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This post is going to tick off some people and it's going to seem ultra right wing but that's ok. I've always been left of center myself, and I've always had sympathy for the charitable instinct.
But basically, I'm sort of getting tired, as a middle class person. I'm tired of all of this reckless, bad behavior from the top and the bottom.
I understand the frustration of the masses of America who are falling behind, I really do. I sympathize for anybody struggling. But when it comes to choices, we are talking about a chicken and egg problem. I mean, we have so many people in the underclasses now, who, well, cannot get their act together at any level. They can't hold down a job, their relationships fall to pieces, they eat to obesity, drink and smoke to excess and use all manner of drugs. They have lots of kids when they can't afford to. They float into and out of psych wards and hospitals. They show little respect for themselves or for anybody else. They don't take care of their living quarters or communities. And it seems such people keep on popping up everywhere where you least expect them. And they are celebrated by degenerate Hollywood. Can't they just settle down, or, at the very least, stoically accept fate and stop bothering everyone else?
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the people running this country who just don't seem to give a care. Floating in crony contracts and billions of dollars, they don't even pretend to manage things anymore. It's just about the next deal, the next country to bomb, the next bank to bailout.
And people look to me as a middle class person and say...what a great life you have! How fortunate you are, with good parents and schools and a good job! And to all of this, I say, what a load of BS. Every single thing I have is because my parents made good decisions, and both they and I choose to associate with the right people and do the right thing every single day. I spend an enormous amount of mental and physical energy to keep my life running. I sacrificed big time in high school and college when others partied.
I get into arguments all the time with my family, I face all of the usual frustrations that people face. But I don't get drunk. I don't cheat or steal. I don't go attacking people, I keep my dignity and respect that of others.
And for all of this, I get resentment and blame. For actually being a good, stable person. And, I'm taxed to death so this whole show can continue.
Well, basically, consider me out. There's only so much I can do. I did what I could and got my measly rewards, and was not recognized by America or the people in it. So, I refuse to be the sucker and the fall guy. There's only so much you can extract.
This post is going to tick off some people and it's going to seem ultra right wing but that's ok. I've always been left of center myself, and I've always had sympathy for the charitable instinct.
But basically, I'm sort of getting tired, as a middle class person. I'm tired of all of this reckless, bad behavior from the top and the bottom.
I understand the frustration of the masses of America who are falling behind, I really do. I sympathize for anybody struggling. But when it comes to choices, we are talking about a chicken and egg problem. I mean, we have so many people in the underclasses now, who, well, cannot get their act together at any level. They can't hold down a job, their relationships fall to pieces, they eat to obesity, drink and smoke to excess and use all manner of drugs. They have lots of kids when they can't afford to. They float into and out of psych wards and hospitals. They show little respect for themselves or for anybody else. They don't take care of their living quarters or communities. And it seems such people keep on popping up everywhere where you least expect them. And they are celebrated by degenerate Hollywood. Can't they just settle down, or, at the very least, stoically accept fate and stop bothering everyone else?
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the people running this country who just don't seem to give a care. Floating in crony contracts and billions of dollars, they don't even pretend to manage things anymore. It's just about the next deal, the next country to bomb, the next bank to bailout.
And people look to me as a middle class person and say...what a great life you have! How fortunate you are, with good parents and schools and a good job! And to all of this, I say, what a load of BS. Every single thing I have is because my parents made good decisions, and both they and I choose to associate with the right people and do the right thing every single day. I spend an enormous amount of mental and physical energy to keep my life running. I sacrificed big time in high school and college when others partied.
I get into arguments all the time with my family, I face all of the usual frustrations that people face. But I don't get drunk. I don't cheat or steal. I don't go attacking people, I keep my dignity and respect that of others.
And for all of this, I get resentment and blame. For actually being a good, stable person. And, I'm taxed to death so this whole show can continue.
Well, basically, consider me out. There's only so much I can do. I did what I could and got my measly rewards, and was not recognized by America or the people in it. So, I refuse to be the sucker and the fall guy. There's only so much you can extract.
Best of luck, America.
I love how you literally take credit for the fact your parents made good decisions when graciously claiming that you were a good person just because you made good decisions (as if the capacity to make good decisions and the knowledge necessary to make them permeated you via osmosis). Look at the research on the amounts of stress and expenditure of "mental and physical energy" that poor and near-poverty individuals experience... their mental processes are literally degraded by the stress of living paycheck to paycheck.
You aren't a special snowflake. Even the poorest portions of the population are not largely crime-committing, do-nothing baddies. About 92% of all social welfare spending goes to the elderly, the disabled, and those with jobs (or who are in households where the head of household works). Most of your comment is made up of a series of extremely vague, undifferentiated stereotypes based on... I have no idea what. Just a bunch of "them, who are bad" to contrast with "we, who are good" in order to make you feel superior.
Also, by no measure are you taxed to death. We have the lowest aggregate tax rate (city, state, and federal combined) of any developed nation, and even you as a middle class person are being taxed substantially less than most people of similar economic status in other developed nations.
I get into arguments all the time with my family, I face all of the usual frustrations that people face. But I don't get drunk. I don't cheat or steal. I don't go attacking people, I keep my dignity and respect that of others.
And for all of this, I get resentment and blame. For actually being a good, stable person. And, I'm taxed to death so this whole show can continue.
