Anybody optimistic about the next 10 years?

9andaWiggle

9andaWiggle

Addicted Member
Speaking of our government. This next year will be more of the same as Obama wraps up his term, but what about the next administration. Does anyone see a glimmer of hope? All I see, no matter who wins, is at least 4 more years of obstructionism, divisive political smear campaigns, ballooning debt, more lost jobs/wages as companies flock outside our borders for cheaper materials/labor, and increased taxes on those (unwealthy) who are fortunate enough to still have a job.

Are we doomed, or are my pessimist eyes not allowing me to see light at the end of the tunnel?
 
Greg T.

Greg T.

The Jizz Slinger
Simple. The democrats are now democrats in name only, and are actually socialists. So, if the dems keep control of the white house we can look to become more and more like Greece, and moving closer to Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Everyone will suffer and we will be the most vulnerable we've even been.
 
W

WAMO

Spanking His Monkey
NO HOPE DUDE. IF THE DEM'S COME OUT ON TOP, PROBABLY NO CHANGE BECAUSE THEY THINK EVERYTHING IS OK. IF THE REPUB'S GET IT, THEY WILL SAY IT WILL TAKE THEM 6 YEARS TO FIX THE LAST 8 YEAR'S MISTAKES. ITS JUST A POLITICAL CIRCLE JERK. AND EVERYONE IN THE POLITICAL CIRCLES ARE JERKS.
 
AlwaysWrite

AlwaysWrite

Addicted Member
Greg T. said:
Simple. The democrats are now democrats in name only, and are actually socialists. So, if the dems keep control of the white house we can look to become more and more like Greece, and moving closer to Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Everyone will suffer and we will be the most vulnerable we've even been.
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Dear Greg T:

You say that again ... and again ... and again.
 
AlwaysWrite

AlwaysWrite

Addicted Member
WAMO said:
NO HOPE DUDE. IF THE DEM'S COME OUT ON TOP, PROBABLY NO CHANGE BECAUSE THEY THINK EVERYTHING IS OK. IF THE REPUB'S GET IT, THEY WILL SAY IT WILL TAKE THEM 6 YEARS TO FIX THE LAST 8 YEAR'S MISTAKES. ITS JUST A POLITICAL CIRCLE JERK. AND EVERYONE IN THE POLITICAL CIRCLES ARE JERKS.
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... but at least, there would be a glimmer of hope (but not much) if the Republicans controlled the White House and both houses of Congress. On the other hand, if the Dems retain control of the White House, there is NO hope.
 
Good Times Good Times

Good Times Good Times

Active Member
Hope is alive folks. I know, I know............every single one of you are worse off.

But as for myself and mine, we are doing well. I was married in 2009 and in 6+ years of marriage I have worked hard and increased my salary quite substantially. My wife also has seen a steady incline in her income and together we have made a ton of progress. I've been fortunate enough to travel and see some wonderful things and blessed enough to have a happy home. I've also seen my employer grow and been a pivotal part of making a small business turn the corner and dive head first into prosperity (most all of which I don't get to see :mad:).....I know guys....."he took the risk".

I will take credit for working hard (GTGT is not a lazy ass) but I have to say my most prosperous portion of my life has been under the Obama administration.....BUT, it's not "because" of that. I'm just reporting that I have succeeded under that umbrella.

So, while I realize many folks struggle, I have to count my blessings and report that the dream is alive.

I think a lot of people lose sight of the fact we were born in the best part of the world that one could be, during a time where technological innovation and modern medicine are available, where we live longer and get fatter on great food.

After all, we could have been born in Syria or something.
 
9andaWiggle

9andaWiggle

Addicted Member
Good Times Good Times said:
Hope is alive folks. I know, I know............every single one of you are worse off.

But as for myself and mine, we are doing well. I was married in 2009 and in 6+ years of marriage I have worked hard and increased my salary quite substantially. My wife also has seen a steady incline in her income and together we have made a ton of progress. I've been fortunate enough to travel and see some wonderful things and blessed enough to have a happy home. I've also seen my employer grow and been a pivotal part of making a small business turn the corner and dive head first into prosperity (most all of which I don't get to see :mad:).....I know guys....."he took the risk".

I will take credit for working hard (GTGT is not a lazy ass) but I have to say my most prosperous portion of my life has been under the Obama administration.....BUT, it's not "because" of that. I'm just reporting that I have succeeded under that umbrella.

