The real cost of the loss of hope that things will get better.

[DisgustedInMN]

I wonder how many other Americans are feeling as I do. I have a sense of impending darkness that has intruded into my world. Many things that I have held as beliefs all of my life, have melted away as the reality of just how little value my Nation places on me, my family, our needs and wants, and those of millions of other families in the same sort of situation we now find ourselves in.

It's become increasingly clear that neither political party will ever do more than feather it's own nest and pay lip service to real world crisis that we are facing. Platitudes tossed out as if they still have meaning, to those of us that have no more options, become bitter, enraging thorns, that only serve to deepen the wounds that are bleeding us dry. In those platitudes, we see only the death of hope that things will get better. We've been lied to so many times, by those that claimed that "they will work for the people," only to turn around and do the exact opposite once they got into power, that it's almost impossible to trust any of them.

On a more personal level, the real cost of the loss of hope that things will get better, is much more devastating. It's destroys one's self-image, sapping the very essence how you have dealt with issues in the past. There have been lean years in my 56 on this planet, times that we made do with much less than was "comfortable." Times when I worked for less than a "fair wage," because it's all that was available. I took my first job at Pizza Hut as a sophomore in high school and had only drawn 2 weeks unemployment in my entire life. That is, until this Second Great Depression hit.

If there is any segment of the workforce that has taken a harder hit than the construction industry, I'm not aware of it. In March of '08, my job disappeared. As of last week, so did my unemployment benefits, and with it, any hope of "hanging on" until "the recovery" which shows no sign of happening anywhere soon enough to help me save any part of what I've worked my entire life to build, if at all. At age 56, you find something out, people, especially those that do the hiring, aren't very interested in people like me, regardless of whether or not we are fully capable of doing the jobs they have. And it makes no difference what job it is or what it pays. How humiliating is it to not even get a response to literally hundreds of applications and resumes sent out? You don't want to know, believe me.

On the larger scale, as Thom Hartmann has said, revolutions happen when people lose hope that things CAN get better. The only real question is now, what sort of revolution will it be? One, like FDR led, that pulled this Nation back from the brink and brought some fairness for We the People back into the mix, or the other option, which is likely to rip the very fabric of this Nation to shreds?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. I don't think the Powers that Be realize (or really understand, if they do realize)

how many people over 50, many with no spouses or children to lean on, are surviving only due to the kindness of relatives and the occasional odd job. I knew three such people in the 1990s. They drained their savings, sold their houses, drained their 401(k) accounts, and somehow held on till they became eligible for Social Security. Now they survive on a combination of SS and part-time work and low-income senior housing. Imagine if THOSE pieces of the safety net weren't available!

Mind you, this happened to them in supposedly "good" economic times.

This is the generation that mobilized to protest the Vietnam War. I know some of them are already providing bodies for demonstrations on other topics. When will they start demonstrating for jobs?

[Echo In Light]

4. Oh, they know, & that's what the phony WoT legislation is geared at: civil disobedience

[BeFree]

8. yep

Problem is the jobs that they could do are now being done overseas.

It strikes me as odd to see so many on some sort of welfare driving foreign cars. The first step, the best demonstration for jobs, is to buy homegrown products. Not easy to do, but it is best.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. Maybe they're driving the car they had before they became poor

Maybe some relative gave them an unwanted car. (That's how I got my current Toyota.)

And if they're really poor, they aren't going to BUY a new car, not if their existing one runs all right.

[FirstLight]

12. ding!

when my old clunker bit the dust, my folks were kind enough to find me a used Honda CRV. I had done all the safety and mileage research and told them that was the safest for the kids. The reliability factor was important too, cuz at the time I actually *had* a job.
..when I first lost said job and applied for assistance, I was turned down because the value of the car was $100 over the property your were allowed to have... so I was not considered poor enough unless I sold the car?

