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Students Support Socialism... But Not With Their GPA

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2 hours ago, Sniper said:

Why are you so focused on TAKING money from the rich to give to the less fortunate who blow all their money?

That's the thing about the socialist system. It is a jealous system. It does not seek to lift anyone up, it seeks to tear people down.

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I went to school at a different time in this country.  Its a shame that the horror's and the failure of socialism isn't taught in schools today.  This generation today is use to their parents and schools giving them a free ride. Why wouldn't they expect their government to do the same?  How many of us who are in our 50's today when we were kids played on a baseball team with our brothers old glove?  Or a bat from the garage, or had a job after school?  I can still hear my dad's voice today. Put as much money away as you can. Don't think  the government's going to take care of you.  These kids today have no idea the danger that awaits them thinking a socialist  government is their answer.  Henry Ford said it best. 

“Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government 
take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian.”  Henry Ford

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Much has been made about the rising income of the mega-rich - and yet, even the most "progressive" media acknowledge that we're in a new age of philanthropy in this century. 

From HuffPost article "The New Age of Philanthropy is Here":  "Over the last century and a half, it has become commonplace for the world’s wealthiest businessmen to give away large chunks of their fortunes in the sunset periods of their lives. But things have changed in the 21st century: Philanthropy is growing worldwide, and philanthropists are starting earlier than ever. Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan, who just pledged to give away 99 percent of their estimated $45.5 billion fortune over their lifetimes, are just 31 and 30, respectively. Both Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, the forefathers of modern philanthropy, did most of their giving when they were much older. America’s second wealthiest man, Warren Buffett, didn’t begin seriously giving until his 70s. Buffett, along with America’s wealthiest man, Bill Gates, started the Giving Pledge in 2010, encouraging billionaires to donate more than half of their wealth to charity and even getting Zuckerberg to sign on."

From the NY Times, "The New Gilded Age in Philanthropy": "An emerging class of megarich individuals have come to play an outsize role in charitable giving that has now replaced what were once roles fulfilled by government."

The ultra-rich that the left seems to hate so very much - sure, they may buy an occasional Ferrari (hell, it's their money, why shouldn't they?), but I think it's also fair to say that they are the ones who keep an entire flotilla of charities afloat (as diverse as medical research, public hospitals, educational grants/foundations, museums, etc.) This "evil Ebenezer Scrooge" caricature of the uber-wealthy is terribly exaggerated and narrow-minded. The US has always been an aspirational society - and truth be told, has provided more "rags to riches" stories than just about any system in the world. People come here to "make it big", and traditionally, many then show their gratitude and "pay it forward" with generous philanthropic efforts. I just don't get this new "Hate the Rich" philosophy. I prefer the "Work Hard and Build your own Wealth" point of view.

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3 hours ago, Mrs. Peel said:

The ultra-rich that the left seems to hate so very much - sure, they may buy an occasional Ferrari (hell, it's their money, why shouldn't they?), but I think it's also fair to say that they are the ones who keep an entire flotilla of charities afloat (as diverse as medical research, public hospitals, educational grants/foundations, museums, etc.)

This is true:

..." Philanthropic giving is one of the primary pursuits of the wealthy, particularly among the ultra wealthy, with 36% of the rich, and 57% of the super rich pointing to charitable giving as one of their top interests.

Last year the ultra wealthy made several high-profile mega-gifts. For example, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos donated $2 billion to the Day One Fund  to help the homeless, and Michael Bloomberg gave $1.8 billion to his alma malter, Johns Hopkins University, for financial aid. "

4 hours ago, Handyman said:

That's the thing about the socialist system. It is a jealous system.

This is also true, and contrary to Greenday's illusion, the majority of rich people are SELF MADE (yes Greenday, they worked for it) versus inheriting it.

...."Only a small percentage of the world's richest people inherited all of their money. The majority are responsible for self creating some or all of their fortune, according to the report.

Nearly 84% of high-net-worth-individuals made their own fortunes. Only about 5% completely inherited their money and about 12% have a fortune that combines inherited and self-made wealth."
 
 
and lastly Greenday, here's the secret. Learn these ten important points, and you too can be an evil rich person: Here's one from the list:

2. The middle class live above their means, the rich live below

The rich don’t spend their money on depreciating liabilities, they spend their money on appreciating assets and they live below their means.

