Politics Thread

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Originally Posted by GoMuskies

So long as I am better off, why do I give a fuck if someone else is getting better off at a faster rate? Envy is ugly.

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Way to think of your fellow man there. The best way to shore up the economy is to have it's largest economic segment earning, living, saving, and spending. Right now it's earning, living, and spending and not doing a whole lot of saving. When this generation hits 60+ and is unable to retire, things are going to get dicey. The job market for 60+ is a nightmare even if you are skilled. This is a massive problem that has come about because of income inequality the likes the first world hasn't seen outside of Russia. It is a system problem not a bootstrap problem.

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Originally Posted by ArizonaXUGrad

Way to think of your fellow man there.

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You obviously are misunderstanding what I've said if this is your response.

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Originally Posted by ArizonaXUGrad

Way to think of your fellow man there. The best way to shore up the economy is to have it's largest economic segment earning, living, saving, and spending. Right now it's earning, living, and spending and not doing a whole lot of saving. When this generation hits 60+ and is unable to retire, things are going to get dicey. The job market for 60+ is a nightmare even if you are skilled. This is a massive problem that has come about because of income inequality the likes the first world hasn't seen outside of Russia. It is a system problem not a bootstrap problem.

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Perhaps "what" people are spending on is why they can't save. Too many have an instant gratification issue that affects their saving habits.

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Originally Posted by bigdiggins

Perhaps "what" people are spending on is why they can't save. Too many have an instant gratification issue that affects their saving habits.

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Anything at all to back this up or are you just spit balling here?

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Originally Posted by Caf

Anything at all to back this up or are you just spit balling here?

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The story ArizonaXU posted about his circle being too good for a used car. People on public assistance that have nicer cell phones than people in my circle who have jobs and save for retirement.

I'll go further...out of college I made little...very little for the first few years. I found out you can live on little, save, and still have just a tiny bit of discretionary money...now of course there is a point where that's not possible but for the people arizona is talking about (middle class), it's very doable. Yeah you have to be wise about your spending, but that's not the economy's fault.

Now I make a pretty good living but I have a wife starting her own business and two young kids at home. So I still have to watch our spending considerably, and we probably spend more than we should on stupid stuff.

If you are 60+ and been in the workforce for 40 years and you cant retire, your lifestyle has been the problem.

Wow looked at this thread this morning and people were discussing incarceration reform a subject most people agree needs to be changed. After a brief timeout to work, came back to a subject that people on different sides of the isle normally disagree - the have and have nots... IMHO, don’t think we’ll change many minds. However, always fun reading.

And yes I know what I said was anecdotal. However my point is that I see it all the time...people outspend what they make due to keeping up with the Jones' and that's up and down the income line. If you are 60+ and cant retire what the hell have you been doing the past 40 years? Probably outspending your means, outside of a catastrophic event.

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Originally Posted by bigdiggins

The story ArizonaXU posted about his circle being too good for a used car. People on public assistance that have nicer cell phones than people in my circle who have jobs and save for retirement.

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Yeah, there are absolutely people who live in areas where a used car isn't recommended much less reasonable. Extreme heat, cold, ghetto, whatever the circumstance, it's not recommended to have a used vehicle where the reliability is questioned because of safety issues. If you can't see that, I won't convince you. Stay in your own bubble of life.

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Originally Posted by Caf

Anything at all to back this up or are you just spit balling here?

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Pure recitation of talking points that all one has to do to save for their future is not spend all their money. In a vacuum that works, but in the real world people have necessary bills that must be paid and sometimes those bills don't equal their pay and is sometimes more than their pay. You get to a point where you have to choose something you need but must now live without. There are times where healthcare costs drive families to massive amounts of debt. But hey, its all their choice right? More bootstraps all around, that should cover it.

I was fortunate, academic/music scholarships covered my tuition. I was able to work during college and get parental help to cover the room/board/books. I left with zero debt and have live pretty well. I, however, know a lot of people who weren't so fortunate.

The state of this economy is perilous because it's being propped up by a rise in consumer debt. You want a really good economy, it needs to be propped up by the middle class spending that isn't accompanied by the acquisition of debt.