Unintentionally hilarious NYT article.
Mr. Alandt, 53, an out-of-work stagehand and one of hundreds participating in Phoenix’s version of Occupy Wall Street, is furious that people are dying in foreign wars. He is angry that medical marijuana was still considered illegal despite Arizona voters’ approval of it. He is livid about his lot in life.
“Bro, I have been lied to so many times that I don’t know who to believe,” Mr. Alandt said. “All the world’s problems run downhill, and I’m at the bottom.”
What is this world coming to when a stagehand can’t find a $75k a year job? This is bullshit. The poor man can’t even get high….
“Peace activists, indigenous rights activists, immigrant activists — they’re all here,” said Liz Hourican, 40, who belongs to the antiwar group Code Pink and was scrawling a message in pink chalk on a sidewalk in downtown Phoenix, calling on American troops to come home. “It may sound different to you, but it’s all the same. We’re all stepping up and saying something’s wrong.”
Also, rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.
Kay Merryweather, 34, an artist on the Lower East Side, volunteers at Trinity Church, giving out food. She said that during the financial crisis, when banks were receiving bailouts and financial executives were receiving multimillion-dollar bonuses, the church often ran out before the long lines of working poor were fed. “The bankers were getting all of these millions,” Ms. Merryweather said. “And we didn’t have enough food.”
This entire thing makes me reconsider whether an artist is a good occupational choice. Glad I became a soldier, lobbyist and writer instead of going into penis puppetry. There but for the grace of God go I…
But not far away, Benny Zable, 66, a longtime activist, was protesting while wearing a gas mask and a suit that read “Work Consume Be Silent Die.” He said his outrage came from the heedlessness of economic growth. “It’s the greed factor,” Mr. Zable said.
I don’t think “Activist” as as lucrative as you’ve been led to believe by your guidance counselor.
In Boston, a hub of colleges and universities, a higher education theme emerged among protesters. “What did I spend the last four years doing?” asked Becky De Freitas, a recent graduate of Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. “Fluent in Mandarin and French and no one wants to go for that? And it’s like, now what?”
Dude, I don’t know why you haven’t thought of this, but maybe you should go back and get a graduate degree in Sanksrit.
Jean Marie Simpson, an actor and peace activist, objected when her fellow demonstrators at Occupy Tucson surrounded a man who had assailed the movement, shouting at him and thrusting signs in his face. “I left disappointed and disillusioned,” she said of her fellow occupiers.
But you are an actor, can’t you at least fake it for the Childrens sake?
Category: Politics
That doesn’t solve the problem for a myriad of reasons. First, population growth, regardless of how it happens, adds to output. Secondly, it would cost money to find them and deport them. Third, they work for lower then market wages. If anything, (and I know it’s counterintuitive) illegal immigrants decrease unemployment.
It’s a nice start, plus by that time Obumbles is gone and replaced by an administration that understands that expansion of the economy is best achieved when there’s LESS government intrusion, not more.
“Third, they work for lower then market wages”. Yes, illegals do. If they were gone, those who pay “lower than market wages” would have to raise the rate they pay people, unless they wanted to see their crops rot in the fields, see their drywall sit out in the rain, see their concrete go unpoured, and their contracts unfilled. So, either deportation or laws like Arizona’s and Alabama’s are win-win situations. And, laws like Alabama’s and Arizona’s cost very little, the illegals deport themselves.
As for “22 year old girls“, why would anyone hire a girl, when there are women and men out there who can do the job? And, “collectively”? It’s not a collective, each person is responsible for themselves. IF she can’t get a job, it’s on her. Or, should one be created for her because she feels bad? For your edification, if she posts things on her blog, she should know that once she hits the enter key, it’s out there forever. And, employers do look, if they have a choice between one applicant who talks like a 14yr old on her blog, and one who doesn’t have a blog, or talks like an adult, who do you think 99% of employers are going to hire?
