Nov 2008: After Barack Obama won a 52-48 victory over John McCain, a bunch of Obama supporters reached out to the “48”, assuring them that they would do better to understand.
Oct 2011: Now that their Messiah’s golden promises have turned out to be nothing more than a rusting, sinking hulk, similar 52’ers have very different messages to display.
you can also juxtapose with a response from people who don’t whine about their circumstances, the 53%
http://the53.tumblr.com/
My wife’s friend in NY and his fellow workers in an IT department, were laid off. In his case, after 24 years, was told if he wanted his separation package, he has to train his replacement who will work from India. Nice eh?
Most of the po’ university students ….. If they had done a couple of years at a community college learning some skills or a trade, they would have jobs.
The world is crying out not for global studies grads or more NGO workers, the world needs people who know how to do something.
Learn how to work with your hands and you will never be unemployed. You will always find someone to pay you to do what they cannot or will not do. You can also be self-employed and that’s always the very best job there is.
I did those things and I just retired after working for a few decades doing what I enjoyed and never being unemployed unless I wanted to be. Oh … and I built my own pension plan …. no company or government involved.
The secret? Stay positive, believe in yourself, work hard, stay the HELL OUT OF DEBT. It is possible, but it takes strength and resourcefulness. Got Strength?
Well, I went to that site and did a search for any mention of President Obama. Not a word.
So (as I’ve recently posted before), here we have a protest movement that entirely ignores the most visible representative of the very political-economic system it is railing on against.
Again, just try to imagine an anti-Vietnam War movement in the 60s and early 70s that never mentioned President Johnson or President Nixon at all.
I continue to eagerly await the first “PRESIDENT OBAMA YOU HAVE FAILED US” protest sign.
So far nothing though.
I spent tens of thousands of dollars that I didn’t have on a useless Liberal Arts Education, then voted for Barack Obama because he promised me the moon. I’m now in hopeless debt, with no job prospects. I am the 99%. Occupy Wall Street!
Funny, I had no problem seeing in 2008 that Obama was going to be the second worst President in US history (after Buchanan 1856-1860) and I was working as a lowly security guard. Maybe if I had a Master’s in Global Finance I would have understood how great Obama truly is.
Dear Gary, I feel sorry for your wife’s friend. I truly do. I’ve worked for some real jerks before too.
But what are you suggesting should happen? Is society supposed to bail these employees out now? Is the government supposed to penalize the company for being big meanies?
I thought the unemployment rate was only 10% or so and underemployment rate around 25%.
How do they get 99% out of that. Maybe if they were better at math, they could get a job.
I think it’s meant to be the richest 1% vs. the rest of us, the 99%…..only thevast majority of the remaining 99% don’t want to be associated with these old hippies/young hippies/freaks who are protesting…
These 99 percenters should be put in touch with the hollywood ‘celebrities’ who want to kill jobs by banning pipelines and oil exploration. Or maybe they were already in that bunch camping outside the WH a few weeks ago. Maybe they could raise a bit of capital by suing the arts profs who sold them a bill of goods about how valuable a BA would be.
Having gone through the linked site before I have figured out a simple pattern that fits 99% of the time. Let’s play Mad Libs!
I am a ______ (Noun). I have a _______ (university degree). I have ________ (number greater than $20,000) in student loans. ___________ (website address).
They have all signed a contract without understanding what the obligations are, without a plan to repay the debt and without means to discharge this debt in bankruptcy.
The cutting edge of all this is the delicious fact that these debtors are the ones funding the banks they protest against via fees and interest on the debts they cannot repay or discharge.
Most of these people are college graduates who are sad because they’ve discovered that life is hard once you’re out of school.
To try to pay for my education, I worked as a night watchman and cleanup guy in a sawmill, as a rail gang worker, and as a slasherman in a dangerous mill where a man had been torn to pieces in a debarker. One day a wooden railing collapsed beneath my weight and I very nearly fell into the main chipper.
Later, I found work as an industrial electrical apprentice which by comparison was a wonderful, and much safer job.
