America this week, what the hell?

[Jernik]

Yep, it's all the fault of those "elitist" folks. No personal responsibility necessary. It's all everyone else's fault. The government is the only way things will get better...

Dude, right here in this country the poor people have it better than any other poor people in any other country in the world in our known history.

They have TONS of programs to better themselves, tons of money/assistance from the government provided by the folks who produce.

They can go to a church and ask for help. They can go door to do asking to do labor for trade for food or clothing.

There are endless possibilities.

Of course some folks are mentally or physically disabled and have issues with earning a livable wage and fitting into society- but there are tons of programs and churches and assistance out there for them.

It's as if I am supposed to feel bad- I came from a poor ass family. We worked our way out of it. Didn't make anyone deal with our issues but us.

No sob story, just hard work and keeping at it. Never asked for handouts- but always willing to work for an honest living or food or whatever.

If you are upset at the gap in livable wages and prosperity getting harder and harder to attain- look no further than the government for helping to create those conditions. Trade deals, sending jobs overseas, regulating/taxing business out of profitability, illegal alien labor tax credits for big biz, etc, etc, etc.

The lobbying going on in Washington is a big issue. Just look at how easy it is to buy and pay for a politician. Just fund them and then send them emails telling what you need done (Clinton/Soro's anyone?). Poof- it happens. Pork in legislation. The system is corrupt as FVCK. And until we clean house and make some changes, more government is just going to make the problems much much worse.

It's interesting that when we had less government interference people could live off of low incomes, but the more the gov grows, the less they can fend for themselves and the more they have to rely on the .gov. That's called a clue. A Red flag. It's almost as if the .gov wants to control people and make them reliant on the system. Go figure...

There are a lot of problems in this country and all most all of them can be tracked back to the fed.gov in some way, sure there are other players involved, but the fed.gov is holding the game board and dictating the rules.

The last half of your post I agree with. The first half, I think you mis-understood my tone (understandable in print). The elitist comment was a jab at the situation in general. Just a guy bemoaning how the price of anything good has gone up, but with a bit of truth behind it as well.

As for growing up poor, we weren't too well off either. Hell, the whole town was (still is) pretty poor. But I never went hungry, had clean clothes, and a roof over my head. Mom was able to save from the grocery budget throughout the year so us kids had something at Christmas. So I'm not gonna complain, lots of folks have it a lot worse than I did. But we didn't have any extra to squander either.

At this point in my life, I appreciate the hard worker who succeeds and becomes successful (as you and I have done). I too think personal responsibility is lacking in our society as a whole. But I don't think everyone is capable of going from nothing to something. It's hard. It takes guts and mental fortitude to do it. Even with that, a lot of people, despite working their ass off, still fail.

It's a deep problem with many variables. Are there some who are lazy, irresponsible, and have no desire to better themselves? Absolutely. Are there a good number who are depressed, confused, have no idea how to start digging out of the hole and feel overwhelmed and lost? Sure. And there are likely some who have failed repeatedly and simply given up.

 

[Victor_inox]

You honestly believe that if big businesses went unregulated, that it would decrease the almost 400x pay gap between top and bottom earners?

If you want to blame one thing, blame detachment. Why was it harder to see such gaps in the past? Imagine if you have a small town who's economy runs around a small mill. Obviously you'd have a gap between the owner of the mill and the lowest person on the totem pole. But would it be such a huge divide? If the everyday things the owner needed involved personal interactions with his employees and all it effects, most likely not. It is very hard to have if you interact with those who have not and you are in control of it. It would be a very cold and callous person who could stock his shopping cart with food, see Bill who's family he knows and who he interacts with daily at work, struggle to fill his because he is trying to have the maximum possible production out of his mill. But we live in a detached world. Corporate offices are nowhere near their factories or their employees. They are no more to them as the chickens are who lay eggs for an egg farmer.

A prime example is that show Undercover Boss. I know, so much of it is BS, but it still often has the same result. An owner or CEO who doesn't seem to care about anything until it is in his or her face. It is so easy to not care if you take all of the humanity out of an employee. And that is NOT the governments doing.

