I usually toss comments that resort to insults directly into the circular file. Reader AZFloyd made a comment that I really want to respond to. AZFloyd’s comments are italicized, mine follow in red. So here goes:
No disrespect. A boomer who has finally figured out that cops are not on our side should be applauded. But, You don’t get it Boomer.
First, a boomer refers to a baby boomer, those born between 1946 and 1964. I am not a boomer, so you miss the mark there. You did intend to disrespect me, but reading the rest of your comment, I understand why. Even so, I get more about your situation than you know.
Many of of live hand to mouth. We already lost everything. We don’t bitch about property taxes because we don’t have any property. We don’t whine in the internet about our troubles with passive income because we have no income. A civil war might makes us truly equal. I don’t think you have any idea how many white men have been thrown into this oblivion. If you did, you would retire so a young white man could have your job. But you still have to make your wife happy instead of looking out for your posterity. You are part of the problem.
That’s because you would rather sit on your ass in your mother’s living room, wait for someone to retire or quit, so maybe as the last man on earth, you could get their job. That isn’t how the world works. You have to compete, and no one is going to give you shit. I know more about poverty, picking yourself up, and going out there to get a job than you will ever know, champ. Instead of sitting around complaining about how old white guys are stealing your future employment, why don’t you go out there and make yourself more employable?
Tell you what, throw away your permission slip to earn a living (Inlost my law license) throw away you house, the Chinese made crap it is full off. Ditch the wife, the cars, everything. Everything! Then figure out how to survive. After you spent a few brain cycles looking for a place to deficate instead of self actualization, we can talk.
I did that already. I have been homeless, twice. Instead of going on line to bitch about it, I went to school, got a better job, and now I get to listen to little immature assholes complain about how I am stealing a job from your unemployed, worthless ass. I also don’t believe for a second that you had a law license. In fact, your IP indicates that you are in Seattle, not AZ.
At least in a war, I can fight. Truly fight. Sir, I am not trying to disparage you. But you obviously have no idea about the degree of misery going on out here.
You could fight, but you won’t. Instead, you will sit behind your computer and complain that old white dudes aren’t doing your fighting for you. Why don’t you try to learn how to do something other than whine? It takes three years to become a registered nurse, and they are in such short supply that many hospitals are paying $20,000 sign on bonuses for licensed nurses.
16 Comments
dc · October 4, 2023 at 9:38 pm
AI spambot.
Rick T · October 4, 2023 at 10:01 pm
AZFloyd isn’t interested in hard work, he wants a desk job that pays $200k because he is brilliant. Problem is whatever he did that cost him a law license probably also means he isn’t willing or able to show up sober for work every day, and nursing school ain’t easy.
Sucks to be you, dude but what are you doing to get out of the gutter besides getting high?
CandyGram4Mongo · October 4, 2023 at 10:05 pm
+1. Homeless twice. Laid off 4x. Worked my ass off to bounce back stronger each time. I go to professional gatherings in my field and make time for young, ambitious people. If they claim to want to be mentored, I share my email address and tell them to reach out after they’ve read “A message to Garcia” & “The Richest Man in Babylon”. Only 1 youngster has done the reading – although many have attempted to follow up without doing the reading. That guy got mentored straight into the highest paying job in his peer group, and he is a good steward who will also be mentoring others.
When I was in the Corps “you are RESPONSIBLE for…” was what was expected of a Marine. The only way America gets better is by teaching people to take responsibility, starting with themselves and then being responsible for their families.
A Message to Garcia is a good primer for that, and The Richest Man in Babylon helps transition a newfound sense of responsibility into solid stewardship of blessings received.
Rick · October 4, 2023 at 10:20 pm
I haven’t read the original comment from AZFloyd, nor that which he commented to. So I am unaware of that much. Yet to anyone complaining of the trajectory or their life, I will pipe up.
I am a boomer. I could say that I’ve been dealt a bad hand. I think most people could say the same. But I won’t. Self-respect, in humilty is powerful. The honorable thing is to buck up, head down, get busy. To knuckle under is for losers. To blame others, to imagine fantastic excuses is abhorent.
I could write volumes detailing how I have been homeless, suffered physical and mental injuries at the hands of others, not been recompensed for my real losses, been the victim of theft, lies, betrayals false accusations, and more. Those things carry a cost, sometimes a great cost, not only to esteem or confidence but to reputation, and financially. Many wouldn’t blame me for just lying down and quitting. But I would. Few things are less honorable than quitting.