The jobs aren't all going overseas, some are literally dissapearing. With less & less consumers, the businesses are seeing their clientele dry up, and then they lay off more people, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
~~~~

I am a firm believer that community efforts and cooperative business models will be the wave of the future...small scale. On a larger scale I think that the govt and the corporations are going to keep going until they eat themselves and eachother.

[raccoon]

20. You're aware that some Hondas, Toyotas, BMW's are made in the US? nt

[Donnachaidh]

33. what the hell does foreign cars got to do with it?

Odd? What's odd is the fact that what someone drives is considered a black mark. WHO FREAKING CARES what they are driving -- it's the JOBS, specifically the LACK of jobs that is the issue.

Toyota is in the news because they literally fucked up - but that has not always been the case. Many foreign automakers also offered far BETTER loan packages to working people. It may come down to something as plain as this - the loans being offered by the foreign automakers were BETTER for the consumer. Our own automakers in this country are NOT saints - and they too have had recalls, and they also have not been really good at times in the past on loan packages.

Buying homegrown products is a fine effort - however - if the homegrown companies don't offer an affordable car, or loan package, the consumer is going to go to the one that does. He/she knows what amounts of money they have to work with, and shop accordingly. They may not have the cash to *buy American*.

Denigrating an out of work older American because he/she drives an *unacceptable* vehicle is the same sort of ridiculous political mental masturbation that continues to howl about the problem, but puts forth NO real solution. Makes you feel better, because YOU can judge others, but does NOTHING to change things.

[BeFree]

35. well you can't have both.

Can't have jobs in America if American made products aren't bought.

Welfare: where does the money coma from to provide welfare? Solely from American workers. So, welfare recipients who use that money to buy a foreign anything ..... I find rather odd.

[Donnachaidh]

36. using strawman arguments to ignore the FACT of unemployed millions

is yet again nothing more than mental masturbation. Does NOTHING for the problem - and blames the victim.

So are you going to police welfare recipients who buy anything foreign? What a Repuke notion -- considering the very existence of WALMART.

:rofl:

[BeFree]

38. Strawman?

I say it is odd and you say I judge. I say it is odd and you say I am mentally masturbating.

I say you can't have both and you say I am going to police welfare recipients.

You've gone beyond strawmen and constructed a straw building. An empty building that you are filling with strawman arguments.

[Donnachaidh]

41. fail

"welfare recipients who use that money to buy a foreign anything ..... I find rather odd."

Odd. So this is just an observation, and not a judgement call on welfare recipients? Riiiggghhhtttt....

[BeFree]

42. Hey!!

You finally got it: just an observation!!

The big picture is that you can't continue to send jobs overseas and also have the money at home to make welfare payments. It is illogical to think it is possible to continue such a way of life.

[HillbillyBob]

48. Well thats a hollow argument

first Clinton did away with the old welfare with the intro of 'work fare' you work for shit pay..barely enough to eat.

No one in those workfare jobs is even going to look at a car let alone buy one and those jobs only last for less than a year. I may not be up on the details about it.
Those are shit jobs that one would never get long term employment unless you really like being treated like a no account. A friend was on it, worked for 1 1/2 yrs then was let go (downsized) so 2 others could work that crappy job cleaning toilets at a school for less $. Far as I know he did a good job. It does not seem to count toward a resume either.

But the only fucking people I see getting 'welfare' is the gd corpses and they are getting it in the billions of $ and using it to bribe congress critters to pass favorable GAS! and they don't drive foreign or domestic per se, the got limos from where ever that they send out to have them armored to keep us little folks from killing the precious welfare queens.

[HillbillyBob]

44. I think that was what I was goin after

lost jobs, downsized etc and we cannot afford an American car because of the initial cost, we could get a loan on the Versa, not on any GM/Ford/Chrysler, lower cost of fuel and maintenance. I was an electrician in Al and Fla , could barely get more than minimum wage no matter that I did a good job, showed up sober(would not believe the influences folks show up on a construction site under) and ready to work for my 7$ hr to bust my butt then go to a second and or third job to make ends meet.

