#397442 - 10/08/0404:06 PM
Re: Political Discussion: One Thread Only!
richard4878
Member
Registered: 03/14/03
Posts: 994
Posted By JFM
"Find me somebody who is willing to work hard, go to school at night, not have kids out of wedlock, and have some pride in themselves, and I will guarantee you success.
You want the success for the lackies of the world, but without the hard work"
#397443 - 10/08/0404:10 PM
Re: Political Discussion: One Thread Only!
Anonymous
Unregistered
Simplistic and naive, typical Bush supporters. Starry eyed dreamers who can't face reality, and have spent their lives as part of the white male majority and whose own privelige is completely invisible to them. If I can do it, why can't everyone else. The world don't work like that, I wish it did!
#397444 - 10/08/0404:12 PM
Re: Political Discussion: One Thread Only!
richard4878
Member
Registered: 03/14/03
Posts: 994
Yes my Male white majority is why I dont have a college education yet. No loans or scholrships or other government assitance for white males.... So what are we to do? make the best of it, find a job move your way up and go to school nights
One of the problems is that nu2salt is one of the ones guiding or should I say misguiding those little bastards that are being punished by telling them it's not their fault. And we are paying for it!
nu2salt, What about small businesses which provide many of the new jobs that are being made are they Big Business as you say. Most of the small business owners "myself included" needed the tax break when we got it. I have two good friends that lost their business due to 9/11 and the lack of people buying their goods. It was not only just big business as you put it, but small businesses trying to keep their heads above water. We all needed the tax break and the marriage penalty finally taken away. I truly believe without the tax break America would have ended up in a depression like in 29'. Onto unions yes they are good to their employees but are they good for everyone else. I believe if you do a hard days work you deserve a good days pay. But I see how some union members are at work sites with one serving coffee and getting union pay or four guys or gals to a site with one or more doing nothing. I think unions have shot themselves in the foot with the way they are perceived by common folks. "By the way my Dad helped form the Independent union at the state back in the early to mid 60's". One more thing. When times are tough in this Country I watched a number of unions fail to give back even when things were at there worse. I also watched a friend of mine in the teacher's union lose there job because the teachers would not take a smaller pay hike so they layed off five teachers instead. Now thats looking out for our children.
Nu2salt, there are plenty of first generation very wealthy people in this country. The tech industry is full of them including the newly minted Google execs. Or your poster boy George Soros, an immigrant financial guru funding most of the liberal 527s. But that is not the issue. The issue is that financial independance and success is a personal responsibility. I graduated college in 1966 and in 1967 I left for the Army with $75 dollars in my pocket after my dad made me pay off all my debts. I got a Red Cross loan at Fort Sill so I could buy a couple of required officer uniforms. From that point on I always had a financial plan so that I never had to ask for anything from anybody ever again. I saved part of my salary every month. In Vietnam I saved everything and when I came home I bought a used car not a new one so I could keep my bank account up. When I joined IBM I joined the stock option plan though I didn't have any discretionary money, no one does when you are a twenty-something, but I forced myself to save something every month. I paid myself first, paid my creditors, then lived on the rest somehow. When the IRA was initiated I opened one for my wife and one for me. I started with the minimum amount but stayed with it and they have paid off. The same with a 401K. I got to the point of taking 20% of my gross earnings and saving it in investment accounts. I never calculated Social Security into my financial retirement plan. When my daughters received W2 income in high school I opened IRAs for them. Then I converted them to Roth IRAs and paid the conversion tax. They are five figure accounts now and they are only twenty-somethings. One went to Wellesley and one went to NC State and they both have good jobs and save money. You are responsible for your own destiny. If you think you can't save you never will, you will never become self-sufficient financially and you will never retire to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labors. I retired at 56. I have time to devote to the things I like to do and work at my volunteer projects such as the Great Hollow Wilderness School where under-priveleged kids get an opportunity to discover self esteem and personal value. I am not any different than anyone else on this thread. I had no silver spoon but accepted that my fate was my own responsibility and I took action over a long period of time to insure my success financially, professionally, emotionally, socially, as a father/husband and as a citizen of our country. People can not go through life blaming others for their problems. They have to take personal responsibilty and plan for their future. The opportunity is there. It is not easy and people may need help along the way but the opportunity is still there for the willing.
Generalizations are generally inaccurate. However, I do believe that this country offers incredible, limitless opportunity for someone that is willing to work hard, educate themselves and have some pride. Family money certainly never came my way! However, there are way too many people in this country that never have much of a chance: no role models, poor schools, drug and crime ridden neighborhood, physical-mental-verbal-alcohol-drug-abuse, no religion, etc.. Basically,a hopeless cultural downward spiralling scenario where there is no pride, and too many kids are well down the road to continued poverty before they hit their teens. There are some that make it out, but not many. If you can break the cycle, future generations will join the middle class or better. This is a side of our country that is easily ignored, "hey, they're all lackies". But not all of us have 2 parents that instill morals and work ethics and generally act as role models. We are indeed the lucky ones.
OK, how else do we combat terrorism (other than conventional warfare)?
#397449 - 10/08/0405:17 PM
Re: Political Discussion: One Thread Only!
Anonymous
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally posted by RMW 1: One of the problems is that nu2salt is one of the ones guiding or should I say misguiding those little bastards that are being punished by telling them it's not their fault. And we are paying for it!
Nothing could be further from the truth!
In my work I stress individual accountability and taking responsibility for one's own choices, and strive to instill in the teens I work with a desire to rise above their parents' status and the mistakes that THEY ALONE have made, through education and hard work. I have helped change for the better more than one young man's life.
How dare you cast personal aspersions upon me and the work I do! Come follow me around at work for a day, then comment on what you see first hand.
#397450 - 10/08/0405:26 PM
Re: Political Discussion: One Thread Only!
Anonymous
Unregistered
Buck,
I admire and respect you for what you have accomplished in your life.
That in no way diminishes the arguments that I have made that the social injustices in this country serve to keep the rich rich and the poor poor. I never said it CAN'T be done, only that it is not easy, and that our current direction under Republican leadership makes it increasingly difficult and stacks the odds against the poor and favors the rich.
I could tell you my life story as well. I am a hard working American who has been married with children since I was 20. I have worked 2 and even 3 jobs at a time, including working midnights, weekends, holidays, overtime, double shifts, and done hard physical labor or worked in dangerous and adverse conditions. I never asked for nor accepted any handouts, and I have done without many times. My wife also worked part time when our children were small, and later ran her own daycare. She went back to school and earned her degree after our kids were in school, and she is currently earning a masters degree while teaching first grade in the public schools of New Britain. We both have been gainfully employed for many years and are living comfortably, and two years ago bought our first house.
But I can see what is happening in this country today, under the so-called leadership of George W. Bush, and know it is wrong. So I will continue to fight to change it, and believe in my heart that everyone, yourself included, will be better off if I and others like me succeed in bringing about such changes. That is what this discussion is about; who is best to lead our country, and who will do the best for the most Americans. I believe that person is John Kerry, and that is who I will vote for.
nu2salt so you must not believe all this drivel you are trying to pass off on us if you teach the exact opposite.Some where you are contradicting yourself you can't have it both ways!
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