Well, basically, consider me out. There's only so much I can do. I did what I could and got my measly rewards, and was not recognized by America or the people in it. So, I refuse to be the sucker and the fall guy. There's only so much you can extract.
Best of luck, America.
I really have to wonder what is the back story here? I have no real idea what you are talking about, but would surmise you are having issues with your "family" and expect that working for a living and meeting your responsibilities should grant you special consideration.
And I get the impression you have unrealistic expectations and that has caused you doubt. Maybe you haven't been sold a bill of goods, rather you failed to see the writing on the wall?
If this is some kind of suicidal plea for help, you need to call someone right now, not post on a message board!!!!
This post is going to tick off some people and it's going to seem ultra right wing but that's ok. I've always been left of center myself, and I've always had sympathy for the charitable instinct.
But basically, I'm sort of getting tired, as a middle class person. I'm tired of all of this reckless, bad behavior from the top and the bottom.
I understand the frustration of the masses of America who are falling behind, I really do. I sympathize for anybody struggling. But when it comes to choices, we are talking about a chicken and egg problem. I mean, we have so many people in the underclasses now, who, well, cannot get their act together at any level. They can't hold down a job, their relationships fall to pieces, they eat to obesity, drink and smoke to excess and use all manner of drugs. They have lots of kids when they can't afford to. They float into and out of psych wards and hospitals. They show little respect for themselves or for anybody else. They don't take care of their living quarters or communities. And it seems such people keep on popping up everywhere where you least expect them. And they are celebrated by degenerate Hollywood. Can't they just settle down, or, at the very least, stoically accept fate and stop bothering everyone else?
On the other end of the spectrum, you have the people running this country who just don't seem to give a care. Floating in crony contracts and billions of dollars, they don't even pretend to manage things anymore. It's just about the next deal, the next country to bomb, the next bank to bailout.
And people look to me as a middle class person and say...what a great life you have! How fortunate you are, with good parents and schools and a good job! And to all of this, I say, what a load of BS. Every single thing I have is because my parents made good decisions, and both they and I choose to associate with the right people and do the right thing every single day. I spend an enormous amount of mental and physical energy to keep my life running. I sacrificed big time in high school and college when others partied.
I get into arguments all the time with my family, I face all of the usual frustrations that people face. But I don't get drunk. I don't cheat or steal. I don't go attacking people, I keep my dignity and respect that of others.
And for all of this, I get resentment and blame. For actually being a good, stable person. And, I'm taxed to death so this whole show can continue.
Well, basically, consider me out. There's only so much I can do. I did what I could and got my measly rewards, and was not recognized by America or the people in it. So, I refuse to be the sucker and the fall guy. There's only so much you can extract.
Best of luck, America.
Well said. This type of stuff is why I intend to move outside of the US when I retire early. May even renounce my citizenship - who knows?
The Op isn't the only one if he/she as been paying attention. With Federal deficit its become a hot topic especially why it will not be continuing in future. Many programs of support will be going under in near future especially since nothing is being done to actually save them at lower levels .Its happening all over the western world has middle class expansion is in former poorer countries. Too few cannot support to many; especially on credit terms.
Totally agreed with the OP. It's fashionable to bash the "greedy Wall Street" and "career politician" types at the top, and while there's a considerable amount of truth in them being unresponsive and out of touch with common folks, it's not fashionable at all to point out the troubles at the bottom in our current left-wing milieu.
I can't believe the number of people sometimes who make major life mistake after major life mistake, and yet have the nerve to blame their failures on "the man." We're talking people with numerous legal run-ins, kids way too young, substance abuse issues that prevent them from working, etc.
It seems like people today don't even try to get back up once they get down, but maybe that's because the bottom is fairly comfortable, and that there isn't enough discomfort down there to serve as motivation. I went from a fairly good job back in 2012 to less than $12/hr last year. I could have filed bankruptcy, lived with my parents, and gone from a motivated guy to a slacker mooching off the government and other people, but I didn't want that. I wanted to improve my position and did that, but a lot of people today don't want to. They'd rather do the bare minimum and receive a very basic lifestyle for no effort. I can't even begin counting the number of former friends and peers who are doing nothing, not excelling, just existing, watching life pass them by.
I'll make my mind up once I'm ready to retire. Situations can change. But definitely not Europe. Asia or South America probably more likely.
A lot of things about America disturb me. Like how PC/easily offended we are (everything is sexist/racist/etc. these days). How consumerist we are as a whole, while not getting any happier for it. And yes, both the upper classes who manipulate everything and the lower classes who can't see the forest for the trees. How divided we are, and no longer have pride in our country or even know its history or laws.
There's plenty of worse countries out there, and there may not even be any better ones than the US. But if there is one, I'm going to find it.
I've been looking at Dubai for a few years, but the social climate there isn't great and the weather sucks. I've also got some connections in the Netherlands (The Hague), and Hong Kong. Dubai is really the only place that's better financially, but I really don't know that it's worth it for other reasons.
I've been looking at Dubai for a few years, but the social climate there isn't great and the weather sucks. I've also got some connections in the Netherlands (The Hague), and Hong Kong. Dubai is really the only place that's better financially, but I really don't know that it's worth it for other reasons.
I'm not interested in a place that's better financially - I'd actually like to stretch my money further in a lower COL country. The non-financial factors about the people, culture, and government will make the difference. Like I said though, I haven't made up my mind yet.
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