Be Born, Give Away Your Labor, Buy Plastic Shit On Credit, Eat Fast Food, Get Fat, and Fucking Die

[NightWatcher]

The Corporate Congress' Plan Revealed



What's this nonsense about Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?

Fuck you and your Justice, Domestic Tranquility, General Welfare, and Blessings of Liberty.

[alsame]

1. LOL. nt

[mix]

2. +10 000

[AspenRose]

3. ROFL

[dolphindance]

4. All except for the first and last are choices for YOU to make.

Your life is what you make of it. Depend on the government for general services and security. The rest is up to you.

[scheming daemons]

10. +100

[fascisthunter]

72. ahuh

[abumbyanyothername]

16. Welcome to DU

:hi:

enjoy your stay.

[cascadiance]

18. Unless you go and kill someone right in front of a cop...

Then you in effect can make the last item happen on your own (though in effect you'd get others to be able to cheer that they made it for you). Unfortunately, there are not many other ways to "choose" the last option on your own with that crowd!

[musette_sf]

20. choke on your bootstraps n/t

[GoCubsGo]

34. Meanwhile,...

You had better hope nobody steals those boots from you, or slices off those precious bootstraps or yours.

[musette_sf]

38. or steps on my blue suede bootstraps

[bobbolink]

36. Thank you. I really appreciate that!

:applause:

[readmoreoften]

25. My life is what I make it. I'll make mine a life of political activism, thanks.

When will you anti-populist "blamers" realize that the working-class faces SYSTEMIC violence: the fruits of labor stolen, food poisoned, bank bail-outing, union busted, student loan scammed working class has always just been trying to survive. And no matter how much you whole foods eatin', job-for-now having, "up-by-the-bootstrap" corporate cheerleaders complain, we're going to organize without you.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hannah Bell]

42. +27

[susanr516]

43. How I wish that was true

Unfortunately, I think 99% of the working class will keep repeating the bullshit we've been force-fed all our lives. The US is the land of opportunity; the US is the greatest nation on earth; if you just work hard enough and long enough, you, too, can partake of the American dream. The game is fucking rigged and the house always wins, but that truth is too much for most of the working stiffs to bear. I'm part of the working class and I'm proud of it. I just wish that more of us had the courage to believe in ourselves.

[gorfle]

65. I find this defeatism unbearable.

I failed out of college and entered the work force making minimum wage at 19. I started going back to school but working 10 hour days meant I was getting up at 4am for work, getting home at 5pm, had class from 6pm-11pm, and then home and was lucky to be in bed by midnight. I did this for a couple of years but it was too much so I moved back home with my mom, where I continued to work full time and finish the bulk of my degree. I moved out a few years later and continued to work full time and continue my degree. I moved around a couple more times, got married, and finally, after 17 years of off-and-on working on it, finished my degree. I now make about $92K a year and am the sole provider for my wife and two kids.

Every time I read these posts about how "the game is rigged" it basically sends the same message: "You can't succeed at life - you are destined to be a loser in life's game just like me." It smacks of sour grapes in the largest way.

The US is a land of opportunity. And if you work hard enough and long enough you can partake of the American dream. The simple, sad fact is most people don't want to work hard enough and long enough and most importantly, smart enough to do it.

Is the game rigged? Absolutely. Is power and wealth concentrated in the hands of a few big players? Absolutely. Does this mean you are doomed to a life of misery? No.

It can be done. I did it. But it takes hard work, long work, dedication, and at least a little talent to differentiate yourself from the herd.

All this whining about how "you can't leave the herd so don't try" is just demotivating, demoralizing pablum designed to make people feel better about themselves for not having left the herd themselves and to keep others from trying to leave it.

[yoyossarian]

78. And LUCK... let's not forget LUCK!

"It can be done. I did it. But it takes hard work, long work, dedication, and at least a little talent to differentiate yourself from the herd."

And luck. It takes LUCK.
I mean, you're LUCKY you had a mom to move back in with when you needed that; you're LUCKY you found support at a crucial time when you absolutely NEEDED it... and many are not that LUCKY, dude...
I know, you probably don't feel all that lucky... it took 17 years, so how lucky can I expect you to feel?
But you WERE lucky... you found HELP, you found SUPPORT, when you needed it...
There are people out there hanging upside-down, hung out to dry, who would listen to your story and say, "You LUCKY LUCKY BASTARD!"... cuz they weren't as lucky as you.

Myself?... I was homeless for six months in San Francisco not one year ago... but I was LUCKY. I found someone else who was also homeless, and together we worked to get out of that HELL... and we were LUCKY enough to find a safe haven (for now) indoors, and we continue to work hard to keep our heads above water and a roof over our heads...
And we don't always feel so lucky... but we ARE.
We're both extremely talented in several areas; we both possess some very high-level computer skills; we both have higher-than-average IQs... with such education, skills and experience, it doesn't really make SENSE that either of us had ever managed to fall so far...
But for a time, we were both UNLUCKY; we both had REASONS why we'd found ourselves out there on the cold streets, and they had little to do with attitude or bad choices or whatever...
And we both struggled for YEARS before we were LUCKY enough to find one another, and LUCKY enough to survive that 6 months of homelessness (and I mean LUCKY as in almost MURDERED, nearly STARVED, like that there... it was HARROWING, it was an INCREDIBLE adventure, it was REAL DRAMA, our lives had a HORROR MOVIE SOUNDTRACK for MUCH of that time...
I'm GLAD you were LUCKY. I'm glad WE were too...
I only wish more people could be as FORTUNATE as we...
Cuz it MATTERS, the environment one must work within... if you're in hot water, it's TOUGH. If you're in BOILING water, it's even tougher.
Yes, desperation CAN make heroes of us all...
With a little LUCK.




Great tee-shirts, buttons and such at
Laugh City!


President Evil Online
has risen from the grave!

[treestar]

82. Yes and what about those who don't have talent to differentiate themselves

from the herd? As if that isn't most people!

Like we only deserve a decent life if we are above the "herd."

[gorfle]

135. Like it or not, that's the way it works.

Like we only deserve a decent life if we are above the "herd."

If you're only as good as the rest of the herd, you're going to have only as good a life as the rest of the herd. For these folks, Unionization is the best option, because it gives them collective bargaining power that only talented individuals can exercise individually.

[Hello_Kitty]

170. That's funny, because there are a lot of talented individuals in unions

I'm sure the folks at the Screen Writers Guild, for instance, would take issue with your characterization of union members.

[gorfle]

133. More often than not, you make your own luck.

Yeah, the old "luck" song. Oh, it doesn't really matter how hard you work, it all boils down to luck. If you succeed, it's not how hard you worked, it's because you got lucky and won life's lottery.