While in school, I worked as an electrician and at the local newspaper. It still wasn’t enough money to live on even though I often ate only one meal a day. After a strike by the professors I gave up and never went back.
At the time, north Ontario was suffering from a deep recession, so I tried starting my own business. That imploded after a while so I went back to work – this time as a retail store manager.
… and so it went for years and years.
Almost without exception, I bumped along in low-paying jobs for almost a decade.
I figured it was normal because I could see other young people in the same circumstances as I was. We just figured that being poor when you’re young is a normal part of life – especially if you come from a poor family to being with.
And my perceptions were shared by the majority of my peers.
So what has happened to change the perceptions and expectations of an entire generation like this? I just don’t get it.
you can also juxtapose with a response from people who don’t whine about their circumstances, the 53% http://the53.tumblr.com/
I’m reading these and it’s bringing tears to my eyes. Thanks for sharing this inspirational site!
These folks are beyond clueless. They had a “vigil” for tax-evading billionaire Steve Jobs when he passed away last week. They get regular visits from the likes of Kanye West (decked out in a $400 shirt and gold chains) and Susan Sarandon. The whole thing is funded by someone as crooked as it gets; George Soros. The whole thing is beyond the pale.
Robert,
I can’t suggest anything at all. A corporation is there to make money. Nothing more, nothing less. As for the government, it really doesn’t care.
So here we are, as average citizens( by whatever standard we are considered average and lord knows what that is) are witnessing a revolution. On one hand there is a socialist movement afoot, financed, lead by who knows, and on the other hand we see corporations, seeking low cost labour overseas thus basically coercing us here in North America and probably Europe, to accept the inevitable of accepting lower wages and thus a lower standard of living in order to keep a job.
In the world economy, we are fed the line that globalization, means more jobs, higher standard of living and blah blah blah blah….the reality is, it is easier to tear down what has been built up that to build up from scratch, and we are paying the price of being torn down, and once that has been accomplished, it will be claimed that the world is now equal blah blah blah blah…
The 53% that soccermon linked to, kudos to them, but unfortunately they are targets by whatever forces, socialist, corporate, governmental. In fact we are all targets. Any person who works or is self employed, or owns a business is a target. Because you have a form of wealth that can be taxed and be spread by that means.
So getting back to what I suggest, I still don’t know, but my gut feeling is that it will be every person for themselves because over the past years, if not decades, the progressive/leftist/socialist/communist has made the seven deadly sins virtues that everyone is entitled to.
If you owe $50,000 taxes in one year – you must have been making a HUGE salary!! Or she doesn’t know what the heck she owes – which is the more likely case.
Gary, a most excellent podcast that you, and everyone else, may want to listen to is the first part of this rant by Charles Adler yesterday.
On the other topic of the “99%”, has anyone else noticed that the conviction with which it’s used is VERY similar to the Leftist losers who kept screaming “60% didn’t vote for Harper” after THEY lost the last election?!
I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth and I bet most of you weren’t either. I’ve struggled very hard to get ahead and even now haven’t come close to “making it”. But socialism doesn’t work. Not only doesn’t the math work but the idea that someone else OWES me a living is a viewpoint I find repugnant.
Do you mean to say there isn’t any jobs out there for a person with a BA in Global Management? Say it ain’t so.
It is also obvious that the millions in student loans didn’t cover courses in spelling, grammar or penmanship.
If 99% (presumably of the ~312 million Americans) are in the same boat, why have only 15 posted letters there?
My own story, my son’s actually. He attended a community college studying broadcast journalism. He racked up about$18,000.00 in debt over 3 years. Would have been much more save for the fact he WORKED while in college. We helped with food and insurance.
He tried his hand at 2 or 3 jobs in broadcasting but they never worked. So, with his chin on his chest and a hell of a lot of ambition, he tried different jobs and did quite well at selling cars but it was not his passion.
He stumbled onto a security job position and after 2 changes of ownership, he had some security (no pun intended). He kept the job for a couple of years, put in extra hours and effort which was rewarded with a promotion to mall security manager. After more work, a second job he was promoted to regional manager in charge of 4 or 5 malls. At 30 he has more in the bank than I’ll ever have(retired). All this done during the recession and less than $17.00/hr.
