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Is that what you think I'm being? I disagree. I'm just telling my circumstances. Do you think I'm delusional? Should I lie? Should I pretend things suck for me? Should I keep quiet because we only want to hear from those of the 99 percent who are suffering?
No, I don't. I'm happy that your hard work lead to achievement. But just don't forget that for many of us, life doesn't work that way.
I just want the tone to be changed from contempt and blame for those suffering to empathy. Sure, there are people who screwed up and that's why they struggle now, but there are plenty of people out there like me watching everything they worked for crumble in front of their eyes.
And if Nepethene or Swagger gets sick, that will all be gone in an instant.
I worked hard too. I made the right decisions too. I take responsibility for myself. It wasn't my decision to get cancer at 23.
Your story is touching, and I do have sympathy for you. The harsh reality of it, though, is that your situation is an anomaly. The number of charolastra00s out there is statistically insignificant when determining what the right solutions for the country are.
When discussing what kind of changes need to be made at a macro level, you don't pull out the microscope or use individual anecdotes to define national policy.
Your story is touching, and I do have sympathy for you. The harsh reality of it, though, is that your situation is an anomaly.
Swag, people get sick without health care much more often than you may think. My dad got cancer when he was 52. He was a self employed barber who couldn't afford health care. He put off going to the doctor because he didn't want to spend the $100. In hindsight, that was foolish, but at the time, I can see how he rationalized not going to the doctor just because he was constipated. What are the odds that it would be serious? It was, and he died. Early detection probably would have saved his life.
My mom also was diagnosed with cancer. She was 51. She lived for nine more years. Her employer kept her on the books so she could continue to receive treatment. That was very nice of him, but I can't help but wonder what happens to all of those Americans who don't have as charitable employers as my mom did. I don't think it's right or fair to anyone -- employer or employee -- to expect employers to take care of the health insurance of employees.
My sister, now dead, had diabetes. She was undiagnosed for ten years (it began when she was 16) because we didn't have health insurance. By the time she was diagnosed, it was very advanced. She died when she was 44.
We have a health care crisis in this country. The cost of care is bankrupting the country by driving up the cost of Medicare. It's also threatening our national security because so many defense dollars now goes toward Tricare. I don't think Obama's plan fixed it. It was a half measure, designed to protect the profits of health insurance companies. What was needed was a socialized plan that covers everyone. It would cost less money than we are paying now.
Is that what you think I'm being? I disagree. I'm just telling my circumstances. Do you think I'm delusional? Should I lie? Should I pretend things suck for me? Should I keep quiet because we only want to hear from those of the 99 percent who are suffering?
I for one am glad you are not suffering. I don't wish that upon anyone, but could you at least acknowledge that everyone that is in a bad position right now is not in that position because of something that they have done.
If you are working many hours now, what would happen to your big savings if you developed cancer. What would happen to your income. Do you have any idea how expensive cancer treatment is? IF your company offers it, make sure that you have short term and long term disability. It will really help.
Yep. Conservatives are liberals who have yet to be mugged by reality.
Nope. I exist in reality every day and have since I turned 17. The reality is that a great many of the 99 percent are making their way in the world and doing alright. I'm sorry you want to pretend we don't exist.
You want to talk about reality? I started managing a new temp-to-hire intern last Monday (edit: and by intern, I mean he started at $33,300/year and has full access to benefits). Age 23, just out of college. My gawd, the audacity and arrogance of this kid. He just got his foot in the door and instead of being interested in learning and showing that he can work hard, he's much more interested in texting, taking eight breaks a day, surfing, and chatting. He has the attention span of a ferret. Train wreck.
This guy has a lot of advantages and is a total mama's boy. He's obviously from a very well-off family, and yet he talked several times about the occupiers (we have news channels up on a couple of our screens here) and how right they are. At 23, he has a huge entitlement complex already. He just got hired and has the chance to shine here but it's not good enough. He's owed a lot more. He wants to be out there with his fellow p|ssed-ff 99%ers.
WTF? In this guy's case, and I'm willing to bet he speaks for at least a portion of the occupiers, he's a liberal who refuses to see that his reality and opportunity is pretty damned good so far, but he's doing his best to kick it to the curb. Maybe he'll get better but if he continues on this path he won't last long.
Nope. I exist in reality every day and have since I turned 17. The reality is that a great many of the 99 percent are making their way in the world and doing alright. I'm sorry you want to pretend we don't exist.
You want to talk about reality? I started managing a new temp-to-hire intern last Monday (edit: and by intern, I mean he started at $33,300/year and has full access to benefits). Age 23, just out of college. My gawd, the audacity and arrogance of this kid. He just got his foot in the door and instead of being interested in learning and showing that he can work hard, he's much more interested in texting, taking eight breaks a day, surfing, and chatting. He has the attention span of a ferret. Train wreck.
This guy has a lot of advantages and is a total mama's boy. He's obviously from a very well-off family, and yet he talked several times about the occupiers (we have news channels up on a couple of our screens here) and how right they are. At 23, he has a huge entitlement complex already. He just got hired and has the chance to shine here but it's not good enough. He's owed a lot more. He wants to be out there with his fellow p|ssed-ff 99%ers.
WTF? In this guy's case, and I'm willing to bet he speaks for at least a portion of the occupiers, he's a liberal who refuses to see that his reality and opportunity is pretty damned good so far, but he's doing his best to kick it to the curb. Maybe he'll get better but if he continues on this path he won't last long.
I'm glad people are making it, Nep. Far from not wanting to think they exist, I wish more of them did. The problem with America today is that there is no social safety net. Most Americans are one setback away from falling into the underclass for a very, very long time if not permanently. One job loss or major illness is all it takes. That's too close for comfort for me.
I would draw two circles, one representing the "Tea Party", and the other representing the "99% Party", with a little area in the middle grayed out where the two intersect, and an arrow pointing to it saying "ME".
There are some areas where the two grops come together, like in the topic of exposing the Fed and how its associations with the big banks.
Of course we all know the 99% Party will be hijacked by the Dems, just like the Tea Party was hijacked by the Republicans, so it will lead to nothing.
I would borrow the line from the Alabama song called "Song, song of the south" to make my sign saying this: "Somebody told us Wall Street fell, but we were so poor we couldn't tell"
I saw an occupy sign the other day where they misspelled corporation. lol
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