But YouGov's polling on his budget by no means suggests a nation bent on battering the low-paid: fewer than half agree with freezing benefits; only 30% want the public sector pegged to a 1% rise; and only 24% want poorer students denied grants.
Battered by the low gold prices of the last year and squeezed by a currency crisis at home, Zimbabwe's gold mines are struggling to function.
As the first of their family to go to university, this young academic was delighted to win a place to study, and then work, at a prestigious Oxbridge college – only to be battered by the low salary, exorbitant cost of living and enormous workload.
In the same period the yield on Mexico's benchmark ten-year bonds has risen from an historic low of 4.4% to 6.2%, battering the Mexican pension funds that invest in them.So far the feared mass exodus of foreign investors has not materialised.
Ongoing expectations the Federal Reserve will keep U.S. interest rates low battered the dollar to a 16-month low against the euro around $1.4650, while traders said M&A-related demand also pushed the single currency higher.
That failure since opening in 1999, the restaurant has lost undisclosed millions of dollars plus the Street's sudden scorn for theme chains, battered the stock to a low of $1.75 in October 1998.
Those concerns sent indexes lower and battered the euro, which fell as low as $1.2804, a level not reached since March 2008.
A vulnerable economy was battered last year by the low price of oil, the country's main export, and the El Niño current, which caused damage equal to perhaps 12.5% of GDP (and wrecked banks' loan portfolios).Mr Mahuad is at least trying to push through reform.
To avoid this, mix batters using the lowest speed on your mixer or fold them gently by hand, until just combined.
The shares of other prominent gas explorers like Encana and Southwestern Energy have also been battered by low prices for the fuel.
The Nigerian economy, battered by low global oil prices and a currency devaluation, officially entered recession in August for the first time in a decade.
