Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The "rich" aren't really rich either, I think the definition of rich in my area is anyone who makes over $700k-1M a year
To be truly rich, is to not have to depend on a job/employer for your income. Jobs can be lost quickly in this economy, but if you're living off a trust fund, or have $50,000,000 sitting in the bank even earning 2.5% interest, then you're rich.
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealth out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3, The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.
5. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealth out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3, The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.
5. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
All true. And yet history has shown that having a small, elite wealthy class and a large, struggling impoverished class is a great way to end up with heads rolling in the street. Metaphorically or actually. It is in the long-term interest of the wealthy to insure that the poor do not become quite so destitute that they begin to despair.
All true. And yet history has shown that having a small, elite wealthy class and a large, struggling impoverished class is a great way to end up with heads rolling in the street. Metaphorically or actually. It is in the long-term interest of the wealthy to insure that the poor do not become quite so destitute that they begin to despair.
Thank you. I laugh at all these struggling middle class "social conservatives in name only" cheerleading for their own obsolescene. Everybody is optimism biased to believe that they would make it above the cut line when we all go insane and go for full out dog eat dog capitalism, regulations (so called inefficiencies...) be damned.
People on this forum speak of social netting with such disparaging broad-brushing about socialism as if their prescription for economic success actually led to everybody being rich and whoever ends up poor, does so because he chooses and loves being poor. Math FAIL. That's just a prescription for a lot of folks being poor and a few being really well off. And that yields Colombia. I.e. Who cares if you're the only rich guy in town when you got to drive armored convoys to go to the mall (empty now) or drop off your pristine children off at the private school. Believe me, you don't want dog eat dog capitalism, you want to give more idiots the opportunity of being middle class, and a content but small (per capita) pool of destitutes. If that means the rich can't get as rich as they want, I find that a proper opportunity cost.
All true. And yet history has shown that having a small, elite wealthy class and a large, struggling impoverished class is a great way to end up with heads rolling in the street.
That's a bit of a stretch. The impoverished classes in the situations to which you refer had no food, or like 1989 in Romania where we only had electricity 2-6 hours per day and TV programing was maybe 2-4 hours per evening (and we had no food). They were also lacking other basic necessities.
As long as Americans have cable, cell-phone and internet access, they'll be content to be suckers.
I worked in a mill for 15 years, before they closed up and moved the equipment down south. It was a scary moment in my life...I had a wife, and a daughter to provide for. While the mill didn't pay great, it took care of our needs (decent apartment, good meals everyday, some savings, good cars, etc.)
They warned us nearly 2 years ahead of the fact that the mill was going to close, and offered retraining, and/or help to pay up to half for a 2 year degree. I chose the 2 yr degree in electrical technology. In seven years, I've nearly doubled my income, and my family is better for it. Our future looks brighter, and retirement outlook is looking better.
While I don't know of the entire 580 people that were laid off, but out of a 2-300 hundred I knew for sure, only 2 of us took advantage of the degree program. TWO.
I run into some of the people that used to work there every now and then. A few assumed another mill job would be there, but the manufacturing in this area dried up and died.
Not everyone suffered of course, but those that took no initiative, are typically the ones I see suffering now.
They warned us nearly 2 years ahead of the fact that the mill was going to close, and offered retraining, and/or help to pay up to half for a 2 year degree. I chose the 2 yr degree in electrical technology. In seven years, I've nearly doubled my income, and my family is better for it. Our future looks brighter, and retirement outlook is looking better.
While I don't know of the entire 580 people that were laid off, but out of a 2-300 hundred I knew for sure, only 2 of us took advantage of the degree program. TWO.
You did it right. Everyone else had their heads in the sand or up their full point of contact.
The signs are always there. It's amazing how people will spend 20 hours a week perusing sports or other forums, but won't devote a mere 5 minutes a month to see what is happening in their industry, their sector of the economy or their local environment as it relates to their employer or their field of employment.
As long as Americans have cable, cell-phone and internet access, they'll be content to be suckers.
And lots of cold beer......
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
