(Via Das Unterschichtenblog) The German Federal Bureau for Statistics (Statistisches Bundesamt) has released a new report concerning poverty in Germany, comparing German poverty levels with those of other EU countries. The report draws on data from 2005. The researchers found that 13% of Germans – or 10.6 million people – lived at or below the poverty level, which was defined at 856 Euros in monthly income ($1,112.-). The rate in the eastern states was 17% vs. 12% in the west.
Biggest risk factors – not surprisingly – are lack of education and unemployment, which are interconnected. More than 40% of the unemployed lacked a high school diploma or degree. The report details some of the daily challenges and deprivations facing the poor in Germany: more than half cannot afford to take even a one-week vacation or can afford to replace/repair appliances such as washing machines. 14% live without adequate heating during the winter.
In terms of how German poverty compares with other EU nations, Germany falls about in the middle with the original 15 member states, with Scandinavia performing better.
There has always been poverty in Germany, but what is new is the growth of a permanent "underclass" (Unterschicht) and the resentful attitude of middle-class Germans towards this disadvantaged group. Der Spiegel recently reported on how attitudes have hardened in Germany; it is now common to blame the victim: "it’s their own fault", "whoever wants work can find it". Spiegel quotes one "expert": "Disziplinlosigkeit ist eines der Merkmale der neuen Unterschichtskultur (…). Die Unterschicht lebt im Hier und Heute und kümmert sich nicht um die Zukunft. Weder um die eigene noch um die der Gesellschaft." (trans. They (the underclass) lack discipline. They live only in the moment and cannot plan for the future – not for their own or for society at large"). This blaming the poor has always existed in America: they are usually called "lazy" or "stupid". Ronald Reagan won millions of votes talking about "welfare queens" driving "welfare cadillacs".
Of course, Germany could easily make the problem of poverty disappear if it followed the example of the United States: simply redefine the word. Recently the US Dept. of Agriculture eliminated the word "hunger" from a report on hunger in America – replacing it with the term "food insecurity".
Anti-hunger advocates say the new words sugarcoat a national shame. "The proposal to remove the word ‘hunger’ from our official reports is a huge disservice to the millions of Americans who struggle daily to feed themselves and their families," said David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, an anti-hunger advocacy group. "We . . . cannot hide the reality of hunger among our citizens."
How about replacing the word "poverty" with "existence uncertainty"?