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/10-differences-between-middle-class-and-rich-people.html

 

 

 

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This is the problem with these ideologies. They are never consistent. They are made at an emotional level and never fully thought through to stand the test of consistency. "They dont need that much money" is not a standard made in objectivity, but envy. If we try to apply that to them and set a different limit, such as "You dont need a car that goes above the speed limit" or "You dont need that extra room in your house that you arent using, so lets reduce the size of your house.", they back peddle and say well thats not what i meant, or that's a different issue. There views just dont work in practice and always comes at the cost of someones freedom.

Our views are what truly stands the test of consistency. We want freedom. Period. I dont care that some guy is making millions while i live a modest life. Thats my choice. If I do not like the circumstances of my living I have the freedom to learn and pick up a skill and expand my options. We literally have all the knowledge of recorded human history in the palm of our hands. It will take time but thats why only those with the drive end up suceeding. Even standards of living are not standard. They are rooted in what is considered the norm at the time. So someone in the 1800's would look at your car, your tv, your cell phones, your internet and look at you as ultra rich. But we compare what we have with what other people have now and think we have such a substandard life. Envy is natural, but you should want to build yourself up to that level, not drag the successful ones down so you feel better about yourself.

Dan Crenshaw said it best. Our governments goal should be to tax us AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE and maintain their services. Not to fund never ending social programs and choose winners and losers.

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On 4/6/2019 at 9:01 AM, Greenday said:

They don't NEED anything more in return. And they are still getting more by paying more. Better roads, better schools, better healthcare, etc. In the end, someone is getting shafted. But if I have to choose between someone getting their third Ferrari or multiple people having to choose between feeding themselves or their kids, I'm going to say let's go ahead and sacrifice buying that Ferrari. Their quality of life won't be drastically affected by having one less supercar. 

But let's go ahead and look at your Walmart example. $15/hr sure sounds like a lot of money. That's a whopping $31,200/yr. And assuming you'll be given enough hours to qualify for benefits (which I'm sure aren't high quality), that's a budget of $2,400 a month. And for argument's sake, let's pick Camden County since that's the cheapest county to live in for New Jersey:

Average cost of a studio: $789/month

Food: $273/month

Transportation: $773/month

Health Care: $346/month (I highly doubt Walmart is giving their lower level employees good options with $0 payments per month)

Other necessities: $429/month (Already over budget at this point).

Taxes: $482/month

Total: $3,091/month or $37,098/year.

https://www.epi.org/resources/budget/

So basically you'll never be able to afford your own piece of property. Saving up to get a vehicle is out. Pray to God you never get sick. Never have fun that costs money. And you still come out negative at the end of the year by thousands of dollars. So now you have to get a second job JUST to afford the bare minimum in life. That's bullshit. A full-time job should cover necessary life expenses. And Walmart's benefits are mediocre at best. From cashier to co-manager in 3-5 years? Stop. That is completely unrealistic. Then store manager in 5-7 years? What planet do you live on where you go from the bottom to the top in 5-7 years? If this was a viable plan, everyone would be doing it. Shit, in 7 years max I'll be a store manager making $150-250k/yr? That's better career advancement than most jobs in the US. Did you read about this happening to like one person and assume this would apply to thousands of employees every year? Your plan that will never come true for most people even if they are good employees who work their asses off would just continue to create a larger divide between the rich and people who have jack shit.

It sounds like you might be advocating for a "living wage".  Jobs in retail (like Walmart), fast food, filling stations, and the like are NOT for people that are out on their own making a living.  They are for the high school or college student making a little money or a recent retiree looking to supplement his/her Social Security.  Careful and smart career planning should start while someone is in high school.  A person who earns a BA in Liberal Arts should not be surprised that a person with a BS in Nursing will make more money than they will.

There are a number of government programs available to people who are "working a second or third job".  We had a guy in our shop who working as a trailer mechanic making $12 an hour.  He wanted to go to a diesel technology school to become a mechanic to make, potentially 60 to 80k a year, depending on the market.  The government program we hooked him up with allowed him to go to school at night for two years, receive a small stipend for books and incidentals, and a brand new toolbox loaded with tools that he keeps provided he completed the program (he did).  He ended up earning all of the ASE certifications needed to become a Master Technician.  I don't remember the name of that government program but my point is there are a lot of them.  You just need to figure out what you want to do.  College isn't always the answer.

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On 4/6/2019 at 9:01 AM, Greenday said:

They don't NEED anything more in return. And they are still getting more by paying more. Better roads, better schools, better healthcare, etc. In the end, someone is getting shafted. But if I have to choose between someone getting their third Ferrari or multiple people having to choose between feeding themselves or their kids, I'm going to say let's go ahead and sacrifice buying that Ferrari. Their quality of life won't be drastically affected by having one less supercar. 