Again, this is the same old song that the masses sing to make themselves feel better about their lot in life. It's not possibly their fault in any way for where they are in life, it's all about luck.

I mean, you're LUCKY you had a mom to move back in with when you needed that; you're LUCKY you found support at a crucial time when you absolutely NEEDED it... and many are not that LUCKY, dude...

First of all, I didn't NEED that support when I moved back in with my Mom - it simply made things easier for me. Was I lucky to have a Mom that made it easier? Sure. Would I have succeeded anyway without her? You betcha. Why? Because I was motivated to make things better for myself.

Myself?... I was homeless for six months in San Francisco not one year ago... but I was LUCKY. I found someone else who was also homeless, and together we worked to get out of that HELL... and we were LUCKY enough to find a safe haven (for now) indoors, and we continue to work hard to keep our heads above water and a roof over our heads...
And we don't always feel so lucky... but we ARE.

But more than lucky, you were smart. You teamed up and worked hard to get out of that hell. That was not luck, that was hard work and forethought.

I won't say that being in the right place at the right time - being lucky - doesn't indeed help from time to time. But luck is FAR FAR FAR from being the largest determinator for personal success in this country. Hard work, determination, and talent account for much more than luck ever will in getting ahead in this country for most people.

[treestar]

81. Because you did it everyone else has the same chances?

There are always people who want justice, even if you don't care because you have yours already.

In fact, there are people in your position who want justice for others, even if they worked hard and had the good luck to make it themselves, even if they struggled.

There is no reason to accept injustice and inequality and not work against it and fight for justice, just because some people can make it in spite of that. That's not defeatism. That's working for justice.

Why is that "unbearable?" And how many people haven't had your good luck, and the chance to make it, and why don't they matter?

[gorfle]

136. What is unbearable.

Why is that "unbearable?" And how many people haven't had your good luck, and the chance to make it, and why don't they matter?

What is unbearable is the attitude that it is LUCK that is the largest determinating force in people's lives. It is just as pathetic as those people who play lottery ticket after lottery ticket convinced that LUCK is going to set them up for the rest of their lives.

The largest determinating factor in your life for future success is hard work and dedication. Education is also a big factor, but I had my salary up to around 50K a year without a degree.

[RaleighNCDUer]

167. Salary for doing what?

Some people have made real good salaries programming - other people would not tolerate spending their lives staring at a screen. Are those others to be faulted because their proclivities are less profitable? A plumber can make 50k a year fairly easily - but to do that you have to deal with, very literally, other peoples' shit.

Some people train for years for a specific vocation, only to have that vocation disappear - the proverbial buggy-whip maker. A highly skilled profession that society no longer needed.

Did you train for a job that nobody wanted anymore? Obviously not. What about training for a job that EVERYBODY wants, devaluing it to make it not pay for the training?

IT IS ALL LUCK.

You are fortunate that you picked a profession, whatever it is, that did not go out of mode. Wait till next year. It could still happen, with ANY profession. Then, who will you blame? Will you blame yourself for your failure, as you now blame everyone else for not being as fucking brilliant as you?

[RaleighNCDUer]

173. ..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6106961

[RaleighNCDUer]

84. Well whoopie fuck for you.

YOU had a mom to move back in with. You did not marry someone who went nuts. You were not plagued by injuries. You did not have overwhelming medical bills. And, let me guess, you are from a middle-class background and white.

You take your LUCK and ascribe it to your hard work.

Yes, you worked hard to get to where you are, but it takes a fucking lot more than hard work - ONE bit of bad luck, and you are back with the rest of the pack making 26k between two job, working JUST as hard as you ever did.

It is not defeatism - it is living in reality.

[gorfle]

137. Keep telling yourself it's all about luck.

Keep telling yourself it's all about luck, and you can keep living the same life you are while you wait to win life's lottery.

[OwnedByFerrets]

92. Your post makes me SICK to my stomach.

So many things WRONG with your entire post.

[blindpig]

100. Who is John Galt?

Apparently you think that you are, certainly not one of the 'herd'.

Juvenile libertarian delusions....

[nashville_brook]

105. you need to be aware of all the support you had that many people don't have.

first -- you had the ability to get into college in the first place. that took a lot of schooling and hard work on the part of teacher and parents to keep that GPA up enough to qualify you for higher ed.

second -- after washing out you were able to move to back in with the parents who floated you so you could finish school. i sure didn't have that option.

third -- you were healthy enough to be able to work obscene hours while studying for school. and lucky enough not to suffer any kind of medical setback during that time.

fourth -- you had The System in place that floated you all the way to college and thru college -- without public funding there would be neither.

good on you for having those hefty bootstraps -- just understand, that doesn't make you some kind of symbol of the american dream. that makes you very lucky to have had the benefit of a lot of help and health that have seen you thru. maybe one day you'll be able to give gratitude where gratitude is due.

[gorfle]

138. On support.

first -- you had the ability to get into college in the first place.

Yes, no doubt, ability plays a large part in what you are able to do with your life. But hard work can give nearly anyone the ability.

that took a lot of schooling and hard work on the part of teacher and parents to keep that GPA up enough to qualify you for higher ed.

Yes, there is no doubt that having parents that work hard to obtain and enforce good schooling for their children is a large determinator in their children's success. But this did not happen by luck. This was hard work and dedication on my parent's part to make happen.

second -- after washing out you were able to move to back in with the parents who floated you so you could finish school. i sure didn't have that option.

While moving back in with my Mom made it easier, mostly it was the location that made the difference, and I would have moved anyway and lived on my own. Prior to moving in with her, I had a 1-hour commute each way that was limiting my educational opportunities. By moving to a smaller town I could easily work full time and leave during the day for classes without burning up all my time driving around.

No doubt, I was lucky to have a Mom to move in with, but I would have succeeded anyway.

third -- you were healthy enough to be able to work obscene hours while studying for school. and lucky enough not to suffer any kind of medical setback during that time.

Yes, this is true, but most everyone is.

fourth -- you had The System in place that floated you all the way to college and thru college -- without public funding there would be neither.

No doubt. I was a product of the public school system which I am grateful for and support.

good on you for having those hefty bootstraps -- just understand, that doesn't make you some kind of symbol of the american dream. that makes you very lucky to have had the benefit of a lot of help and health that have seen you thru. maybe one day you'll be able to give gratitude where gratitude is due.

Once again, I am a product of "luck" rather than hard work and dedication. My response continues to be: Keep counting on luck to save you and you will continue to have the life you already have.

[Hannah Bell]

161. half the population makes under $15/hr. 2 in 3 will use some "welfare" service

in their lifetime: food stamps, welfare, hud housing, wic, ssi disability.