We do try to buy American..but since levis strauss left Greensboro..where are you going to get US made jeans, for instance? Pointer or Joiner makes jeans in Tenn, but I have to try on clothes before I buy and I can't just up and drive 6 hrs to another state.(considering the gas comes from the MidEast).

Dell opened shop in Winston/Salem a few years ago..they are closing up to move overseas.
Honda opened and engine plant in or near Burlington NC..we bought a cub cadet tiller with a local made motor..so we can grow food here.

[DisgustedInMN]

50. Not sure who it is..

.. that is tossing the "foreign car" red herring n, as I have that one on ignore, obviously with good reason, but you tell whomever it is, that I, the author of the OP, have NEVER owned a vehicle built by ANY manufacturer who wasn't an American company. Period. I make a conscious effort to buy American whenever possible, but sadly, it gets harder to do every day.

Hey, but I guess my "silver lining" is that with no income, I won't be buying any "foreign stuff" at all!

[HillbillyBob]

43. Some of us drive 'imports' which were made here in non union

plants because we could not get union jobs and afford union built GMs that got 20mpg with a tail wind and parts would f ing drip off before you even got it out of the lot.

We had a 1990 caravan, 3 transmissions finally died at 159,000 miles, they could nt get parts for the 3rd trans rebuild. We have a 1998 Dakota..the motor just blew up 154,000, we have changed the oil, the first transmission went out at 98,000 miles. We did take care of it to have the fluids changed and check the fluids every 2 or 3 gas fill ups. 22 mpg 24 hwy after I did some alterations like a tonneau cover, low roll resistance tires, K&N air filter, cold air in take, Teflon coating on the paint. it got 15 and 18 when we got it. the over drive button in the gear shift knob(4sp auto/on column) broke after 6 weeks, the switch plate around the door latch came apart, brake lights switch never did work right(brake lights would come on after you got out leaving you with a dead battery), no big deal to replace it, but it was still under warranty when all this stuff started and Chryslers 100,000 mile warranty was not worth its weight in toilet paper. We take care of our investments and do not abuse the cars with overweight or drag racing or some such.

The 6 Nissans were all used, some very well used except for 2 bought new.
I have had very good service, only needed warranty work done on 87 pu because the master brake cylinder had a manu defect, it cost me the 20$ service fee and I bitched about that.
The current Nissan Versa is built here with American labor, cost half what the small GM/Ford/ or Chrysler compact, gets better mileage(38 40) goes way faster than will get you a ticket, rides nice, has ac/stereo/power everything for 16,999, front wheel drive. I have taken it places Jeeps get stuck and 3 friendly adults can sit in back..or 4 60 lb dogs. Hell we brought a new garden tiller home in it last weekend(taken partly apart) .
It already has 85,000 miles on it, we change the oil etc and so far nothing has fallen off or broken. It has a couple scratched from getting bogged down in the deer trail that is our driveway because shear ice has no traction..but our neigbhors 4x4 got stuck their when it was just wet. We come and go when its snowy..usually though we prep a head and stay the hell home cause the d**K from up the road in his hummmer is all over the place..

[BeFree]

45. well

I am sure the globalists are happy to read that report.

Remember that the globalist's plan is to lower the wages of the American worker down to the standard of the rest of the world. And not raise the rest of the world up to the level of the American worker.

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

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

[closeupready]

2. Frequently, the Reich Wing likens Modern America to Ancient Rome, and

using that analogy, I'm reminded of something I once read (forget where) that the reason why Rome fell was because Romans stopped caring about Rome - their needs became neglected and when the invaders attacked, there was little resistance.

I know that it's an imperfect comparison for many reasons, but I do feel that Congress and DC are being neglectful of their responsibilities, and that corruption is decaying respect for our institutions. I don't know how much longer it can continue, but if history demonstrates anything, it's that when people lose hope and get desperate, bad stuff happens.

I hope bad stuff doesn't happen, but I'm not confident that people in the establishment are going to wake up in time.

[jschurchin]

3. I'm sorry to say it will be the other option.

On the larger scale, as Thom Hartmann has said, revolutions happen when people lose hope that things CAN get better. The only real question is now, what sort of revolution will it be? One, like FDR led, that pulled this Nation back from the brink and brought some fairness for We the People back into the mix, or the other option, which is likely to rip the very fabric of this Nation to shreds?

