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Old 08-04-2014, 02:24 PM
 
Location: MS
4,395 posts, read 4,913,619 times
Reputation: 1564

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Memphis1979 View Post
Exactly. Hypocritical of conservatives to complain about to much government, then complain because they have no job they'd like.

I was 24 when I graduated college. I was working in a factory pressing frame parts while using my degree to apply for work elsewhere.

It sucks when you have an advanced degree you are not using. But there is work to be done while looking.
After I graduated, I laid pipe for a few months. That's right, sewer pipe. I was 22, had a college degree and took orders from a guy with 3 teeth. It sucked working beside a highway all day, every day but it was money. It was better than the catfish farm or driving a tractor (other jobs I had).

The job search at the time didn't pan out and I went with my alternate plan of grad school. A little less than 2 years later, I had an advanced degree and a job in the industry I studied for. I paid off my student loan in 5 years. I've been employed all but one week in the 22 years since graduation.
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Old 08-04-2014, 02:33 PM
 
Location: Sango, TN
24,868 posts, read 24,396,474 times
Reputation: 8672
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Mon View Post
So the answer is for everyone to become an engineer?

Even with a $100,000+ income (which less than 20% of all households have), $100,000 in student loans is a massive hindrance to getting ahead, especially when you factor in the cost of living. And retirement planning... well you can forget about that until you're in your 30's. And that's ignoring the fact that hardly anyone, including an engineer, is making $100,000 right out of school.

I was lucky enough to get out of undergrad without any debt. Grad school was on me, but no problem as I was already making a good salary when I went back. Most of my peers were not so fortunate and they are crushed under the financial burden of student loans. Just think about the lost economic opportunity here. Millennials aren't buying cars, they're putting off getting married and aren't buying homes in large numbers because their money is being eaten by the black hole of student debt.

Education, like health care, is a societal investment and we need to treat it as such.
No, the answer is that we need more engineering students or we will having to keep importing them from other countries. Somewhere around 25% Engineering students during the 80's, now its down to 6%.

All of the jobs that didn't require an education are going away, or are considered "demeaning" or "undervalued". Well life isn't fair. Not all of us are going to make it. Not everyone can graduate college and do whatever they want to do for the rest of their lives.

We need nurses, doctors, engineers, and special scientific fields.

We actually have to many lawyers right now, the field is saturated.

The answer is, when you talk to someone about your future and where you can go with your life, not everyone is meant to go to college. Thats the real answer.
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Old 08-04-2014, 02:35 PM
 
Location: Sango, TN
24,868 posts, read 24,396,474 times
Reputation: 8672
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert_J View Post
After I graduated, I laid pipe for a few months. That's right, sewer pipe. I was 22, had a college degree and took orders from a guy with 3 teeth. It sucked working beside a highway all day, every day but it was money. It was better than the catfish farm or driving a tractor (other jobs I had).

The job search at the time didn't pan out and I went with my alternate plan of grad school. A little less than 2 years later, I had an advanced degree and a job in the industry I studied for. I paid off my student loan in 5 years. I've been employed all but one week in the 22 years since graduation.
And there you have it. A little will power, try, and sucking up ones ego, and you can get along.

No one wants to hire a college graduate who isn't working. Find a job at McDonalds or Walmart, its better then "currently seeking employment because I don't have any" on a resume.
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Old 08-04-2014, 05:35 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas,Nevada
9,282 posts, read 6,744,646 times
Reputation: 1531
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityLover9 View Post
As a young American who has lived in countries across W. Europe and Asia, as well as here at home, this is what I have to say regarding this subject.

I'm not anti-Republican, but here are some of the things that turn me off from many (not all) Republican candidates:

1) Universal health care. Our health care system is the joke of the industrialized world. It's an absolute embarrassment that a country as rich and developed as ours can't provide basic universal health coverage for all of its citizens. Obamacare isn't the answer either. We need a single-payer system or something of the sort imo.

2) College/University. The cost of going to university in this country is absolutely astronomical and ridiculous. Many people my age become hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt due to the ridiculous fees that come with attending tertiary education. Conversely, look at Western Europe and/or Canada, Australia, etc. where university is either much, much cheaper, or even completely free.

