Lets End the Fantasy of "being employed" or Having a Career in America

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
I read it somewhere else on here, paraphrasing but: The Baby Boomers get the houses, careers, Social Security and pensions. Meanwhile, they leave the 30 and under crowd with a huge deficit and a broken economy.

I guess the, "As long as I get mine" conservative/Republican mindset really worked in the long term. Thanks 55+ folks for believing in "trickle down economics" -- you've left a wonderful legacy.

Edit to add: I probably won't ever have children because this country is so screwed up. I can't in good conscious bring a life into this mess, considering I could never give it the quality of life I had growing up.

edit on 6-8-2013 by MystikMushroom because: (no reason given)

That is the most asinine comment I've seen in a while. As if the Baby Boomers did this.

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
I read it somewhere else on here, paraphrasing but: The Baby Boomers get the houses, careers, Social Security and pensions. Meanwhile, they leave the 30 and under crowd with a huge deficit and a broken economy.

I guess the, "As long as I get mine" conservative/Republican mindset really worked in the long term. Thanks 55+ folks for believing in "trickle down economics" -- you've left a wonderful legacy.

Edit to add: I probably won't ever have children because this country is so screwed up. I can't in good conscious bring a life into this mess, considering I could never give it the quality of life I had growing up.

edit on 6-8-2013 by MystikMushroom because: (no reason given)

It is unrepentently ignorant posts like this that makes my blood boil. Here in Connecticut the state is completely controlled by a hyper-liberal Democrat governor and a hyper-liberal Democrat controlled legislature. They have been spending money like a drunken sailor to the point where the governor just passed a tax on gasoline just to keep the state government going. Taxes and the cost of living here are so high that both businesses AND college graduates are leaving the state in droves. Forbes Magazine recently published an article on how Connecticut is the worst fiscally managed state in the union. We are well on our way to becoming another Detroit because we're making literally every mistake they made, and all thanks to Democrats who don't seem to understand that sooner or later they're going to run out of other people's money to spend.

How did get like this? Because people are mindlessly swallowing Democrat propaganda and they'll vote for a brick if it ran on the Democrat ticket. I've seen this with my own eyes- in my district they just elected a Democrat state rep who was thoroughly as dumb as a bag of rocks. I know because I met him numerous times. The very first law this guy tried to pass was an act that demanded people to bring their vehicles in to be inspected once they reach 100,000 miles. Guess what this guy does for a living? Go ahead, your first guess will be correct.

Want another example? Imagine you're a business owner with 49 employees. The government just passed all sorts of new laws that say businesses with 50 employees or more are obligated to pay all sorts of fees, provide healthcare for employees, and so on. Now someone comes in looking for a job. Knowing that your cost of running your business will instantly double if you hire him, what are the odds he's going to be hired regardless of his qiualifications?

The point is, if you genuinely think slavishly voting along party lines is a solution to our problems then the ones causing the problems isn't with the government. It's with YOU because you're the ones electing these self serving, destructive politicians without bothering to see what they're even doing. In my mind you have no right to be wondering why drunk drivers keep getting into accidents if you insist on giving the drunk drivers the keys to the car.

how can you guys blame the 55 and older crowd cause its not their faults that they worked hard and got what they put in! You should be blaming the media and the political hierarchy cause the system is at fault and not those too ignorant to know they were paying into a Ponzi scheme! I feel many of todays generation are even more ignorant then those of the baby boomers! At least many of the baby boomers tried during the better part of the 60s to bring about change but it seems they were fought by the earlier generations, alphabet agencies and media! What is anyone doing today to bring about change but pissing and moaning about those they blame?

reply to post by GoodOlDave


I wonder, do you think the republicans are any better then the dems?

Originally posted by NotAnAspie
matadoor

as in the artist Rockwell (no, not Norman Rockwell)... or some other Rockwell?

edit on 6-8-2013 by NotAnAspie because: (no reason given)

----

I think he means Rockwell as in the ORIGINAL BUILDERS of the B-1 Lancer Bomber
and the company that did engineering and management of the space shuttle program.
And one division of Rockwell made specialty tools such as table saws, lathes and their
stuff that STILL WORKS WELL after 20 to 30 years...when QUALITY really meant something!

Originally posted by nosacrificenofreedom
reply to post by GoodOlDave

 

I wonder, do you think the republicans are any better then the dems?

I can't tell you, because the Republicans are a minority in Connecticut to the point where the Democrat governor didn't even bother to ask the minority leader to submit an economic plan. He knows his own economic plan...and anything else he wants...will be rubber stamped by the Democrat controlled legislature.

Here's another tidbit- the governor passed a law that allowed him to hide how bad the finances of the state were until AFTER the election last year, to prevent hurting the chances of Democrats running for office. How did he get something like that passed? Guess.

I agree with Matador's post.