1/3 will be dependent on social security for all their income when they retire, & 2/3 will rely on it for 1/2 or more of retirement income.

so by your theory, it's because 2/3 of the population is lazy or stupid.

sorry, it's not.

[varelse]

108. How progressive and idealistic of you

to refer to the majority of your fellow human beings as "the herd" from which you deserve to be separate.

Another poster said it better, and more succinctly, than you did: "choke on your bootstraps".

Know what? No thank you.

[gorfle]

139. Not deserve.

to refer to the majority of your fellow human beings as "the herd" from which you deserve to be separate.

I did not separate myself from the herd because I deserved it. I separated myself from the heard by earning it.

[varelse]

152. You know what?

I think you do deserve it.

[gorfle]

157. Thank you.

It's been a long road.

[ipaint]

171. The definition of egocentrism. Congrats you have attained the

maturity level of a 4 year old. Now that's something to be proud of, you certainly seemed to have worked hard for it.

[northernlights]

109. don't think that because you make $92K a year now that it can't be stolen from you

I worked my up the ladder for decades. I lived below my means in 3 tiny rooms all through my 30s and most of my 40s.

I made it to 6 figures, and when I was able to keep the income rolling in for 7 years I *thought* I had some security. I *knew* that the bubble couldn't last, but I *thought* that for once I'd be able to ride out the recession and remain employed.

But the high-tech bubble was a different beast than previous. And once the floor opened below me and I fell through the trap door back in '02, it wasn't exactly free-fall, but in 7 years there has been no landing.

I have been robbed *every* step of the way down and so far lost half of what I'd saved while doing without for 30 years.

And here I am with 1 useless degree, 20 years of unwanted experience, halfway through a 2nd what should have been useful degree, flat broke, taking on debt...and appying at Dunkin' Donuts and Subway to try to get through the rest of the new possibly useful degree.

Being lied to and tricked by a state university was, for me, the final straw. There is not one corner of the system that is not corrupt. It needs to torn down completely, bleached clean and rebuilt from the ground up.

Part of me hopes those stupid freepers start their revolution. There's more than a few of them I'd be happy to take out.

[Grinchie]

117. Your story parallels mine, however I was able to see the fraud.

Yes, losing a 6 figure income overnight is painful, especially when after 9 months, all you can find pays one third of that. Then, to have a 10% pay cut six months later that finally breaks the bank, and you crash.

Remaining bitter does nothing. Remaining cautious however, pays off. The Trap door in 2002 caused me to lose a dream farm that was the culmination of 20 years of work. However, it also proved to me once and for all that their is NO safety net, despite what people would like to think. The only thing we have is called transfer of wealth.

I was fortunate that I was obstinate, and refused to sell my farm, and let the Bnakruptcy trustee do it for me. The is no way I could have received the price that they were able to drive out of the competitive bidders that were drooling over my hard work and improvements. I may have lost a good facsimilie of heaven, but I was able to walk away with a good pile of cash, which I promptly disposed of by buying another tract of land and developing it with the mind for self sufficiency and subsistence farming.

Overall, it's worked out great. I work for myself, have all the amentities of home, and it has given me more insight on how to manage in case of breakdown. I look back and see that if I was able to hang on, it would have been a slow death of annual doses of grim, rat race.

My ability to abandon a career and adapt paid off. I haven't woked for anybody for years. The only taxes I pay are real property and direct taxes. My little pile of savings is static and unchanging. I am very happy, but I can guarantee you that most people could not live the way I live without feeling somehow deprived of the cell phones, cable tv, or MP3 players.

I'm happy growing my own food, hewing my own timbers, and coding my own software when I need to.

The only thing difficult in going back to the simple life is that most of the knowledge has been lost, the tools are no longer made, and people believe in the stories related by the Corporate machine.

I could very easily cut myself off from the world and not be bothered at all. Now that is true freedom.

The mistake that you made is depending on our current, Corporate controlled educational system. They churn out specialists, when the world really needs Generalists. Real education comes from a desire to learn, not from some rote curricula or syllabus. They reinforce the myth of specialization with the old yarn "Skilled at many, master of none". It's Bullshit. Having a wide grasp of the world is absolutely essential, otherwise you will be abused again and again.

All the great scientists were Polymath, whcih meant they were Botanists, Biologists, Artists, Linguists, Mathematicians, Agriculturalists, etc. etc. etc. Once you spread out, reconnect with nature it all it's many mysteries, the world is not such a mechanistic, competitive place as they would like you do believe.

[JDPriestly]

127. Financial success and personal success are not always the same thing.

If you define the American dream as financial success (it is generally meant to mean that), then you, Grinchie and I are total failures. We will never have Buffet's or Rockefeller's wealth.

If you define the American Dream as having good relationships with your family and community, living a healthy life, having the essential things you need -- food and basic clothing and health care, then most Americans at this time can still achieve that dream. That may not be true in the coming years. Michigan has 15% unemployment at this time. That statistic is not likely to improve for some time. When masses of people are unemployed and there is no business expansion, individuals have to be very lucky to make a go of it.

Still, if we have any "success" or happiness in our lives, we need to remember that we owe even our ability to enjoy our lives to a lot of people around us -- and the luck of genetics, circumstances and historical accident. If you look at the lives of children in our foster care system, if you ever know anyone well who suffers from clinical depression due to some chemical imbalance in the brain, you realize that even just having the capacity to be happy is a tremendous gift for which we cannot as individuals take total credit.

I don't mean to denigrate hard work and a positive attitude. And of course, the luckiest among us are those who find an occupation that they love. I'm just warning against excessive pride. There is a reason that virtually ever religion warns against pride and the greed that results from it.

[NashVegas]

174. "They churn out specialists, when the world really needs Generalists."

What the world needs and what the ruling elite want are two very different things.

Specialists tend to be more successful, more easily, but generalists are the true innovators; because they have the whole picture of whatever it is they're doing, if one aspect of their domain changes, they can quickly spot what other areas change as a direct result.

[Grinchie]

113. You nailed it. Defeatism is what the Corporate Machine depends on

You see it everywhere. In Movies.. Brain Dead Dad is the majority, not the Minority, but these days, it's the truth.

The ability to keep the populuace ignorant of their own worth is the key to control. The ability to keep the population focused on one aspect of an issue, while 40 other fact remain hidden behind the curtain of Corporate and Government misdirection, Misinformantion and lies.

It is only when someone makes the decision to take control of their life and accomplish something important on their own. After that is complete, the positive feedback loop kicks in and the sky is the limit.

There are so many obstacles created specifically to keep the American public distracted, helpless and stupefied that it is no wonder that the status quo churns on till we no longer have air to breathe, or a planet to live on.

