O/T: A Prognostication

[Steve]

As "one nation under God" was added to the pleadge of allegience in 1954.

[krw]

That simply means that servicing the debt has to take priority over shrimp-on-the-treadmill. There is plenty of money coming in to pay the debt.

[Larry Blanchard]

Actually, only the "under God" was added. As I started school in 1942 the new version still sounds strange to me :-).

[Larry Blanchard]

Oh boy, another idealist :-). A great idea, but it runs into a brick wall of reality.

A lot of those folks aren't trainable. By definition, half the population is of below average intelligence. If someones mother was a alkie or a drug addict, or even just had really bad eating habits, that person is going to be considerably below the average.

Even that problem could be overcome if we could somehow bring back more manual labor jobs, but the only way that would happen is with another CCC. Still government assistance, but at least with some return.

But another problem remains. Some of the people you're trying to change just plain don't want to work. How many times have we heard of some black kid trying to better himself while the local gang members accuse him of "acting white". And I'm not picking on black folks. The same attitudes exist in other groups such as the "po' white trash" who accuse a child in similar circumstances of "acting uppity" or "above himself".

And they pass those attitudes on to their children. The only way you'll break that cycle is to remove the kids at birth and give them to a family that will raise them properly. And even that doesn't solve the problem of those who are born brain-damaged.

I'm an idealist too. But time has made me a cynical idealist.

[Larry Blanchard]

I have a feeling a considerable number would turn to crime, resulting in prison, resulting in us paying for them anyway - and at a higher rate.

[Just Wondering]

If they did that, as prisoners they could be made to work at the same jobs, for 25 cents an hour.

[SconnieRoadie]

Ayup, you'd never accuse a conservative of having an agneda. Kinda like superior beings, all-knowing and stuff.

D'ohBoy

[HeyBub]

But the government would lack enough people to actually FIRE all the guns they have warehoused.

Today's military is not composed of automatons or cannon-fodder. Today's general is well aware that the corporal running the radio is as much an expert at his job as the general is at his.

The American soldier will NEVER fire on American civilians, no matter who gives the order (unless, of course, those civilians are rioting hippies).

[Robatoy]

You're not including the National Guard then. (Kent State)

[Jack Stein]

They're the only ones he included. He didn't include the Branch Davidians or the entire southern half of the country.

[Lew Hodgett]

---------------------------------- One for three works for a prognostication.

Lew

[Larry Jaques]

It was all posturing, period. They knew it would _literally_ destroy the country and that they couldn't allow that to happen. (Correction, the puppets' handlers wouldn't allow that to happen.)

-- Win first, Fight later.

--martial principle of the Samurai

[busbus]

Um, do you think maybe it is because we smack a little of Imperialism? Is there any reason we have so many troops and facilities abroad? Do we need that many? Are they all necessary? Wouldn't they be better used to serve in these United States? Just wonderin'...........

I have no evidence of that but they are allowed to tap into it. And, yes, I do know people who are receiving it but don't really need it. They use the check to fund their "fun" things. For example, one guy I know uses it to go to Atlantic City for gambling money. Ain't that wonderful? Seems like a good use of that money to me. He bristles whenever questioned about the ethics involved and his response is that he paid into it and he should be allowed to do what he wants with his share because it is his. That is one example I know of. Maybe we need to seriously increase the age when a person receives SS. Whenever it was introduced (as a VOLUNTARY thing, mind you), the average life expectancy was around 65--now it is much higher. T'ain't working anymore, McGee!!

Now, I like that idea!! I remember a guy who used to say this. He called his plan Welfare Hall. It is like a union carpenter who is sitting on the bench. Whenever his name is called, he either chooses to accept the work (and the subsequent paycheck) or he doesn't (and he goes hungry). The government would have a list of things that needed done and would pay you your welfare check providing you performed the task. He didn't think of the 75% of the minimum wage rate but that is the key to this: it needs to be more worth somebody's while to work at a minimum wage job than to sit back and collect welfare. GREAT IDEA!!!

[busbus]

What is the matter with good, old-fashioned chain gangs? We could provide the hard-boiled eggs though!

[busbus]

I hate to say that you have a point. But what I am trying to do is arm these people with something tangible, like a skill. I know a high percentage of them will scoff at this but we need to quit just giving money away. It is this practice of giving money away that gave these people the attitudes they undoubtedly do. It took 40+ years to get to this point, so I know it will take an entire generation or so to get away from it. 20-30 years. But you need to do something instead of just gripe about it.

[Larry Blanchard]

What needs to be done is to bring back jobs for unskilled labor. But other than point that out to the politicians, there's not much an old geezer like me can do.

BTW, how many migrant farm workers do we import every year because American workers won't do stoop labor? At least that's what the farmers (i.e. farm corporations) claim.

[Dave]

On Thu, 4 Aug 2011 00:07:33 +0000 (UTC), Larry Blanchard

Yes, I have to agree with that sentiment. Unfortunately, times have changed. When I was 18 (mid seventies), if I was willing to do a little manual labour, I could go out and get a new job every week. It isn't that way anymore. (or so I'm told). Today, every potential employer wants references and work experience. The practice of teaching a new employee from the ground up has all but disappeared.

Of course, the sense of entitlement that many young people have these day doesn't help the current situation much, but they had to learn that sense from somewhere, and unfortunately it's us, the older generation who taught it to them.

[Han]

Dave wrote in news: [e-mail]:

One of the reasons I retired was that I wanted to use my hands some of the time to make something, rather than move bytes in my work computer. But yes, even my wonderful grandkids sometimes grumble about manual work.

[Doug Miller]

What they mean is that Americans won't do it for the low wages that the corporate farms want to pay them.

[Larry Jaques]

How many people are going to continue to spew that bullshit for how long? Christ, Americans are lining up for ANY job now, and they have for eons. The reason those jobs go to illegals is because they'll work for less, work for longer hours, and never complain. It's money, not American choice, which drives that business attitude.

Then again, many Americans can't bend over that far due to obesity.

-- In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. -- Albert Camus