In times of crisis, Parisians take to scavenging

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Source: Reuters

PARIS (Reuters Life!) - It's closing time at a market in Belleville, a working-class neighborhood in Paris, and a young woman in a black parka and white cap is rummaging through the abandoned crates.

After a thorough inspection, she slips a cauliflower and some slightly squashed oranges into her shopping bag.

"That's going to be my dinner," says the woman, who will only give her name as Yng.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKTRE5135E320090204

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We do this in America too, but not the middle class---that is coming.

[happyslug]

1. In Europe the term "Middle Class" does NOT include the Working Class

Those are viewed as two different Classes in Europe. Some of this goes back to the Communism, but some of it predates Communism. In the US, when people are given the choice of picking their class AND one of the choices is "Working Class". Working class gets about 1/2 of the population. When people are ASKED what class they are in, but given NO choice as to what class to pick, they pick "Middle Class". It is like the term "Working Class" is a forgotten term in the US, the main reason for this is the term "Working Class" is rarely, if ever, used in the news. We hear of "Middle Class" Tax cuts. "Middle Class" living standards. "Middle Class" Values etc. Tis repeating of the term "Middle Class" have most people in the US calling themselves "Middle Class". I have had people on Welfare tell me they are "Middle Class". I have heard people who who over a million dollars in assets call themselves "Middle Class". The term "Middle Class" is used so often, everyone believes that the class they are in. We don't have Poor or Rich Classes, everyone is "Middle Class". "Middle Class" has become Meaningless (and why Politicians like it, for it excludes no one).

As I said when people are given an option of what class they are in, Poor, Working Class, MIddle Class and Rich, most pick the term "Working Class". That is about right, the poor is roughly 10% of the population (which is the Percentage on welfare, food stamps or some other relief program), 5% of the population is "Rich" i.e. "The More and still more" to quote George W Bush. Slightly over 1/2 the population calls themselves "Working Class" and slightly less then 1/2 the population called themselves "Middle Class". When Working Class is NOT in the list, almost all of the Working Class people call themselves "Middle Class" not poor.

Income wise (I will be using FAMILY/HOUSEHOLD income, since both husbands and wives works in most relationships today) if you are receiving less than $10,000 a year you are poor (That is about 12.3% of the population, $10,400 is the standard of poverty in the US as determined by the US Government). The Working Class goes from about $10,000 a year through Median Income of about $50,000 a year (Actual Median Income is $50,233) to about %75,000 a year (This is 64.50% of the population). The Upper Middle Class goes from about $75,000 to about $150,000 a year (This is about 20.82% of the population). If your family is taking in over $150,000 a year you are Rich (Less then 5% of the population is in a "Rich" household i.e. such households members are receiving a total of more then $150,000 a year).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

Poverty in the US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States

Now sometime the cut off is Median Income (Which is $50,000 a year) but the Upper Middle Class has always tended to be 10-20 % of the population, in include the 18.27% of the population in households making more then $50,000 but less then $75,000 a year provides way to high a percentage for the Upper Middle Class. The Upper Middle Class has NEVER made up almost 40% of the population (39.09% by the numbers in the above cite), thus $75,000 is a better cut off then $50,000.

Please note the above are GUIDELINES not DEADLINES. They are people who are working class who are earning more then $75,000 a year (rare but happens) and they are people who view themselves as Upper Middle Class NOT working Class whose household income is less then $50,000 a year. These are exceptions that actually prove the rule. As my Income has gone up, I have found myself able to get away with more from whatever employer I was working for. That is the key to being Upper Middle Class, freedom from having to worry about pleasing someone else so to keep your job.

Thus my point, you will NOT see such an act in a Upper Middle Class neighborhood, for such neighborhood do NOT leave such people stay once their income is gone. Such people either move into a working class neighborhood or even a poor neighborhood before having to do as this woman is doing.