While not as old as he is I have had summer jobs since I was a teenager and very well paying fulltime jobs since I was 19. I was recruited two years ago by a 2.5 billion dollar company (I was not even looking for a new job) and make well over 6 figures with numerous benefits, bonuses, commissions and stock options. The company I now work for treats us all like human beings and frowns upon anyone who does not feel that they are with us for the long run or here for a career (we never say 'job'). As a side note we have not laid anyone off in over 70+ years.

If you work hard and have realistic expectations you can still make something of yourself in the United States. I constantly run into machine and metalworking shops while doing my day to day work that cannot find qualified machinists and some of the starting salaries are in the $70-80,000 range. Being able to operate a CNC or equivalant is basically like being able to punch your own ticket as far as I have encountered. Too many people have gone to college for useless degrees while 'factory work' is frowned upon.

The Economy is messed up because the people in charge of regulations and deregulations we're unable to resist greed and bribery from others in order to look away from things that otherwise would have caused red flags and changes in the overall system. But the people making a profit off such a thing would never allow that and created jobs for others that solely are there to help keep the system messed up and profitable for a few, while giving the masses just enough to get by without causing a revolt.


We'll as it nears revolt time, I hope those who had the power, the money, the times of good fun, use those memories to help them overcome the hardships of being over run by a country of needy, hungry, angry head hunters.

The system needs to be fixed, an I still believe in our great nation of people to fix it, just before that can take place I honestly feel we need to overthrow everyone in congress and make some changes there 1st, maybe stop the Long seated members from having such outlandish terms in office and limit it to a presidential setting of 4 to 8 years if reelected.

We, the people, need to stand up and scream at the top of our lungs,
" We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore "

We will make freedom ring once again, we will restore our unbalanced nation to a fruitful, profitable, prosperous, Humane role model nation it once was.

reply to post by MystikMushroom


Your post arrogantly and at the same time ignorantly assumes that we have been working under a true free market.

As for trickle down economics, that became much less possible under the New Deal, and gets harder and harder with every layer of Government red tape.

End crony capitalism, end corporate welfare, end government funded welfare*, and you will have a much more prosperous nation.

*We have more people on welfare of some kind now than there was standing in the soup lines in the "dirty thirties". The difference is that EBT cards and welfare stamps are a lot easier to hide.
We need to let the civic organizations take care of their own, like they used to, and get government out of the way. Hell, we have government setting up regulations against "feeding the homeless" (do a site search right here on ATS). After all, why should we peons do it when the all knowing all powerful government can do it instead? No folks, the road to hell is paved on good intentions... especially when the government is laying the pavement.

When I finished college, the economy was still good, and having an MBA generally meant a decent, high-paying job. Now, if I had it to do all over again, I would have learned a trade like plumbing or would have been an electrician, to at least ensure steady work. Takes me a while to find a decent paying job when between gigs. And now, for the first time, I'm making LESS than the previous job, just because I needed SOMETHING vs. unemployment.

It's one of the main reasons I'm trying to slowly become more self-sufficient on the homestead...to better weather those "in between" times. Gone are the days when you'd be at a company for decades and then retire. That hasn't been the case for most for a long time. Job hopping can offer more money, but at the expense of security, and there comes a time when security is more important....but it no longer exists.

I'm 26 I had nearly a year of unemployment after I was discharged (honorably) from the Navy. Now I'm washing dishes for $7.25 an hour, but I don't mind, work is work and the people I work with are pretty cool.

I'll agree that finding a job these days is not an easy task, sometimes you have to take a job that you don't want because at least you'll have a job.

Op, I imagine that you have more bills than I and probably a family to support. That being said, I would love to make $11.00 an hour. Maybe you'll feel better knowing that some people would love to have your job?

Believe me, I'm a skilled worker too. I have a lot of electronics experience from my time as a Sonar Tech. I'm also a good mechanic with the certifications to back it up, but I could find no employment with those skills.

Oh well, the sun still rises in the morning, and still sets at night.

reply to post by dave_welch


So much for the myth that the military gives you the skills you need to get employment in the civilian world, huh? You got some serious skills, but if they're not hiring...................

Things are worst than people admit, and only getting worst still. The unemployment numbers are down because many people have fallen off the rolls and others have obtained employment that is temp and severely beneath their skill level.

I know because I work in employment.

Shame on the people who believe all these people are unemployed because they are lazy or not trying! While there are many dumb, uneducated and lazy people, THAT is not the reason they are unemployed. The reason they are unemployed is the bubble America was riding on has burst.

We have been on a bubble since WWII and our victory. We had a huge advantage over other countries and we took advantage of this/them. Basically, their resources and cheap labor have been enabling us to live fat up until this time.

The rest of the world is catching up with us...and they are demanding their piece of the pie which was previously ALL OURS! And it's going to get worst as soon, the slave wagers we are taking advantage of will no longer work for $2 per hour. Where will the corporations run to then?

One way to improve our lives, which many will resist due to greed, is to improve the rest of the worlds lives. That's right bring them up to our standard and then corporations will no longer have slaves to run too.

