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re: Nice opinion piece on income inequality from CNN
Posted on 4/10/14 at 8:39 am to CheeseburgerEddie
Posted on 4/10/14 at 8:39 am to CheeseburgerEddie
Why is it your business if a guy gets money from his family? How does that hurt you? fricking socialists
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Posted on 4/10/14 at 8:58 am to Charlestondawg
quote:
Also, those who complain about income inequality hardly ever volunteer their time at homeless shelters or soup kitchens. All they do is tell the poor people "woe is you, screw the rich guy". And the rich guy is giving his money away. Every one of them gives to charity. Every. One.
And you know this how?
Posted on 4/10/14 at 9:04 am to TydeLyfe
quote:
Am I the only sane person on this board!?!?
If you work hard, you too can someday be born as a Walton Heir.
Look, I work hard. I'm doing OK. It isn't about what some people have that I don't--it's about the POWER they have over you.
And part of that power is in conditioning these fools that 400 families having more than the rest of America combined isn't a problem.
Aristocracy is not good. And if we don't have it already, we're getting there.
I do not begrudge a Bill Gates or Warren Buffet their money--they seem like genuine humanitarians who built their empires from about nothing buy providing value.
It's not about envy. It's about the power and influence these few have over the rest of us. Money is power, and money rules politics and policy. Therefore, these 400 rule the rest of us.
And from the comments in this thread, most of us are happy to open our gaping maw and guzzle whatever it is they put in our mouths.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 9:16 am to TydeLyfe
quote:
It's also not fair that someone has an advantage because their daddy is rich.
Again, their daddy worked hard so that the later generations in the family wouldn't have to work as hard as they did. How is that not fair? The money had to be earned at some point. Unless they did something against the law to get that money, you have no right to tell them they should have less.
quote:
I work 12 hours a day by the way and only sometimes get Sundays off.
Good. If you work hard enough, you can give the later generations in your family advantages you didn't have so that they don't have to work as hard.
This post was edited on 4/10/14 at 9:18 am
Posted on 4/10/14 at 9:17 am to The Spleen
It was nice to see some excellent perspective on the last page. You and DC both delivered quality posts.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 9:34 am to Duke
i always take a personal issue from this.
at 18 my parents kicked me out. no financial support at all. still loving people, but weren't going to pay for me. I starved, worked 40 hours to get through school and got married young so I could start getting tax benefits sooner.
2 weeks after i graduated we had our firstborn and i took the first job that could keep a roof over his head and food in his mouth. it sucked and it payed jack squat. but i'm not mad that the guy i worked for had his school paid for. it just made me want to take care of my kids in the future. i want them to have it easier than I did, but i am sure as hell not going to give them everything because they need to learn what work is.
that being said, i have my first chance to make 6 figures at 30 this year, more than my parents ever did.
Being pissed because somebody worked hard to get what they have or parents worked hard to give them what they have is no way to go through life. It's petty and jealous.
(I think Vols&Shaft has a similar story)
at 18 my parents kicked me out. no financial support at all. still loving people, but weren't going to pay for me. I starved, worked 40 hours to get through school and got married young so I could start getting tax benefits sooner.
2 weeks after i graduated we had our firstborn and i took the first job that could keep a roof over his head and food in his mouth. it sucked and it payed jack squat. but i'm not mad that the guy i worked for had his school paid for. it just made me want to take care of my kids in the future. i want them to have it easier than I did, but i am sure as hell not going to give them everything because they need to learn what work is.
that being said, i have my first chance to make 6 figures at 30 this year, more than my parents ever did.
Being pissed because somebody worked hard to get what they have or parents worked hard to give them what they have is no way to go through life. It's petty and jealous.
(I think Vols&Shaft has a similar story)
Posted on 4/10/14 at 9:51 am to 3nOut
quote:
that being said, i have my first chance to make 6 figures at 30 this year, more than my parents ever did.
First off, congratulations! Who doesn't love a good old fashioned American success story?
quote:
Being pissed because somebody worked hard to get what they have or parents worked hard to give them what they have is no way to go through life. It's petty and jealous.
Being pissed isn't, but let's stop acting like there aren't hard working poor people who didn't get a good hand for life. I worked some fast food/service jobs before returning to school. I saw this first hand. Pulling yourself up takes hard work, but it's not the only factor. The "rich" want to make it seem that way, as to have the moral highground in this discussion. It's much easier to dismiss people if you assume they are all lazy and just jealous of what you have.
Instead of hating on the poor for being poor, we should address the causes in the system that trap them in poverty. The fricked up incentive system of our safety net for starters...
Posted on 4/10/14 at 9:53 am to 3nOut
quote:
3nOut
Posted on 4/10/14 at 9:58 am to 3nOut
quote:
Being pissed because somebody worked hard to get what they have or parents worked hard to give them what they have is no way to go through life. It's petty and jealous.
I don't get the sense at all that people are pissed at anyone else's situation. The anger is at the system that allows it to happen.
I mean look at how fast college tuition rates have increased over the past 2 decades. Kids whose parents don't have the means to afford this higher tuition are graduating with massive student loan debt and entering a very lean job market. That should be frightening to everyone.