Perhaps the extinction of man is for the best, because his stupid belief that he can squander the earth for his personal gain is broken and about to fail.

[Hello_Kitty]

130. But the guy you're responding to is using his value to participate in the Corporate Machine

Not reform or dismantle it. Workaholism and corporate ladder crawling is but one of many ways that people distract themselves while the status quo churns.

[JDPriestly]

126. Actually, the game is rigged. Read Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Outliers

The Outliers is an easy, entertaining read, lot's of short vignettes about things.
>
> Here are some interesting facts that Malcolm Gladwell presents about some of the wealthiest Americans of all time:
>
> Name Birth year
> John D. Rockefeller 1839
> Andrew Carnegie 1835
> Frederick Weyerhaeuser 1834
> Jay Gould 1836
> Marshall Field 1834
> George F. Baker 1840
> Henry Green 1834
> James G. Fair 1831
> Henry H. Rogers 1840
> J.P. Morgan 1837
> Oliver H. Payne 1839
> George Pullman 1831
> Peter Arrell Brown Widener 1834
> Philip Danforth Armour 1832
>
> These men were rated as being among the 75 richest people of all time.
> Their wealth was, Gladwell suggests, made possible by the expansion of the
> railroads and innovation in the U.S. that took place after 1850.
>
> Another interesting list:
>
> Bill Gates born October 28, 1955
> Paul Allen born January 21, 1953
> Steve Ballmer born March 24, 1956
> Steve Jobs born February 24, 1955
> Eric Schmidt born April 27, 1955
> Bill Joy born November 8, 1954
> Scott McNealy born November 13, 1954
> Vinod Khosla born January 28, 1955
> Andy Bechtolsheim born September 30, 1955
>
> Interesting, eh?

The idea that you as an individual all on your own can succeed just because you work hard and are talented is simply naive. You need to be born in the right place at the right time to the right family. You have to learn your work ethic from role models early on, but in addition, you have to have been born at the right time in terms of the economy around you. Those who reached their twenties as the depression began in the 1930s did not have the same opportunities to become extremely wealthy as those who reached their twenties in the mid-1950s. Social skills are also an essential ingredient for material success, and they are gained early in life and learned from others in your environment.

In my own life, the accident of having been born a woman just a little too early to really benefit from women's liberation prevented me from making the most of my talents. Sandra Day O'Connor was a pioneer for women in the law, but even she had to struggle for recognition. A woman with less social standing, fewer connections but the same intelligence and talent probably would never have even considered going to law school.

Here is Justice O'Connor's life story:

She was born in 1930. Her father was a rancher.

From Wikipedia:

In spite of her accomplishments at law school , no law firm in California was willing to hire her as a lawyer due to her gender, although one firm did offer her a position as a legal secretary. She therefore turned to public service, taking a position as Deputy County Attorney of San Mateo County, California from 1952–1953 and as a civilian attorney for Quartermaster Market Center, Frankfurt, Germany from 1954–1957. From 1958–1960, she practiced law in the Maryvale neighborhood of Phoenix, and served as Assistant Attorney General of Arizona from 1965–1969.

In 1969 she was appointed to the Arizona State Senate by Republican governor Jack Richard Williams and was subsequently re-elected as a Republican to two two-year terms. In 1973, she was elected majority leader.

In 1975, she was elected judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court and served until 1979, when she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals by Democratic governor Bruce Babbitt. During her time in the Arizona state government, she served in all three branches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Day_O%27Connor

Sandra Day O'Connor gave hope to women who were intellectually and in other ways suited to pursue careers in law. But she had quite a struggle just to be recognized for her ability and character. Most women born before around 1950, however well equipped for a legal career, were not encouraged to go to law school.

Believe it or not, one of the girls in my freshman class at college was told that she could not be admitted to the accounting program because of her gender. She was told that no woman had ever passed the CPA examination in the state in which our school was located. There went her dreams -- smashed with one smug sentence. And a sentence it was -- to a life dominated by the gender bar.

Yes, we should all embrace opportunity with enthusiasm. We should all work hard at what we do and strive for the best. But we should remember that success is not something that the individual earns or deserves in a vacuum. And those who acquire wealth and enjoy good fortune should realize that everything they have they can thank to good luck as well as to their parents, their good health and their friends. That's why wealthy people have no right to be smug and look down on others.

[Hello_Kitty]

131. Malcolm Gladwell is so cool. I always find his observations to be thought-provoking.

And yeah, I'm so tired of outliers and exceptional people being held up to shame everyone else. There are very, very few Barack Obamas in the world and even he would not be where he is today without the help of other people along the way.

[Hello_Kitty]

129. Lucky you that your mom was willing to let you mooch off of her when you were a young adult.

[gorfle]

141. I didn't mooch.

I paid rent while I stayed with her.

[Hello_Kitty]

143. Then what was the point of mentioning it?

You said you couldn't handle it on your own and decided to move back with her for a few years. Why? Obviously she was doing something for you that you weren't getting when you didn't live there.

[gorfle]

144. It put me in a smaller town.

The biggest benefit of moving there was that it was a small town where I work and school were within 15 minutes of each other and home, as opposed to an hour to work and home and 30 minutes to school and home before.

Before, going to school during the work day simply was not possible. By moving to a small town, suddenly I could take day and night classes.

Simply put, the new location saved me two-and-a-half hours of travel time a day that was eating into my school and sleep schedule.

There's no doubt, though, that life was easier living at home with my Mom. Better eats for sure! There were times before moving back in with my Mom that I was choosing between food for me and dog food for my dog. Never went hungry at Mom's!

[Hello_Kitty]

145. So you got free food.

And a home in convenient location that you couldn't have afforded on your own.

[gorfle]

156. Sure I could have.

And a home in convenient location that you couldn't have afforded on your own.

Sure I could have. I just didn't have to.

Look, I'm not saying that I didn't have some good breaks in my life, or that lucky breaks don't help people along.

I'm just saying that luck isn't the predominate factor that drives most of our lives. Mostly, we are what we do. People who claim that we are all what we are as a matter of chance are simply unplugging from life as a cop-out. I feel the same about these people as people who don't vote because, "It's all rigged and I can't make any difference anyway."

I refuse to accept the notion that we are all pawns of fate.

[Hello_Kitty]

165. You seem to think in either/or terms

I think in both/and terms. I believe that people do have a lot of control over their individual lives and choices but I also think that luck plays a major role in the outcomes.