I worked for corporate america for long time, man I hate that culture.
Employees treated like dirt.
My CEO talking about another guy suffered heart failure saying
" it`s Ok we got 4 years out of him"
I wouldn`t believe it if i wasn't staying 10 feet away.
***** got it coming, family owned company she was born to be CEO of vent belly up.
Her granddad started it 1945 and she run it to the ground.
900 employees laid off as result. Was she thinking about that- I doubt it.

 

[Hepar]

I worked for corporate america for long time, man I hate that culture.
Employees treated like dirt.
My CEO talking about another guy suffered heart failure saying
" it`s Ok we got 4 years out of him"
I wouldn`t believe it if i wasn't staying 10 feet away.
***** got it coming, family owned company she was born to be CEO of vent belly up.
Her granddad started it 1945 and she run it to the ground.
900 employees laid off as result. Was she thinking about that- I doubt it.

That's a crazy story, but also not surprising. I also understand that I personally am part of the problem as well. I invest money into stocks that I believe will earn a return. The only way that happens is if that company grows and earns more money. So, CEO's have to answer to board members as well as stockholders. If a company sets a goal for say a 20% return and they end up with an 18% one, on paper it is a success. But as a goal, it is a failure.

Again, I don't have the answers. Like a previous poster said, probably the largest factor is the overwhelming population we have. And as well as it was previously mentioned, it is so much to also due with the influences that money has in our system. We have this talk of less government, but need to understand that those in control are capitalists and they like the government as long as they have the right control of it.

I highly recommend this read:

https://www.amazon.com/Damn-Much-Money-Corrosion-Government/dp/0307385884

 

[Victor_inox]

That's a crazy story, but also not surprising. I also understand that I personally am part of the problem as well. I invest money into stocks that I believe will earn a return. The only way that happens is if that company grows and earns more money. So, CEO's have to answer to board members as well as stockholders. If a company sets a goal for say a 20% return and they end up with an 18% one, on paper it is a success. But as a goal, it is a failure.

Again, I don't have the answers. Like a previous poster said, probably the largest factor is the overwhelming population we have. And as well as it was previously mentioned, it is so much to also due with the influences that money has in our system. We have this talk of less government, but need to understand that those in control are capitalists and they like the government as long as they have the right control of it.

I highly recommend this read:

https://www.amazon.com/Damn-Much-Money-Corrosion-Government/dp/0307385884

Agreed

 

[Thefishguy77]

Well let's not forget that there is a LAW passed by GOVERNMENT. This law requires all publicly held companies to try and make more money than they did the year before. So all thing being equal they actually would be breaking the law to actually lower the cost and cut their profits unless they attempt to make it up in other areas.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Thefishguy77]

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/08/isis-terrorist-tells-feds-jihadist-brothers-mexico/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Thefishguy77]

Need the governments permission to try and earn some side money
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2016/08/11/woman-fighting-fine-for-selling-tamales-without-permit/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jeremyc74]

So birth control stops mosquitos? You know that's how it primarily spreads correct. Yes it can be transmitted through sex. So I graduated high school in the mid 90's. Not too long ago. Guys still wanted to have sex but didn't expect to have it until you had been dating for around a month. Now it's first date in high school. I'm sorry but to say that's how it is and always had been is stupid. When actions had consequences it was a lot less prevalent. Did it happen yea of course. Was it as common. Hell no!

No, birth control prevent unwanted pregnancies. I would have thought that would be the obvious reason someone would take it when there's a chance they'll contract Zika. :wtf:

I graduated high school in the early '90s, and I could count on one hand the number of students I graduated with that hadn't had sex. This problem isn't new, and it's not high school students that are really the problem. It's the poor, and once they start having kids, it make more sense (to them) to stay home and collect a check than to go work for minimum wage and lose money paying child care.

There are still a few "republicans" than want to overturn abortion. But not as many as the democrats tell us there are. .

OH BS!!! It's a formal part of their national party platform. Even now that Trump is the candidate. Give me a ****ing break with that nonsense!

Back to the republican argument. Why should the public pay for an individual's abortion because they failed to use protection. I'm sorry but I stand by my statement that if your can't afford to buy condoms then your probably not making good life choices regarding money and responsibility anyways. So you probably shouldn't be having sex.