The jobs are (or would be) quite plentiful if congress would stop screwing around and pass sound fiscal policy. I’m thinking bi-metalism
Let me be clear–I don’t endorse anything illegal, including individuals coming to this country and working illegally. What I’m saying is that illegal immigration isn’t the root of the problem, and deporting illegal immigrants won’t solve it. Alabama’s illegal immigrants account for around 0.5% of its population, and its unemployment is still hovering 1% above the national average. On the other hand, 4.5% of the population in Texas are illegal immigrants and it has an unemployment rate hovering around 8-8.5%. Yes, CA, NV, FL, and AZ have high unemployment rates, but that’s strictly a result of collapse of the housing bubble. Granted, statistics can be deceiving, but there really isn’t a correlation between illegal immigrant population and unemployment. The point I’m trying to make is that regardless of legal status, additions to an economy’s population increases output and aggregate employment, especially if they’re working for lower than market wages.
As far as the unemployed female is concerned, I’m sure she could have made choices that would have made her relatively more employable–I won’t argue with you on that. But the reoccurring theme in this thread is that the protesters chose majors that made them unemployable. What if everyone chose to pursue a career in healthcare (like Old Trooper encouraged his daughters to do)? There would be a glut of labor in the healthcare profession and hence, a ton of unemployed people with healthcare related majors.
The fact of the matter is that the type of unemployment we’re seeing is historically unnatural. It’s the direct result of 30 years of an excess global supply of labor and capital relative to global demand.
People are upset because, as a whole, they can’t find jobs and they see increasing wealth inequality. They see the government facilitating it (or doing little to rectify it) and “Wall Street” and the “1%” as the sole benefactors, and I think they’re probably right.
Doc – Look at the numerous runs on banks when we were on the gold standard. Given the way our economy works, our government has to have the power to be the (prudent) borrower and lender of last resort.
Anon2, give it up, dude, your point has been rendered invalid by Doc
#56 Fiat money is backed up only by faith in said government. Faith that Barry-O Pelosi and Reid took a massive dump on. The “run on the banks” were because of the cyclic nature of the economy. I agree that Gold standard is too rigid, which is why I suggest bi-metalism. The most important thing that that does is that it absolutely minimizes government involvement in the Free Market, and it prevents massive debt spending because you can’t simply print more money. It’s a check/Balance, that is actually well reasoned.
I am assuming you are referring to the Crash of the 1890’s and the recession of 1919-1921. The first is because of structural deficiencies in the economic system (yes the one time I might agree business got too big). The second one, has absolutely everything to do with Woodrow Wilson being a narcissistic, micromanaging prick.
Oh and “Black Tuesday” you know why that happened? Because we became the world’s lender and everybody couldn’t pay up. Part of that had to to with the treaty of Versailles, but a LOT more had to do with the fact that we leveraged huge levels of investments based on DEBT. Sound familiar?
Carter’s Energy crisis, had everything to do with Problems introduced by Johnson, And Carter being a royal IDIOT.
This latest crash? Clinton. See: community reinvestment Act. See also: Janet Reno threatening (and actually) taking banks to court for not giving out bad loans, most especially for “ethnic” loans. Then blame Democrats in both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Fed and all sorts of people creating a whole economy based on these loans. People would buy and trade these things on the margin. There was no actual money thrown into the pot, just notional money, like a sick game of musical chairs.
All of this was because of Democrats thinking of the government not as a servant to the people (despite all assurances to the contrary) but the people (and businesses) Are servants of the Government. And of course the Government knows what is Right and Proper, and Just (the capitalization is not a type)
Bi-metalism would take away a LOT of the ability that Fiat money gives elected officials to try to “control” things.
That old saw about “Illegals just doing the jobs that white guys won’t do” is so flawed as to be laughable. First, Legal immigrants WILL do those jobs. Secondly, if welfare wasn’t such a lucrative way of life and lessened or shortened, those jobs would be filled. It didn’t take Illegals to do those jobs during and right after the depression.
