What really made this real for you?

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I posted a story in camaro68ss's thread titled "Inside Info from Locals?"

My aunt is a pseudo-Southern belle, born and bred to hate unions. She told me last night that she's beginning to see why they exist.

That, more than anything else, has made this real for me. I'm doing okay, I might be doing even better soon.

It was real before, but it's really hit home now. I guess before it was "well, things are really bad". Now, it's more "...things really are going down the tubes, and at double-step time."

So, my question is, what really made this real for you?

When i first realized that everything is for profit. Everything.
Your life is nothing but profit to someone else.

If they start taxing air, im going to scream.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


One thing about the unions I think they take away power from the people. I am never going to like them.

what made it real to me was when I broke some bones and had to not do anyting for about a month. I watched a lot of tv during that time quite a bit with my dad so we watched alot of the stock market. He would tell me things and explain how it worked. After a while escpecailly now you can see it being played with more and more. Why does it go up when the headlines are based on hope talks will go through. It should go up based on data that show forward movement. well thats the jist of it.

System of Truth

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


A very clear experience came to mind in answer to the question you asked. While it is not directly economic in nature, it certainly has contributed to the mess we find ourselves in.

Many years ago, during the so-called "shock and awe" bombing campaign waged by the US in the early stages of the war with Iraq, I was a very typical American. I worked too hard, focused on raising my family, and relied on the MSM to keep me accurately and completely informed on all relevant issues in the world.

In the nightly recap of the war (probably CNN but my memory of the details has waned), I heard a brief comment about how the propagandists of Saddam and anti-American interests had accused the US of targeting a non-government press building. The report went on to explain what had "really" happened, in other words the US side of the story. I remember very clearly thinking - in complete and utter faith - how very lucky I was to be living in a country with a free press, where I can rely on hearing the "truth" and not propaganda in the guise of news. In that moment I truly felt for the people of Iraq and other countries where news is nothing more than packaged propaganda. I'm sure you can see where this is going,

A couple of years later I wound up watching a documentary about that specific bombing, and discovered that I was the one who had been fed propaganda. I remembered very clearly my emotions from years earlier, and truly mourned the loss of my concept of country that day. In that moment, I realized that things were very different than I had been conditioned to believe. Perhaps they had changed; perhaps they had never been in the first place.

There are many pieces that have contributed to the absolute cesspool we find ourselves in. Sadly, however, none have surprised me since that day.

It was real for me starting about five years ago when my company stuck it to the hourly workers and ended all full-time positions and thus the benefits that went with them. Meanwhile the execs got huge bonuses. Later it was when my neighbors started losing their jobs and then their houses.