patrick.net

errc says

Vicente says

PockyClipsNow says

This type of attitude is held by at least half the population.

It is.... because you say so?

Thanks for clearing up that half of the population are just useless deadwood we can toss in an oven. We'll put you in charge of deciding which half then.

“Eagles are dandified vultures” - Teddy Roosevelt

I don't think thats what he was saying

i took him to mean that most people don't care to work, they just want to survive, so if they can scrape by, they are fine with that

i know more people like that then those of us that sweat out having money most all the time

Yeah errc gets what im saying. Maybe these people who dont care to work unless 'they have to' or scrape by are right. Life is short. Why should we worry about their net worth if they dont? (liberals use any statistic they can to grow big gov bigger, im tired of it)

thomaswong.1986 says

Maybe the rich entertainers in China and India can throw a huge 3 day Music Festival... and hopefully the millions of rich people in Asia will donate billions to our cause...

One can hope.

Apparently, the Africans are already being plugged to help the fat Americans:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/xp-Z3JAo01s

Vincente, its not the 1%'rs fault, "someone else made that happen".

Honest Abe says

Vincente, its not the 1%'rs fault, "someone else made that happen".

There would be MUCH less of an imbalance if OUR GUBMINT was not in conflict with the natural recourse of a free enterprise system.
Do I understand this correctly ?
Our tax's are now used by the FED to loan at ZERO interest to the lenders.
GUBMINT is the cause of the disparity.
ie; We the PEOPLE took risk buying high priced property.
Banks accepted the same risk lending on that same high priced property.
WHO HIRED DA GUBMINT TO BE SO ONE SIDED ?

Below One-percenters, there is a new middle class:
http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2012/a-close-look-at-total-compensation/

Look at the salaries for precious public "servants" in Fullerton, California.
They seem to be doing fine. Total compensation for a fireman around $150K. $180K+ for the unionized goon in blue - or as they call themselves - police sergeant. If you are a lowly ranked police "officer" - you get to survive on $150K. That's for a hard work of bullying bystanders, robbing motorists, and seating in a donut shop.

Compare that to the median income of tax victims supporting these cushy salaries and benefits and guaranteed pensions: $40K.

I much rather policemen be well-paid. One must be paid according to the power he has or it is a recipe for corruption. (Frankly, I am not willing to risk my life on the job for $150K-$180K.)

Thus if we want the government to cost less we must also give it less power.

Would that be the Republican half or the Democrat half?

Huh?

TMAC54 says

Do I understand this correctly ?
Our tax's are now used by the FED to loan at ZERO interest to the lenders.
GUBMINT is the cause of the disparity.
ie; We the PEOPLE took risk buying high priced property.
Banks accepted the same risk lending on that same high priced property.
WHO HIRED DA GUBMINT TO BE SO ONE SIDED ?

Actually the Federal Reserve just prints the money they loan to banks! They don't need our taxes for that, and we can't stop them. It is a kind of taxation without representation, taxation on everyone else's money by diluting it.

The Federal Reserve is just a private banking cartel created to protect the biggest banks from having to take losses. They protect the banks the expense of everyone else. Privatized profits and socialized losses make banking a wonderful business if you're big enough to have the Fed on your side.

But you're right, the government itself is obviously very one-sided about bailouts. If you're a big bank, the government will loan or give you $800 billion, then another $800 billion, "whatever you need dude, so sorry your bets all went bad, taxpayers will cover it as long as you donate to my re-election campaign..." while the little guys who bet on their own house get very little or nothing (as it should be).

Peter P says

One must be paid according to the power he has or it is a recipe for corruption.

Mexico is a good example of this. $350 a month is like paying waiters minimum wage, and tips will fill the gap right?

"whatever you need dude, so sorry your bets all went bad, taxpayers will cover it as long as you donate to my re-election campaign..."

Reminds me of that old Eddie Murphy skit "White Like Me".

The bank loan is at about 3:35...
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7msba_saturday-night-live-white-like-me_fun

Peter P says

much rather policemen be well-paid. One must be paid according to the power he has or it is a recipe for corruption. (Frankly, I am not willing to risk my life on the job for $150K-$180K.)

Well, if you don't want to risk your life - don't become a roofer, fisherman, forester, or a night club bouncer - you know the professions with actual risk. Note - Police is not even in top 10.

Last time I checked - roofers don't make $150K, and fishermen don't make $180...

Here is another note - no matter how much you pay the goons in blue, they still manage to engage in bullying, rape, gang-style killing, killing people in their custody, pimp and sell drugs on the side, and even stealing iPads in airports.

And that just from the recent record of Fullerton PD, I won't even say what's going on in bigger metros like LA or Chicago.

Pay is needed strictly to attract and keep good people. Pay never makes anyone a better employee. Paying $150K to unionized goons while tax victims are suffering is insanity.

AlexS says

no matter how much you pay the goons in blue, they still manage to engage in bullying, rape, gang-style killing, killing people in their custody,

A friend came to the US from Sri Lanka many years ago. He was so struck by the HONESTY and straightforward process in his dealings with police and courts for small matters like traffic stops etc. that he went into law enforcement. I think you have NO idea how honest our police are compared to what is normal around the world.

I was in Cabo San Lucas a few years ago diving off a small boat. We had a dive flag up and jet-skis were clearly violating our space in dangerous ways. I asked the divemaster if he would call the police or coast guard or something and he said "no point, they will only come if they need money, and they are good for today".

Privatized profits and socialized losses make banking a wonderful business if you're big enough to have the Fed on your side.

Zombie Andrew Jackson for President!