After WW-II, with so many combat fatalities, our job market was overwhelmed with jobs and not enough personnel to fill them. We solved that with something called “The Bracero Act”. Immigrants came here, harvested the crops, and went back home, or moved on to the next harvest, and the next and so on. When welfare became a way of life for people those jobs lost their shine.
Doc quit using logic, reason, and facts to back up your arguments…damn rich people keeping all their money.
shit I want to keep my money too!
All I want to see is Doc counter-protesting with a sign reading “I WANT A HIGHER RATE OF RETURN ON MY INVESTMENTS, AND I WANT IT NOW!”
Doc- Stop blaming Clinton for the current crisis as if he’s the only guilty party. Did he have something to do with it? Yes. Did the Republicans who proposed and ultimately voted to repeal Glass-Steagal have something to do with it? Yes. Neither Republicans or Democrats are guilt free. But the easy credit of the 90s was due to (as I said before) a glut of global labor and capital. It’s plain and simple. Forget the “liberal” vs. “conservative” battle for a second and look at the underlying causes–it’s not so black and white when you analyze it.
more like: get a job you fucking slob.
wait wait I feel a poem coming on.
hey you smelly Hippie,
you say you got too much debt,
and its all unfair, you fret
that you cant get high and trippy
save the Earth, stop jets from spraying,
Free Weed, no death penalty, and girl power,
end war, hug a terrorist. Thank God for Jack Baur
Because you’d end us with your useless flailing.
I work so hard, Why can’t I keep what I’ve got?
why do you hate responsibility, and free will?
chanting its only the Bankers you want to kill,
do you realize that you’re a cancerous rot?
I know Hygiene is not your thing,
nor is actually knowing whats going on,
believe me this is not some New Dawn,
at least in the 60’s hippies knew how to sing!
You claim to be noble and pure,
you want to steal what you have no claim,
and say THEY are responsible for this frame,
Hippies are a poison and I have the cure.
surround them now. Draw a line they can not cross,
resist them where you find them with truth,
when they’re emaciated maybe tempt with a Baby Ruth,
To submit will only lead to more loss.
the underlying causes are because of DEBT. While there is some blame to go to Republicans for not drilling the shit out of the gulf coast, and in the meantime coming up with some alternative that we can control and mass produce (screw that green crap) and they bare SOME blame for not immediately inditing the SHIT out of Clinton era hacks that committed felonies. Financially speaking they SHOULD have shut down Freddie and Fannie, SHOULD have gone back and looked VERY hard at what Clinton actually did not what the media said he did. They SHOULD have made a law that the Federal Gov can NOT treat SS as “income” (which is actually how Clinton had that much vaunted “surplus” he was actually running a HUGE deficit). Last but not least they SHOULD have started to ween the country as much as possible OFF welfare. They could have and probably should have done these things.
As it stands the only thing that will really save us is to chuck out the tax code, and completely rewrite it (with all this “fairness” crap cut out. If God doesn’t ask for more that 10% what right has “Cesar” to ask for three times that?) as for Banking laws, completely scrap all of those as well, and rewrite ALL of it to make it clear and most importantly UNDERSTANDABLE to the common man. LASTLY, there MUST be tort reform. Lawyers add absolutly NOTHING to our society, and their wages are a burden all citizens must pay. Oh not directly, but 2/3rd of a doctor’s salary goes to Malpractice insurance (thus uping the price of medical services) or if every store in America has to have insurance against people being idiots, or people doing things they KNOW will bring harm to themselves then suing the shit out of the people providing much needed services. Sorry but this OWS bullshit will only hurt us in the long run.
Doc – Do me a favor and next April, send a picture of your tax return for 2011 to TAH. I’d be willing to bet you don’t pay any taxes, just like the hippies.
Lol look at Doc waxing poetic! This is why I love Medics, they not only know how to heal the body, but can help with the soul and sense of humor…. That is, if only us Gingers had both souls and feelings……….
#67 how do you figure?
#68 we can also dye hair. MAYBE it might cure that gingervitus. Maybe not ha ha ha
Doc – Do yourself a favor and look at the other side. You don’t have to agree with it, but it might make you think twice when it comes to choosing a party. Have a good night, bro.
