Change Quote by Barbara Ehrenreich
“Sometime in the eighties, Americans had a new set of 'traditional values' installed. ... the poor and the middle class were shaken down, and their loose change funneled blithely upwards to the already overfed.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich, 2001
The quote critiques how 1980s policies shifted wealth upward, harming the poor and middle class while enriching the already wealthy.
In simple terms: Policies lifted wealth to the rich, hurting the poor.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge economic inequality.
Themes
economic inequality
wealth distribution
social class
political policy
social justice
Mood
critical
concerned
determined
Type
analysis
commentary
political
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- activism
- community organizing
- education
- advocacy
Key Concepts
capitalism
neoliberalism
class struggle
wealth concentration
policy impact
Questions to Reflect On
- How do current policies affect wealth gaps?
- What actions can reduce inequality?
A Different Perspective
The analysis may oversimplify complex economic forces.
![“What would it mean in practice to eliminate all the 'negative people' from one's life [as demanded by motivational speaker J.P. Maroney]? It might be a good idea to separate from a chronically carping spouse, but it is not so easy to abandon the whiny toddler, the colicky infant, or the sullen…” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/187/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_abandon_what-would-it-mean-in-practice-to-elimin_140275.jpg)
![“Robert Jackall’s book [ Moral Mazes ] impressed on me that corporate dress serves a far more important function than mere body covering. “Proper management of one’s external appearances,” he writes, “simply signals to one’s superiors that one is prepared to undertake other kinds of…” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ead/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_attire_robert-jackall-s-book-moral-mazes-impres_186386.jpg)
