, having involvement in gangs, etc.? (What justifies these suspicions?) What I find very bothersome is the fact that part of the role of government is to provide security to its people; and when people have to feel threatened about being penalized for LIVING in an inevitable lifestyle set with limitations (in terms of money), that sense of security is gone. Who can we trust or rely on anymore?
    I think that to rid of, or at least tone down poverty, we as a society must learn to accept and understand the issue. The first step could be to get rid of the laws directed at the poor and homeless for their more innocent behaviors. When I read about the homeless being arrested for sleeping on the streets, I thought it seemed as if these towns that outlawed such actions were trying to deny the existence of these people. It is almost to create an illusion like, “This place is low-class free,” when in fact they try so hard to move them off the streets and into jail. If these towns could face/address the issue of poverty head on, perhaps they will take it more seriously and assist the people who need them most.

    Sidney/ Period 1

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  13. Barbara Ehrenrich's article was quite a revelation in the sense that poverty will not just disappear without substantial change from the people. I also cannot believe how much the economy has changed since Barbra wrote Nickel and Dimed. For instance, jobs that people would be able to get with very little effort now are the ones people are fighting over just to stay above water. Barbra says that she could have gotten a job in 2000 no problem, and now that would be unimaginable. In addition, I believe that if we removed tariffs on goods made from very poor countries until they had stability, then this would decrease a significant amount of poverty in the world. It would benefit the United States, and the poorest of countries.

    -Karlie Period 1

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  14. After reading this article, I was provided with even more information on the low wage American life. However, what stuck out to me the most was the fact that Barbara stated that she can no longer have a "Nickel and Dimed" experiment. Due to the current recession, it would be almost impossible for Barbara to find 3 open jobs-let alone be accepted to receive those jobs. To be completely honest, I have no idea what the solution to poverty is. However, I can say that the first step would be to recognize the problem of poverty. I don't think that Americans with well paying jobs even consider those less fortunate. In this economy, most people are just worried about themselves. I believe that once the economy and political system has stabilized itself, Americans can work towards a better economy and a try to create a successful way to demolish poverty once and for all

    Kelly Smith-period 1

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  15. I found it really surprsing how the change in the availiabilty of jobs will make life even more difficult for those in such a financial harships. During her "Nickled and Dimed" experiment she commented on how a help wanted ad in the newspaper did not necessarily mean a job. If that was during a prosperous time for our nation, the conditions during a reccession must be awful as people are even more replaceable than before.
    To me the main cause of poverty is the lack of affordable housing. In the article it was mentioned that to get by some familes are commiting up to 70% of their already low income. If there were more of a supply of affordable housing to match the high demand I believe those who find themselves in poverty would stand a better chance of fighting out of it.

    Stephen Period 4

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  16. After reading the article it shocked me how people could disregard everything happening in the world around them and just focus on their current financial situation. It also caught me off guard to hear of the many people committing suicide because of their inability to get jobs. There are so many people every day who are forced to go to work and to suffer because they cannot get good health coverage, and there are many homeless people who are pressured by the government laws preventing a homeless person from being homeless. I feel that there is a pattern that no one is recognizing but that everyone is contributing too, when people are afraid of losing their jobs they tend to stop spending as much money, and when people stop spending money businesses stop making profits and start to lay people off and in fear of being cut off from their jobs people try to save their money. There is a confusing, vicious and convoluted cycle going on every day in our world and once we can collectively discover a way to reverse this cycle, then and only then will we begin to find the solution to the problems that so many American working people face everyday in their lives. We are all in this world together, and we should come together and make a difference.
    Jennifer L Period 1

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  17. I found it shocking to read about how the suicide rates in Indiana have gone up because it's just a too much for the lower class to deal with the debt. I suppose this fact stood out to me because I hadn't considered the fact that debt would actually lower someone that deep into depression. At this point in time, I think that because the entire country is struggling it places us in a difficult place to help stop poverty. We need to begin to put our country back together and then we will be able to give more help and benefits to those who need it and also, deserve it.
    emily p4

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  18. What really surprised me about this article was the ignorance of some of the people who read Nickel and Dimed. It says in the article, “A Florida woman wrote to tell me that, before reading it, she’d always been annoyed at the poor for what she saw as their self-inflicted obesity. Now she understood that a healthy diet wasn’t always an option.” Most people wouldn’t know the struggles of the poor so when they read this book it enlightened them to how those people’s lives really are. Another thing that shocked me as well was how Barbara “hard times” were actually the best times. The economy just got worse after her experiment.

