Millennial Commune-ism

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: harvestdog

The hell with that. Real communes these days should be exclusively solar powered, made entirely from natural hemp fibres, and be exempt from all zoning laws, or regulations, or made with no knowledge or permission on the part of local government. No grid, no cell service, no soundstage, no coffee machine, no damned coffee for that matter!

I like your thinking......I think exactly the same way....

a reply to: HarryJoy

Me too I like it.

a reply to: HarryJoy

Would be nice but if everyone did it and an entire town became Taxless. Who would repair the roads and such. RIch people want to take, and the government works for the rich and organizations that keep wealth within a nation.

Vultures like that will always want their share as long as they are better off than the people they are money gouging.

Hey, I am all for them living like this. If they want to throw their money away? It's their money.
More space for me.

Seems like a waste of money to me. I work so I can have a place I don't have to share with other people.

To each their own though.

a reply to: harvestdog

Mind your own business.

Hahahaha, what's the saying "snowflakes" want to control what others say? Yet you sit here complain while telling them how they should live. What a hypocrite.

a reply to: harvestdog

So, not scurrying off to marry & go at it like rabbits and churn out baby after baby is . . . babyish? I'm not following your antiquated logic here.
More power to these folks, it sounds like a pretty fulfilling set-up. Life's about living, not just college, marriage, offspring, so why not go for a communal period of living? Just because I'm hitched with kids doesn't mean everyone has to follow suit. Am I detecting bitterness about your own choice of being saddled down too early or something?

Oooh, and do explain the resentment for public transit. Aside from a bicycle peddle, my foot's never touched one in my life. Never needed to learn, feet, bikes & public transit get me everywhere I've ever needed to go for a hell of a lot less money. I can't wait to hear you explain why I'm not a grown-up because I don't drive.

Back when I was a teenager a couple of friends and I had a dream of buying a piece of land, building a cabin and starting our own communal living homestead. Sharing expenses is great but what if you don't have a family or the one you have you don't get along with? Since we first learned to walk we have always been a social species and more and more that is what is missing in today's America.

Everywhere else in the world aside from the Western European countries this is the most common way to live. If you don't like the company you can go to your room to be alone. I'm sure it has it's problems and there is always the danger of falling in to group-think, something I personally abhor being a staunch individualist.

The American dream isn't the same for everyone. Owning a home, getting married, having children, building a career and doing the same job until you die just doesn't work for some. Instead of seeing this as escaping reality why don't you look and see what kind of reality they are building for themselves? To each his own and happiness is different for all of us.

Freedom. Isn't that what this is really about?

For the record, I think these people are getting ripped off. My gripe is not really about alternative lifestyles per se. It's the fact I believe these people in the story to be mentally stunted and being preyed upon. Live how you like, but if you are paying $1,000 bucks a month to live with a dozen other people in a house, I think you are being played. I guess the thought of grown-ups paying other people to plan their activities is a mystery to me. If you want to be socially dependent, that's fine with me. I think you will stunt your growth that way, but that's just my opinion.

I think rags like the LA Times run stories like this to group-think Millennials to think it is normal to be socially dependent and be ripped off in the progress. It's no secret that city planners are using Agenda 21 as the blueprint for future construction projects and planning of cities. TPTB would like us all to pay most of our money to live in group homes, never to be let out of our cages. They'd like to hand out rations, and you know what, I don't think these people would mind. I mean they are already paying exorbitant rates so they have a stocked kitchen and toilet paper. I like my freedom to be alone and go where I want how I want. As a citizen, do as you please. Just please don't use regulation to turn us all into Seattle!

originally posted by: harvestdog
I guess the thought of grown-ups paying other people to plan their activities is a mystery to me. If you want to be socially dependent, that's fine with me. I think you will stunt your growth that way, but that's just my opinion.

Rich people do the same thing. They just call them concierges or butlers instead.

a reply to: Nyiah

This is true. I do not think wealth equates to growth as a person. I think some of the richest people are the most out of touch babies out there. The way I see it, the mindset is very similar. Rich people have the pleasure to be ripped off and not be affected. People fresh out of college don't have that pleasure. They should be working and saving money. Not trying to live like rich people.

a reply to: harvestdog

Yea we get it. It's not what you are used to so it's a conspiracy. You laid that on pretty thick in your op.

originally posted by: Asktheanimals
The American dream isn't the same for everyone. Owning a home, getting married, having children, building a career and doing the same job until you die just doesn't work for some. Instead of seeing this as escaping reality why don't you look and see what kind of reality they are building for themselves? To each his own and happiness is different for all of us.

Freedom. Isn't that what this is really about?