Really Anon: property tax, sales tax, liquor tax, gas tax, communication tax…
Cure it? Doc, I have damned near embraced it!!!! I straight love being a Ginger, oh and BTW, henceforth, Saint Patrick’s Day shall now be known as Ginger Pride Day!
#73 OH haw DARE YOU [sarc]! I’ll have you know that the Baileys are a proud Irish not and not a Ginger among them. As were the O’Briens. And If I might be showing slightly Germanic features its only because of that wonderful concoction, BEER, which got my German and Irish Fore-fathers and mothers together.
. . . although that MIGHT explain why I always want to take over the world when I drink beer, and sing when I drink Whiskey. . . hmmmmm
*proud Irish Lot
Anon2 @ 67–and will you do the same? Something tells me that you won’t.
But I’ll give you a few ideas of what I’m looking at and have for the last few years:
Federal Taxes: $20-22,000 (as filed) have had $24K taken out so far this year, and the only reason I got anything back was because I have to file Single/Zero and get back my mortgage interest deduction at the end of the year–oh yeah, and Obama and the Democrats are considering making that go bye-bye as well.
SS/Medicare: $8300.
State property taxes: $5500.
Vehicle taxes: $400.
Fortunately I live in a state with no state income tax. So please, anon–tell me how fair it is that a middle-class guy such as myself should be expected to subsidize the poor life choices of others so they can make MORE poor life choices?
Lol Doc, I am in the same boat, with Scotch blood thrown in, and let me just say, stay away from the Rye Whiskey, thats just plumb unhealthy for ya!
A shot of Jameson mixed with a shot of Baileys dropped in a pint of Guinness. That’ll cure what ails you Lucky.
I have looked at the other side Anon. I find many a numbed out mind that will blindly follow an intellectual. Never mind that the things they propose are horrifying.
Anon, here’s a little something for you to peruse at your leisure:
http://www.daveramsey.com/article/dear-occupy-wall-street/lifeandmoney_economy/
Meb Likie Irish Car Bombs! lol
*Me Likie lol I can’t type without coffee
NHSparky – It was a well written piece, and the writer’s points were valid. I agree that their anger is misdirected–they should be focusing on the fact that the U.S. government isn’t enacting a long-term jobs plan (Obama’s plan sucks–it’s not big enough and doesn’t focus in the right areas). But the protesters, just like a majority of Americans, see the “bailouts” as the government catering to banks and investment firms, when in fact the government was doing the responsible thing–providing liquidity in a frozen credit market. They weren’t bailing out insolvent firms (look at Bear Stearns and Lehman), and some of the banks didn’t even need money (JP Morgan and Wells Fargo). But people don’t realize this, and think Wall Street is benefiting while they’re hurting, so that’s their target.
My point is that I sympathize with the protesters. I’d be mad too if I didn’t have a job.
Anon2: We’ve had huge job plans. This is another stimulus plan, and I for one would like to ask where exactly the money is coming from for this “Jobs bill”? IF we cut ALL foreign aid, and cut about 75% of unnecessary programs, we MIGHT be able to pay for it, but it would really hurt if we did. The name of the game is to slowly but markedly reduce federal programs, and tell the states and municipalities strait up: you caused your problem, you fix it.
Keep in mind that if federal programs went to zero tomorrow, and taxes remained the same, we could have paid off the debt in two years (during the Bush years) Now, it would take about 4 1/2. Just to put things in perspective.
Anon2, the government does have a long term jobs plan, for government workers. Other than that, why should the feds be involved in any kind of jobs plan? Just curious as to your thinking on that.
I don’t believe that the government can do anything constructive as far as jobs go, nor should they be involved. The public sector jobs funded by the feds, usually through grants, last a finite amount of time, usually two or three years, then the local unit of government has to fund teachers, cops or firefighters. In a lot of cases, the workers are laid off because the local budget got bloated by the grant, and they can’t sustain payments to the new employees.
