Inequality and the USA: A nation in denial?

Padawanbater2 said:

People do not show up to work to fulfill their fantasy of the American dream..

People show up to work because they have to work to survive. They have to work to provide for their families.

"The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream

We, the working class, gets 6%.. 6 fucking percent.. since 1980. Know what the upper class gets? 94%..

I'm in that working class. I believe the American dream, as outlined by wikipedia, is complete bullshit. It wasn't when it was thought up, working class Americans post WW2 experienced the American dream. But it's an unsustainable system of growth. Americans consume 4 times more than the world can provide, and have since the 1970's. How can we continue to consume more than the world provides and expect it to last forever? We can't. It was never meant to be sustainable, and that part of the American dream was never taught to people. We are the fallout of the failure of that system. My generation (our generation) is the first generation in America since before the Great Depression to be financially and economically worse off than the previous one. Previous generations of people don't understand that, they can't comprehend that, what it means or how it actually affects our lives because they themselves never went through it. They've never experienced it.. It will get better, but we're facing the blunt of the opposition because we're the first to go through it. It's expected..

6% simply doesn't do it for me.. I'm sorry to "nag".. sorry to "complain".. about equal fucking rights and equal compensation.. When the Supreme Court passes cases along that fuck the working man over, systematically, purposefully, and we end up where we are today at a fucking measly 6%... you can bet your ass the working man is going to say something about it.

If it was even 50%-50%, I'd accept it (even though it still isn't accurate), but the greedy fucks at the top have to pinch every single fucking penny. 6% is bullshit over the course of 35 years. We're simply tired of taking it.

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ttystikk said:

You're right, that's exactly what it is, and its an intentional tactic to control the discussion and keep it from challenging the carefully constructed set of lies put in place by Faux News, Flush Limbaugh and the Koch brothers. It's almost as bad as trying to talk about spirituality to a Southern Baptist; either you use their language of fundamentalist Christian dogma or no conversation happens at all.

The answer is to say your piece anyway. Don't let their onion be the only one. Make yours heard, and let those who listen and think decide for themselves.

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UncleBuck said:

that's a good point, but bill gates type wealth is not what most people think of as the american dream.

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• Currently, the four most prominent definitions of the American Dream are "a good life for my family,""financial security,” "opportunity," and "freedom."

Nutes and Nugs said:

Good God, where do I begin?
People work for a better lifestyle.

You just can't sit back and be rewarded for fucking off all day.

What 6% are you talking about?
The 6% that wants to watch tv all day and collect a government paycheck?

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Nutes and Nugs said:

Good God, where do I begin?
People work for a better lifestyle.

You just can't sit back and be rewarded for fucking off all day.

What 6% are you talking about?
The 6% that wants to watch tv all day and collect a government paycheck?

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ttystikk said:

Except that getting stupid fish with the help of Wall Street IS the new road to wealth; 'built to flip' has replaced 'built to last' in startup circles- our nation's young up n comers are actually looking forward to their chance to feed themselves to the beast, as if eating our young is sustainable.

Worse, the recent Princeton study on the political situation in America made it utterly clear that we are not iterating as a democracy any more than Putin's Russia does- in fact, LESS!

Please don't tell me you're an apologist for this, @UncleBuck?

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UncleBuck said:

you're not very bright.

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UncleBuck said:

how is that not possible anymore?

admittedly, it is tougher to achieve, but nowhere near impossible.

what is your "dream"?

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Padawanbater2 said:

I would put it at "just barely achievable for the smallest minority in America", which is nowhere near what the original "American Dream" hoped to achieve.

The American Dream was that because it was accessible to EVERYONE, regardless of income, race, religion, creed, gender or sexual orientation. I'm not so sure the same effect would have taken place if, when they came up with it, it read "The American Dream; reach for the stars, so long as you're rich and white"... Come on, man, stop bullshiting with semantics..

The "American Dream" was meant for everyone when it was established. Today, the "American Dream" is predominantly achieved by affluent people with stable financial backgrounds. Sure, you can reach it if you're poor, but not many do. Sure, you can reach it if you're middle class, but not many do.. You are definitely, inarguable more likely to reach the "American Dream" if you're already financially established when you try.

That's not what the "American Dream" is!

It's meant for ANYONE, of ANY background, of ANY race, etc. to reach it. Come here, work hard, it's yours! That sentiment is complete bullshit today, even for born, white, male citizens, like me.

I could work harder than anyone (and have) and still be passed over for a promotion. Our workforce is 70% goods/services, it's not product based, it's service based. This means the majority of the jobs simply do not have positions of growth to go to. 70% of the jobs we offer in this country are dead end.

"Come here, get a dead end job that pays barely enough to survive in a rented room apartment!"

That's the new "American Dream"...

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UncleBuck said:

xavier does an annual american dream poll. they find that:

• Currently, the four most prominent definitions of the American Dream are "a good life for my family,""financial security,” "opportunity," and "freedom."

all still alive and well in america.

