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http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/17/news/economy/us-middle-class-basics-study/index.html
"Nearly 51 million households don't earn enough to afford a monthly budget that includes housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and a cell phone, according to a study released Thursday by the United Way ALICE Project. That's 43% of households in the United States."
The figure includes the 16.1 million households living in poverty, as well as the 34.7 million families that the United Way has dubbed ALICE -- Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This group makes less than what's needed "to survive in the modern economy."
"Despite seemingly positive economic signs, the ALICE data shows that financial hardship is still a pervasive problem," said Stephanie Hoopes, the project's director.
California, New Mexico and Hawaii have the largest share of struggling families, at 49% each. North Dakota has the lowest at 32%.
Many of these folks are the nation's child care workers, home health aides, office assistants and store clerks, who work low-paying jobs and have little savings, the study noted. Some 66% of jobs in the US pay less than $20 an hour.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday May 21 2018, @01:49PM (10 children)
Equality is a good aim. However, feminism isn't aiming for equality. Who, precisely, decided that "housewife" or "professional homemaker", or "stay-at-home mom" is a "bad thing"?
Things could have gone very differently. We could have taken a cue from that stupid "Mr. Mom" movie. More men could have opted to stay at home with the kids, while Mom brought home the bacon for Dad to cook. We could have just given Mom more respect, and allowed her to stay at home. Instead, we've pretty much forced women out of their traditional roles. and pushed them into the work force.
Equality. Hell of a concept, isn't it? To bad that we don't actually practice it. I'll never forget Obama's speech: http://www.wnd.com/2014/11/video-obama-slams-stay-at-home-moms/ [wnd.com]
(Score: 5, Interesting) by AthanasiusKircher on Monday May 21 2018, @02:55PM (6 children)
"Feminism" is not a monolithic entity, anymore than "conservatism" or "liberalism" or whatever. Yes, there are feminists who seem to view staying at home with kids as an inferior choice. But I also know many self-proclaimed "feminists" who think that's also a perfectly valid and valued choice. And by the way, it's not only feminists who make statements like Obama did there -- in fact, that position traditionally has more in line with bigoted careerist men.
I'll never forget the day my pregnant wife showed up to a professional conference, and a senior member of her field took one look at her and said, "Ah, I see you've chosen to go a different way." That is, to a certain generation of men, it was assumed that a young woman who got pregnant before enough career success wasn't "serious" about the profession, regardless of whether she stayed home with the kids for several years or not. Similarly, a couple years later my wife admitted to me that she would never admit when she was taking a day off because our kid was sick... That would be viewed by some.colleagues as less committed or whatever, even though she was perfectly entitled to the personal days herself and never abused anything.
That is the attitude that creates statements like Obama's. Losing a few years of experience in work may happen if a woman decides to take time off with her kids. And that's fair and expected if someone makes that choice. What rankles a lot of women is that devotion to kids or family -- even aside from being a full-time parent -- may be viewed as "insufficiently committed to your job." I've also personally heard the stereotyping: a male colleague who requested to move a meeting because he needed to leave early to deal with a sick kid was met with "oh, what a devoted father!" but a female colleague who had a similar request was met with grumbling..Even though this woman never created issues around her personal life and honestly worked more hours than average.
And yes, I'll agree with you that some of the worst critics of women in those situations can be other careerist women -- often self-proclaimed "feminists" themselves. But that doesn't mean all women or all "feminists" agree with that attitude.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday May 21 2018, @04:31PM (5 children)
Don't waste your time. Runaway is an ancestral Red-piller, one of the ones who got old and fat and lazy (and somehow, MARRIED...*shudder*) before the bile and anger and disdain he has for women could make him truly dangerous, but he still thinks of us all as inherently confused and irrational.
He doesn't actually understand any of the things you said, will not read your post to make the effort to anyway, and would rather sit there with his fingers in his ears going "Hurrr, bitches, amirite?" than change his thinking, such as it is, the smallest little bit.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @11:07PM (4 children)
Quit pretending that you know anything about the typical female experience.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday May 22 2018, @04:07AM (3 children)
How the fuck does that follow from what I just said? And I know a damn sight more than you do, on account of BEING ONE, if nothing else.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 22 2018, @06:22PM (2 children)
A real girl on SN? Hey babe wanna go get some corn flakes upstairs sometime?
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday May 22 2018, @06:49PM (1 child)
First of all, I haven't been a "girl" for 14+ years. Second, cut it out. I'm already taken and no one but my girlfriend calls me "babe."
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 22 2018, @09:14PM
Sheesh fine then sweet cheeks :P No joke goes unpunished! I thought the "upstairs cornflakes" would sell it but then again you probably are imagining that I'm a TMB wannabe trying to mess with you. Just a joke I thought you'd chuckle at :(
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PiMuNu on Monday May 21 2018, @02:56PM
I agree, more-or-less. I was just reacting to a post somewhere up the chain which didn't make this clear.
> Who, precisely, decided that "housewife" or "professional homemaker", or "stay-at-home mom" is a "bad thing"?
and just to be clear, neither is "house husband", or "stay-at-home dad"
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @11:10PM (1 child)
I did, you male chauvanist pig! The dishes had better be washed by the time I get off work today, or there won't be no "domestic tranquity"!
Mrs. Runaway1963
(Score: 3, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Monday May 21 2018, @11:27PM
Ya stupid heifer, it's "domestic tranquility". And, you spelled your name wrong too.