So, while I realize many folks struggle, I have to count my blessings and report that the dream is alive.

I think a lot of people lose sight of the fact we were born in the best part of the world that one could be, during a time where technological innovation and modern medicine are available, where we live longer and get fatter on great food.

After all, we could have been born in Syria or something.
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Well, somebody has to be an eternal optimist to offset all of my pessimism... :Thumbsup:
 
Good Times Good Times

Good Times Good Times

Active Member
9andaWiggle said:
Well, somebody has to be an eternal optimist to offset all of my pessimism... :Thumbsup:
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It's not even that it's optimism, it's just that it's the reality that I've done well. It doesn't have much to do w/TPTB.

Like Rags noted above, what am I going to do just bitch and complain and worry about national politics and the debt and things that are out of my immediate control constantly?
 
W

WAMO

Spanking His Monkey
GLAD TO HEAR THINGS ARE GOOD GTGT. THERE ARE ALWAYS PEOPLE THAT DO WELL EVEN WHEN THINGS ARENT THAT GOOD.
 
Greg T.

Greg T.

The Jizz Slinger
Good Times Good Times said:
Hope is alive folks. I know, I know............every single one of you are worse off.

But as for myself and mine, we are doing well. I was married in 2009 and in 6+ years of marriage I have worked hard and increased my salary quite substantially. My wife also has seen a steady incline in her income and together we have made a ton of progress. I've been fortunate enough to travel and see some wonderful things and blessed enough to have a happy home. I've also seen my employer grow and been a pivotal part of making a small business turn the corner and dive head first into prosperity (most all of which I don't get to see :mad:).....I know guys....."he took the risk".

I will take credit for working hard (GTGT is not a lazy ass) but I have to say my most prosperous portion of my life has been under the Obama administration.....BUT, it's not "because" of that. I'm just reporting that I have succeeded under that umbrella.

So, while I realize many folks struggle, I have to count my blessings and report that the dream is alive.

I think a lot of people lose sight of the fact we were born in the best part of the world that one could be, during a time where technological innovation and modern medicine are available, where we live longer and get fatter on great food.

After all, we could have been born in Syria or something.
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Kudos to you, GTGT. I always love hearing a success story that includes work and improvement. But have no fear. Bernie will see to it that he gets at least half.
 
Good Times Good Times

Good Times Good Times

Active Member
Greg T. said:
Kudos to you, GTGT. I always love hearing a success story that includes work and improvement. But have no fear. Bernie will see to it that he gets at least half.
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I'm just here to shine some light! :p

I worry about ~9 :)Cautious::Cautious::(:(:Oo::p:Cool::D)

In all reality though, you do have to work hard and you do have to educate yourself in an accredited college with a plan OR learn a trade in a field that is in demand or military service obv. My point is while a lot of things suck, they do, it is important to not lose the forest for the trees. We all have our real lives that I'm sure we enjoy but politics can be such a muddy mess. It is important to be engaged but we must reel ourselves in as individuals at times. We're all guilty of that to a point.. I have a difficult time dealing with people that have their mind made up and are unwilling (often I believe unABLE) to revise an opinion based on fact.

I do have very little remorse for the lazy, violent or simply worthless of society, I have a ton of empathy for those who are down but trying to make it (maybe they struggle with a skill set for whatever reason), the middle class is the American dream, the upper middle class is what I work hard to try and achieve, the millionaires and multi-millionaires......good for them, and the billionaire class/top 1% of 1%.........THEY NEED TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE! To say the economy isn't rigged in their favor is foolish and It's outrageous that we give tax breaks to billionaires, yet we continue to have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country. It's unacceptable that in our rigged economic system, almost all of the new income and wealth are going to the top one percent.

Aight, I'm off the soapbox. You people should be paying for this advice. :Roflmao: :Roflmao: :Roflmao:

PM for a paid session. :D
 
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Greg T.

Greg T.

The Jizz Slinger
Good Times Good Times said:
I'm just here to shine some light! :p

I worry about ~9 :)Cautious::Cautious::(:(:Oo::p:Cool::D)

In all reality though, you do have to work hard and you do have to educate yourself in an accredited college with a plan OR learn a trade in a field that is in demand or military service obv. My point is while a lot of things suck, they do, it is important to not lose the forest for the trees. We all have our real lives that I'm sure we enjoy but politics can be such a muddy mess. It is important to be engaged but we must reel ourselves in as individuals at times. We're all guilty of that to a point.. I have a difficult time dealing with people that have their mind made up and are unwilling (often I believe unABLE) to revise an opinion based on fact.