    Julia P. 4

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  19. I think is poor of some states to charge poisoners for their room and board, so when they are released they have criminalizing levels of debt to pay even though some of them were there because they were living on the streets . It’s not fare for the government to be arresting people off the streets or under bridges because they are homeless and have no one to turn to because even at this point the government itself is not that helpful.
    I don’t think anyone can come up with an immediate solution that will help the America’s working people. But one way to start may be to close the hole in our economy meaning the government should stop the production of all its goods in China because if those factories are brought back home the will create new jobs. May be with a job everyone can be given national health care.
    sandrine period 4

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  20. This article left me with a lot to think about, and made me realize the struggles of the less fortunate. The statistics that were stated really showed how many people really do suffer from this. Poor people must really appreciate this book she wrote because it gives people an idea what their daily stresses are. But the key for them to widen opportunities for jobs is to work hard. Whether it’s in school or at a job, it will get you farther in life. When you have a college education it makes a big difference in the openings to jobs for a person. I think “the system” needs to improve and I feel that families that are struggling should get a deduction on rent and expenses to help them get by. Also, so they can build up some money, they should get a year of health care for free so they won’t have to give up so much just to be able to get medical attention.
    Kayleen Per. 4

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  21. In this article Barbara talks about her novel “Nickel and Dimed”. She explains in the article that this book was mostly read by the low wage workers. She also didn’t understand why the poor were obese but after writing the novel she understood that a healthy meal or diet wasn’t always an option. My reaction to this article is sadness. My family could never be supported with the amount of money Barbara had made. Barbara also states the things occurred in the “best of times”.
    Erica C per. 4

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  22. To be completely honest, after reading the article, I wasn’t completely surprised. I do understand that more facts were given to support how much poverty their actually is. Also, the fact of how so many people never really understood why the lower class was so obese or why their appearance was very different than that of the upper class. These did not come as a shock to me because by reading the book first, a firsthand look was already given to me. In my opinion, to end poverty we must lower interest rates. Therefore, more items will be bought, bringing prices down, and bringing salaries down, and in turn, a domino effect would be created. Once everything is lowered, inflation will take place to strengthen the economy. It may be a short term answer, however it may help some, not all, but some of those people stuck in poverty may move up and get their lives rolling.

    Pompeo, Per.4

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  23. The part of the article which I found to be most shocking was the fact that Barbara Ehrenreich’s book touched the lives of so many people. It is in my opinion that the book gave those low wage workers hope as a result of all of the exposure. I cannot believe how many were willing to tell their stories, no matter how difficult or what they had to go through in order to get it out there. Amazingly, it seems as though the book woke many Americans up to the fact that such poverty exists still in today’s society; an additional result was that the Economic Policy Institute in Washington D.C. sent out a report addressing the issue. Poverty is obviously a growing epidemic in America today; it is in my opinion that the government needs to provide greater aid to its low class workers. I also feel as though laws should be established to boost minimum wage and even establish greater benefits for there’s people. Bosses should have restrictions as well so that workers do not get taken advantage of.
    Jessica Teulings Period 4

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  24. This article was just as shocking as the book was. As I was reading the book I did wonder to myself about how the poor are living now in our worse economic conditions and Barbara answered that; they live absolutely horribly. Although we may trick ourselves into thinking we have helpful programs to aid those who suffer from poverty, for example, TANF, etc., these programs do not help immensely. One family Barbara mentioned, the Parentes, described how they had to apply for 40 jobs a week without any money for gas, tolls, or babysitting. Her closing quote about how we need to let the poor help themselves and stop “kicking them when they’re down” really hit home and summed up the changes we need to make in society.

    Solution to Poverty:
    Honestly, there is no easy solution to poverty. Many, many changes need to be made. First, which Barbara brought up in her article, the attitudes of Americans need to change and we need to let the poor do things to help themselves. As she put it, we need to, “stop doing the things that make people poor and keep them that way”. This includes unionizing, underpaying, unfair hours, and more. Once we change our attitude, people will be more likely to support programs to help those suffering from poverty. We will fight for them and support government decisions that will help them. Health care needs to be provided to those who cannot afford it, even if it is only the most basic kind. The institution of food stamps is a functional practice that should continue and expand. Also, we can learn a few tricks from history and kill two birds with one stone. Americans are becoming increasingly aware about our dangerous environmental situation. President Roosevelt once put thousands of men and women back to work after the Great Depression with acts like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This act took young men and put them to work establishing and maintaining parks, as well as numerous other environmentally and community friendly activities. Actions such as this will put many people back to work while helping our teetering earth regain its balance.
    Kaity Robbins Per. 4