But let's go ahead and look at your Walmart example. $15/hr sure sounds like a lot of money. That's a whopping $31,200/yr. And assuming you'll be given enough hours to qualify for benefits (which I'm sure aren't high quality), that's a budget of $2,400 a month. And for argument's sake, let's pick Camden County since that's the cheapest county to live in for New Jersey:

Average cost of a studio: $789/month

Food: $273/month

Transportation: $773/month

Health Care: $346/month (I highly doubt Walmart is giving their lower level employees good options with $0 payments per month)

Other necessities: $429/month (Already over budget at this point).

Taxes: $482/month

Total: $3,091/month or $37,098/year.

https://www.epi.org/resources/budget/

So basically you'll never be able to afford your own piece of property. Saving up to get a vehicle is out. Pray to God you never get sick. Never have fun that costs money. And you still come out negative at the end of the year by thousands of dollars. So now you have to get a second job JUST to afford the bare minimum in life. That's bullshit. A full-time job should cover necessary life expenses. And Walmart's benefits are mediocre at best. From cashier to co-manager in 3-5 years? Stop. That is completely unrealistic. Then store manager in 5-7 years? What planet do you live on where you go from the bottom to the top in 5-7 years? If this was a viable plan, everyone would be doing it. Shit, in 7 years max I'll be a store manager making $150-250k/yr? That's better career advancement than most jobs in the US. Did you read about this happening to like one person and assume this would apply to thousands of employees every year? Your plan that will never come true for most people even if they are good employees who work their asses off would just continue to create a larger divide between the rich and people who have jack shit.

I live on earth.  My wife went from hourly employee to Asst Mgr of the 3rd busiest Walmart in the country in 3 years.  Co-Manager of different Super-Store in 4 years...total time there.  Not another 4 years.  She was on track to Manage a D1 store.  (Smallest class of walmart store. No dedicated, huge grocery side) in another year before she left to work for a different company.

Health benefits Mediocre at best?  Not so.  They are pretty damn good. And not expensive. Included Dental.  They also allow for medical leaves of absence where your job is protected and you get paid.  They also have an emergency fund program where they will pay up to about $1000, once per year for things like utility bills that are behind, rent, etc.  This program has a name and its a gift.  Hardship request I believe.

The story of advancement is repeated constantly in that company as well as others.  I didn’t “read” about. I know the people.  Does it happen for the people who take too many days off because they like to party on the weekends? Or show up late too much? No.....   It does happen for the people who work hard.  Learn as much as possible and have a good work ethic in general.  So in fact.... for most people who try.....it does in fact work that way.

To be clear....the advancement is not a gift. You have to earn it. You have to be competent. If you don’t take your commitment as an employee seriously, not only will you not advance...you will likely be fired.  Eventually.  Even though its a bit hard to get fired at a walmart.

I’ll say it again. You really don’t get it. That’s unfortunate.  You’ve been indoctrinated into believing that the part of society that works hard is responsible for those that don’t work hard.  And failure to pony up gets your property taken away and quite possibly, gets you jailed.  All this at the hands of a non-representative, tyrranical government.

What is bullshit.....as you put it.....is the belief that an able-bodied American is prevented from succeeding by some group of evil rich people.  The reality is those ‘evil’ rich people create the jobs where people can earn a good living and use what they learn to go as high as they choose to go.  How many companies in a given industry were started by employees who worked in that industry for some number of years?  The list is pretty damn long in tech.  I bet its also pretty damn long in construction, service industries and so on.

But we should thank you by the way.  By posting the things you post, it gives us an opportunity to solidify the fact that leftists and socialists are wrong. And we are right.   

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11 minutes ago, Kevin125 said:

I live on earth.  My wife went from hourly employee to Asst Mgr of the 3rd busiest Walmart in the country in 3 years.  Co-Manager of different Super-Store in 4 years...total time there.  Not another 4 years.  She was on track to Manage a D1 store.  (Smallest class of walmart store. No dedicated, huge grocery side) in another year before she left to work for a different company.

Health benefits Mediocre at best?  Not so.  They are pretty damn good. And not expensive. Included Dental.  They also allow for medical leaves of absence where your job is protected and you get paid.  They also have an emergency fund program where they will pay up to about $1000, once per year for things like utility bills that are behind, rent, etc.  This program has a name and its a gift.  Hardship request I believe.

