The costs of basics have risen hugely compared to the rise in wages.
>From 78 to 82, I was living on around $1000 a month ......very comfortably.
This included rent, food, cigs, car, clothes, even vacations. There was even enough money for cocaine.
The cost of all these things (except clothes) has skyrocketed.
I also managed to get through a Ph.D. program without a penny of debt.
That's all gone now.
A parking ticket in Oakland costs $70 dollars. Fixing my car costs, on average, $500. Cell phones are more expensive than land lines. Medical care and schooling (above community college) are not affordable unless you borrow or have savings. Etc.
Joanna
----- Original Message ----- From: "SA" <s11131978 at gmail.com> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 9:54:30 PM Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] John Ross, 1938-2011
On 1/18/2011 10:24 PM, Carrol Cox wrote:
> What is "it"? Life in general? Writing? Enjoying life? Could you specify a
> bit.
>
> It's true that at the age of 12 I didn't feel abused using an outdoor
> toilet. But I was never exactly happy about it -- and I couldn't tolerate it
> now!
Judging from other responses, I think this discussion will have a hard time (to slip into social science jargon) separating cohort effects from age effects. Obviously various things get harder with age. What I'm interested in is comparing, say, 30 year-olds in 1970 with 30 year-olds in 2010. The things I'm talking about are those that Doug refers to: living on the margins, slipping into and out of formal employment, all in the pursuit of some non-lucrative activity. Hasn't it gotten harder?
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