The public doesn't pay for abortions. Period.

You can stand by your statement all you want, but that doesn't change the FACT that it just doesn't work in the real world.

I agree with the principal that people should take responsibility for their own actions, but people are stupid. As a society we've decided that killing them (the stupid parents) isn't an option, and we're not going to let children starve to death in the streets either. So we're back to my original statement.

You have two choices. You can pay for birth control up front, or you can put up with a lot more abortions and higher welfare costs. I don't advocate for birth control because I think morally it's the right thing to do, I do it because it makes the most sense.

 

[jeremyc74]

yes, very critical. of republicans. to which he blames for the problems. but at the same time saying its not the government that is failing.

First of all, there's a difference between "Government" and a political party.

what company/business/venture/association etc has the government ran successfully?

You can't be serious.

I could go on and on. The US currently has the most lethal military this planet has ever seen, and that's in spite of what that idiot Trump would tell you (as if his draft dodging ass is even remotely qualified to make an assessment!)

 

[ThorInc]

5 time draft dodger......now with a purple heart

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk

 

[jeremyc74]

Need the governments permission to try and earn some side money
Woman Fighting Fine For Selling Tamales Without Permit « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, you need to have a business license to sell food, and that's a regulation that's there for a damn good reason. Without that there's no way for inspectors to check in on her, and you have no idea what kind of conditions she's making the food in. Regulations like this were created out of a need for them at some point.

 

[Hepar]

Well let's not forget that there is a LAW passed by GOVERNMENT. This law requires all publicly held companies to try and make more money than they did the year before. So all thing being equal they actually would be breaking the law to actually lower the cost and cut their profits unless they attempt to make it up in other areas.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Um, no.

Corporations Don't Have to Maximize Profits - NYTimes.com

 

[Thefishguy77]

First of all, there's a difference between "Government" and a political party.






You can't be serious.

I could go on and on. The US currently has the most lethal military this planet has ever seen, and that's in spite of what that idiot Trump would tell you (as if his draft dodging ass is even remotely qualified to make an assessment!)

Ok let's see. Our roads and infrastructure and in desperate need of being repaired. Have been for 15+ years.
Our military while they are still awesome has been downsized tremendously since Clinton. Moral is not nearly what it used to be. Not nearly.
As to those awesome weapons of war. Planes subs tanks ect. Who makes those again. Not who pays for them. But who makes them. Boeing, McDonald Douglas, transmissions for tanks built by Allison, ect. All companies owned by share holders. Not companies run by the government.

Ok sex in high school. How many partners do you think every guy had a year when you graduated? 3,4? Are you even familiar with what's going on today? Just in the early 2000's there were "lipstick parties" up in the Redmond Washington where girls 14,15,16 years old would where different colors of lipstick and compete to see who could be better at a particular act for foreplay. All with one or 2 guys at the same time and more than once or twice a week. It was common and they would brag about it. Then there are apps like tinder and grinder that solely have been designed for helping people have sex easier. No if your responsible it's one thing. But if you are just hoping you don't get a std and she doesn't get pregnant by chance then your not being responsible.

As to abortions being paid for by the public. Are you that blind? Really?
Ok so you say I can't afford health insurance. So you need to subsidize my health insurance. The subsidy comes from where? The government? So tax dollars?
Abortion is mandatory coverage in health insurance under the ACA. Or let's go to planed parenthood. They get government money to operate and then after free/subsidized abortions to those that can't pay for them. That's government money no matter how you slice it. If you take that money from them will they still have their operating budget that they manage to pay for abortions with?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hepar]

C'mon. We ALL know they staged that.

 

[ndcent]

My tax dollars subsidize all kinds of stuff I don't particularly care about. Why get your panties in a wad over one specific part I'm not sure, waste of time.

Oh, and heavens to Betsy the military budget in just dwindling!

The US spends more on defense than the next seven countries combined.

The sky...it's falling!!!

 

[Victor_inox]

C'mon. We ALL know they staged that.