And, looking at the Dept of Education, I don’t want fed bureaucrats anywhere near education, I’d like to get them totally out of it.
As to the idea of the government actually running anything, go back and look at the House bank and the Senate’s restaurants for two prime examples of government fail in trying to run anything.
The U.S. government is in a unique position to help foster job growth. It has the ability to borrow long (for example, selling 30 year Treasury bonds) and invest short (over the next 5-10 years). I know that we have a historically huge debt to GDP ratio, but interest rates are low enough that our return on investment will not only pay for the incurred debt, but be beneficial in the long run. For example, we spend $1 trillion on repairing and improving our infrastructure and becoming more energy independent. This will (in order) create jobs, increase consumer demand, bolster the economy, entice corporations to increase hiring, and increase efficiency in our supply distribution channels (through better infrastructure). All of has a compounding effect and adds up to increased investment in the U.S.
I’ll never take the position that government is as efficient as the private sector, but I do know for an absolute fact that our government can borrow at lower interest rates than any corporation, and has the ability to invest in our economy and produce a positive return on its investment.
Obama has the right idea, but it’s not big enough and won’t hit the right sectors. And Republicans are out of their fucking minds if they think spending cuts will help our economy. If you think that austerity measures work, just look at Greece.
And Doc, reducing foreign aid won’t put even the mildest dent in our debt situation. But then again, you’re entitled to your own opinion, just like the French citizens that opposed giving the U.S. foreign aid during the American Revolution. Perhaps you should move there to live with your brethren. Just a thought.
Ok, I’m way late to the party. Doc…..I was air force and went to the army. I talk crap to my self. Lol. Anon, You give job numbers as if they are static. If everyone had a job, more would spend more money. Therefore more product/service would be needed. The rich make more money and create more jobs to manufacture more goods or to give more service. Now, when government taxes the rich industrialist/service company owners, they have less money to pay for employees. Therefore less jobs. Add on that high taxes on entrepreneurs coupled with the high demand and need for workers to put out more product drives companies overseas where wages are cheaper, insurance isn’t mandatory(obamacare) and most employees are generally thankful to just have a job. It’s clear cut to me that government needs to cut taxes, deregulate and encourage more manufacturing here would create ample jobs for Americans. Redistribution and tax hikes on the rich would finally be America’s death knell. DOC…..where do you live? My facility is hiring right now. I’m in south Texas.
Anon2
I’m looking at Greece, their austerity measures aren’t working because they are not cutting enough, not because they’re not spending enough….they need them because they’ve OVERSPENT!
Jester – I don’t agree that cutting taxes and deregulation will create the jobs you think they will create. The problem has deeper roots than that. Our taxes are historically low, and low compared with other developed nations.
OT – That’s 100% incorrect. The austerity measures were the death blow to their economy.
Again anon, incorrect. Their inability to pay their debts and unwillingness of their bloated bureaucracy to cut back even marginally is what doomed them. The fact the Germans saw straightaway that the Greeks were going to be pulling the same shit as before and refused to finance it is what doomed them. The fact that Spain, Italy, and Portugal aren’t far behind is what’s going to pretty much doom the whole EU experiment.
Read Boomerang by Michael Lewis. He gives a good overview of the EU economic state, its causes, and how the different cultures drove the spending.
The so-called death blow to the Greek economy was the idea that people should be paid to breathe, and that government should pay them, cradle to grave. It is and always has been and always will be unsustainable. The rioters aren’t in the streets because they want to make sure the system works, they’re in the streets to make sure they always get theirs, screw anyone else who’s in the way.
Much like the zero holding the sign, college grad, will work for $75K.
But, you give it up, anon, with the “Obama has the right idea, but it’s not big enough” mantra. Stimulus One didn’t work, this won’t work either. Wishing for it won’t make it so.