WE NEED TO DO AWAY WITH THESE TEMP AGENCIES!

America was a superior manufacturing country...now we are a country who's economy is based upon screwing the next person over. It's based upon getting YOURS and not worrying about anyone else. That's basically what a temp agency is. WHY ON EARTH should a company ONLY hire through a temp agency? I mean, even though the actual worker is making less, say $9 hr, the temp agency is being paid another $12-$15 hr. Why not pay that full $22-$25 to the person working? Why is that "middle man" in the picture getting paid off another persons dime?

This is what America has become! Everyone wants to be a middle man who makes money from another mans labor! Yet some of these same people will cry that those on welfare are lazy and stealing money...what about these temp agencies?

The older generation are simply out of touch with reality and too busy patting themselves on the back. Screaming about how they weren't afraid of hard work. This new generation isn't either, just that this new generation has figured out their hard work isn't paying off the same.

As has been said in this thread, a person could be a school drop out before the 80's and still find a factory job to support and raise their family on. In this day, you can graduate college and not be able to find a job to support a family on! So this generation isn't crying because they MAY have to work hard...they are shouting because their working hard won't pay off as their parents and grandparents.

The Baby Boomers seem to be angry that the younger generations aren't FOOLS as they were. This generation, instead of just holding their nose to the grind have the balls to ask "WHY". They have the guts to say "this isn't fair or this isn't right". This generation DARES to dream of fair treatment and they are blasted for it.

Things will not get any better unless we have another World War and knock the other countries back down where they can continue to be our slaves OR we have a technological break through which the U.S. alone has and we can create another bubble to float on for another 50 years until the other countries catch up again.

reply to post by therealdemoboy

Exactly, however, that's partly my fault. If I'd stayed in the Seattle area I could have gotten good pay working for Boeing or one of the other places in that area. I just hated living there, though.

reply to post by Brotherman


Brotherman - it is the same in all the advanced / old / first world economies, with exceptions such as Australia [ buoyed up by mineral wealth, proximity to China and their insatiable demand]. I would also like to add that China is the sleeping giant on Australia's doorstep - so the future may not be so great there.

A small cabal of CEOs stopped running companies for the customers - they started running them for the profit of the shareholders and ultimately self gain [ as CEOs - they profit share also and get huge cuts when companies are sold]. This led to greed from a few, disenfranchising the many, as jobs were shipped off shore, to countries that paid 1 dollar an hour [ ish ] - thereby safe guarding the CEOs big pay day !!!

We have allowed successive governments to run our countries for their benefit and not ours .. again a small elite cabal disenfranchising the many.

Have you seen Michael Moore's excellent film on capitalism - it may hold some answers for you.

My best advice [ not asked for I know ] is move to a rich region/ country, where jobs are relatively abundant.

I think this is relevant to this post. The more gets automated and computerized, the less jobs will be available.
Therefore, the monetary system is no longer relevant.

Originally posted by mwood
I rode my bike 15 miles to work and home each night which REALLY SUCKED but I had to if I wanted to keep a job.

I worked myself from running the fryers & Broiler up to cashier to asst. manager then Manager

There were MANY up's and down's over the years

There were times when I rode 30 miles a day on a bike to work, ate Ramen noodles WAY too much,

While homeless I used to stop on the way to my minimum wage job and wash my hair and body from a hose on the back of a gas station before work and many times got to work with frozen hair (Michigan winters)

you either did whatever you had to to eat or you didn't eat. And believe me, I have slept behind a few dumpsters and buildings while learning that.

That is not how I envision a perfect world. I see a voluntary socialist technological system where necessities are a given. If people like you want to go play wild wild west, more power to you.

Originally posted by mwood
While working there I learned how to do construction, weld, auto repair, roofing and many other skills on the side.

Education should be freely available.

Originally posted by mwood
didn't own a cell phone or car and was homeless for a while.

Mass transit, housing, and basic communication should be available for all.

reply to post by supremecommander

I would agree....except the baby boomers talk a bunch of #...and then won't utter a peep over the fact that the same 'entitled brats' are paying for their SS, while when we turn 65+ there won't be anything for us.

Only # talking I see is comments like that considering the generations that followed the baby boomers have it far easier than the baby boomers ever did.

And those 'spoiled little brats' aren't paying for squat which is the problem.

I respectfully have to tell older generations who pass judgement on the generations after them to piss off.

I respectfully am telling everyone who wants to argue over FIAT CURRENCY and that they don't have all the corporate products they want to # off.

Do so love that arrogance.

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
What gets me is that slowly over the decades we've been told and accepted the fact that our time isn't important.

We have a finite lifespan. We die and then don't remember any of it because our brains no longer function. Time is everything.

Originally posted by gentledissident
That is not how I envision a perfect world. I see a voluntary socialist technological system where necessities are a given.

And how does it work for the people who do not want to 'volunteer' in your vision of utopia?