Lacking the words

I just stumbled on this article from Time magazine. I’ve known for a while that being poor in the US is harder than here in the UK although I never truly understood why. I remember seeing an episode of Morgan Spurlock’s show 30 days in which he challenged people to do various things out of the norm of their lives for 30 days, this particular one involved him and his fiancé spending 30 days working minimum wage jobs. It really shocked me to see how difficult it was to live on that little money and the strain it had on them as well as how a small event can completely screw them over money wise. I’m pretty sure in the show they both worked two minimum wage jobs and it was still a very close thing. Now the thing that shocked me most about the article wasn’t reading about the worst jobs in America (although that was pretty bad in itself) it was the discovery of the minimum wage in the US, it’s never something I’d looked up so I never knew what the minimum wage actually was until now.

Wow. $5.85. Lets just compare that to the UK, here the minimum wage is layed out like this:

* £5.35 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
* A development rate of £4.45 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
* £3.30 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age.

(Source: HM and Customs National Minimum Wage)
Before even converting the currency thats $0.50 more, I think we’ll work in pounds since its less converting. Currently (according to Xe.com) $5.85 = £2.80, that is £0.50 an hour less than I would get paid, right now, as an (almost) 17 year old. That translates to a whole £1000 when spread accross a year and at my age that minimum wage isn’t designed to be enough to support someone with their own rent, bills and food. I think I’d always known being poor was hard in America, but this…this is just silly. It seems so wrong somehow that a country so founded on the “American Dream” can basically crush people like this. It’s all very well people getting out of poverty themselves but how can they do it? Seriously. How is it even possible? It’s a wonder survival is even possible really yet people struggle on. And you’ve got to remember that these people are the ones on the tills in the supermarkets or handling your dry cleaning, they’re not lazy and they are probably having to work extra hours just to get by.

It wasn’t that long ago that I basically decided that I didn’t think it was personally worth it for me to bother with a soul crushing job down in one of the shops. I don’t think I’m really the kind of person who can just take that, well, not without needing to and at the moment, I don’t need to. I’d like more money sure, but I think I do have enough. Now that I look at this my own arrogance seems shocking, here I am complaining about that (and being lazy) when there are people working full time for 50p less an hour than I would be getting (more than that actually, since most places pay above minimum wage). People who are struggling to survive. Really, I don’t know how you can possibly justify that. I don’t claim that escaping and making yourself rich is still not possible but it would take a very rare luck and talent that most people don’t have and denying others the possibility to live a live free from the constant fear of financial problems hardly goes about damaging the wealth and well-being of the rich. Hell, giving these people a bit more of a chance might even enrich the economy and actually enhance your country.

Disclaimer: I know that such direct comparisons don’t really work properly as cost of living depends on many factors but I have always been under the impression that living in America is expensive. Also, I know this post is pointless and won’t affect anything but I’ve always believed in standing up for things, regardless if you’re even in the right country to be counted.