[handmade34]

50. the organizing can't come soon enough

thanks for your work

[hfojvt]

62. depends on how you define working class

I have spent most of my working life in the bottom quintile and even though I sing along with Queen's 'Keep yourself alive' I pretty much take survival for granted. I think most people do. "Just been trying to survive" is nonsense for most of America, has been for about a hundred years. In 1951, a distant relative of mine wrote the 4th edition of an economics textbook (which I now own). In it, he quotes a sociologist E. A. Ross from 1905 who sums it up well.

"The master error of the social Darwinists is to see in the economic struggle a twin to the struggle for existence that plays so fateful a part in the modification of species. The fact is, the scramble for money or place, though it be as desperate as the fight of clawed beasts, has ceased to be a clear case of life or death. Only on the bottom steps of the social ladder do men compete from hunger. Above them men work themselves into the madhouse or the grave, not for bread, but for jam on the bread."

DU's Jeremiads are so determined to wear sackclothes and ashes and proclaim 'woe, misery, and doom, life in America just sucks', that even to proclaim that we have some options or it's not that bad are taken to be clear signs of trollery. Since when are progressives supposed to see only the dark side of everything? Like progressive = pessimist to the fifth power.

[verdalaven]

66. I had to look up Jeremiad.

I learned something today. :D

[Silent3]

101. Excellent post.

The E. A. Ross quote is great. I'll have to remember that.

[redqueen]

110. Thanks for this. (nt)

[gorfle]

142. One in 11.

Thank you hfojvt.

Yours was the one positive post in 11 responses.

[sarcasmo]

148. Keep yourself alive, great song.

[Mimosa]

168. Working class people always get screwed

Word up to Readmoreoften!

Working class people of all races over the past 30 years have been suufering from the dumbing down of public education.

[Hannah Bell]

26. lol.

[lib2DaBone]

29. High Performance-Hydraulic-Heavy Duty Boot Straps needed

.. tried to start a hot dog stand on the corner. NO less than 10 City, County and State permits required. Health inspections, sales tax pre-pay, commissary tax, liability insurance.

Even had a fat city code enforcement guy come by in his city vehicle.. told me he would come by weekly to pick up his parking fee... or I couldn't work on that corner.

What was that you were saying about truth, justice and the American way?

[rucognizant]

58. That's it!

12 years ago in Portland Maine, I had the great idea of trundling through the Downtown old Port section with my radio flyer, prints of city scenes for sale, and art supplies to do more sketching as I traveled.
As a tourist wouldn't you be interested in watching a sketch artist in action and buy a print to remember your trip?..........
Well no, the city charged more for a lisence than the hotgdog vender in the square, and required INSURENCE besides! $500. I couldn't afford. Shop rentals were sky high. SO I continued on in poverty.
Yer the city has this great reputation as an artist's haven. NOT!

[Citizen Worker]

73. Portland, Maine compared to Madrid, Spain

This reminds me of my two visits to Spain and Madrid in particular.

It is not unusual to see street artists rendering in chalk on the sidewalks some of the great paintings of the Prado. Beautiful work and the artists would have baskets at each corner for contributions. I recall thinking at the time that were this to happen in my hometown the artist(s) would at least be cited if not arrested for attracting a crowd and/or defacing city property.

Ahhh yes, land of the free, home of the brave.

[JDPriestly]

128. Thank the paranoia of Americans for all the red tape in high places.

Homeowners gang up on entrepreneurs. Talk to your city councilman about cutting through the red tape. After all, once you start your business, you will generate tax money and that benefits the city. A lot of people are afraid to approach authority.

In his book The Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell points out that one of the advantages of a middle class upbringing is that middle class parents are more likely to encourage children to ask questions of those in authority. The children of middle class parents tend to have better skills of persuasion all round. This can be learned. One place to start is with the method of negotiation presented in the book, Non-Violent Communication. There is a website on it.

http://www.cnvc.org/node/369

Never take "No" for an answer. Always make friends with the officer who gives you a ticket.

[unbound]

140. Selling hot dogs?

A hot dog in a white flour bun is just another one of the worst food combinations you can put into your stomach. It is one of the reasons our nation is so fat. Do you know what is in a hot dog tube? And just because one is using the sale of this food to demonstrate self sufficiency, independence and entrepreneurship does not in and of itself make the effort a noble one. The reason you have to get liability insurance, permits, etc. is because of, among other things, the lack of quality of the type of food you want to sell. What is being put in our food by the corrupt, money grubbing corporations is the reason for the unhealthy and fat bound status of the people in our country.Corporations do not care about our health. Their only concern is profits.

[lib2DaBone]

158. I agree. I lost $3,000 on the hot dog idea... and they govt lost all the taxes they could have got.

..it was truly a lose-lose situation.

[bobbolink]

35. Oh,, shit. More Oprah fucking lack of empathy shit.

Some day it will catch up with you.

[dolphindance]

41. Trust me, I am with you guys. A Dem.

I want an active government that provides services and proper safety nets for people.

But if you work hard and get the right skills, you will thrive no matter what happens in Washington. That's all I am saying.

Forget about whose pulling the strings and whatever. Have fun in YOUR life.

Get laid by 2 girls at once.
Play network video games with buddies all night.
Get Drunk.
Watch your favorite movie.
Make your favorite movie (with a hot girl).

Don't let all this BS get you down!!!!

[susanr516]

45. I mean no disrespect, dolphindance

but your statement, "If you work hard and get the right skills, you will thrive no matter what," is just the bullshit the oligarchy wants you to believe. The game is rigged and the house always wins. They WANT you to think that you just haven't worked hard enough--but the game is rigged. They WANT you to believe you just weren't smart enough to get the right skills--but the house always wins. They WANT you to distract yourself with sex, and video games, and buddies, and liquor, and movies, so you won't make waves and tell everyone you know that the game is rigged. There are so many more of us than there are of them, and the only way they can continue to control us is by convincing us that we have done something wrong. The truth: we haven't done anything wrong, we just played by the rules. Except the rules only apply to US, not THEM.

[NashVegas]

68. I Think

There may be a little satire there. I hope.

[sarcasmo]

149. The house always wins, just like a casino is the Government.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

52. Smile, be happy and get fucked

over by your government! Yeehaw!

OK, grasshopper.

[handmade34]

53. I believe you are incorrect and not 'with us'

"if you work hard and get the right skills, you will thrive no matter what happens in Washington" life and liberty really doesn't have as much to do with hard work and skills as what you are led to believe. Your simplistic, hedonistic attitude is dangerous.

[rucognizant]

59. SORRY DOLPHINDANCE!

I'm an older woman.................
Get laid by 2 girls at once.
Play network video games with buddies all night.
Get Drunk.
Watch your favorite movie.
Make your favorite movie (with a hot girl). NOT MY CUP OF TEA!
Making ART IS! Have you priced art supplies lately?
Have YOU been asked to donate a painting to a charity auction lately? Representing 2 weeks of work, electric, bills phone/ internet bills, insurance payments,
food, NOT DONATED FREE TO THE ARTIST!
YOU are a corporate shill! right skills meaning ability to get along in an employment situation; not entreprenurship!