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UncleBuck said:

the "financial security" that many americans list as the backbone of the american dream often goes through wall street. half of americans have a 401k that they will depend on for financial security once they stop working.

are you referring to the princeton study that shows that public opinion has negligible effect on how our reps vote? please advise.

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Padawanbater2 said:

I would put it at "just barely achievable for the smallest minority in America", which is nowhere near what the original "American Dream" hoped to achieve.

The American Dream was that because it was accessible to EVERYONE, regardless of income, race, religion, creed, gender or sexual orientation. I'm not so sure the same effect would have taken place if, when they came up with it, it read "The American Dream; reach for the stars, so long as you're rich and white"... Come on, man, stop bullshiting with semantics..

The "American Dream" was meant for everyone when it was established. Today, the "American Dream" is predominantly achieved by affluent people with stable financial backgrounds. Sure, you can reach it if you're poor, but not many do. Sure, you can reach it if you're middle class, but not many do.. You are definitely, inarguable more likely to reach the "American Dream" if you're already financially established when you try.

That's not what the "American Dream" is!

It's meant for ANYONE, of ANY background, of ANY race, etc. to reach it. Come here, work hard, it's yours! That sentiment is complete bullshit today, even for born, white, male citizens, like me.

I could work harder than anyone (and have) and still be passed over for a promotion. Our workforce is 70% goods/services, it's not product based, it's service based. This means the majority of the jobs simply do not have positions of growth to go to. 70% of the jobs we offer in this country are dead end.

"Come here, get a dead end job that pays barely enough to survive in a rented room apartment!"

That's the new "American Dream"...

Click to expand...

Padawanbater2 said:

I would put it at "just barely achievable for the smallest minority in America", which is nowhere near what the original "American Dream" hoped to achieve.

The American Dream was that because it was accessible to EVERYONE, regardless of income, race, religion, creed, gender or sexual orientation. I'm not so sure the same effect would have taken place if, when they came up with it, it read "The American Dream; reach for the stars, so long as you're rich and white"... Come on, man, stop bullshiting with semantics..

The "American Dream" was meant for everyone when it was established. Today, the "American Dream" is predominantly achieved by affluent people with stable financial backgrounds. Sure, you can reach it if you're poor, but not many do. Sure, you can reach it if you're middle class, but not many do.. You are definitely, inarguable more likely to reach the "American Dream" if you're already financially established when you try.

That's not what the "American Dream" is!

It's meant for ANYONE, of ANY background, of ANY race, etc. to reach it. Come here, work hard, it's yours! That sentiment is complete bullshit today, even for born, white, male citizens, like me.

I could work harder than anyone (and have) and still be passed over for a promotion. Our workforce is 70% goods/services, it's not product based, it's service based. This means the majority of the jobs simply do not have positions of growth to go to. 70% of the jobs we offer in this country are dead end.

"Come here, get a dead end job that pays barely enough to survive in a rented room apartment!"

That's the new "American Dream"...

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UncleBuck said:

you never told me what your american dream was, but i'm pretty sure you're not gonna get it in LA.

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Padawanbater2 said:

My American Dream is to live in a society that is congruent with the the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. "Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth."

Right now, wealth controls politics, and politics controls America. This isn't a secret. To continue the farce that it is is simply disingenuous. We all have youtube, we all have cameras at this point..

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Nutes and Nugs said:

This all depends on your attitude.
You are a failure Pada and you will never live the American dream
by sitting back and wanting money handed to you on a silver platter.
Doesnt matter what background or race.
Get off your ass and DO something.

Many people that were born poor as fuck still became millionaires.

Watch Shark Tank someday and start using your brain.

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ttystikk said:

The perfect canned right wing response, utterly devoid of anything that could be seized upon as fact and therefore challenged.

Call the ripped off 'failures'. Call the working poor 'lazy'. 'Many people get rich'- but at a much smaller rate than any other industrialised country. Why does someone have to have a Shark Tank personality to have a shot at the good life?

You've been suckered in by GREED. Start thinking about the consequences of all that shit coming out of your mouth- that someone else put there.

At least come up with an original slogan.

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He doesn't care about the working class or the struggle the majority of working Americans go through on a daily basis because of the policies he is more than likely partly responsible for enacting. He's one of those "black/white" fella's I eluded to earlier.. No point in reasoning with the unreasonable, right?

Check my sig for further confirmation..

Excellent reply, TT

ttystikk said:

The perfect canned right wing response, utterly devoid of anything that could be seized upon as fact and therefore challenged.

Call the ripped off 'failures'. Call the working poor 'lazy'. 'Many people get rich'- but at a much smaller rate than any other industrialised country. Why does someone have to have a Shark Tank personality to have a shot at the good life?

You've been suckered in by GREED. Start thinking about the consequences of all that shit coming out of your mouth- that someone else put there.

At least come up with an original slogan.

Click to expand...

Padawanbater2 said:

He doesn't care about the working class or the struggle the majority of working Americans go through on a daily basis because of the policies he is more than likely partly responsible for enacting. He's one of those "black/white" fella's I eluded to earlier.. No point in reasoning with the unreasonable, right?

Check my sig for further confirmation..

Excellent reply, TT

Click to expand...