mybudget360.com / By mybudget360 / January 24, 2013
One of the biggest examples of the US eroding its working class is through the example of Detroit. The city of Detroit has lost a stunning 25 percent of its population between 2000 and 2010. Poverty is rampant with 3 out of 5 kids living below the poverty line. It is a startling revelation of what can happen to what was the fifth biggest city in the United States and now is merely a shell of itself. There is a documentary, Detropia which grimly shows dilapidated buildings while many tear out scrap metal to sell on the open market. You also hear from citizens trying to make sense of what is occurring. What is stunning is the population of Detroit is now back to levels last seen in the first half of the 1900s. A town built around big US automakers reflects what a country can look like when it loses a big part of its manufacturing base in pursuit of low wage capitalism. The rust belt gives us a clearer perspective as to why we have 47 million Americans on food stamps while the stock market inches closer to record levels.
The shrinking city of Detroit
Detroit is a personification of what has happened to our working class. What is startling is how little coverage is given to this issue. One of the star cities of the US suddenly is a shell and the buildings reflect a bygone era. Many buildings are stripped clean for scrap metal. Ironically much of this scrap metal is exported to China. From one busted economy to a fast booming one. It also highlights a global trend.
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