[hfojvt]

63. I saw one that was donated recently

It was kinda sad, his $100 painting went for $25. But I don't think he's really hurting. He's long retired, and perhaps sold his sign business to one of his sons.

The point was sorta to do things you enjoy in life.

[fascisthunter]

75. you aint on my side

[Subdivisions]

80. I worked hard as a child in school and I had a dream.

I did everything I was supposed to do. I made excellent grades and standardized test scores. I was accepted to an exclusive college where I majored in physics and minored in psychology. Through no fault of my own, I was forced to quit. Why? Because, though they always drove me to do the best I could do and be the best I could be, my parents failed to prepare to pay for my college, which they had the financial ability to do. So, I was forced to quit. Life has been a constant struggle ever since. It's one thing for planning and luck to be on your side if you are born into it or it comes your way at all the right times. It's a whole other thing to have your idea of what your life will be and then have it all jerked from under you in an instant. The psychological damage alone is devastating and can lead to bad decisions that affect everything thereafter. Some have encouraged me to go back and finish my degree. That has so far never been possible for various reasons, mostly survival in the meantime, and time keeps marching on.

I often wonder what my life as a physicist would have been like versus my life now as a tired oft-laid-off construction worker.

[JDPriestly]

132. Subdivisions, your life is really more the norm.

I hope that you have a good family and the basics in life. Very few of us actually ever get any more than that. One advantage you may have is the ability to find pleasure in a life without every material advantage. Your life in the field of physics would certainly have been intellectually more rewarding, but remember life always has its measure.

I am with you in this respect: if we define the American Dream in material terms, only a tiny percent of hardworking people attain it. Most of us fall far, far short of our dreams. Most of us teeter into old age with barely enough to keep a rough over our heads and a floor under our feet -- and that's just counting those of us who work hard and have a lot of talent. The myth of the American Dream personified by J.D. Rockefeller and Bill Gates is pure folly. Doesn't happen. At 66 years old, I have seen so many "wealthy" people decline into embarrassed poverty or at least what they define as poverty.

If you look at the amount of money that the average hardworking American actually has in the bank at retirement, you will be surprised at how little it is. I'm talking about net assets -- with debts subtracted from assets. That's the reality. Yet, Americans work so, so hard. I've lived in other countries. I never saw the people in the other countries work as hard as Americans.

And now, this economic setback comes at a horrible time for the earliest babyboomers. Many are not only losing their jobs but also have lost a great portion of their savings. Optimism is probably appropriate for 20-year-olds and kids between 10 and 20. Worse comes to worse they just live with mom and dad (if they are still in their home) until the economy picks up and people can sort out what kinds of work will pay and what not. But if you are over 50, maybe even over 40, you are pretty much not going to recover and had best be honest with yourself about it. You need to be pushing for that social net.

This recession is much worse than those in 1930 or 1981 in this sense: it is coming just as that huge demographic bubble called the Baby Boomers are getting too old to continue to work at the pace they have worked for most of their lives. Added to the problem is the fact that so many Baby Boomers worked hard at jobs that burned them out. These are the people who need to be bailed out, not the bankers.

[GoCubsGo]

164. It could have been just the same as it is now...

I did everything I was supposed to do, too. I actually finished college and got a Masters degree. Had a job for 20 years, until it was yanked out from under me. I got laid off two years ago, right as the economy started turning sour. I can't tell you how many times I have gone into an interview and been told, "Wow! Your background is impressive!", only to be told later, "Sorry. You haven't done XYZ, and we want someone with more experience there." I have had so many doors slammed in my face, I can't believe my nose isn't broken. I am sure the fact that I am 48 years old doesn't help matters. Nor does not having a steady position during the interim. "No real job for the past two years? There must be something wrong with you!"

I often wonder what my life would be like had I taken my biology degrees in a different direction. Or, gone on for a PhD. Or, chosen a different grad school/major professor. Or,... But, I cannot imagine doing anything else, so I plug away, trying to keep my head above water.

[treestar]

85. Misogynist much?

these girls sound like consumer items, too.

there are plenty of people who "work hard" and don't thrive.

You are obviously male, under the age of 21.

[Seen the light]

87. You crack me up

I don't think you're a freeper, just a naive teenager that doesn't know much about the world yet. I wish you well on your journey.

[Yavin4]

89. For Any Skill That You Develop, The Predatory Capitalists Will Outsource It

or find someone, somewhere cheaper to do it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

90. I believe what you say, but you're still wrong.

A person needs to take ownership of their own life and make the most of it. However, the game is rigged. 15% of the people will fail because that is the nature of the system.

Taking ownership of one's life will make failure less catastrophic, but it doesn't change the rules of the game.

Watch the movie "They Live", and pay closer attention to the underlying theme.

"Get drunk and laid by two girls at once" is not *really* the purpose of a fulfilled life, and deep inside you know it too.

[DireStrike]

95. Except that ain't true

Doesn't matter how hard you work or what skills you have. Plenty of people will still not thrive.

[quakerboy]

114. Unlike the other poster

I do mean disrespect, because you have shown nothing that I can respect. You are a chump.

If you work hard and get the right skills, you will not thrive. I know too many teachers, software people, etc to believe that line of bullcrap. I hope your fortune lasts long enough to bring wisdom. Good luck with that.

[Grinchie]

119. You're right. Just Consume, Debauch, and Vomit.

Actually producing something is so yesterday.

[Hissyspit]

44. That's rather naive. nt

[cliffordu]

71. Sure it is. Just make shit up as you go along. You'll succeed.

You don't even need nourishing food or an education.

Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps and keep a positive mental attitude and it'll work out alright in the end.

We're Americans. The most blessed and bestest people on the planet.

:sarcasm:

[fascisthunter]

74. you mean a life dictated by the wealthy class instead of We the People

the rest never was up to us

[dolphindance]

76. So just throw up your hands? Give in?

Don't pursue goals? Get skills that can enrich your life and pocketbook?
It's all rigged so what the hell?

I'll say it again: all the shit in-between is up to YOU. No one controls your destiny.

[fascisthunter]

77. give in? What the hell are you taking

to you it's giving in(your pathetic tax concern), for me it's about saving fucking lives. Get a fucking clue!

[Grinchie]

121. When GM systematically destroyed the commuter rail systems

They affected my destiny. I now see millions of acres of roadways that spill off billions of gallons of contaminated water into the stream, rivers and oceans. There are hundreds of millions of acres of GMO plants that you and I are eating, because the Powers that Be decided they looked like a non gmo plant, and are "Reasonably safe". Testing of long term effects, thats so inconvenient, Fuhget aboutit.