3) Social Issues. I'm 100% for same-sex marriage and adoption. People are born gay and for me it's a non-issue. All Americans are granted the same rights through the Constitution and the fact that some are trying to deny their fellow Americans these rights is just plain wrong imo. In addition, I see no problem with legalizing marijuana nationwide. All the arguments made against it could be (and have been in the past) made for alcohol too.

4)Inequality. As much as many in the GOP like to accuse the President of creating 'class warfare', he's right in the sense that there is extreme inequality in the USA. Our GINI Index is among the highest of all developed nations. We're a much more unequal society than most W. European nations as well as Canada and Australia, etc. It's just a fact. Now, I'm not saying 75% income tax rates a la Francois Hollande, but we need to close loopholes and tax some of these people who make millions upon millions on capital gains, etc. Historically, the country has done its best when taxes were at their highest. No one likes paying taxes, but I view them as a necessary evil. We need taxes/money to run the country and thats never going to change. A flat 20% tax or something of the like is naive and will never work imo.

I don't think our taxes in our country are spent efficiently a lot of the time, however. We have lots of wasteful spending, not to mention that a lot of our money goes towards supporting the military industrial complex and the policeman of the world role. I am completely against this. I support the military but we do not need to spend ~$650 billion on the military year in and year out. So on this area I agree with many Republicans in saying that the government is wasteful and does not spend our money effectively in many cases. This is something that need to be addressed and amended immediately imo.

One more thing I will add here is that our corporate tax rates are far too high currently and it harms business and thus the overall economy. We need to drastically cut these rates to be more competitive with the rest of the developed world and stop driving businesses away.

5) Welfare State. I do support a strong welfare state. However, I 100% agree with the GOP in the sense that it should not be a hindrance but, obviously, a helping hand to get people on their feet when they are down. In too many cases, people take complete advantage of the system and feed off it parasitically. This needs to be stopped. However, with that being said, I do support notions like 4-6 weeks paid vacation a year, 'free' child and elderly care, etc. etc. I think that these are things that would ultimately help the country in the long run.


So, yes, I guess you could say that I am for 'big government', BUT I am for big government that must be run efficiently and smoothly. Obviously, I'm not naive enough to think that this will ever happen perfectly, but we can certainly make a lot of changes and take rudimentary steps in this country.

These are just some things that came to me off the top of my head for now. I'm sure there's more.

P.S. I'm not a die-hard Democrat either nor a massive fan of the President, but given the current political climate, I definitely feel that my political sentiments lean more left than right.
Hey you like those nations, their cultures, and what they give you in exchange for liberty? Fine..Move.
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Old 08-04-2014, 05:41 PM
 
Location: Texas
38,859 posts, read 25,550,307 times
Reputation: 24780
Default Young People, Why Do You Let Democrats Keep Babying You?

My bet is that the young folks don't appreciate the GOP trying as hard as they can to suppress their voting.

Call it a hunch.

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Old 08-04-2014, 05:44 PM
 
Location: New London County, CT
8,949 posts, read 12,140,576 times
Reputation: 5145
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunlover View Post
Hey you like those nations, their cultures, and what they give you in exchange for liberty? Fine..Move.
Oh baloney-- Many countries are free. Many more free than the US. If we're so free, why do we have the highest incarceration rate on the face of the Earth?

Even the freaking Heritage Foundation thinks there are 11 countries with more economic freedom than the US: Country Rankings: World & Global Economy Rankings on Economic Freedom

If you consider "liberty" akin to human rights-- There are 19 countries with a better record... Or as you might put it more "Free". International Human Rights Rank Indicator

It's not 1870 any more.

This is my country and I am proud to live here-- but not blind to our faults as a nation and a people. The best citizens want to make the country better, not rely on some outdated notion of liberty that no longer exists. I think clinging to this demonstrable idea that we are the freest county on Earth is more about fear of change than truly understanding freedom.
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Old 08-04-2014, 05:50 PM
 
Location: Wandering in the Dothraki sea
1,397 posts, read 1,620,170 times
Reputation: 3431
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityLover9 View Post
As a young American who has lived in countries across W. Europe and Asia, as well as here at home, this is what I have to say regarding this subject.

