Amanda Cleys- February 13, 2016 

What evidence does Abramsky use to support his ideas?

Abramsky uses people’s personal stories to relate to the topic he is talking about. He also uses references to other books. Using personal examples makes it easier to connect with the information. It is also easier to read when it is real people telling their stories. Many people are able to relate to the personal stories that people are telling; it is easier to cope with your own life when you know many others are going through the same thing. It also makes it easier to believe because all of the information on poverty is coming from different sources, it is not just coming from one persons view on poverty.

Have any specific passages from the book have struck you so far? If so, which ones?

One passage that surprised me was when Abramsky was talking about the food pantries on page 18. The book mentioned that a few years back they had to send donation trucks away because they had too much food. During the recession many food pantries were struggling to keep their doors open because of the lack of food. Many families rely on the food pantry to feed their entire family. 

On page 51, Abramsky wrote “There is, after all, a reason Swedes…tolerate far higher taxes than Americans do.” What does Abramsky mean by this?

Abramsky states that in Sweden they get their moneys worth when it comes to taxes. They pay good money to get quality care and services. We pay a small amount when it comes to taxes in comparison to other countries. Sweden gets good education, healthcare, vacation time and childcare. I think it would be worth the extra tax money in order to receive all of those services. There are so many people within the United States that cannot afford healthcare, education and childcare. I think it would be beneficial for it to be taken out of our taxes so that everyone has access to all of those things.