What do you say when the Property Tax doubles in one year because Speculators have driven up property prices, so you are caught in between and are forced to pay for the bubble?

Sorry, but your narrow set eyes betray the stunted growth of your brain functions.

Control is everywhere, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. And that's the beuaty of logical thought, a good memory, and focus. Something that shills like you are unable to cope with.

[RaleighNCDUer]

79. Ah, yes.

The illusion of control is powerful.

[The Stranger]

86. For most, but to get from the first to the last requires those in between.

The monied elite keep it that way.

It is time to wake up.

[Lorien]

93. Yeah, I chose to pay for health insurance. The insurance company chose not

to cover surgeries that they had assured me would be covered when the bills were sent to them. I did not choose to lose my life savings to medical debt. but I guess that life is more perfect in your GOP universe and such things NEVER happen, eh?

In a civilized society human beings care for one another and fight corruption and predatory practices together. But we do not live in a civilized society.

[Grinchie]

122. They don't just refuse health care.

Look at NOLA, and all the people that were screwed out of prompt payoffs.

All one has to do is look at the declarations of ANY insurance policy, and you'll see how rigged the game is. That's because they are to busy running a big CDA Ponzi scheme, buying up farm land, and growing GMO crops that the Governmnet turns a blind eye to.

[Deja Q]

104. apart from a couple trinkets, what I buy tends to have a pragmatic use.

For current employment, for future positions, for study, you name it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

106. Depend on the government for general services and security????

The Patriot Act is still in effect.
Wiretapping is still in effect.
The government...the CURRENT government...has raised the debt ceiling so high my unborn great grandchildren won't be able to pay it.
This government is still playing nuke bluff with at least 4 countries as I type.
We have no health security, no job security, and the dollar is not secure.
Our food supply and quality is not secure.

Plus the government and the states are broke and cutting back even essential services.

the only people doing well are the bankers and politicians.

The government depends on ME to pay THEM, and I have no money to spare.

I do not expect the government to take my self interest into account in any form or fashion.

[Grinchie]

123. I'm going to K/R your post Dixie

You are absolutely right, and I'd like to say that you are not alone in seeing through the ongoing Fraud taking place.

Corporate America=American Government

[dixiegrrrrl]

166. It was easier before I "woke up", in some respects.

Always comforting to know others see what you see.
Pisses off the willfully blind, tho.

[Mimosa]

169. Amen, dixiegrrrrl

That is so true.

[PretzelWarrior]

155. typical response. when 80% of food in stores is corn syrup, salt, and fats....people will suffer

so thank you for not admitting how in cahoots the corporatists are with the decline of health in our country.

[ellisonz]

162. That's why I got an AK with my brand new F150. We can all live in the woods!

http://www.kctv5.com/news/20085629/detail.html

It's a Red Dawn.

[marmar]

5. Ain't that America....somethin' to see....Ain't that America....the home of the free.

Little foreclosed houses for you and me.

[Engineer4Obama]

6. And if your lucky

You might qualify for our special skin orangification.

[DJ13]

7. The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Iinufe-bs
YouTube - The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death

[AwakeAtLast]

39. OMG - I can't believe I forgot about that one!

Great song, great band! :headbang:

[MercutioATC]

8. I thought you were talking about the average American's goals.

...because that's what most Americans do, with or without this (or any other) legislation.

[Ikonoklast]

9. Make sure to smoke and drink to excess, along with the rest.

Just keep sending me that good 'ol lobbyist money.


Their world is changing underneath their feet.

The lies aren't being believed.

They know their time is limited.

The demographics of this nation and a generational shift is a wave waiting to wash over them.

They will fail.

[ThomWV]

14. all while bathed in the false hope of religion

[Ikonoklast]

24. Ah, yes, give up any hope for reward in this life.

Wait for pie in the sky.

Meanwhile, we will live a life of luxury hidden from you, as we do not actually believe in all that religious nonsense. We cheat on our wives, abandon our children, do drugs in private, and hide our personal perversions.

But we lie to the cameras in order to get the votes from the foolish.

[Greyhound]

11. To the greatest page (for now). n/t

:kick: & R

[NashVegas]

69. Is It Me, Or ....

How is it there are two threads that basically say the same thing.

One gets trolled to the hilt and eventually locked, one gets 69 recs.

Go figure.

[GreenArrow]

94. I was wondering the same thing.

I guess it all comes down to a single, emotionally charged word.

[NashVegas]

120. The 'S' Word?

Man, that's really sad.

[GreenArrow]

172. Yep, the "s" word

There seemed in that thread to be an extremely narrow conception of what that word entails. I think also there is a certain resentment due to an unconscious and/or unwilling sense that what the OP in the other thread posited was accurate. Most are unprepared, or again, unwilling to examine what an acceptance of that truth might necessitate.

(edited for typos)

[Greyhound]

160. I missed it (I think), apparently timing is everything...

(and being one of the cool kids don't hurt either)

[dysfunctional press]

12. the american dream.

[boppers]

13. It's friday, right?

It seems like a friday.

[redqueen]

15. Hahaha... yes, it is.

And thank goodness. :hi:

[boppers]

28. Oooh, it's beer time then!

Yay!

[lesliewhitebird]

17. Shh...just shut up and smile and work for big business

and happily take your crumbs, fool!

[madrchsod]

19. that sums it up.....

[OffWithTheirHeads]

22. Yup!

[conspirator]

21. Buy plastic shit with plastic cards. That's pretty much it nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

23. ...

[varelse]

27. Perfect summary

We don't need health care with that plan!

[Saboburns]

30. I'd like to fornicate some and abuse a few mind expanders first

If ya don't mind.

[Arugula Latte]

32. You forgot "Breed More Consumers."

I've done my part -- one of each gender. :patriot:

[MineralMan]

33. Well...this thread dredged up some winners, for sure.

[stray cat]

37. The die part will happen to all of us anyway

and why should you not have to work for a living - who else is going to support you or should - besides yourself if you are capable.

[DireStrike]

96. "give away your labor" is not "work for a living"

Laborers are institutionally robbed of the value of their labor.

[UnseenUndergrad]

40. OOOHHH.....

You ment the REPUBLICAN plan!

You DO know that you took back the congress, right?

[HCE SuiGeneris]

49. "You" took back the Congress? Why, whatever do you mean?

With which group are you affiliated?

[UnseenUndergrad]

98. The Canadians

Manitoba NDP in particular.