I'm not anti-Republican, but here are some of the things that turn me off from many (not all) Republican candidates:

1) Universal health care. Our health care system is the joke of the industrialized world. It's an absolute embarrassment that a country as rich and developed as ours can't provide basic universal health coverage for all of its citizens. Obamacare isn't the answer either. We need a single-payer system or something of the sort imo.

2) College/University. The cost of going to university in this country is absolutely astronomical and ridiculous. Many people my age become hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt due to the ridiculous fees that come with attending tertiary education. Conversely, look at Western Europe and/or Canada, Australia, etc. where university is either much, much cheaper, or even completely free.

3) Social Issues. I'm 100% for same-sex marriage and adoption. People are born gay and for me it's a non-issue. All Americans are granted the same rights through the Constitution and the fact that some are trying to deny their fellow Americans these rights is just plain wrong imo. In addition, I see no problem with legalizing marijuana nationwide. All the arguments made against it could be (and have been in the past) made for alcohol too.

4)Inequality. As much as many in the GOP like to accuse the President of creating 'class warfare', he's right in the sense that there is extreme inequality in the USA. Our GINI Index is among the highest of all developed nations. We're a much more unequal society than most W. European nations as well as Canada and Australia, etc. It's just a fact. Now, I'm not saying 75% income tax rates a la Francois Hollande, but we need to close loopholes and tax some of these people who make millions upon millions on capital gains, etc. Historically, the country has done its best when taxes were at their highest. No one likes paying taxes, but I view them as a necessary evil. We need taxes/money to run the country and thats never going to change. A flat 20% tax or something of the like is naive and will never work imo.

I don't think our taxes in our country are spent efficiently a lot of the time, however. We have lots of wasteful spending, not to mention that a lot of our money goes towards supporting the military industrial complex and the policeman of the world role. I am completely against this. I support the military but we do not need to spend ~$650 billion on the military year in and year out. So on this area I agree with many Republicans in saying that the government is wasteful and does not spend our money effectively in many cases. This is something that need to be addressed and amended immediately imo.

One more thing I will add here is that our corporate tax rates are far too high currently and it harms business and thus the overall economy. We need to drastically cut these rates to be more competitive with the rest of the developed world and stop driving businesses away.

5) Welfare State. I do support a strong welfare state. However, I 100% agree with the GOP in the sense that it should not be a hindrance but, obviously, a helping hand to get people on their feet when they are down. In too many cases, people take complete advantage of the system and feed off it parasitically. This needs to be stopped. However, with that being said, I do support notions like 4-6 weeks paid vacation a year, 'free' child and elderly care, etc. etc. I think that these are things that would ultimately help the country in the long run.


So, yes, I guess you could say that I am for 'big government', BUT I am for big government that must be run efficiently and smoothly. Obviously, I'm not naive enough to think that this will ever happen perfectly, but we can certainly make a lot of changes and take rudimentary steps in this country.

These are just some things that came to me off the top of my head for now. I'm sure there's more.

P.S. I'm not a die-hard Democrat either nor a massive fan of the President, but given the current political climate, I definitely feel that my political sentiments lean more left than right.

This summed it up perfectly.
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Old 08-04-2014, 06:04 PM
 
Location: Montreal, Quebec
15,080 posts, read 14,329,746 times
Reputation: 9789
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunlover View Post
Hey you like those nations, their cultures, and what they give you in exchange for liberty? Fine..Move.
Again with the "move"?
One trick pony.
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Old 08-04-2014, 06:10 PM
 
Location: Newport Beach, California
39,230 posts, read 27,618,080 times
Reputation: 16073
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityLover9 View Post
As a young American who has lived in countries across W. Europe and Asia, as well as here at home, this is what I have to say regarding this subject.

I'm not anti-Republican, but here are some of the things that turn me off from many (not all) Republican candidates:

1) Universal health care. Our health care system is the joke of the industrialized world. It's an absolute embarrassment that a country as rich and developed as ours can't provide basic universal health coverage for all of its citizens. Obamacare isn't the answer either. We need a single-payer system or something of the sort imo.

2) College/University. The cost of going to university in this country is absolutely astronomical and ridiculous. Many people my age become hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt due to the ridiculous fees that come with attending tertiary education. Conversely, look at Western Europe and/or Canada, Australia, etc. where university is either much, much cheaper, or even completely free.

