The Middle Class is tired of carrying the entire planets problems on our backs, done tired of it

Wait, there's a middle class?

a reply to: crazyewok

It's your fault and your problem.
You're a human and I'm a human.

Help your species.

Sorry if i am derailing the discussion but I really am surprised and admit i would be pissed off too in your position. That would be $16/hour before your medical insurance? in the richest country in the world? I am British, our minimum wage would be around $10/hour and we have universal health care, an entry level professional or tradesperson would earn at least double that again. Is it globalisation that has caused this?

a reply to: biggilo

Workers have no representation in the US, in the workplace, in the state legislature, in the congress, or the presidency. It's all about cutting taxes for the rich guy, stockholders, CEO's, and hope some trickles down.

a reply to: toysforadults

Our wages have essentially been frozen since the mid to late 1970's. The productivity gains used to spur hourly wage growth. But that stopped/

This is why we can no longer afford the little things like med insurance.

And as many posters have said, an armed citizenry is a dangerous thing. And I shutter to think about the consequences when the powder keg of solvable problems that were left to fester finally goes up. It could be spread like wild fire, and begin something that can't be stopped. Is that the plan?

This situation has existed for decades. It's obvious the politicians and business are not planning on effecting any change. This is it, the future. The banks are now working to put people into permanent debt.

originally posted by: DJW001
a reply to: toysforadults

The citizens of the United States need to accept that their unique history and resources gives them a responsibility towards all of humanity.

BS

2nd line

originally posted by: biggilo
Sorry if i am derailing the discussion but I really am surprised and admit i would be pissed off too in your position. That would be $16/hour before your medical insurance? in the richest country in the world? I am British, our minimum wage would be around $10/hour and we have universal health care, an entry level professional or tradesperson would earn at least double that again. Is it globalisation that has caused this?

$16/hour is considered by many to be a good wage in the US. Go check out the threads about trades, tradesmen average between $16-$20/hour and those are called good jobs. One of the issues with our medical system is that it's very costly. I don't think you realize just how costly, per capita we spend 4-5x what you do. There's a lot of reasons why for that, which I won't go into here.

It's not really globalization which has caused it either, it's just advancement. One of the issues in the US is that we have a federal minimum wage, and we also have state minimum wages. But, income inequality transcends both of those. Here in Ohio we have where I am, where 40 hours/week at minimum wage puts you above the median income, but then we have a city like Columbus where rent alone is $1000/month. So minimum wage just doesn't make sense, the federal rate is plenty where I live, but the (higher) state rate isn't enough in the capital. Even in the same county things can vary to a large extent, and the same is true within a city... working in a higher vs lower class neighborhood.

Half the population in the US lives in relatively rural areas. This is a real problem because the end result is that the value of a dollar isn't uniform throughout the country and that creates a huge underclass who can't afford big city hospital treatments, or even goods on Amazon which are priced closer to city goods than country.

a reply to: biggilo

Printing pressman used to be considered a trade now with automation and the complete destruction of the workforce companies don't have to pay anymore.

I am working on moving into IT but the situation looks equally as bleak. The help desk jobs pay squat, even a Cisco certs aren't' getting the same attention anymore.

originally posted by: toysforadults
I am working on moving into IT but the situation looks equally as bleak. The help desk jobs pay squat, even a Cisco certs aren't' getting the same attention anymore.

Help desk isn't going to pay anything, that's like being a cashier, or low level QA. Calling help desk IT is like calling a McDonalds cook a chef.

a reply to: Aazadan

Yup, but thats half thw IT jobs.

I should have a CCNA soon see if that changes anything.

originally posted by: toysforadults
a reply to: Aazadan

Yup, but thats half thw IT jobs.

I should have a CCNA soon see if that changes anything.

Granted, I'm not in IT but the best jobs I've seen in the field are in doing networking for corporations. Actively building/configuring stuff rather than getting stuck in the tech support trap.

originally posted by: toysforadults
a reply to: Vorian

This is why I am a Libertarian.

The government should have little to no power over it's citizens.

Yes the lower class are suffering however I think the middle class has felt the crunch the most. The lower classes are where they have always been however the people able to work their way up and now realizing they are almost back where they were before.

Its the corrupt rich that is the problem. When you unite and work together, they'll called you communist. Get back to work!

a reply to: Jusvistn

originally posted by: DJW001
a reply to: toysforadults

The citizens of the United States need to accept that their unique history and resources gives them a responsibility towards all of humanity.


BS

2nd line

Are you saying that the United States does not have a unique history and resources? Or that we do not need to use the power they give us responsibly? (Trump seems to think the latter.)

In the 1950's half of this country was unionized today it's less then 5%. In the 1950's everybody had a new house and a car. Everybody had a piece of the American dream in the 1950's. I know because my grandparents were part of that generation. Neither of my grandparents had higher then an 8th grade education and they retired in 1980's with full pensions and over half a million dollars each in the bank. The big corporations spent years systematically destroying organized labor through lobbying and other methods. When it became to expensive to hire Americans they shipped it over seas to exploit foreign slave labor. The ultra rich in this country get to live the American dream while our kids fight and die for their freedoms. Yet they feel entitled not to have to contribute anything back to the system from which they gained. In the 1950's the rich payed a 50% income tax. Now they hide their money offshore and lobby the government to cut income taxes.

Our country and our system is totally broken. Sure the system works for some people but not for the bottom half. I have friends and family that make $150k a year. I'm not referring to them I'm talking about the 1%. The real owner of this country.

a reply to: DJW001

I'm saying that the post reads as if you are saying that the "US is responsible for all of humanity" BECAUSE of our unique history.

IMO that is BS -

originally posted by: Jusvistn
a reply to: DJW001

I'm saying that the post reads as if you are saying that the "US is responsible for all of humanity" BECAUSE of our unique history.

IMO that is BS -

No, humanity is as humanity does, but a country as powerful as the United States needs to treat the world with compassion, not envy nor anger. The hatred so many people feel towards us is because we often act without compassion.

a reply to: wantsome

This is the America Trump's supporters think he is talking about when he says he wants to "make America great again." One where the federal government is building up the country's infrastructure in the name of national defense. One where most men have served their country in war, and whom the government is rewarding by paying for their higher education. One where wages were always increasing, only a single income was needed to raise a family, and science was a national priority.

That is not what Trump wants. Trump wants to go back to the "Gilded Age," when workers were locked in their death trap factories for twelve hours a day while the rich played golf and married impoverished British aristocrats.

I can honestly say with a true tongue that I believe the common people are in the right to revolt and overthrow every current world government.
If we keep letting the elites do the psychopathic stuff they do we might actually go extinct because of their extreme greed and inability to see the benefit in cooperation.
They are delusional psychos who run things.

I make 12.50 an hour, with a 55 hour work week that's 3100 a month. The govt takes roughly 20% or 625, rent takes another 1000, utilities 200, other bills 340 (phone/cigs/insurances) leaving 240/wk for food.

Not bad, but I have no heathcare... Cannot afford a newer vehicle, and to go out and do stuff. But it is better than a month ago when I made 10 with no overtime. I have 18 yrs experience in my field.