I do have very little remorse for the lazy, violent or simply worthless of society, I have a ton of empathy for those who are down but trying to make it (maybe they struggle with a skill set for whatever reason), the middle class is the American dream, the upper middle class is what I work hard to try and achieve, the millionaires and multi-millionaires......good for them, and the billionaire class/top 1% of 1%.........THEY NEED TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE! To say the economy isn't rigged in their favor is foolish and It's outrageous that we give tax breaks to billionaires, yet we continue to have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country. It's unacceptable that in our rigged economic system, almost all of the new income and wealth are going to the top one percent.

Aight, I'm off the soapbox. You people should be paying for this advice. :Roflmao: :Roflmao: :Roflmao:

PM for a paid session. :D
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I agree with most of this, as I have been touting hard work and improvement as a remedy for poverty for many years. But, here's the thing. Yes, we have poverty stricken children, underfed, under clothed, homeless children, etc. I find it heartbreaking. But at what point do we begin to blame the parents and hold them accountable for their actions? I don't believe it's up to the 1% to remedy this situation. I don't believe it's fair to tax the 1% at a rate that will take 90% of their income. I believe our tax structure is to blame for most of our current economic problems, but another problem has grown from this. It's the entitlement community, the career welfare families and the professional system players. THEY are creating the homeless, underfed children in our country.
Welfare was never meant to be a career choice and never meant to be sufficient income with which to raise a family. We cannot penalize the 1%, or the top 10% because the entitlement community is too fucking lazy to work. The one way out of this is precisely the opposite of what Bernie is proposing. We need to cut welfare and make it IMPOSSIBLE to maintain a household on assistance alone. We need to make it bad enough to force these people to work. We need to check them to make sure the kids are cared for, and if not, place them in foster care where they'll be fed and clothed. On the same token, we need to stop penalizing people for trying. Let them work AND draw assistance if the employment is insufficient, instead of cutting the assistance. We've learned thru the years that cutting assistance from working people only tends to make them quit working. We need to make assistance, ASSISTANCE, and not income or a way of life.
 
Good Times Good Times

Good Times Good Times

Active Member
Greg T. said:
I agree with most of this, as I have been touting hard work and improvement as a remedy for poverty for many years. But, here's the thing. Yes, we have poverty stricken children, underfed, under clothed, homeless children, etc. I find it heartbreaking. But at what point do we begin to blame the parents and hold them accountable for their actions? I don't believe it's up to the 1% to remedy this situation. I don't believe it's fair to tax the 1% at a rate that will take 90% of their income. I believe our tax structure is to blame for most of our current economic problems, but another problem has grown from this. It's the entitlement community, the career welfare families and the professional system players. THEY are creating the homeless, underfed children in our country.
Welfare was never meant to be a career choice and never meant to be sufficient income with which to raise a family. We cannot penalize the 1%, or the top 10% because the entitlement community is too fucking lazy to work. The one way out of this is precisely the opposite of what Bernie is proposing. We need to cut welfare and make it IMPOSSIBLE to maintain a household on assistance alone. We need to make it bad enough to force these people to work. We need to check them to make sure the kids are cared for, and if not, place them in foster care where they'll be fed and clothed. On the same token, we need to stop penalizing people for trying. Let them work AND draw assistance if the employment is insufficient, instead of cutting the assistance. We've learned thru the years that cutting assistance from working people only tends to make them quit working. We need to make assistance, ASSISTANCE, and not income or a way of life.
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He's a good impartial read (slightly dated but relevant): http://www.cbpp.org/research/contra...of-entitlement-benefits-go-to?fa=view&id=3677

If we're going to cut here to the elderly and disabled as well as the non-working poor (which, big-picture, statistically is a smaller number that most of us realize) let's cut some defense spending as well. Plenty of room there to make an even bigger fiscally conservative cut.

So, I think that there are plenty of places to look, that can be even MORE effective to trim up on some spending.

But I do understand what your target dislike is. I do and I don't think you're being unfair with your sentiment towards those who will not help themselves.
 
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