The people of the United States have become unimportant to the congress and senate. We no longer matter. The financial industry has become ALL important and it must be maintained at any cost, including the destruction of the populous.

We have entered a phase that has no good outcome. We are $14 TRILLION in debt and rapidly increasing by the second. We have NO CHANCE of repaying this debt. There is only one outcome, DEFAULT. And when this happens You, Me and every other American are FUCKED. This is a fact, the only question is when? We are rapidly approaching the point when receipts will no longer SERVICE {pay the interest} on our debt. When this occurs, the party's over and the revolution will begin.

It is coming, get ready.

[DisgustedInMN]

6. I wish ..

..with all of my heart, I could disagree. That's what scares me, I can't.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. I fear you may be right

We may have to become Argentina or worse before anything happens to shake Americans out of their stupor.

FDR once commented that he "saved capitalism."

Our current banksters and warmongers are possessed of a greed that has taken over every brain cell, including the ones that should be devoted to self-preservation.

They survive only because their propaganda machine is so strong, but what happens when more and more Americans find themselves unable to afford cable, and their personal situation gets so bad that the rantings of the radio jocks actually bring about cognitive dissonance and a loss of faith in Rush and his ilk?

[girl gone mad]

26. Default is the best outcome for young middle class and poor.

With such limited prospects and a decaying system, it would be incredibly unfair to hand them the bill for the previous generation's wars, tax cuts and bailouts.

[lunatica]

5. I think we're being hustled

The sooner we give up the false hope we've been fed all our lives the sooner we can do something. We're all in the process of grieving (even the teabaggers). It's just a matter of which stage of grief we're in. I think most DUers are in stage 4 and 5 mostly because we've gone through the previous stages together with our fights and our heartbreak. Stage 2 (anger and blame) is pretty prevalent right now as seen in the Tea Party.

Five Stages Of Grief

1. Denial and Isolation.
At first, we tend to deny the loss has taken place, and may withdraw from our usual social contacts. This stage may last a few moments, or longer.
2. Anger.
The grieving person may then be furious at the person who inflicted the hurt (even if she's dead), or at the world, for letting it happen. He may be angry with himself for letting the event take place, even if, realistically, nothing could have stopped it.
3. Bargaining.
Now the grieving person may make bargains with God, asking, "If I do this, will you take away the loss?"
4. Depression.
The person feels numb, although anger and sadness may remain underneath.
5. Acceptance.
This is when the anger, sadness and mourning have tapered off. The person simply accepts the reality of the loss.

[Stuart G]

9. Sadly, you may be correct... K and R nt

[proudohioan]

11. I feel exactly the same way as you, DisgustedInMN....

the depression and loss of hope are the absolute worst! On a GOOD day, I get out of my PJ's around 9 am; most days, it's more like 2:30, just before the kids get home from school. My last "real" job ended in September, 2005. I have spent the better part of 4 years looking for another "real" job while working either temp jobs or crappy retail jobs. I have finally given up. I "doubled up" about a year ago to avoid impending eviction. I have lost my sense of independence, self-sufficiency and self-worth. The final straw for me was being turned down for a job because of "information obtained on your credit report"..... WTF??????

I have a friend in your shoes. 54 years old and was laid off his construction job a year ago. Last time I spoke to him, his UI was about to exhaust. I don't know what happened with that, cuz he no longer answers his phone or returns calls. I'm assuming he's incredibly depressed, because I no longer answer my phone much, either.

I have never felt such hopelessness and had such a sense of impending doom in my life. I honestly don't know what to do....I'm 48 and jobless. Just called me "DisgustedInOH".....

[FirstLight]

13. I wish there was something I could say...

:hug:

been unemployed since 2008, which isn't as long as some but it still feels like forever. My teenager thinks I am lazy and being a sponge, when I am just not able to get out there and put on the face and even TRY for the corporate bullshit jobs anymore (and there is nothing in my field, should I try for a cocktail waitress job? I'm too old & fat to be considered, ugh)
So I have been doing small gigs and staying busy with writing projects and ideas that may or may not pan out...now I am leaning more towads non-profit work because at least the illusion of helping others is there.

I'd say hang in there sistah, but we have all been hanging a long time, and the thread is getting thinner.

[proudohioan]

15. My teenagers think the same about me!

"Mom, is that all you do is surf the net all day?"

