Frence pension problem is real, and it's going to be a US issue soon.

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Nov 25, 2013
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Except people that depend upon such would always complain.

Who defines what homeless is? People these days are demanding that minimum wage be enough to affordably have a 2 bedroom apartment complex to yourself. As someone that had to do it during harsh times - I think living in a shared 4 bedroom apartment is entirely reasonable. God forbid you live with other people.

Who defines what hungry is? If we give someone a mulch sized bag of rice and a mulch sized bag of beans - any reasonable person could live off that for... literally months. It requires this crazy thing called "cooking" but it is still very well be true.


I'm not saying what the right caliber is, but that's what I'm asking you - what is "enough" for food? what is "enough" for housing? Would it be nuts to say that REGARDLESS of what you provide, you will forever continue to receive complaints? Regardless of how financially irresponsible it might be?

And here we have an example of someone who really, really, really hates straw.
 
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blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
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This has been going on for decades. I agree with this author who says its a problem of education. When I graduated high school in the 80's, I had no idea how to balance a checkbook, how compound interest works, or anything. The same is true today.

retirement-savings-of-families-by-age-stagnation.png


Saving money in general is a HABIT.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
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This has been going on for decades. I agree with this author who says its a problem of education. When I graduated high school in the 80's, I had no idea how to balance a checkbook, how compound interest works, or anything. The same is true today.

retirement-savings-of-families-by-age-stagnation.png


Saving money in general is a HABIT.

The author ignores the massive shift of income to the top that has occurred over the last 40 years of trickle down Reaganomics. The bottom 50% gets 1/3 less & the next 25% gets 1/5 less. The share of the top 1% has more than doubled, the bulk of that going to the top .1%.

Socialism? It's the only thing that can save a lot of people from being desperately poor in retirement.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,914
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The author ignores the massive shift of income to the top that has occurred over the last 40 years of trickle down Reaganomics. The bottom 50% gets 1/3 less & the next 25% gets 1/5 less. The share of the top 1% has more than doubled, the bulk of that going to the top .1%.

Socialism? It's the only thing that can save a lot of people from being desperately poor in retirement.
Name a country whose socialism has been successful.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
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Wait...youre claiming the USA is socialist?

I'm claiming that in our past, socialist programs were implemented, the general population appreciated it enough where we had to add term limits to the presidency. The subsequent decades were what people mean when they say "MAGA". You know, back when one income could sustain a household, white picket fences, etc .. the good ole days.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,914
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I'm claiming that in our past, socialist programs were implemented, the general population appreciated it enough where we had to add term limits to the presidency. The subsequent decades were what people mean when they say "MAGA". You know, back when one income could sustain a household, white picket fences, etc .. the good ole days.

So, yes? Shit ton of red herrings in your reply.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
37,734
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Never said I didnt like it. It just surprised me. I dont think the majority of people in this country would consider us socialist. Except for the far right wackos.

I prefer the way fskimo has explained in the past. We have a sliding scale with capitalism on one side and socialism on the other, were somewhere in the middle. The last 40 years it's been sliding towards raw capitalism. The effects on the general population are quite noticeable.

If you have never watched Noam Chomsky's Requiem for an American Dream, I strongly recommend it.
 

thilanliyan

Lifer
Jun 21, 2005
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Never said I didnt like it. It just surprised me. I dont think the majority of people in this country would consider us socialist. Except for the far right wackos.
I think you're confusing socialism with communism.

Socialism/socialist policies has and does work in many countries.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,914
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I think you're confusing socialism with communism.

Socialism/socialist policies has and does work in many countries.
No, actually Im not.

I agree there are many definations and varieties of socialism, some of which the US has adopted, and no country has adopted all of them. With that said, the theories of socialism are typically meant to combat what some think are the ills of capitalism, which is the USA's primary flavor of government. Very rarely does socialism embrace personal freedom.
 

Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
14,698
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Been to Sweden several times actually. Have you?
Yep, lived in Europe for many years, came to admire their standards of living, and returned to a materialistic America of petty politics, big box stores and instant gratification online shopping.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
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Sigh. This propaganda again? I suggest you read this.

Dorfman is a right wing mouthpiece. Check out his take on college-


You know, as if the military isn't a small % of the population. As if everybody can do that at the same time.
 
Mar 11, 2004
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No, actually Im not.

I agree there are many definations and varieties of socialism, some of which the US has adopted, and no country has adopted all of them. With that said, the theories of socialism are typically meant to combat what some think are the ills of capitalism, which is the USA's primary flavor of government. Very rarely does socialism embrace personal freedom.

It seems weird that you literally just went from "WHAT?!?!?! The US is Socialist????!?!?!?!?!?" to "Duh the US has adopted some Socialist stuff" like what the fuck even is that? I know what it is, but it doesn't make it any less ridiculous. Which, even more absurd if you also started in this thread by declaring that the problem is education and a lack of it because you didn't know interest rates (FYI, we were taught that shit in junior high at least, and again in high school and that was just in math classes, we had an econ/finance class available in high school). You think people are gonna get ahead with the shitass interest rates available now? I saw some place touting its "5X the national average rate" for a savings account. It was I think fucking 1.2%. I remember when 4% meant you got basically the bare minimum rate offered and meant you were a high school student with no financial history whatsoever (and that if you were even a fuckup you could get like 5%).

Granted, I think you inadvertently stumbled onto the problem. The US is using capitalism as its form of government. That was never supposed to be the case, capitalism is just supposed to be economic policy. Granted even that's a failure in the US because we're not making companies pay for their negative externalities (or rewarding them for their positive ones), then bailing out all the literally criminal fuckers who fuck up the economy while letting predatory markets (health care, telecoms, many modern financial institutions) exist unfettered and then creating protected ones that then spend decades fucking up then demanding more (see farmers).