Owning a home, getting married, having children, and career building. Millennials have no interest in 3 of those 4 things. The first and last simply aren't possible for my generation, and having children makes no sense. The only one on that list is getting married, and most of us have seen enough people destroyed by divorce that we don't want to do that either.

originally posted by: harvestdog
a reply to: Nyiah

This is true. I do not think wealth equates to growth as a person. I think some of the richest people are the most out of touch babies out there. The way I see it, the mindset is very similar. Rich people have the pleasure to be ripped off and not be affected. People fresh out of college don't have that pleasure. They should be working and saving money. Not trying to live like rich people.

How do you know that $1k a month isn't damned cheap to pay in their area versus a stand-alone apartment? Can we in turn nitpick your finances and tell you what we think is a waste or not as well? Assuming you have one, can we critique your mortgage? Can we get snide if you're not paying off additional principal every month and living frugally to do it?

Like it or not, it's their business, not yours. Kinda like how your finances are none of our business either.

$1000 a month in New York City ?

Sounds pretty damn cheap to me.

Good on them, I hope they can make a go of it. Communal living has it's complications, no doubt about it... relationships, division of chores/responsibilities, everybody pulling their own weight, somebody always in your face, etc etc. It would be a challenge for even the most organized of multi-taskers !


As an introvert, something like this would definitely not be my cup of tea... I like my quiet serenity and personal space... it would kill me in short time to not have my own private "man cave" to crawl into when I need to get away from the world.

But for those that thrive on social interaction, this would be a dream come true !


I say good luck to them all.

"Sandernistas"


Nice one.

originally posted by: AnuTyr
a reply to: HarryJoy

Would be nice but if everyone did it and an entire town became Taxless. Who would repair the roads and such.

I understand your concern .....and from a conventional perspective you are right. In my opinion towns (especially small towns ) need to start thinking outside the box. They should start using their tax revenue toward making themselves self sufficient.

originally posted by: harvestdog
For the record, I think these people are getting ripped off. My gripe is not really about alternative lifestyles per se. It's the fact I believe these people in the story to be mentally stunted and being preyed upon. Live how you like, but if you are paying $1,000 bucks a month to live with a dozen other people in a house, I think you are being played. I guess the thought of grown-ups paying other people to plan their activities is a mystery to me. If you want to be socially dependent, that's fine with me. I think you will stunt your growth that way, but that's just my opinion.

I think rags like the LA Times run stories like this to group-think Millennials to think it is normal to be socially dependent and be ripped off in the progress. It's no secret that city planners are using Agenda 21 as the blueprint for future construction projects and planning of cities. TPTB would like us all to pay most of our money to live in group homes, never to be let out of our cages. They'd like to hand out rations, and you know what, I don't think these people would mind. I mean they are already paying exorbitant rates so they have a stocked kitchen and toilet paper. I like my freedom to be alone and go where I want how I want. As a citizen, do as you please. Just please don't use regulation to turn us all into Seattle!

I agree the millennials are being ripped off, but they are being ripped off by the system and unfortunately the system isn't ripping them off for agenda 21, but is ripping them off so older generations like you can keep what you got without feeling any pain.

Why do I say that? Well the problems Millennials face with housing comes from two factors.

One, the economy which is choking and sputtering. There are not enough manufacturing and production jobs to pay for things like cars, housing and kids. Those jobs went and are still going over seas. The majority of service jobs that are left can't pay what is needed for those luxuries and as for the high skilled, high pay jobs that could, there just aren't enough to go around for the majority.

Two, the housing bubble and the manipulation of the banks to sustain that artificial bubble. The banks are still sitting on many foreclosed homes aka zombie houses. The reason they are sitting on them and slowly adding them back to the market, is simply to keep home values from tanking. Which would make the older generations and those in a position to already own a home scream bloody murder.

Because of those two factors, which are beyond the millennials control to change at this time, many have no choice but to find a new way to live. The media of course is pushing this new way to live, but since that media is still mostly controlled and run by their grandparent's and parent's generations, is it any wonder the new way of living hyped to the millennial is one that protects the way of life of their forberers. I think not.

Unfortunately they don't really have a choice in the matter at the moment, their generation is not yet majority power holders in this country.

Just my opinion though.

a reply to: prisoneronashipoffools

I agree the millennials are being ripped off, but they are being ripped off by the system and unfortunately the system isn't ripping them off for agenda 21, but is ripping them off so older generations like you can keep what you got without feeling any pain.

It's true that millennials have been getting their futures ripped off since they were in diapers (and this process has only accelerated). I'm not sure if it is a fair statement to say that the older generations didn't feel any of the pain starting with the 2008 recession and this incredibly weak recovery. Many lost their jobs and never recovered their income. Many also lost their homes and have never regained those either. I think it's a matter of perspective and it's only natural that each age group within the so-called middle class thinks they have it worse than everyone else (myself included when I don't take the time to think things through).