Hugs back at you! It really does help to know that others out there are in the same boat!!!!

:hug:

[DisgustedInMN]

14. I have ..

.. tears in my eyes that you have to feel what I am feeling. A sense of impending doom is a perfect description and I hear it echoed in far too voices these days. Yet, it's as though those could do something about it, steadfastly refuse to act. It's hard to convey to those that have yet to experience it, just how paralyzing it becomes when you finally realize, that no matter how much effort you put forth, no matter much energy you put into it, no matter how much "good attitude" you try to keep, in the end, it's a rigged game and you will lose.

Thank you for your honesty and may something good come your way.

[proudohioan]

18. Thank you so much, Disgusted.....

your post made me tear up as well!

Thank you for sharing your feelings in your OP. And your response means a whole lot to me; it truly helps to know that others out there are feeling the same way.

May something good come you way, too!



:hug:

[prairierose]

16. I know how you feel. Even though I am still employed,...

and believe me I feel lucky for that, I have never felt so hopeless in my life. DC and the pols and thieves who inhabit it do not care about the people. And it seems that no matter what we do, they can not be made to care because the banksters and thieves of wall st have taken all of their attention along with all of our money.


And I have to tell you, part of the hopelessness derives from the lack of investigation and prosecution of any of the criminals that ran
DC during the * years as well as the thieves of wall st. I know that if I speed on the highway, I will be fined or arrested but those who lied us into war, committed war crimes and stole trillions will never answer a tough question or see the inside of a courtroom let alone prison.

When we are no longer a nation of law, when money and power means more than truth and justice, we are no longer the country our founders envisioned. When there is no hope of rising above your station, in a country founded to do away with classes and dynasties, we are no longer the nation our founders envisioned.

What is left of the country we once knew?

[freddie mertz]

17. I have lost all hope in the government, in Obama, and in the Dem party in DC.

They have abandoned us all, and we should consider any reasonable ways to return the favor.

It's time for despondence.

[Juche]

19. I'm young, and I have similar fears

I can't really compare it to being in your 50s and working in a field like construction which is hard hit. But I am 30 and this event has woken me up to the fact that employers throw people away after they turn 45, and that there are tons of people in the 45-62 age bracket who can't find a job, but don't get gov. help either. I'm unemployed and even when I someday find a job (no idea when), I'm going to save as much as possible because I know I can get thrown away at a whim by our current economic and political system and I need enough in savings to make it until I qualify for SS.

Add to that our unreliable health care system. Combined with the fact that bankers don't want regulations to prevent another economic collapse. I was watching a frontline episode and they said that the economy almost collapsed in 1999 when Long Term Capital Management (LTCM) almost went down. The same thing could've happened that happened in 2008. A company that had huge derivatives to other companies went down, and brought the global financial system down with it. Luckily private companies bought up LTCM before it collapsed.

But the point is that the global economy almost collapsed in 1999, and came even closer in 2008. But meaningful reform to prevent it from happening again probably won't happen because the plutocrats don't want it. I have no idea how the rest of the world puts up with us. If Chinese plutocrats were bringing the global economy to the brink of collapse every 10 years, I'm sure we'd be enraged over it.

To top it all off, there are tens of millions of people who think that in a time of a string of national and international crises (climate change, plutocracy, unreliable health care, no jobs, international terrorism, globalization), Sarah Palin is just what this nation needs. That isn't an attack on the GOP, just an attack on the tens of millions of people who are so divorced from reality that they place no value on competency or qualification. Its like if we were fighting WW2 and tons of people wanted Clark Gable for supreme allied commander.

I've decided to not have kids because our system is too unstable.

[Javaman]

21. Once you have learned to embrace the hopelessness, the rest is easy!

now when I hear one bullshit story after another being reported by whomever by whatever, I just look at it and mutter, "meh, so what else is new?"

Now that I'm on the other side of hope, what now surprises me is how anyone still gets depressed or surprised by the inability or lack of want that our elected officials display toward our demands.