It is amazing that humans have this huge capacity of intelligence yet so often it remains unutilized because of a dour attitude. Being knocked down, even repeatedly, is not uncommon. Getting back up seems to become less common than before. That is reprehensible.
Truly amazing is that in many ways we are at the apex of acheivement in the thousands year march of civilization, yet still some will bemoan themselves. They will find no comfort with me.
Rick · October 4, 2023 at 10:49 pm
Being in America, it is ridiculous and reprehensible to whine about how bad you have it.
Good God, man. Study history, look at the world even today. Over eight billion souls in the world today, the large majority can only imagine to have a fraction of what we have. This includes all of Maslow’s heirarchy.
Today we are free of the anguish and fear of contagious disease. When is the last time you worried about contracting Polio?. When was the last time you even saw a person cripple by Polio? That’s just one example of the plethora of diseases which gripped the nation in fear only decades ago.
Today, help wanted signs are ubiqutous across the nation. Employers offer goid starting wages and incentives for even the unsklled worker. Required is that you show up, on time, ready for work. Those who don’t inquire will not know the education which awaits.
I once took a minimum wage job – so far beneath my skill level – because I saw great opportunity. The low wage was the door to that opportunity. Within the first year, my earnings had more than doubled. Within 18 months I directly supervised ten employees. In three years, I ran the company. That launched me into starting two more companies.
Yet, some find success in convincing others that they are the victim. But the tread wears down quickly. You’ll have to find a new group of suckers sonce the pld had gotten tired of your practiced tales of woe.
Cederq · October 5, 2023 at 12:22 am
Hell, I am retired due to disability. I am 65. I have a masters in nursing, I have a masters in behavioral science and an ASEE because I was assisting a surgeon working on the early biometric prosthesis for amputees and the doc didn’t want no damn engineer in the OR. I started my nursing after five years in the Army as an MP. I lived in a one room apartment and if it wasn’t for the bathroom, I had a place to walk to, and I worked nights as a nursing aide, school during the day and it took me 3 years like AO sez… I paid every damn cent of that tuition out of my pocket and only got PELL Grants to pay for books you only used one semester, two if you were lucky and they cost a friggen king’s ransom. I eat a lot of friggen cheese sandwiches and PB & J toast if I was lucky. So, you to can get off your ass and start from the bottom like I and countless thousands of non lazy assed people. Jerk like you make me want to punch your twisted face and stuff you in a locker.
Jen · October 6, 2023 at 5:54 am
Amen. And thank you.
Boneman · October 5, 2023 at 4:53 am
What a presumptuous poltroon that fool is. Seattle… Was there early September. What a dump and gasoline at $5.49 a gallon no less.
Yeah, I daresay your RETORT… was about as well phrased as could have been. Bravo!
Dirty Dingus McGee · October 5, 2023 at 5:57 am
I can’t believe he managed to type that screed thru the tears of self pity. “Woe is me, the world hates me”.
No dumbass, we don’t hate you. Laugh at you, yes, but don’t hate you. Mainly due to the contradictions in your spiel. “I’m a fighter”. Well, except for fighting for a decent living, THAT I’ll just whine about. “I was a lawyer”. Must have been a piss poor one, if you couldn’t make a living at the biggest grift legally allowed. “I’m owed a right to your life”. No, you have the OPPORTUNITY to have my life, I don’t owe you jack shit.I’m the one who has dragged my ass out of bed at 4am, put in 16-18 hour days, worked 7 days a week to get what I have. Until you are willing to do the same, you will continue to have nothing. Reality is, you probably don’t have the testicular fortitude to get to where I am.
Yes I’m a boomer, 3 score and 6 more years on this spinning rock. Why am I still working? I’m a co-owner of a business that has to hire your ilk. The ones that think they should set the working conditions and start times. That have to have their phone in one hand thru the entire day. That always have at least 3 excuses why they can’t work an hour or two over on occasion. That never seem to be able to think on their own and have to be watched to make sure they actually are doing SOMETHING. That want to be paid “what I’m worth”. I would love to pay you what you’re worth, but minimum wages laws won’t allow it.
In the end, you have got out of life just what you put into it.
Joe Blow · October 5, 2023 at 6:52 am
This is a good one! Came back 2 or 3 times, think I got it sorted in my head now… sorta.
This exchange is very interesting if you step back and look at it. It’s hard to remove one’s personal emotion when individually attacked, so I excuse our host, but I believe there is something of value to take away from the exchange? No I have not read it in the original, don’t need to.
The commenter brought to the surface an issue affecting many of us. I suspect he read something in the original article that touched a nerve, personally, and he went off on his tangent, as people are want to do on the internet. Thanks to our host for having the grace to allow the comment, and the patience to write about it.
But as I stated initially, if we remove ourselves from the situation and take the 30,000 foot view, there is an underlying theme in our world on display:
Maybe the metaphor of elites vs proletariats crystalizes it for you? Maybe it’s ‘cloud people’ vs ‘magic dirt’. What the commenter is talking about, is a huge disconnect in our world, there is massive bi-furcation going on, between the haves and have-nots. We used have a middle ground, we called it the “middle class”, and it is being squeezed. You either squirt out of one end or the other, but you can’t stay here any longer. Most people struggle and work hard under the impression they will eventually get to the ‘rich’ side of that equation.
I suspect our commenter thought they were going to come out the other end, and aren’t happy about where they are. Oh God yes there are reasons… But unless you know that person personally, you’re speculating the same as me. They could be the hardest working MF’er on the planet having a run of bad luck, but go ahead and shit on the guy, for shitting on other guys. Cuz that’ll make it better?
This is a fundamental problem we need to surmount if we’re to accomplish anything, the infighting has to stop!
Look folks, we’re ALL in this together, whether we like each other or realize it or not. WE are not on the side that is causing the problems and strife in our lives, but we’re too busy fighting with each other to do anything about it.
Exactly as they want it.
TheLastOfTheAmericans · October 6, 2023 at 7:55 am
This is actually the most interesting response here and possibly something that the Good Semi-Doc can comment on. Props to DM for not blowing his top on that dork as well – I would have not kept my cool.
The middle class is absolutely getting it from both ends. I am in my early forties and damn if things aren’t changing at a pretty drastic rate when it comes to income vs cost of living. When I started working for a big tech company twenty plus years ago, things were different. I could easily afford an apartment on my starting salary, but did the roommate thing out of convenience. Twenty years later and I should be in a house, and am: splitting the mortgage with my significant other in a quasi-roommate fashion. There is no way we would or could make ends meet without dual incomes.
Was laid off during “THE PANDEMIC” and she kept her remote job. We moved out to the country – and I am now too far out of range to work onsite in my chosen field. I could whine about it all day – but I don’t. I am going in a different direction – and doing something completely different for less money. The remote jobs dried up when all those massive big tech layoffs happened (and keep happening.) Thanks Bidenomics!
Hopefully it works out and I get hired full-time. If not, I will do something else. Complaining about it doesn’t put food on the table or ammo in my fort. Complaining about it and doing nothing is going to throw a person into a depression.
Complaining about it, doing nothing, and blaming other people is asinine and deplorable and you deserve whatever you get as a result of that kind of attitude.
Rob · October 5, 2023 at 7:12 am
Exactly what’s wrong with society today. NO PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Everything is someone else’s fault.
I should step down from my hard-earned position in life and just hand it over to a slothful leftist pos.
No gonna happen. Get up off your ass and do for yourself, like I did.
tom · October 5, 2023 at 7:36 am
Just an observation as I see someone else was confused also. I could not tell italic from normal font easily, and took me several reading to figure out what was what. Just a comment on formatting, as i agree .
pchappel · October 5, 2023 at 9:50 am
Huh, not a Boomer myself, but as one who started out at the bottom and worked hard to get where I am I’m confused by a lot of what the commenter says. Little things like “make your wife happy instead of looking out for your posterity”… I might be using different definitions, but my wife and kids ARE my posterity, so working hard for them seems to be the best choice? But then I suppose the years in “broke mode” while putting myself through school and working startups is too difficult a choice for a lot of kids these days…
Woody · October 5, 2023 at 11:44 am
I guess I and many others missed the line for Boomers to step right into high paying jobs at the top without working at the bottom. Spent 25 years working a warehouse job and watched people get promoted just because the color of their skin, included in that were 2 that didn’t have a HS diploma. Stayed for the bennies provided, realized that the only person who cared if I got ahead was me, so hit the library for some education and got out of debt and started investing. Retired at 60 moved to a low cost of living area and am enjoying life with my wife of 47 years.
The Economy – Area Ocho · October 6, 2023 at 9:05 am
[…] couple of you asked that I talk about the squeezing of the middle class. When the left first began screaming about increasing the minimum wage back in 2013, I explained […]
Comments are closed.