For my loyal readers I will tell you I did write a post for FFSF but I decided that I wasn't going to bother finishing it, nevermind publishing it because well it seemed a little sick to post it on Thanksgiving weekend. It was on the "We are the 99%" pictures and shit you can find here. I feel bad for a lot of those people that have had shitty things happen to them. There are an alarming amount of people in there though that have made poor life choices.
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| Really? You thought spending 100k on an art degree was a good Idea? |
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| Someone thought having 11 children would be a good Idea? I know Mormons that wouldn't do that. |
I could post more but it all boils down to a couple of things. Either they chose a bad career, got sick without health insurance, went into insane amounts of debt putting themselves through school hoping there would be a job when they graduated or they had children when they couldn't afford to.
The joys of working in a capitalist society is that you can always, always find a way to make yourself useful. Go to a public library and pick up a book on gardening and grow some food. Shovel driveways in the winter, mow lawns or make applesauce and sell it for a measly profit. DO SOMETHING!!!
When my grandmother retired she didn't have enough money to live on, so she started creating little dolls for people to put into their gardens and sold them at craft fairs. It kept her mind busy and earned her enough to subsidize her retirement income. When those went out of style she became a custom seamstress out of her own house. She is getting older now and isn't able to do those things anymore but... but because she did them in the first place she is going to be just fine.
I don't get how these people can be unemployed for so long. (4 years, really? Give me 4 years and public library card and I'll guarantee I'll be employed probably sooner rather than later) If I have more than a week off of work and am not going some where I start to go stir crazy looking for something to do.
What I'm getting at is, yes, the system as it stands right now is broken. The laws that the governments have in place protect the rich and the corporations. It sucks. I support the occupy wall st movement, but I can't support those of the 99% that haven't done anything to help themselves out.
Going into debt is a choice for the most part. You don't just wake up with 100k in debt. At some point along there you should have realized that spending money that you don't have isn't going to help you out in the long run.
Having children is also a choice. Did you know that raising a child to the age of 18 costs roughly 250 thousand dollars yet a pack of condoms is 10 bucks? (and coat hangers are free)
The fact that the american population suffers from bloated waistlines as well as debt really doesn't inspire me to be on your side. If you are overweight and complaining that you don't have enough money, eat less.
I guess what I'm getting at is that a lot of these people aren't doing anything to make their lives better, or have made choices that put them into the situation they are in. It sucks but it is life.
This brings me to today's post. Thanksgiving.
I'm thankful for a couple things.
Firstly my family, I love them dearest and they cook a fantastic turkey. They are always there for me whenever I need them.
Secondly my friends. They keep me out of trouble for the most part. Without them I'd be lost.
Thirdly my Career. This ties into the 99% thing. I didn't always want to be an oil and gas designer. Nope I really didn't. Sitting in Kindergarten I dreamed of flying. I wanted to be a pilot. I was told I was colorblind in grade 1, shattering that dream. I then turned to other things and bounced around for a while as to what my life goal was going to be. I went to University the first time to get a BA in psychology. I hated it so I switched majors... a couple times. First was philosophy then English then creative writing. I realized though as I was going further and further into debt that I was going to have to make sure I had a job when I finished school. My dream of being a writer would have to wait. So I took a year off and did some research into what sort of career I would like and would also get me employed. I found out that I would be a good industrial designer, so I found out where I could take a course on that and then I did.
I'm now done school. I have a little bit of debt but I have a job. A good job. Yea I made some wrong choices and had to work 2 jobs for a while to make sure that I could pay all my bills. It sucked but that is life.
I'm thankful I had the foresight to switch into an education that got me a career that I love and pays the bills.
I am part of the 99% but I'm not an idiot.
I understand I live in Canada and that things work a little bit different up here than down there. Universal healthcare for instance. It isn't free. Our taxes are a lot higher up here than yours are down south. It also doesn't cover scripts or certain procedures. Our system is a more socialized system but it is still capitalism. The states have this fear of government involvement yet you have the least government involvement of any of the major economies in the world. It isn't working for you. (A Communist country holds the majority of the American debt, go figure)
The American Population fights for their rights of freedom, liberty and the American dream. America was built from the ground up by the rejects of Europe. In 300 years the entrepreneurial spirit of Americans brought them to be the worlds greatest super power. Yet now the world looks on as you cannibalize yourselves fighting over religion and partisan politics meanwhile being kept numb and entertained by watching reality TV shows and aspiring to be just like those Jersey Shore assholes or dreaming of falling in love with a sparkly Vampire. Wake up and take responsibility for your life.
My call to you Americans is to not just rise up and occupy Wall-street, but to rise up and reach for your ultimate potential. Turn off the TV and find a way to fix your problems. It should be apparent to you now that the government doesn't give a shit about you. Time to start giving a shit about yourself and making things better around you. No one is going to hold your hand and make sure you're OK.
The last time I checked the American Dream was to make a better life for yourself. So do it.
Later Days,
NtH
I agree with most everything you say here, Hero.
ReplyDeleteHere here.
ReplyDelete*Claps*
ReplyDeleteI agree, too. Well said. I stopped being friends with two people and the main reason is they walked away from their mortgage. In both cases, I suggested they may not want to buy a nice house in a crappy neighborhood, at the height of the market. Happy Thanksgiving to you.
ReplyDeleteYeah!! I knew common sense would have to surface sooner or later! Well said.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the first one with 100K in debt for an art degree may not have been the smartest move.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I can relate more with the second guy. I mean, its not his fault that his parents had 11 kids right? If based solely on the family he was born to, he was unable to get formal schooling beyond 4th grade (for whatever reason), that will put him at a disadvantage.
I'm no politician and I can't begin to explain on how our government works but your right on some points. The government is too involved in some areas and not involved enough in others.
ReplyDeleteAmericans are encouraged to chase our dreams. But the hoops we have to jump through discourages us from doing just that. Like the education system for example. My brother and I both have/had dreams of creative writing but in order to get a degree in that field, we must take courses that are totally irrelevant to what we want to study like math and a foreign language. I suck at math and have no desire to learn another language. What does that shit have to do with what it is that I want to pursue?
I speak English and I feel I write it very well but the required math and other bullshit is holding me back.
I can't say more on this topic as it will certainly appear in my blog.
You make very valid points...nice post!
We have a similar problem in Australia. Our taxes are significantly higher, but we have free medical as well. I lived well below the poverty line during University.
ReplyDeleteOur economy is holding up at the moment, and as a nation we are doing quite well. But apparently we are struggling? This confuses me as the average and median pay in Australia has risen to roughly the same as the cost of living.
It is the mentality of our society; everyone's a "battler" and everyone is doing it tough. It is bullshit because people get stuck living beyond their means and making not very practical choices.
Houses you can buy on credit, that makes sense, but a second TV? I'm not quite so sure. People look at you weird when you say you are saving up for stuff. I bought my first car, brand new, with cash.
Get a credit card, get fucked. Don't sit back rolling a fat cigarette waiting for the next hand out.
As a US person I have to come back with the ultimate retort: Yeah, but you're a Canadian.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah - I tend to agree with nearly all of what you said. I think most of it falls under the realm of "Man the Fuck Up" and stop bitching about things, and fucking do something for yourself. Art majors should be forcibly debarked. Tell #2 to suck it up and fucking do something. If he grew a beard, I would be willing to kick him in the nuts.