77% want the public option, yet all the talking morons in our government say there isn't enough votes. My reaction...

Meh, so what else is new?

[DisgustedInMN]

22. Perhaps I'll get where you are soon.

I'm certainly headed that way, just not quite there yet. One thing's for gawddamn sure, my eyes are WIDE open and if the shitstains in DC think they can run a game by me anymore, they're in for a rude awakening. I got little ta nothin' to lose.

[Javaman]

25. Just remember the immortal words of Janis Joplin...

Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.

When enough people feel that way, that's when things get scary.

[RevCheesehead]

23. A few years ago, I naively would have said something like

that's where religion/spirituality can help many people. But being a person who has been hung out to dry by the very denomination that pretends to care about people like Christ did, I won't even pretend to offer that kind of hope.

I still have my faith in God, and my belief in Christianity - but I can no longer claim that "christians" are willing to do much of anything to help people in need. I see so much more harm than good being done, and the bigger institution standing there with its hand out, wanting money. They have become the Pharisees that Jesus scorned... and you know how that power-struggle ended up.

Sigh.

I'm recommending this thread, not because it makes me feel good, but because it exposes the truth... Perhaps we can collectively come up with some kind of solution; or maybe just reassure one another that we DO care, that we DO love each other, and we really do want people to experience being valued and loved for something other than our finances.

[Selatius]

24. I fear the suicide rate is much higher now because of the Great Recession.

Lot of people are being made to feel like used tools about to be thrown out.

[elehhhhna]

51. True. My co. cleans up suicides

and booming.

[RainDog]

27. DU would be a great place to work to build an intentional community

I'm so sorry for your situation but I understand it completely.

I wonder if, for the sake of survival, people might be interested in creating an intentional community where people can barter skills and goods, grow food on common ground... I'm no hippie but the idea of self-sufficiency and neighbors creating economies among themselves is one way to maybe try to allow people to survive what our nation is becoming... closer to a third world country for the working and middle class.

[HillbillyBob]

46. I have been thinking along the same lines

I have mentioned before there are lots of factory buildings in NC that are vacant.
What kind of product could be made to sell or barter with little inputs?

Like Bamboo furniture, flooring etc. We live in the middle of what was a samll tobacco field. We are turning the place to an organic farm. Moso bamboo is one of the things we want to try to grow. The little shoots are edible the mature culms grow to 70' tall and up to 7" diameter. In China it is used for buildings, floors, the fibre for fabrics.
Just a for instance.

Our place is not big enough to be a community, but we cooperate with our next neighbors. We have 9 acrs 2 around the house and 7 of woods on a not too stable hill side (erosion from clear cutting) and a swamp bottom. Our house is in the home site but not well situated. I would like to move the house to a different orientation to take better advantage to grow stuff. Its a modular so moving it is not such a big deal.

We will have to go back to the community model. Think about the Mennonites and Amish, they seem to be pretty stable for the most part, not being in the main stream.

[lunatica]

28. kick.

[WillyT]

29. K & R !!!

:kick:

[yurbud]

30. I'm thinking it will be like something I saw on the History Channel about Israel

Historians don't think the Israelites conquered the land as much as a previous civilization collapses, people walked away from the big cities, and a new order slowly came together.

[yurbud]

31. Watch THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED...we are nearing a moment like one put Chavez in power

Chavez came from the military, and he and fellow military officers got tired of being on the side of the bad guys and oppressing and killing their own people.

We saw the rumblings of something similar here during the Bush years, first when CIA and other intelligence analysts spoke out about the cooked intelligence for the war with Iraq, and later when successive CENTCOM commanders seemed to refuse to pull the trigger on the Iran War. Various other mid-level managers of the empire refused to do their ''duty'' realize that it served only a few and hurt not just people in other countries, but average Americans.

That trend continues today with people like Elizabeth Warren, and others that Washington expects to befuddle us with a cloud of bullshit but instead they pull back the curtain on the moral squalor, corruption, and self-dealing at the top.

There will come a tipping point when enough people stop cooperating and the wheels come off the aristocracy's train. Some day, a trust fund baby will call for a war or a screwing of the American people, and no one will obey.