Anon, we’re giving aid to Europe and China. Billions of dollars. WHY? WE’RE BORROWING FROM THEM. We’re giving aid to countries that aren’t even close to friendly. Why? the current foreign aid package is somewhere on the order of over a hundred billion. Sadly that is a drop in the bucket, thanks to Obama. But if we cut that tomorrow, we could be far better off fiscally speaking. It might also have the added benefit of not supporting dictators and thieves. one reason that Africa is so bad is BECAUSE of the Aid thats been sent there not despite it.
Your point about France is actually pretty childish. But if you want to go there then fine why not. The only reason we got aid from the French at all is because we pitched it in such a way that France would royally screw the British if they helped us. Keep in mind we had to, ya know, actually WIN a battle to get their aid. Also keep in mind that France was already in a war with Britain over territories (oh not the ones in Europe, but in the new world) so the french would go and fight in those territories when it was seasonal and come and help us during the proper season for that. That’s the exact same reason we supported the Mujahadeen against the Soviets and why they supported the DPRV and DPRK against us.
Now back to economics. The absolute BEST thing Obama could do is kill every new bill, every new law, and focus on reducing the debt. THAT would solve a vast majority of our problems.
You guys are right. Cutting spending during slow or negative growth is good for the economy and the stimulus didn’t work. Even though that pits you against a high majority of economists and probably 99% of investors, what do they know?!?
Exactly how many jobs has the government created or sustained, and how many investments were enhanced by the government? I remember now, the stockholders at GM and Chrysler were really enhanced, weren’t they. How’s about all those “shovel ready jobs” that didn’t exist after the Porkulus Bill was passed? Kindly cite all of those economists and investors. And don’t cite the Keynesian economists, they have no credibility,
Or are you referring to the ones from the aforementioned auto companies, like the UAW. Or are you citing the execs at Solyndra, How about all those jobs that were created at John Deere?
Cutting regulations would help, but Ear Leader can’t seem to get that through his head.
seeing as our entire currency is based on faith that government can pay its debt. you know how great that faith is right now? Slim to none.
Also notice how every holder of GM’s Debt (most of them pension plans) got pennies on the dollar of their investments. How exactly did that help the economy? The Gov’t is now holding tons of toxic loans that are STILL going to default. Again how is this helping us?
You’re right about spending in so far as that during a recession you have to be a little looser with your cash, the key word is a LITTLE. It is also important to note that the cash spent must be targeted at certain things, and must also be accompanied by a loosening of regulations on certain sectors to stimulate growth. Rather than say the Marksman trying to hit a target, the closest analogy to what Obama did is like a porn star going for the “money shot” it created a mess and went everywhere.
Doc, every country’s currency is based on that. I’m sure the interest rate you’re paying right now puts you at about 20 times more likely to default that the U.S. government.
And FYI,, the 10yr Tsy hit its all time low a few weeks ago. That means investors are pretty confident the U.S. can pay its debt. Put your money where your mouth is and short the long bond tomorrow.
GM bondholders were given stocks and warrants. The company was insolvent. It’s better than nothing.
Obama’s regulations haven’t affected businesses at all. Stop reading Fox News. The regulations passes by Reagan and Bush 41 cost businesses more than Obama’s at the same time in their respective presidencies. Again, stop getting your news from Fox.
Keynesian economists don’t have any credibility? Says who? You? Doc? Just because the “Porkulus” didn’t work doesn’t mean the theory behind it wasn’t valid. Government spending boosts the economy and steps in to compensate for a lack of private/consumer spending (that’s not an opinion either). It wasn’t enough, and it wasn’t targeted at the right places.
You are exactly what is wrong with so many people in this world today, treating others like shit. You have no idea what any of these people have been through in their lives. This all-talk blog just proves to others that there are so many assholes out their that like to take a few sentences of what some say and run with it. RIDICULOUS. Plus the girl who went to school in Mass can’t find a job IN HER FIELD you dumb asses. She is obviously looking to further herself in what she spent money on and committed four years of her lift to. We all make our own choices and no one has any sort of right to judge someone else based off of their personal decision making. They are fucking quotes and opinions. Get over it.