[Fla_Democrat]

46. When you say it like that...

you make it sound like a bad thing. :evilgrin:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

47. "Survivor" -- Chuck Palahniuk

I'm tired of the Creedish organization.

[lexanman]

48. K and R

thats about it. lol. sad.

[old mark]

51. Oh, yeah - get enough "education" to do your job...

Then watch TV!!!!


markO8)

[mullard12ax7]

54. Add: believe every word of propaganda thrown at you

Make sure your kid(s) fight in wars fought for faked reasons.
Be ready at any moment to say the exact opposite of what you just said.
Strive to attain the latest techno-gizmo regardless of the cost.
Trust bankers with everything, never question them.
See your doctor about bigger, longer hard-ons.
Always remember that laws only pertain to your little peon ass.

[Milspec]

55. OK .sounds good to me

LOL

[troubledamerican]

56. But can I have extra bacon on my ice cream cone?

In that case, I'm OK with Congress' plan for me.

[GreenTea]

57. Buying Plastic Shit with plastic...........A Dead End!

[REP]

60. "Work, worry, consume, die" - Zippy the Pinhead

[proud2BlibKansan]

61. Best thread title ever

LOL

[OneBlueSky]

64. "Just how do you mean that , sir?" . . .

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
Benjamin: Just how do you mean that, sir?

The Graduate, 1967

[Silent3]

103. For some reason, I can't help but imagining...

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
Sarah Palin: In what sense, Charlie?

[stlsaxman]

67. kick and rec #69! wooo hooooo!

[tridim]

70. You left out "take lots of drugs"

Just don't take the drugs that grow in the Earth, or else you get sent to a corporate prison to be raped by rapists and murderers.

Only government/corporate approved drugs are safe. :sarcasm:

[conscious evolution]

83. create consume conform compete

Thats the current zietgiest.

[Tim01]

88. Modern Americans are not what the first Americans were.

The founding fathers were tough as nails,and they died in large numbers. And the native Americans who were already here were much tougher than that.
Modern people are willing to put up with anything,and give up all of their freedoms. I think many Americans would give up their rights in return for the promise the govt/corporations would provide them with enough to keep them alive.
The constitution would go right out the window.

We threw away our television. I took a huge pay cut to move away from the city and be more independent. My life is much more physically demanding now. I can no longer hit the Starbucks twice a day. No more expensive jeans,shirts, ties. No more expensive stereos.No more credit cards. No more daily fast food.
I spill a lot of sweat, and some blood now and then. I cut wood, raise bees and trees. I fix my own cars and small engines.I butcher my own animals. I get creative with ways to save money. I am comfortable and healthy. My life is not nearly as stressful as it was.
I would never go back to the way it was.

[lumberjack_jeff]

91. +1 n/t

[DireStrike]

97. How are your bees doing? Had any problems with them? -nt-

[Grinchie]

125. ABout the bees..

On my property, they are super abundant in feral hives. I have counted 10 in small, five acre area. All healthy and doing fine as of a year ago.
Here in he East Bay of California, we have planted a small garden, and the bee's are prolific and healthy in what can be called the suburbs.

These are two widely separated geographical areas and climates, so at least from my perspective, the bee's are hanging on.

[Grinchie]

124. Amen to that Tim01

I think it's due to the satisfaction of providing for yourself that makes all the hard work and sweat just as rewarding as a big fat paycheck. It's just that a big fat paycheck loses it's luster when the earth grats you a day off due to rain, or the ability to walk the south 40.

Reconnecting to nature is the best thing that ever happened to us.

[JDPriestly]

134. Now, to my mind, Tim01, YOU are living the American Dream,

the real one. And that we can choose. But if that dream is defined by belonging to a country club or making millions a year on rental properties, I'd rather not go there.

Doing what fulfills you is the good life. I would probably not choose what you have chosen, but what you have chosen represents a valid choice. That is the way to live -- validly with integrity, knowing what you as an individual want and getting that.

You have to realize, however, that even being able to pursue what you want is a gift. You can do what you do because you are smart enough and strong enough to do it. If fulfillment for you were, say, a successful career as a doctor, you would not be able to attain that. So if being a doctor were the American Dream for you, no amount of work or effort could get you into medical school unless you had the education and family-backing and societal support to be admitted -- and if you could qualify for admittance, you would need to have the humility to thank your lucky stars and not feel smugly better than those who cannot do what you have done.

[stevedeshazer]

99. +84

[Silent3]

102. Would any short summation of life come out all that cheery?

In your ideal world, what would you fill the time between "be born" and "fucking die" with that will sound much better?

If you did come up with something that sounds a little more hopeful, I'll bet it wouldn't take much effort to make your that version of the cycle of life sound pretty pointless too.

[Throd]

107. An attitude like that pretty much guarantees misery.

I have been born and someday I will die. I'm doing my best to avoid all that stuff you mentioned in between.

[TommyPaine]

111. Wasn't this "plan" revealed in March?

Or is there something new?

[dmallind]

112. Of course be born, get rich, buy gold shit on credit, eat haute cuisine, stay thin and you die also,

[thelordofhell]

115. And don't forget the most important part....

Think the internet is actual physical protest.

[Kurovski]

116. K&R. )nt(

[earth mom]

118. Eat shit and die you mo fos! nt

[Tikki]

146. Don't forget to buy that plastic shit at walmart....

'Wal*Mart shit...the feeder program for your local dump'...


Tikki

[NNN0LHI]

153. And to drive to Walmart in their Toyota/HondaMobiles

That flushing sound we hear is our manufacturing jobs being sent overseas'...


Don

[sarcasmo]

147. Obey, Work, Consume, Die.

[AnnInLa]

150. Yall are too young to remember the old song

by Peggy Lee, but your subject line reminds me of it:

Is that all there is my friends?
Then let's keep dancing,
Let's break out the booze
And have a ball,
If that's all
There is.

[havocmom]

151. Ah shucks. I thought you were gonna do Tennessee Ernie Ford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Joo90ZWrUkU

http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/classic-country/sixteen-tons---tennessee-ernie-ford-14930.html

Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

If you see me comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't a-get you
Then the left one will

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

[AnnInLa]

154. Big LOL

When I was a little girl, my mother refused to let me listen to that song. If it came on the radio, she would quickly turn it off. I think she thought it, and Ernie Ford were Communistic, gasp! Needless to say, I went around humming it all the time, and she would shoot me dirty looks. Thanks for the memory!

[L0oniX]

163. No ...I am not too young to remember the Ernie Ford show.

That tune kinda goes along with Big Bad John, Working In a Coal Mine and Just Enough For the City.

[lib2DaBone]

159. Great to hear from Dinosaurs like me that still remember those songs

[bdamomma]

175. that's what the GOP wants, and the corporations.