I'm a regular at a somewhat conservative website and every day I visit I run into interesting comments. I asked the commenters for the OK to post them here and they graciously agreed.
Here are two of them and I'll let them stand in their own right.
"Poverty" is a state of mind. People in poverty live on very little money, but more than you would expect.
They pay more for items they should pay less for. They spend much more than they can afford on luxury items, like tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs.
They have children they can't afford. They spend their children's shoe and coat money on spinner rims.
They live paycheck to paycheck...almost. They tend to always be in debt, but can't figure out why.
They feel it is NOT their fault, that society and "The Rich" somehow owe them something.
They have pride, but really have no reason to have pride.
I know people in poverty. I've been poor, but I've never been in poverty.
(Piccolo's note. I spent a decade living in Alaska in a string of campers, tents and finally for the last year or so, a 24'7" sailboat. I lived on a barter economy for the most part, caught or shot much of my own food. I wasn't looked down on, either but by dealing with people fairly and pulling my own weight I was a fairly respected part of the community. While chronically unemployed by choice, I was never in poverty, either.)
Here's another comment:
Having skills is not enough today. There are plenty of college educated folks who are unemployed. I'm not talking just about liberal arts major but those skilled in engineering, carpentry, plumbing, small engine repair, lawyers, dental technicians, etc. Where jobs may be outsourced, they will be. Where they can't be outsourced, there is no consumer demand.
The problem is that we've moved from a production economy to a consumer economy and the consumer is broke (and yay free trade!). Those who are still employed are finding themselves increasingly taxed so as to support those on extended unemployment, FSA, those in public housing, etc. Like Piccolo said in his blog, it is unsustainable.
We are in a paradigm change. How we think, do things and expend our resources is all changing. The collapse has been here but has been hidden by EBTs (so no soup lines), propaganda (the recovery is fine) and distraction (Christy Kreme and his bridge closure, sports, Syria, so call Chinese militarization, etc.). The "suck" is upon us. Have your 3 Bs in order.
(Piccolo's note here. I disagree with a part of this. Many of the skilled people mentioned, engineers, plumbers, etc can almost always find jobs in this country. They may have to move or work away from home but they can't really be outsourced as the work they do is in the States. You can't outsource domestic construction or repairs.)
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The American Military's Most-Trusted News Source is none other than 'The Duffel Blog'. The DB has been called "the Onion of the military" and sports one hell of a readership.
Almost all of my readers know that the DB touts itself as The American Military's Most Trusted News Source. Many are aware that they claim Gen. James 'Mad Dog' Mattis, USMC (Ret) as a regular reader.
Anyway, the other day on another post I attributed my source as "The American Military's Most Trusted News Source" and someone got upset about it.
If you have any questions about anything I post here, feel free to ask in the comments section. I have nothing to hide but will not embarrass people by using the names or addresses of private citizens.
Incidentally I consider the DB to be about as accurate as the mainstream media. As a veteran, many of their stories are entirely believeable. Yes, sometimes the military IS that screwed up.
I once posted this direct link to a DB post on my Facebook page. http://www.duffelblog.com/2012/12/115th-mobile-abortion-detachment-provides-crucial-support-at-kandahar/. http://www.duffelblog.com/2012/12/115th-mobile-abortion-detachment-provides-crucial-support-at-kandahar/
Hilarity ensued. Several people read it commented that it was tasteless which in fact, it is. The best part is that a couple of them immediately forwarded the link in protesting letters to their congress critters.
When they found out they'd been had there were penalty markers out. My reply was that they should take it as a lesson in learning not to believe everything they read.
To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY
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