3) Social Issues. I'm 100% for same-sex marriage and adoption. People are born gay and for me it's a non-issue. All Americans are granted the same rights through the Constitution and the fact that some are trying to deny their fellow Americans these rights is just plain wrong imo. In addition, I see no problem with legalizing marijuana nationwide. All the arguments made against it could be (and have been in the past) made for alcohol too.

4)Inequality. As much as many in the GOP like to accuse the President of creating 'class warfare', he's right in the sense that there is extreme inequality in the USA. Our GINI Index is among the highest of all developed nations. We're a much more unequal society than most W. European nations as well as Canada and Australia, etc. It's just a fact. Now, I'm not saying 75% income tax rates a la Francois Hollande, but we need to close loopholes and tax some of these people who make millions upon millions on capital gains, etc. Historically, the country has done its best when taxes were at their highest. No one likes paying taxes, but I view them as a necessary evil. We need taxes/money to run the country and thats never going to change. A flat 20% tax or something of the like is naive and will never work imo.

I don't think our taxes in our country are spent efficiently a lot of the time, however. We have lots of wasteful spending, not to mention that a lot of our money goes towards supporting the military industrial complex and the policeman of the world role. I am completely against this. I support the military but we do not need to spend ~$650 billion on the military year in and year out. So on this area I agree with many Republicans in saying that the government is wasteful and does not spend our money effectively in many cases. This is something that need to be addressed and amended immediately imo.

One more thing I will add here is that our corporate tax rates are far too high currently and it harms business and thus the overall economy. We need to drastically cut these rates to be more competitive with the rest of the developed world and stop driving businesses away.

5) Welfare State. I do support a strong welfare state. However, I 100% agree with the GOP in the sense that it should not be a hindrance but, obviously, a helping hand to get people on their feet when they are down. In too many cases, people take complete advantage of the system and feed off it parasitically. This needs to be stopped. However, with that being said, I do support notions like 4-6 weeks paid vacation a year, 'free' child and elderly care, etc. etc. I think that these are things that would ultimately help the country in the long run.


So, yes, I guess you could say that I am for 'big government', BUT I am for big government that must be run efficiently and smoothly. Obviously, I'm not naive enough to think that this will ever happen perfectly, but we can certainly make a lot of changes and take rudimentary steps in this country.

These are just some things that came to me off the top of my head for now. I'm sure there's more.

P.S. I'm not a die-hard Democrat either nor a massive fan of the President, but given the current political climate, I definitely feel that my political sentiments lean more left than right.

Mostly agreed.

about #5: Europe’s socialist (or “social democratic”) welfare state is collapsing under the load of unsustainable debt. There is no chance European politicians will ever make good on the many costly and unfunded entitlements they have promised their citizens.

The fundamental problem in the European Union is a monetary policy failure. In conjunction with the debilitating effects of the social welfare state.

For decades now, one of the most tragic costs of the European welfare state has been Europe’s structural unemployment, especially among the young, combined with welfare payments that turned unemployment into an acceptable—even desirable—status, while stripping those affected of their dignity and sense of responsibility. The recent riots in the U.K. are an ominous reflection of this failure.

Grass doesn't seem to be greener on the other side

"Europe's young jobless: 'finding work has become a matter of survival'
As youth unemployment rates continue to rise across Europe, people tell of their struggles to get a job and fears for the future"

Europe's young jobless: 'finding work has become a matter of survival' | Society | The Guardian
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Old 08-04-2014, 06:26 PM
 
9,470 posts, read 6,972,625 times
Reputation: 2177
Quote:
Originally Posted by remoddahouse View Post
Old conservative people, why do you let fringe right wing media give you your opinions. Why do you support people who cut taxes when we're running deficits, spend trillions going to war on false premises when the ultimate result is bound to be a disaster and put judges in place who do things like the citizen's united ruling where big business gets way too much power in our elections.

In short, you should be looking at yourself in asking questions and wonder why you're handing such a big debt to younger people instead of worrying about one person's opinion at a very small college campus.
Why are you incapable of addressing any idea without denigrating anyone who disagrees with you?
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