[bvar22]

32. Look to The South !!!

No.
Not the Southern USA, but to Latin America.

The Populist Reforms sweeping across South America are nothing short of a bloodless revolution.
THEY have given US a blueprint.
They have found Common Cause and simply voted OUT the Right Wing Oligarchs.
The People there have realized that the Global Corporations, the IMF, the World Bank, and their minority Aristocrat Class do NOT have their interests at heart.

THAT is the BIG reason that the Good News from South/Central America is NOT being reported in the USA.
The reforms in South America give me hope for The World.

VIVA REAL Democracy.
We could use some here!

If the American Working Class EVER realizes that we share Common Interests that go beyond Republican vs Democrat, we CAN throw our own Oligarchs OUT!

[cutlassmama]

34. K&R. Good luck to you.

[Richard Steele]

37. +1

[Vidar]

39. Very well stated. My hope is increasingly falling victim to my inability to self-deceive any longer

[mmonk]

40. Looks like the latter. The former takes leadership and a different

ideology than is currently demonstrated by the elected.

[Tailormyst]

47. I'm right there with you

I've given up on Hope and Change. More propaganda used to get us to vote. So sick of them all. I am now of the opinion that our political system is broken, perhaps beyond repair.

[county worker]

52. I have been where you are now. I don't in anyway want to discount what you said or feel.

I lost a job, my house, went into clinical depression. I was in a safe house so I would not hurt myself. I finally got the most disgusting job I ever had. I was looking for unexploded ordinance with a metal detector. All the managers were retired military EOD's. The other workers were mostly people who were laborers who moved from town to town somehow finding these unskilled labor jobs.
I am an accountant and I felt really bad going to work everyday. Kids from school would do reports on us and had nice cars and cell phones and digital cameras. I was wearing a painter's suit and hard hat going up and down hills, through every kind of brush and plant life. For me going to sleep was the only real relief I had. My wife and I moved to a one bedroom apartment because we mostly lived on her salary which wasn't very much. We lived with married Marines who had to have food stamps to feed their families. Her folks were telling her to leave me and I felt that at anytime I would be homeless on the streets. (I was homeless several years before.) I use to go to where homeless people gathered to try to learn the ropes before I was forced to live with them.

My wife who worked as a retail manager was offered a position in another town. She told me she was going and I had to decide if I was going with her or staying there with my bomb squad job which would not have paid the rent.

I just threw caution away and went with her not knowing what was going to happen to us. All that was about 15 years ago and we are doing well now. One of the things that made me try to improve my situation was the fact that the person who got me the bomb squad job was a family friend whom I had always made more money than. Now things were different. He would hand me my measly check and tell me that he had money left over from last week and how about me, did I? He knew I didn't. He told people that my accounting days were over. I was determined to get back to a desk and out of the weeds.

I know this sounds corny to people here but I prayed to god. I have no real concept of god other than I believe it is a force we all share in and collectively it is much more powerful than I was by myself.
I believed that I had to keep trying things to get back to where I was. I had to do what ever was in front of me to do no matter what. I believed that there was no guarantee that what I tried would help but I knew I had a guarantee that nothing would get better if I gave up.

So if you read this far and don't think I am too pretentious, here is what I think you should do. Pray to what ever power you believe in. Keep trying things to get back to where ever you were. Don't give up. There are people who care about you. Seek them out and spend time with them. You may be having a depression problem and if so go to a county clinic in your town and get professional help. It will not cost you if you can't pay.

You are not alone. I care about you. Don't give up.

[DisgustedInMN]

53. I thank you..

.. for caring, I truly do. I'll have to pass on the "praying to a higher power." In all of my years on this planet, I have never seen convincing evidence that any such thing exists. I fully respect that you have your view about this and won't try to argue you out of it.

[county worker]

55. This Sunday I am going to an activist traing class.

It is my hope that those of us who can afford to, become active to help those of us who can't. We need to preasure the government into caring about people in your position.

[RagAss]

54. When all concepts melt away, then you shall awaken to the Truth of Zen.