One, the economy which is choking and sputtering. There are not enough manufacturing and production jobs to pay for things like cars, housing and kids. Those jobs went and are still going over seas.

I agree with you there. One thing that I've noticed lately involves, yes, unfortunately, Donald Trump. I assure you I am not telling you to run out and vote for the guy. I would just say that I am really disturbed by something I've seen. Forget about ALL the other stuff about him, whenever he mentions doing something to balance trade and give companies incentives to keep manufacturing (or move manufacturing to) the United States talking heads and politicians from all sides put him on full blast screaming "He's going to start a trade war!!!" To me, that is ridiculous. I will not pretend to understand all the complexities of the global trade/financial system. I do have a bit of common sense though.

Let me explain what I mean. I'm a Target shopper (more out of necessity than by choice) so I fully comprehend that the $200-$300 I spend on my bi-weekly trips there goes a lot farther than if I were to go to specialty stores rather than a big-box one. That being said, I'd like to use that air conditioner/parts manufacturer that just recently started the process of laying off practically ALL of it's workers as it closes its US plant and moves it to Mexico. Does anyone think that the costs of those air conditioners or the parts will suddenly cost less to consumers within the US? Absolutely not. The costs to the end user will be the same with the only difference being the manufacturer will make more profit and we have another thousand or two Americans out of a job.

I understand that was just one, not very sophisticated example. Again, I'm no expert but nobody seems to deny that there are huge trade imbalances between the US and many other nations. Nobody, not even Trump as far as I can tell, is looking to declare a trade war. The question I have to the political class and to the talking heads/commentators is.... Is there NO compromise? Is there NOTHING that we should do to tip the scales, even if moderately, in our favor? Or to put it another way, can we reduce that imbalance a bit? I get so frustrated that nobody ever talks about it except to throw their hands up and basically say it's either War or status quo.

The majority of service jobs that are left can't pay what is needed for those luxuries and as for the high skilled, high pay jobs that could, there just aren't enough to go around for the majority.

Again I have to say you aren't wrong. This is another thing that drives me nuts. While I'm no more an expert now than when I wrote the preceding paragraphs, I have such frustration and anger at the H1b visa abuse that is going on. The easy culprit to toss anger at (because it was high profile and recent) is the good old Disney company, as if you recall they not only let a bit less than a thousand talented IT workers go and to add insult to injury, they forced those losing their jobs to show their foreign replacements the ropes. One more time I'll say I'm no expert but it is my understanding that the H1b visa program was and is meant to bring in specialty workers when none are available locally. How do they justify laying off local workers (that have received positive reviews) and claim that they need foreign ones? I hate how our politicians keep allowing the abuses of this system. As much as I cant stand companies that resort to this practice, they are supposed to follow the rules and it's the GOVERNMENT that is meant to set the rules.

Two, the housing bubble and the manipulation

I think this one may depend in large part on the part of the country someone is in. I'm considered part of generation X and I have bad news for the millennials.... we are another obstacle for you in the home buying department. Among those of us that never had the benefit of having parents essentially gift us down payments and help get us started, we are just now at a place where we are looking to purchase our first home.

First, let me describe what many people view as a first home. It's a house that is structurally sound with electric and plumbing that meets current codes. What makes it a "first home" is that it will likely need some work done on it but the kitchen and bathroom(s) are "good enough" so it is basically move-in ready.

(Disclaimer: Just a reminder that this may have a lot to do with location).

So, here is the generation X housing problem (that I'm sorry will likely be passed off to the millennials in an even more severe way). As I mentioned before, there are a LOT of generation Xers that are in my current situation. The problem is that in this area the cost of a "first home" SHOULD be, by all accounts, somewhere in the neighborhood of $225K. Unfortunately, since there are so many of us and only a limited number of "first home" type homes, the demand causes these houses to SELL for anywhere from $350K and up. You would be shocked if you saw what some of these, even dilapidated houses are being sold for.

Unfortunately they don't really have a choice in the matter at the moment

I'm not sure exactly where the line of truth is on this one. Yes, I agree that in many, systematic ways, millennials are getting screwed. However (and please take this with a grain of salt) I do find that a lot of positions/views that millennials hold seem counter-intuitive to me. The younger people in that generation seem to be pro-amnesty/open borders types and I don't know if they fully appreciate how policies like that will directly affect them (in fairness, because it's not always apparent). To return to housing for a moment, in my neck of the woods you are lucky if you can find a home to purchase where the property takes are less than $10K/year. When it comes to property taxes, elected officials will always try to keep that rate as high as possible without causing a revolt. That being said, much (most in some municipalities) of the taxes collected go to the schools. I hate to use the phrase because it sounds harsher than I mean it to.... but... when you have thousands and thousands of students that are enrolled in schools that "shouldn't be there" it raises the costs across the board. This includes taxes.

[first time I ever ran out of space on a post]