Raising the Minimum Wage

At the recent State of the Union address President Obama called for raising the minimum wage. Obama said he planned to pull people out of poverty by raising the federal minimum wage to nine dollars an hour. The current federal minimum wage is a seven dollars and twenty-five cents and there has now recently been anup rising debate whether the minimum wage should be higher or not.

Paul Krugman a New York Times Columnist  recently came out with an  article, "Raise that Wage", where he supports Obama's proposal of raising the wage and argues that it is good economics and good politics. He argues against the case and says that there is no evidence that proves that raising the minimum wage would cause higher unemployment because it would  make it more difficult for employers to hire people. Krugman believes that by the President raising the minimum wage there will be positive effects. He believes that the current minimum wage is very low compared to the amount of inflation. If the minimum wage was to keep up with the inflation, the minimum wage would be $10.52. Many people believe that raising the minimum wage would cost people their jobs, but according to Krugman this simply is not true and there is evidence that proves that there is little effect on employment if minimum wage is increased.  The article also suggests that the effect in a raise in the minimum wage will rise the incomes of low paid Americans. According to Krugman wage increases is wanted by many voters who are Republican women. Many people believe that the lowest paid workers deserve to have raise which is why the minimum wage, according to Krugman, the minimum wage needs needs to be raised to $9.00 per hour (Krugman).

Of course, there also has to be an opposing view to raising the minimum wage to nine dollars. In Frobes an article "Why Raising The Minimum Wage Kills Jobs" by Dunkelber argues that raising the minimum wage would be detrimental. On January first ten states increased their minimum wage, San Fransisco being the highest at ten dollars an hour and Washington not falling far behind at nine dollars an hour. The states increased the minimum wage to support the poor people and to stimulate the economy. The article argues that since many of the poor do not work, raising the minimum wage would only  make it harder for them to get any jobs.  If congress were to raise the minimum wage  more companies would deny workers that were low skilled. Also, raising the minimum wage won't help the intended target but most median income families.  Raising the minimum wage will also make it harder for people to become hired because people that work need to bring as much success to the company that they are getting paid for. Last time that congress raised the minimum wage in 2009 almost six hundred thousand teens lost their jobs. In the article they say that raising the minimum wage will not help because the money is coming out of somebodies pocket so there will be no gain of income to increase spending in the community.  In general this article argues that raising the minimum wage will have a negative impact on the economy and the people of America (Dunkelber). 

After looking at two very opinionated articles that both have strong valid points it is hard to determine what will benefit America and its economy.  There are many pros and cons in this debate like it helping low income families versus it lowering the amount of teen jobs.  I think it is a very important issue to have an opinion on because it effects all Americans.

Dunkelber, W. (2012). Why raising the minimum wage kills jobs. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/williamdunkelberg/2012/12/31/why-raising-the-minimum-wage-kills-jobs/

Krugman, P. (2013). Raise that wage. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/opinion/krugman-raise-that-wage.html?_r=0

"Nothing Taste as Good as Skinny Feels"

Most women at some point in their lifetime have struggled with their weight, and have struggled with trying to being healthy. We are surrounded on a daily basis by the media which constantly portrays women whom are tall, skinny and beautiful as the norm. Young girls look up to and aspire to be just like supermodels, actresses , singers and the a-listers.   Girls are constantly compared to people in the media and are made out to have perfect butt and long curly thick hair like Kim Kardashian, to have great arms like Michelle Obama, to have the sexiness of a Victoria Secret Model and long legs like Cameron Diaz.  The media is constantly shaping the way a perfect women should look. It is influencing the reality of what a beautiful body image really should be.  Girls find inspiration in many people in the media and want to be just like them. On youtube there are tutorials on how to have a butt like Jennifer Lopez, hair like Kim Kardashian, dress like Taylor Swift and how to do make-up like Katy Perry.  Girls are constantly trying to be just like the women that they see in the media and press.  

Kate Moss is not only one the worlds most well known models, but has been an inspiration to girls of all ages for her fashion and her beauty.  In November of 2009 Moss had an interview that was conducted by WWD. Moss started the interview off talking about her inspirations, her mentors in her life and what beauty meant to her.  Her interview started off great and inspiring  to many young girls who looked up to her, but then when asked if she had a motto, Moss  responded by saying, "There are loads. There’s Nothing that tastes as good as skinny feels. That’s one of them. You try and remember, but it never work (Costello, 2009)." Wait , did she really just say nothing tastes as good as skinny feels! For someone who is an inspiration to many young girls Kate has started a  huge ethically questionable argument by saying this.  This causes an ethical breach because it could be taken that  Kate Moss is encouraging girls to be skinny and to be anorexic.  Many pro- anorexia groups use the slogan “nothing taste as good as skinny feels.”  I would have to argue Kate Moss when she says “nothing taste as good as skinny feels” because by saying  this  she is sending a bad message to kids who look up to her for her health and beauty. If Kate’s motto and her morals are  that being skinny is the way to  feel good, what does that lead  her thousands of followers to think, that food isn’t worth it to be skinny  and we should just starve ourselves?  Loosing a few pounds is great but thats not what should make us happy and not what a role model should be promoting to a young generation. 

 This is why famous people and people in the media need to portray the correct body image and show body images of all types.  Having a well known celebrity and an inspiration to girls of all ages  say something like this can be devastating to her followers.   As a person that many people look up to and strive to be like this being their motto could cause children to have a goal of an unhealthy body image and  it could cause eating disorders. This could make girls want to appeal to conformity and be just like their role model Kate who thinks to be skinny is to be happy.   If their role model thinks one thing they will conform to be like her. It could cause people to think that to be happy it's not be worth eating food because being skinny “feels better.”  Although we all have are own image of a perfect body we look up to our role models in the media and they shape the way that we picture what we should look like. 

In the United Kingdom clothing was made out of Kate Moss’s motto and sold online. Even worse they were sold in sizes that were to fit young children. Although Kate Moss had nothing to do with it,  and the shirts were officially banned I believe another ethical violation was made here. Look how far people are going to get the word out there to young children that being skinny is important. Wearing and advertising shirts that say this,  especially on young children,  is a huge effort to alter peoples beliefs on body image. It is a completely appalling way to go about it and exceeds the boundaries of a violation on persuasion ethics.  

Kate Moss’s  comment was directed to thousands of girls around the world and the impact can be huge on vulnerable young girls inspiring to be just like Kate and other models. Kate along with other people in the media need to understand how dangerous their comments can be to the rest of the general public.    Kate Moss may have not intentionally meant what she said  and the media may have put a twist on it. People in the spot light are constantly under pressure to do and say the right thing.  Kate’s agency said that  it was taken out of context and misreprestened, but  Kate along with other people in the media need to understand how dangerous their comments can be and how literal people can take them .  People in the lime light need to promote being healthy rather than just being skinny. Instead of Kate saying “nothing taste as good as being skinny feels, maybe she could have said “nothing taste as good as  being fit feels.” This would encouraging girls to be healthy and fit instead of starving and skinny. 

Costello, B. (2009, November 13). Kate moss: The waif that roared. WWD. Redtrived from                                    http://www.wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/kate-moss-the-waif-that-roared-2367932?full=true

Kate moss's "legacy": 'nothing taste as good as skinny feels' slogan are advertised online . Mail       Online.   (2011, April 14). Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1376841/Kate-Moss-legacy-Nothing-tastes-good-skinny-feels-t-shirts.html