I’ve mentioned my grandfather on here before, the gentleman who at 13 left school to support his family. He later in life held a seat on the TSX and was Commodore of the R.C.Y.C. and owned his own accounting firm. Not bad for grade 8.
So to the 99% at the Occupy Wall St. festivities,,,,QUIT YER FU&%#NG BITCH1NG AND GET A JOB!!!!!
1) For those who have asked the 99% comes from a reference in a book published in late 2000 early 2001 by some French sociologist/phoilosopher. Based on the idea that 1% controls wealth and power
2) This is all about saying that a small elit have played games and screwed things up, cant disagree with some of that….probably disagree about who is in that elite. ALso think the number they really mean is I am the 99.99%…..the .01% of people make thhese large incomes and those people are the Atlas’ who move the world.
3) It is victimhood, and some of the stories are sad. Some of these people through no fault of their own have come on bad circumstances. The conservative political side in Australia called them “The Battlers”. People who played by the rules etc
This is the lefts answer. The differnece between the battlers is they still wanted to be able to acheive, and saw government gettig in the way, they wanted to follow the ruiles and didnt like government removing gains they had made for others or for airy fairy schemes
It is a battle for the this group of people who have been harmed. Dont defned the people who truly did screw up, thats a mistake….there are people who should be drawn and quartered still for what happened and is still happeneing. Some are elected officials some are bankers and traders, some are regulators.
Nonetheless the response is not to make a promise of a warm temporary blanket that solves nothing but give an illusion of comfort.
Be careful my conservative friends this has an ability to move. Now, it is probably too early in the lection cycle to sustain itself. But if you get another big meltdown, a distinct possibility, then these people will point and claim they were right…..then look out.
1) For those who have asked the 99% comes from a reference in a book published in late 2000 early 2001 by some French sociologist/phoilosopher. Based on the idea that 1% controls wealth and power
2) This is all about saying that a small elit have played games and screwed things up, cant disagree with some of that….probably disagree about who is in that elite. ALso think the number they really mean is I am the 99.99%…..the .01% of people make thhese large incomes and those people are the Atlas’ who move the world.
3) It is victimhood, and some of the stories are sad. Some of these people through no fault of their own have come on bad circumstances. The conservative political side in Australia called them “The Battlers”. People who played by the rules etc
This is the lefts answer. The differnece between the battlers is they still wanted to be able to acheive, and saw government gettig in the way, they wanted to follow the ruiles and didnt like government removing gains they had made for others or for airy fairy schemes
It is a battle for the this group of people who have been harmed. Dont defned the people who truly did screw up, thats a mistake….there are people who should be drawn and quartered still for what happened and is still happeneing. Some are elected officials some are bankers and traders, some are regulators.
Nonetheless the response is not to make a promise of a warm temporary blanket that solves nothing but give an illusion of comfort.
Be careful my conservative friends this has an ability to move. Now, it is probably too early in the lection cycle to sustain itself. But if you get another big meltdown, a distinct possibility, then these people will point and claim they were right…..then look out.
$50,000 for a BS in Ecology and she can’t get a real job? I’m shocked.
Perhaps she should have tried 18th Century Feminist Poets.
I could have told her Ecology was BS for far less.
I grew up in a family where everyone worked but we were so poor that I remember seeing the road through the rusty floor of the car we had. But we didn’t expect someone else to have to pay for our food.
I went to school while everyone else was having a good time. I realized that in order to make money you needed an occupation other people wanted to pay you for rather than a degree which is useful only to government lobbyists. So did some of my friends.
Now we pay for the other 99%.
Looking in all the wrong places, at the golden gooses for blame or victim-hood. Its pathetic. Instead they cry about a President 3 years ago. While this one plays golf all day long with his wife telling us all to eat cake. They should look in the mirror for why they can’t get a job.
Between tattoos that barbarians would envy & sadomasochistic metal barbs stuck all over their person. Who would hire them?Not to leave out the perpetual students. Who through education choices try to stay in school for life. Than get degree’s in fields no one hires.