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  25. I found this article to be very interesting because it resembled the book, that I really enjoyed. Anyways I like how Barbara Ehrenreich expresses her opinion about the economic problem all together. She expresses her opinion in a way that she isn't afraid to be judged by anyone reading it, also while backing up her opinions with facts. I also enjoy how she says we need to make changes, but she isn't forcing any thing upon anyone she speaks in away that is very friendly, but at the same time speaks very intellectually.

    Solution to the Economy

    In todays economy the saying"If con is the opposite of pro, then CONgress is the opposite of PROgress." is agreed with by people all over the country whether they are black, white, democrat, or republican, we all agree that what we are doing now isn't and working and we need a new game plan. With our current economic state I believe that it can be changed, but it won't be easy. First off, I believe that we need a new president, not saying that Obama is bad, but I feel the American people need a change. I think we need to first slash Obamacare. Because it infringes on America's "Free Market" capitalistic economy, than many people in this country love. Second I think we need to re-write all together the Well Fare system. Too many Americans are able to stay on the well fare system and live off it for many an extremely long time, up to six years, and when they are collecting their well fare checks it is coming out of the pockets of the American people. Last, I believe that the government needs to utilize its power and spend more money, now I know that many believe that we should spend money because we are 14 trillion dollars in debt, however I believe the government needs to stimulate the economy by internal improvements like bridges, highways, and dams. I think that with all of these changes and a little hard work from the American people will put this amazing country back on its feet as a role model for countries in the whole world.

    Edgar Ortiz Period 1

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  26. Before I read this Huffington Post article, I didn't expect to hear that low wage jobs had improved much since the book was written (although I certainly wished they had). I am aware of the hardships that people are still going through in their low wage jobs. However, this article addressed new dilemmas. At the time the experiment was done, there were at least jobs available, bad as they were. The economy now is being hit so hard that there aren't many jobs out there. What is a person supposed to do when they can't even find a job that would pay close to nothing? The part in the article that spoke about the homeless man was what really surprised me. How could the police arrest a man in that state? He wasn't doing anything wrong; he was simply a victim of tough times. It's impossible to give an easy 'solution to poverty,' but I wish our society would become more sympathetic to the homeless and low wage workers. Put yourself in their beat up shoes and see how you feel.


    Nina M. Period 1

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  27. I thought that this article was really interesting. I honestly didn't even mind reading the whole thing because basically in every paragraph there was some bit of information that was mind blowing. I remember reading about people committing suicide because of debt during the great depression and I remember how awful I felt hearing about it. I never would have thought that people still do that today, its terrible. Its hard to say what we could do to fix all these problems, but one major thing that will slowly fix poverty is education. Education is so important because it is what leads to better jobs, which leads to people making more money, which leads to a decline in poverty.


    John A per 1

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  28. I think that it’s ridiculous how badly the poor and homeless populations are treated by the law makers. It is near impossible for anyone to rise above poverty and find a decent job these days, let alone find a shelter to sleep in that’s not full. So, why are law makers making it so hard for poor people to stay out of trouble? Yes, they are trying to crack down on potential criminals and druggies, but the effects of the laws are it difficult to anyone else who is clear of all criminal charges.
    As for the solution to poverty in America, we would need to raise the minimum wage and give better working benefits (health insurance, better hours, sick days, etc). If everyone is earning enough money to pay their bills, buy three full meals a day, and pay for gas in their car, then you would see a dramatic increase of people coming out of poverty.
    Marisa K p.4

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  29. This article was enlightening. There were so many facts about the working class people that I was unknown. Among all the other things, the point that stands out to me was that it wasn't those people's fault that they are working class; they are in poverty, they haven't chosen it by themselves, and they can only try to fight with it or deal with it, those are the only choices they have got other than that they can’t do anything at all. So some of the things we could do to help them is to have our government to create more jobs in United States by building companies and hire American working class in place of building industries out of country and employee people from other countries. Increase the amount of taxes for rich people; provide working class people with health insurance; provide free education, and literate children of working class. And government should make a law which will state that a family should only have 2 children no more than that because it will decrease the population and also reduce the working class problems .Low population mean less amount of working people, more jobs and less competition among people.

    -Shila Per 1

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