Minimalism Won T Work In Our Economy

Wal-Mart increase completion in the area where it is located and lower prices for all consumers. Without Wal-Mart in these areas, prices will be higher and consumers would pay more. Wal-Mart prevents monopolies from occurring and encourages competition which is a very important principle of capitalism. Even Bruce Bartlett, a former deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the United States Treasury department, talks about the importance of Wal-Mart. He worries that all the backlash and this war against Wal-Mart by critics would negatively affect poor families who relies and needs Wal-Mart (Maich 6). He continues that there is no one representing the people who benefit from Wal-Mart the most, the poor, in these debates. (Maich 6) He concluded that “If you’re stuck with a low income and you can reduce the amount you pay for basic items, then your real income goes up” (Maich 6) This statement shows how Wal-Mart is a necessity for poor people and how it help poor people to save money. Thanks to Wal-Mart people are saving money and could budget more for other items.

Wal-mart has made buying essentials cost much less money, even for people who don’t shop at Wal-mart as other companies attempt to match their prices. “Walmart ... offers foods at prices considerably lower than those at traditional supermarkets--as much as 25 percent lower.” (Kenny, Charles. 2013. Para 4). Raising the wages of employees or offering more benefits could take away from these lower prices, causing families below the poverty line to not be able to afford the products they need. It is important to those living under the poverty line that the company provides their products for such a low price. Wal-Mart conducted a study in 2008 that concluded that the company saves the average American family $2,500 a year (Hall, Randy. 2008. Para 1). People in poverty now have much more access to goods than they have in the past, simply because their money goes

In 2011, the rate of unemployment is at 9%. Although there is a decline it has been rather slow. Financial analysts predict that unemployment rate would drop to 8%. Even for the people who still have their jobs the hours that they work have been reduced since then. With reduced hours the productivity of the workers would not be fully exploited which in the end, affects the economy. This is so because with a small fiscal base the economy has not been able to recover from recession fast enough. Although there have been positive growths in the employment rates these growths are barely enough. They do little to help in the dire situation. This only means that joblessness is something that the population would have learned to live with.

Reich says that the amount of technology is taking jobs away. From paragraph 17 of Why the Rich are Getting Richer, and the Poor, Poorer, “In 1977 it took routine producers thirty-five hours to assemble an automobile in the United States; it is estimated that by the mid-1990s Japanese-owned factories in America will be producing finished automobiles using only eight hours of a routine producer’s time.” He also wrote The Future of Success: Working and Living in the New Economy and writes, “These anxieties are no less part and parcel of the emerging economy than are its enormous benefits: the wealth, the innovation, the new chances and choices.” (Reich, The Future of Success: Working and Living in the New Economy) As well as this view, he says in Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life, “Capitalism has become more responsive to what we want as individual purchasers of goods, but democracy has grown less responsive to what we want together as citizens.” (Reich, Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life). This is an example of how people have become so interested in the technology of today and no longer in human

I always knew people liked to consume more than what they need, but never really considered how it affects our environment. Until I read an article by Graham Hill called “Living with Less. A lot Less.” In this article, Hill argues that individuals obtain products one doesn’t need. Secondly, he mentions how purchasing these products won’t make you happy, but can do the exact opposite. Lastly, Hill argues how living with less merchandise can make us feel and live happier. As a result, I compared my life to his and realized he’s right having less might give us the opportunity to explore further.

During the last 20 years, Wal-Mart has moved into many areas wiping out all the stores around causing people to loose jobs, slashing the tax base and causing many more disturbing problems to neighborhoods so people should stop supporting Wal-Mart for many of these reasons. Always low prices, does this sound familiar? Well this would be the slogan of the world’s most controlling company; Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart grew over the years into a 256 billion dollar company after making its name across the world in 1915. The major problem with Wal-Mart is that it maintains its own mini-economy. Some people believe Wal-Mart supports the American economy while most others hold that Wal-Mart’s global outsourcing will and has

An increase in the minimum wage would push companies to take this route as it becomes more and more profitable to them. The end result of all of this would be a suddenly increased level of unemployment bound to become subsequent with an increase in government-funded welfare expenses, weakening the economy even more.

States in his article, “Minimum Wage Madness” that most Americans already possess the basic necessities without the Minimum Wage Bill

Working off the last paragraph, less unemployment leads to a higher overall production of products, leading to a higher GDP. A higher GDP leads to a higher standard of living. Basically if everyone in an economy was working and being productive, the economy would start to flourish (Doc 2). But due to an increase in firings and unemployment, the cornucopia of the economy is struggling (Doc 3). The job market is suffering and business struggle to find workers (Doc 1). Workers are important to the economy, keeping it running successfully and completing the business

The world is filled with luxuries such as personal islands, gold-plated cars, or crystal pianos. What about everyday items like food, clothing, and shelter? Families in the United States can barely afford such items because of an American tragedy: the minimum wage. Though the sights and sounds of fluttering money is alluring, it is also elusive. The minimum wage is a tragic loss for the United States because it cannot even provide the bare minimum for employees working tirelessly for it. Opposition of raising it can be negated by statistics that show how the country can move into a brighter future. Data from economic research shows

Unemployment may grow to work turnover, it may have influenced people to search more for jobs since the wages are higher, and labor substitutability. Minimum wages might not have anything to do with the unemployment rates because it could just be another cycle long term unemployed or jobless people looking for work. Long term unemployed people have a huge disadvantage when it comes to work experience since he or she has been out of the work force for so long. Technology in machinery is constantly improving which also requires employees to be constantly learning how to use the new machinery and technology. A long term unemployed person will lack the experience and training of how to use the newer machinery and technology, furthermore lowering their chances of getting the job opening position (Industrial

Many people against Buy Nothing Day would argue that times are times are hard and having such a day would have a negative effect on an already crumbling economy, but such thoughts are illogical. If someone were going to

Since the beginning of time, people have always been trading their goods with other people. This is somewhat similar to buying products at the stores when “we” the consumers go shopping, we are trading in our money for their merchandise. Then the 1950’s came along with the first credit card and people have been buying products worldwide and have been demanding more and more ever since, developing the method buy now, pay later”. Having this in mind, you can see that American consumerism has been growing throughout the years. It might be that consumption has helped create a variety of jobs in the world. What people aren't considering is the state they leave their environment in. The more consumerism grows the more the earth suffers. The man has always wanted to “fix” the world to make it a better place, yet man is what is destroying this environment in many different types of ways.

Consumerism is the center of American culture. Americans tend to confuse their wants with their needs. With new advances in technology, as well as the help of advertisers, people are provided with easy access to new products that seem essential to their everyday life, even though they have survived this long without them. People cannot live without food, clothing, and shelter. But realistically, according to people's different lifestyles, more than food, clothing, and shelter are needed. Most people need to work to survive. Unless a job is either in their own home, or within walking distance, a means of transportation is needed. Whether it be a vehicle, money for a taxi-cab, or a token for a ride on the subway, money must be spent

Structural unemployment may occur in the short term with the removal of trade barriers. This will have impact on large numbers of workers, as well as their families and local economies. In growth industries workers often will have difficulties to find employment.