- Hardcover: 376 pages
- Publisher: McClelland & Stewart; 1st edition (Nov 13 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0771042132
- ISBN-13: 978-0771042133
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.7 x 3.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 544 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #237,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
Canadian politicians have, from time to time, proclaimed a war against poverty. What they are really prosecuting, however, is a war against the poor. Unemployment benefits are routinely denied to people who, over the course of a lifetime, have contributed a portion of their earnings to UI (now called EI).
Welfare rolls have been slashed by provincial governments. The downloading of government services combined with tax cuts that benefit the rich have resulted in the reduction or elimination of countless programs, from hot lunches in the schools to subsidized housing. Politicians and bureaucrats have responded by inventing new definitions of poverty but people without food remain just as hungry as before and people without shelter are still without homes.
At no time since the Great Depression has the gap between rich and poor been so wide and the outlook for poor people been so grim. Hard-hitting and outspoken, Hurtig builds a compelling portrait of Canadian society under the rule of the “neo-Neanderthals.” He puts together the latest and most reliable statistics with stories told by people on the front lines of the poverty wars.
Many of these stories are as heart-rending as the comments from politicians and their corporate supporters are callous. Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids challenges all Canadians to re-examine the society we are living in and to demand changes for the better.
Welfare rolls have been slashed by provincial governments. The downloading of government services combined with tax cuts that benefit the rich have resulted in the reduction or elimination of countless programs, from hot lunches in the schools to subsidized housing. Politicians and bureaucrats have responded by inventing new definitions of poverty but people without food remain just as hungry as before and people without shelter are still without homes.
At no time since the Great Depression has the gap between rich and poor been so wide and the outlook for poor people been so grim. Hard-hitting and outspoken, Hurtig builds a compelling portrait of Canadian society under the rule of the “neo-Neanderthals.” He puts together the latest and most reliable statistics with stories told by people on the front lines of the poverty wars.
Many of these stories are as heart-rending as the comments from politicians and their corporate supporters are callous. Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids challenges all Canadians to re-examine the society we are living in and to demand changes for the better.
About the Author
Founder and past-president of the Council of Canadians and former chairman of the Committee for an Independent Canada, Mel Hurtig is an officer of the Order of Canada and has honorary degrees from six universities. He is the author of a number of bestselling books including The Vanishing Country, The Betrayal of Canada, Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids, and a memoir, At Twilight in the Country.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!,
By
This review is from: Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids: The Tragedy and Disgrace of Poverty in Canada (Hardcover)
The book came in perfect condition and even quicker than I had expected (which was very surprising as it was order in the midst of the busy holiday season). I was very impressed!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Furious indictment of the betrayal of the Canadian poor.,
By Matt (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids: The Tragedy and Disgrace of Poverty in Canada (Hardcover)
Mel Hurtig lays savagely into those who are permitting such disgraceful proportions of our poulation to continue to live in poverty and despair. He mercilessly strips through the received wisdom of (neo-)Liberal Party propaganda to reveal to what extent their turnarounds on the promises that got them elected have really and materially injured the Canadian populace. He shows us a face of poverty we don't usually get to see. This book left me furious. Please read it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Deception,
By A Customer
This review is from: Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids: The Tragedy and Disgrace of Poverty in Canada (Paperback)
Hurtig shows us, through his careful research and statistics that Canadian politicians are the puppeteers who "pull the strings" to create (and maintain) poverty and inequality among the most marginalized individuals in Canadian society while fostering and maintaining the interests of "big business".This book is a real 'eye opener' and ought to be read by all of us!
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