Chasing equality is a pointless cause, you assume that people want to be equal, people want to accomplish... but not everyone wants the same life.

All equality achieves is spread poverty and make everyone poor while destroying the economic progress.

FortWayne says

Chasing equality is a pointless cause, you assume that people want to be equal, people want to accomplish... but not everyone wants the same life.
All equality achieves is spread poverty and make everyone poor while destroying the economic progress.

Wow did you come up with that yourself? Or did you hear that on AM radio?

Nobody is trying to "make everyone equal." But some of us DO have a problem with privatized profits and socialized losses.

Are you a fan of "corporate welfare"? Because that's what we have in the USA. $700 billion is a lot more than single black moms are getting.

PockyClipsNow says

if you cut a check for 100k to these 50% of americans within one year (proably one month) they would be back in the same category. Half of them would quit working until the money ran out!!! Seriously people do some of you guys have any experience with how most humans live? A dog with full belly will not hunt - half the country with $ in the bank will not work. I know this for a fact from experience. Look at how many people took max HELOC withdrawal and had no income for years then sqaut - its totally normal, not an exception.

Its ants vs grasshoppers.

The reason we have this 50% is because we have a government big enough to back them up. Only decent way for them to make money is HELOC. Why work hard if you can live a life better than 80% of the world population without doing any real work. With Obama in the office, we can easily reach 60%, 70%, .... Then, in some point we can announce the birth of the People's Republic of America with a single party, called ACP, representing the 99% of Americans. We can claim the 1% as Class Enemy, and happily slave them forever.

In case anyone wondering the definition of Class Enemy:

http://liberapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Class_enemy

If the communists go to far the productive people leave and the country starves (like early days in russia, cuba had it bad for a long time). We are far from this. I dont see any exodus of hard workers - opposite still happens - brain drain from communist countries happens and smart people who get shit done come to the US.

PockyClipsNow says

If the communists go to far the productive people leave

Communism is not the only thing that causes this, any society where a bulk of the people lack opportunity will have this problem.

Half Of American Households Hold 1 Percent Of Wealth

I doubt that this is a anything new, uniquely American, or anything that can be changed. The exceptionally lazy do make up a significant % of the population.

leoj707 says

PockyClipsNow says

If the communists go to far the productive people leave

Communism is not the only thing that causes this, any society where a bulk of the people lack opportunity will have this problem.

Yes. Lack of opportunity could also be a reason. But it is more of problem for the 3rd world country than US. We still have influx of immigrants. Why? Opportunity.

By demanding more and produce less, we give up the opportunity to others. Why was the US Olympic Uniforms made in China? Because, we don't want the opportunity. "Outsourcing" gives up opportunities. But why? We can certainly blame the greedy capitalists. But if you can make the same thing much cheaper elsewhere and sell back to US consumers, why bother to do the opposite.

A simple math for 4 year old, if you spend more than you can (or welling to) produce, you are going down hill. It's true for a nation, and also individuals.

leoj707 says

Reminds me of that old Eddie Murphy skit "White Like Me".

The bank loan is at about 3:35...
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7msba_saturday-night-live-white-like-me_fun

Yes, it's exactly like that!

Fed to banks (same as quote from banker to white-face Eddie Murphy): "Take whatever you want! Pay us back whenever you can, or don't. We don't care! Ha ha ha."

The Fed really doesn't care. They just printed the money for friends. Ordinary people like us do not qualify for such benefits.

The personal "savings" rate in America averaged about 3% in the decade leading into the recession although that number is deceptively high since the government considers "savings" to include debt repayment and is currently just 5%.

Such average people aren't accumulating wealth when they eschew more savings in favor of buying or renting expensive crap like new cars, smart phones with data plans, and expensive homes (two people and a pet don't need more than one bedroom).

leoj707 says

The number of children living in poverty in the U.S. is up nearly 20 percent from 2000...

Yes. If children is only a number to calculate the size of a welfare check for the irresponsible parents. What do you expect?

The Fed really doesn't care. They just printed the money for friends. Ordinary people like us do not qualify for such benefits.

No, the reason that ordinary people don't qualify is because they're too lazy. It's their own fault.

Now get back to work!

If you ask the Fed, they will tell you that they absolutely must print up great gobs of cash for their friends or the world will end. So it was the only responsible thing to do...

It's a Wonderful excuse, also used to drag us into Iraq when it was really a wacko Saudi who attacked America on 9/11. Why didn't we attack Saudi Arabia? Ah, look at Bush-Saudi connection and all becomes clear.

It will be used many many times in the future. Remember the next time you hear it: "Do what I say, no questions, or world will end."

At this very moment, the remaining Syrian elite are broadcasting that the world will end unless the rebellion is crushed.

Endless end of world scares have and will continue.

Global Warming is one.

You really are clueless.
I'm a job creator, and I pay more corporate and personal taxes in one year than you will in a lifetime...

HRHMedia says

APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says

Zero taxes for Job Creators ! They are the CHRIST in our midst !

taxes lol, they pay no taxes, Job Creators are being PAID TO CREATE JOBS they are not creating.

Social Media Guru Since 1999

Why didn't we attack Saudi Arabia? Ah, look at Bush-Saudi connection and all becomes clear.

Fair enough, but invading Saudi Arabia? Yikes! Imagine what the Muslim world would have thought. Saudi is home to the holiest sites in Islam.

PockyClipsNow says

Endless end of world scares have and will continue.

Global Warming is one.

A good point, I think. Fear-mongering isn't just on the far-right.

I'm convinced AGW is real. But using scare-tactics just ticks people off...especially when there's a big cold spell or snowstorm. ;-)