Never happened indeed.:evil:

 

[Hepar]

My tax dollars subsidize all kinds of stuff I don't particularly care about. Why get your panties in a wad over one specific part I'm not sure, waste of time.

I'd gladly pay more tax dollars to get that Blackbird back into the sky.

 

[ndcent]

Never happened indeed.:evil:

There is some intriguing info out there on this, no doubt!

 

[jeremyc74]

Ok let's see. Our roads and infrastructure and in desperate need of being repaired. Have been for 15+ years.
Our military while they are still awesome has been downsized tremendously since Clinton. Moral is not nearly what it used to be. Not nearly.
As to those awesome weapons of war. Planes subs tanks ect. Who makes those again. Not who pays for them. But who makes them. Boeing, McDonald Douglas, transmissions for tanks built by Allison, ect. All companies owned by share holders. Not companies run by the government.

Our roads and infrastructure do need to be repaired, but that isn't proof that government is incapable, only that the people CURRENTLY running it are.

I'm a former Marine, and have plenty of friends/family who are still in. They've been worked hard, and they're tired, but saying "moral is down" is baseless.

And our military MOST CERTAINLY hasn't been downsizing since Clinton. Military size and spending goes up and down based on needs. Right now we're coming out of two major conflicts, and it makes good sense to bring the levels down some.

All of those weapons are built to government specs, using government money, and with government oversight. The fact that the government doesn't directly pay the engineers doesn't have anything to do with it. Without government they WOULD NOT EXIST. It's not about "who makes them" it's about "who makes them possible".

Ok sex in high school. How many partners do you think every guy had a year when you graduated? 3,4? Are you even familiar with what's going on today? Just in the early 2000's there were "lipstick parties" up in the Redmond Washington where girls 14,15,16 years old would where different colors of lipstick and compete to see who could be better at a particular act for foreplay. All with one or 2 guys at the same time and more than once or twice a week. It was common and they would brag about it. Then there are apps like tinder and grinder that solely have been designed for helping people have sex easier. No if your responsible it's one thing. But if you are just hoping you don't get a std and she doesn't get pregnant by chance then your not being responsible.

Why are you so hung up on high school. Pregnant high school kids are a small part of the problem. It's the adults that are out of school and can't make any money working because their child care costs are more than they would make. I don't give a damn how many partners some girl has had. It's none of my business (or yours). The only thing I care about is not having to support their children, and that's where the birth control comes in.

As to abortions being paid for by the public. Are you that blind? Really?
Ok so you say I can't afford health insurance. So you need to subsidize my health insurance. The subsidy comes from where? The government? So tax dollars?
Abortion is mandatory coverage in health insurance under the ACA. Or let's go to planed parenthood. They get government money to operate and then after free/subsidized abortions to those that can't pay for them. That's government money no matter how you slice it. If you take that money from them will they still have their operating budget that they manage to pay for abortions with?

k

So what would you rather pay for? Abortions or birth control? You can't have it both ways and pretending you can makes you sound silly.

 

[Thefishguy77]

I wasn't arguing against the military budget. If you read the post I quoted. That should be clear.
I also wasn't arguing against funding abortion. Once again reference a post from jeremyc74 #1208. Where he said "The public doesn't pay for abortions. Period".

I am all for building the crap out of the military. But between Obama and Bill Clinton it has been shrunk in man power and moral is net nearly what it used to be. For Gods sake. Obama actually brought members of our military up on charges while in the sandbox. I don't know the exact incident anymore. But the gist of it was they kicked a door in and as they stepped of a hostile that had been shot and was laying on the ground. A few other soldiers put a round in to him to make sure he was dead. This is/was very recently actually standard procedure for an agency or 2 that operates inside American borders. So if you can do that to American citizens by American citizens working for a government agency then why would you charge soldiers in a war zone.
Or there was the time that soldiers had a group of people detained and sitting against a wall. One of them would not quit moving his had towards his clothes. At that point one of the soldiers shot him because he feared that they could be in danger. Once again not sure if Obama got his wish but his administration hinted at prosecuting them. Our moral is very low compared to what it has been in recent history. Yes we have had a long war going on and that most definitely plays a key part in it. But that actions of the current administration have been very detrimental to the current moral.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk