Biggest welfare queen on the planet?

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by Armistead

I basically agree with you, but I never said wealth was equally shared, I said it was more spread out. If you look at studies, just back to the 70's about 50% of Americans held 80% of real wealth, today about 20% hold all real wealth, in about 20 years, about 10% will hold 80% of all real wealth in America. We will become a two class society unless we adopt a complete new economic model that recreates a middle class.

I misread the meaning of your original statement.The problem with regenerating the middle class is the real challenge.We will not be able to rely on the old manufacturing jobs because they simply never will come back on the scale they where at 20~30 years ago.The realistic option is to focus on high tech manufacturing which generates fewer but higher paying jobs.These people will fuel an economy which in turn provides jobs for those providing goods and services(I forget the economic term tertiary jobs I think).

The problem of pensions,benefits and fair wages could really be easily solved if people could be convinced to pay just a little more for goods and services.I have no doubt if a national pole was taken the majority of Americans would gladly pay a little more if ti meant that workers got better benefits and pay especially when that means a reduction for lower wages workers reliance on government programs.

Lastly the welfare,medicare,and other government program abuse should be resolved as is many benefit from the current system and not just people directly on the system either.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

My philosophy is this. You can spend 40 dollars on some chinese made crap that will only last you 6 months. Or you can spend 140 dollars on something that might last you 6 years.

I can understand that. I wear one pair of shoes in the summer and one pair of boots for the snowy winter. You're probably right about the shoes, but I can afford 20 dollars every year or two, and $140 is pushing it. The boots I got at Pay-Less ten years about eight years ago. I don't know where they were made, but they cost about $25 at the time. They still look new. The boots I saw at your link were $250. A quarter of a thousand dollars for a pair of shoes.

If it was a 20 year old belt, it was probably made here and you just didn't realize it. I have all sorts of stuff that I have had for several decades, that was made here. Which is why I think i think it has lasted so long.

Maybe, but probably and maybe might be wrong. It could have been made anywhere.

Better Mexico then China.

Why? Anywhere else is not "USA only". I sometimes joke that buying a decent product for a low price is the American Way. My camera is a Fujimi. My monitor is a Hanns-G, from Germany. My car says American Motors Eagle on the registration, yet it was built by Mitsubishi.

I make 14 dollars an hour. I'm hardly rich.

My disability is about half that. It's all relative.

At least by not shopping at walmart and spending my money elsewhere, i know my money is going to be closer to the workers and the community.

That's great. I have a food store withing walking distance called "Savers". Sometimes they actually are cheaper for certain items, like the pizza I make every Sunday. Other things, like the Nalley's chili I always mention, is currently $2.39 per can. I can get it at Wal*Mart for ninety-eight cents.

Originally Posted by Wolferz

In case it went un-noticed, the thread topic had a question mark on the end of the title.

And the question was "Biggest Welfare Queen on the planet?" Are they? Do they take gobs of money from the government. The accusation was that they abuse their employees. Do they? I had a job there for the Christmas season 2005. I only wish it could have been permanent. I worked the night stock shift and made $9.00 per hour.

Now I'm disabled and unable to work.

So am I. I can't afford $140 for a pair of pants.

It seems to me that it has become a lesson in class warfare. Kill the middle class to create a two class system. The haves and the wants. Is it amoral for Corporate greed to be doing this to us? You bet it is! Wally World is just one of many who are promoting it.

Which was my point in the first place. The OP and the article it links to claim that Wal*Mart is the worst of the bunch. I don't think they are.

The greedy corporations are practicing a self destructive paradigm, because eventually there will be no customers left to buy the crap labeled Hecho e Mexico or Made in *insert Asian country of choice here*.

Sure there will. The poor customers like me will still go there for food and a lot of other stuff, just like I do now. I buy a lot of videos out of the $5 bin.

Maybe it's not the importers of cheap foreign goods. Maybe the problem is actually the proud "Buy American" groups who charge 250 bucks for a pair of boots. They are the ones catering to the rich.

Maybe it's time for me to buy a 3D printer and start churning out weapons.

Have you looked at the price of those things? You'll have to steal one if you really want it.

[Tchocky]

It's funny how the stereotype of low cost East-Asian products being shoddy doesn't extend to consumer electronics, cars , musical instruments etc.

lots of complaining about cheap clothes, silence on cheap cellphones and graphics cards.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

I just read the other day that the Social Security Disability fund will be broke by 2016. Was this caused by too many recipients or too many jobs sent to other nations with no way to make up a shortfall in FICA taxes from lost jobs?

It seems to me that it has become a lesson in class warfare. Kill the middle class to create a two class system. The haves and the wants. Is it amoral for Corporate greed to be doing this to us? You bet it is! Wally World is just one of many who are promoting it.
The greedy corporations are practicing a self destructive paradigm, because eventually there will be no customers left to buy the crap labeled Hecho e Mexico or Made in *insert Asian country of choice here*.

Maybe it's time for me to buy a 3D printer and start churning out weapons.

I do wonder how much longer the way things currently are, can last. At some point, a breakdown in society will occur.

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Why? Anywhere else is not "USA only".

Because China gets way too much of our money, and if crap is made in mexico, then they have more jobs, which means less illegals here, which in turn means less gang bangers, which means less crime. Yes I know that is racist profiling, but I grew up in SoCal, had to deal with that crap, and I make no apologies for how i feel about it.

So am I. I can't afford $140 for a pair of pants.

Neither can I. Which if you look at my original statement.. "when i can". Saying I buy american when i can means, if i see the product, and/or if i can afford it. I try when i can. Sometimes for one reason or another i can't - but I try.

Originally Posted by Tchocky

It's funny how the stereotype of low cost East-Asian products being shoddy doesn't extend to consumer electronics, cars , musical instruments etc.

lots of complaining about cheap clothes, silence on cheap cellphones and graphics cards.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/30/tech/m...one/index.html

[em2nought]

Old fiscal conservative folks died off and left their money to idiots. That's pretty much what happened to the middle class IMO.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Sometimes I wonder if our Government is the biggest welfare queen.

Social Security: The Trust Fund Myth
http://www.uschamber.com/issues/reti...rust-fund-myth

In NJ, the state government had been misappropriating pension funds for the state pension accounts. Now, John Q. Taxpayer pays the price and/or give up some benefits.

Behind Fraud Charges, New Jersey’s Deep Crisis
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/ny...rsey.html?_r=0

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

ISometimes for one reason or another i can't - but I try.

More than fair. I can say no more.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/30/tech/m...one/index.html

Not funny, but the story it reminds me of is. My friend Rocky was having an argument with a Harley rider. Of course he made the usual disparaging comments about "Rice-grinders". Rocky replied by saying that the Japanese in-line four-cylinder was better than the V-twin in every way - faster, lighter, better-handling and more comfortable to ride. The Harley man said "Well, at least my H-D is made in the USA!"

Rocky replied "So's my Kawasaki. Made in Lincoln, Nebraska."

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/30/tech/m...one/index.html

But isn't that an Irish company when it comes to avoiding tax.
Then again its an American company when it comes to getting multi billion lawsuits for stealing other peoples products.
Still its nice to see Beijing approved the merger and 70% of the assembly will be in the US in what was a Finnish factory.

So its just as multi national as the "american" chippewa boots.

[gimpy117]

Originally Posted by Armistead

The economic model has changed since about 1980. The global economy ruined America. We were all told it would be a good thing, but it was a big lie. All the regulations were stacked in favor of corporate America, not Americans.

Look back before they could send our jobs out in mass, big business had to compete for Americans, wages were decent, most had good medical insurance and many even had that thing called a pension. This issured wealth was more spread and created a mass middle class and kept govt. smaller. NOw,we have an elite class of uber rich that hold 70-80% of all real wealth. Worse, now the majority of Americans want big govt, social programs, healthcare, etc., which is creating a national debt that can't be substained.

bingo.
Plutocracy is a funny thing

[les green01]

let see I make 9 dollars a hour,pay vacations,401k,company stocks,10% off on stuff I buy,free dinner once a month,and a bonus that can be up 2500 a year if we don't have a lot of accidents,warm and dry in the winter,ac in the summer my avg paycheck every two weeks is 650 dollars and I can even get 15 cents off every gal of gas,next last year the store I work at donated almost a million dollars to the community next we raise money to help the child network last year that was 35k and on a drive now to raise money for them,my death insurance is in my dad name so no reason do I need a handout seems like im doing ok working at wal-mart

[Stealhead]

I have a pair of USAF issue steel toe boots that I have had since 1997 I do not wear those every day but I have another pair of issue steel toes made in Wisconsin that I wore nearly every single day from 2000-2007 on active duty a ton of hard working abuse and I still wear those boots pretty regular.A 13 year old pair of boots not bad and I am hard on my shoes and boots.I think they cost me $0 dollars.

Another good low cost item made in the US are the BDU pants you buy the heavy weight stitch ones cut the legs off at the knees and sow the ends and you have a very sturdy long lasting pair of shorts.

[Sailor Steve]

Well. I woke up at 03:00 or thereabouts, short of sleep again. Turned on my computer only to find my mouse wasn't working. Tried different USB ports. No luck. Tried different batteries. Still no luck. I don't have a spare mouse, so there wasn't much I could do.

Then I remembered...guess who is open 24/7 and has computer stuff. So I drove to he nearest Biggest Welfare Queen On The Planet and bought a cheap mouse to get me by until I can figure out what's wrong with the other one. Turns out that for fifteen bucks this is actually a pretty good mouse. Maybe better than the other one.

[Wolferz]

What Duh???
http://social.entertainment.msn.com/...9-f0bdfb7203a2

Let's invite a bunch of media moguls to speak and perform at our annual shareholders meeting...
MORE BOLLOCKS!

[August]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

What Duh???
http://social.entertainment.msn.com/...9-f0bdfb7203a2

Let's invite a bunch of media moguls to speak and perform at our annual shareholders meeting...
MORE BOLLOCKS!

Sounds like you have an axe to grind against Walmart. How come?

[Wolferz]

Sounds like you have an axe to grind against Walmart. How come?

A sharp axe cuts better?

Perhaps I have a problem with those who flaunt their status while mashing the little guys to achieve that status. Read the article I linked above that illustrated what Tom Cruise had to say at that shareholders meeting. Mostly lies to make Walton' investors feel better about themselves and the corporation they support.
IE: Today there was an article on MSN.com entitled...
9 reasons why you don't want to be rich. WOT?
http://money.msn.com/leadership/9-re...ant-to-be-rich

I can think of 109 reasons why I do. But, I'm not selling my soul to Xenu to achieve it.