The fault does not lie in society, but themselves for being willing slaves to ignorance by Marxist moles, progressive elitists.
It going to end bad for them. People with money can afford armies or mercenaries. The poor . Not so much. Look at most revolutions. Most are financed by the moneyed class.
Soros & the Maurice Strong living in Totalitarian China, are behind these buffoons. Cannon fodder for Socialism.
These folks want a evolution & can pay for one. Obama is just their face to the World.
Useful idiot leftists = political prostitutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Iz3VjoHXLA&feature=related
Those were just funny. ‘I went to school paid way more than I should have for a crappy degree-PITY ME NAO.’
I could have laughed at those goofs …. but they are just too effin pathetic.
“Global Management”?
Sheesh, these people have taken some terrible majors, but still expect to be paid like CEOs.
BS in Ecology? Surely, she should going to greenpeace, or any number of leftwing activist organizations, they collect enough in extor….er, donations to solve unemployment
Me (earlier): “I continue to eagerly await the first ‘PRESIDENT OBAMA YOU HAVE FAILED US’ protest sign.”
Well, I finally saw a protest sign that at least alluded to Obama:
“WHERE IS THE CHANGE WE VOTED FOR?”
50 Gees for a “degree” in ecology? Cripes.I only spent 50 cents to learn not to plant the carrots in February,and nothing to know that some trees lose their leafs.
The impression I got from looking at this site is that it was a collection of pathetic losers wanting someone to solve their self-inflicted economic problems. At least the anorectic has the ability to reduce food expenses for herself.
What moron would borrow huge sums of money to get an absolutely useless degree? Why aren’t they occupying teh universities that took their money? My student loans at the end of medical school were $26 K and would have been far more if I hadn’t worked during the first 2 years as a med student. I thought $26K was a huge sum of money at the time. Never could understand classmates of mine who went far deeper into debt buying new vehicles before they were even making any money.
Interestingly, there was an article in the latest Medical Post on the entitlement mentality of the current crop of graduating doctors who expect to work 37 hours/week, monday to friday only, take no call and be paid large amounts of money. Seems these are the latest products of a totally broken educational system.
I figured it was normal because I could see other young people in the same circumstances as I was. “We just figured that being poor when you’re young is a normal part of life – especially if you come from a poor family to being with.
And my perceptions were shared by the majority of my peers.
So what has happened to change the perceptions and expectations of an entire generation like this? I just don’t get it.”
A year or so ago, my son, who is 35 was chastising myself and my wife(I am 67) because our generation had screwed up theirs. Although my son has a construction business and bought a house in Vancouver he was lamenting the fact that a lot of his friends would NEVER be able to afford a house. And it was our generation’s fault.
He brought up the example of his friend Mark,who was working as a painter but had taken a welding course. At the end of the course no one offered him a job so he stayed painting houses. He likes to party and gets up around noon on Sat. and Sun. I suggested that his friend was quite simply lazy. To lazy to look for a welding job and too lazy to try and get ahead. My son agreed and then brought up the example of another friend. Same scenario. And then another friend. I then brought up him as an example. Works his ass off, and his company is struggling but they are making a go of it. Even though the average house in Vancouver is 750 g’s he managed to scrape together the funds but had to quite partying etc. He had to make choices.We came to the conclusion that the problem wasn’t really my generation, it was his friends.
Not much has changed.
@ Horny Toad, they had it too easy. Their parents never taught them to work. I know it is not a hard and fast rule, but many business prefer to hire farm kids, as they had to learn to work and on occasion long hours.
Bought my first Harley in June.
Thinking about getting another for Christmas.
Alberta is kinda “Alice in Wonderland…”
You can be thankful for what you’ve got, or upset that others have more.
Nobody get it all, and I have to hazzard a guess that Warren Buffet would trade places with the average healthy twenty year old guy in a heartbeat. My youngest child is older than my best friend, killed in Vietnam, will ever be.
The Occupiers – I refuse to call them 99%, are wasting what they do have whining about what they do not. Losers by choice, all.