I take a personal issue with it as well. While I wasn't kicked out at 18, I knew once I moved out and onto college, I was on my own. My parents wanted to help, but with 5 kids, the money just wasn't there. I don't begrudge them, nor do I begrudge those who had parented with the means to pay for their college. Me, I graduated with a modest student loan debt and entered a pretty good job market. While I have been putting money away for my kids to go to college, I fear it will not be enough, and I fear even more the jjob market they'll enter.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 9:59 am to Duke
quote:
Pulling yourself up takes hard work, but it's not the only factor.
This is absolutely true, I think we need education needs reform first and foremost, but they do the best they can as a government entity I suppose. Really we need to start celebrating our best and brightest culturally, when our society doesn't celebrate academic achievement at the highest level in the same manner they do athletic and artistic achievement, how can we expect children to not focus on those areas instead of academics. That principle applies to any lifestyle which is more supported culturally than scholarly achievement. I actually have a few ideas on how this may be possible, just need complete control of the previously mentioned Bill&Melinda Gates foundation resources.
Agree with the incentive system, but the end goal shouldn't be to limit the top 1% but to make the advantages (primarily academic access) more universally available.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:02 am to Duke
quote:
Being pissed isn't, but let's stop acting like there aren't hard working poor people who didn't get a good hand for life. I worked some fast food/service jobs before returning to school. I saw this first hand. Pulling yourself up takes hard work, but it's not the only factor.
absolutely. but are you telling me not having home or money at 18 is a good hand and that my story is any less real because it worked out?
quote:
Instead of hating on the poor for being poor, we should address the causes in the system that trap them in poverty.
i don't know a soul that hates the poor. just the wealthy that resent the people that want to take their money away and redistribute it.
the only trap of poverty is the Government ran welfare system.
This post was edited on 4/10/14 at 10:04 am
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:04 am to 3nOut
Congratulations. My husband and I both have similar stories. I went to college on a scholarship, and he worked his way through, and we have both been successful in our respective careers.
However, to quote Spleen,
At just making six figures, you're in this category of being squeezed.
However, to quote Spleen,
quote:
The problem is the rate of income growth for the wealthy has far outpaced the rate of growth for the poor and middle class. You'd expect that for the poor, but it is alarming when compared to the middle class. The middle class is being squeezed by both ends, and that's not a good thing.
At just making six figures, you're in this category of being squeezed.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:04 am to The Spleen
quote:
I mean look at how fast college tuition rates have increased over the past 2 decades.
And yet college attendance has continued to grow.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:06 am to the808bass
quote:
And yet college attendance has continued to grow.
Federal financial aid, mounting student loan scares. Cost of tuition is a problem in some state institutions.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:06 am to The Spleen
If the whole point of having kids is to actually provide them a better lifestyle than the one I had growing up, I am not sure if I will ever be able to do that.
I would probably have to go back to school to get my PhD (have a masters now) or go for something entirely different.
Example...I recently applied for a pretty decently paying job (a little better than the one I have now) that I was very qualified for. I guess with the resume's they had they saw that they could lowball everyone. I got an offer for a part time internship.
I would probably have to go back to school to get my PhD (have a masters now) or go for something entirely different.
Example...I recently applied for a pretty decently paying job (a little better than the one I have now) that I was very qualified for. I guess with the resume's they had they saw that they could lowball everyone. I got an offer for a part time internship.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:07 am to Duke
quote:
Being pissed isn't, but let's stop acting like there aren't hard working poor people who didn't get a good hand for life.
The most common statistical feature of the "working poor" is that they don't work. There are a myriad of reasons for this and not all of those reasons are within their control. But the concept of the "working poor" is largely a construct.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:11 am to 3nOut
Eddie: Agreed.
NO!
You made a shitty hand a winner. I for one am certainly not discounting that.
It's part of the trap, but again not the end all be all. Access to healthcare, quality education, a tax code that isn't build to funnel money to certain groups and instead incentivize work. The goal should be a better system for all, not one that just redistributes for the sake of it and creates an incentive structure that makes it better to not work than to go get a job. Not that it's just that easy to find a job, but we can do more to help and without "stealing" from Peter to pay Paul.
quote:
are you telling me not having home or money at 18 is a good hand and that my story is any less real because it worked out?
NO!
You made a shitty hand a winner. I for one am certainly not discounting that.
quote:
the only trap or poverty is the Government ran welfare system.
It's part of the trap, but again not the end all be all. Access to healthcare, quality education, a tax code that isn't build to funnel money to certain groups and instead incentivize work. The goal should be a better system for all, not one that just redistributes for the sake of it and creates an incentive structure that makes it better to not work than to go get a job. Not that it's just that easy to find a job, but we can do more to help and without "stealing" from Peter to pay Paul.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:16 am to the808bass
quote:
the concept of the "working poor" is largely a construct.
Except one that exists. There are plenty who don't work, but there is a fair number that do. I'll give you an anecdotal example. I worked with a woman at a store in an outlet mall. For me, the job was to get a little extra spending money while in school. She however is in her 40s trying to support a family of four with what she made there and at her other job. Why was she in that position? Her ex husband beat the shite out of her and kicker her and the kids out on the street. She worked her arse off, but there was no opportunity to get ahead.
Don't discount them for the sake of the non-workers. Those of all people are the ones we should be trying to do more to help.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 10:27 am to Duke
This thread that started out as just a run of the mill troll thread has turned into a really good read.
Posted on 4/10/14 at 11:06 am to Charlestondawg
quote:sucked any rich dicks lately?
And the rich guy is giving his money away. Every one of them gives to charity. Every. One.
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