The story of advancement is repeated constantly in that company as well as others.  I didn’t “read” about. I know the people.  Does it happen for the people who take too many days off because they like to party on the weekends? Or show up late too much? No.....   It does happen for the people who work hard.  Learn as much as possible and have a good work ethic in general.  So in fact.... for most people who try.....it does in fact work that way.

To be clear....the advancement is not a gift. You have to earn it. You have to be competent. If you don’t take your commitment as an employee seriously, not only will you not advance...you will likely be fired.  Eventually.  Even though its a bit hard to get fired at a walmart.

I’ll say it again. You really don’t get it. That’s unfortunate.  You’ve been indoctrinated into believing that the part of society that works hard is responsible for those that don’t work hard.  And failure to pony up gets your property taken away and quite possibly, gets you jailed.  All this at the hands of a non-representative, tyrranical government.

What is bullshit.....as you put it.....is the belief that an able-bodied American is prevented from succeeding by some group of evil rich people.  The reality is those ‘evil’ rich people create the jobs where people can earn a good living and use what they learn to go as high as they choose to go.  How many companies in a given industry were started by employees who worked in that industry for some number of years?  The list is pretty damn long in tech.  I bet its also pretty damn long in construction, service industries and so on.

But we should thank you by the way.  By posting the things you post, it gives us an opportunity to solidify the fact that leftists and socialists are wrong. And we are right.   

Your real life experience is no match for what he hears from from CNN, NPR or whatever source that has molded his ideas. My dad came to this country with less than 30 dollars (he never let's us forget) and started as a dish washer speaking no English. He did his job well and moved up in the restaurant business because he had a passion for design and got into offering suggestions for menu designs. This lead to him into contact with people in the design world and he got more experience with the inner workings of the industry. Eventually he started his own design company and throughout the years he was able to afford a house and send his kids to college. 

He did this without ever complaining about how unfair he had it or how oppressed he was.

Kevin125, We can list example after example of our lives that contradict his viewpoints of success and it'll be as effective as warding off a murderer with a gun free zone sign.

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On 4/8/2019 at 12:45 PM, dilbert1967 said:

It sounds like you might be advocating for a "living wage".  Jobs in retail (like Walmart), fast food, filling stations, and the like are NOT for people that are out on their own making a living.  They are for the high school or college student making a little money or a recent retiree looking to supplement his/her Social Security.  Careful and smart career planning should start while someone is in high school.  A person who earns a BA in Liberal Arts should not be surprised that a person with a BS in Nursing will make more money than they will.

 

On 4/8/2019 at 6:51 PM, EngineerJet said:

Your real life experience is no match for what he hears from from CNN, NPR or whatever source that has molded his ideas. My dad came to this country with less than 30 dollars (he never let's us forget) and started as a dish washer speaking no English. He did his job well and moved up in the restaurant business

These are great points about how life really operates.

Unfortunately, the Special Snowflakes, (like one we have here), have no interest in working their way up the ladder. They expect $70K a year jobs right after college, with their Liberal Arts BS degree. Then, they expect to get a raise and promotion every year, just because. Plus stock options, pensions, FREE healthcare, huge 401K matches, 6 weeks vacation, etc. in their first year of full time employment.

The also expect/entitled to be able to buy the same sized 2500 sq. ft. McMansion, that they lived in with their parents when they were teenagers as their first house. They also feel entitled to have two new SUV's in the driveway. Add in they should be able to eat dinner out at least a dozen times a month, buy $5 lattees every morning, and get take out everyday for lunch.

This is why they think it's fair to TAKE money from all those evil rich people, as they think they are ENTITLED to the life style I just outlined. Work hard to achieve it? That's not in the plan at all, it should be given to them.

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On 4/6/2019 at 9:01 AM, Greenday said:

From cashier to co-manager in 3-5 years? Stop. That is completely unrealistic. Then store manager in 5-7 years? What planet do you live on where you go from the bottom to the top in 5-7 years? If this was a viable plan, everyone would be doing it. Shit, in 7 years max I'll be a store manager making $150-250k/yr?

It only happens to people who actual WORK for a living, NOT just show up each day (like you do).

Walmart says store managers are making an average of $175,000 a year

...." In the company's first ever environmental, social and governance report, the nation's largest private employer reveals store managers earn an average salary of $175,000 a year.

They said more than 75 percent of them have worked through the ranks after starting out as hourly employees."

https://abc13.com/finance/walmart-managers-earn-$175000-a-year-on-average-report/5293048/

 

 

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On 4/8/2019 at 6:28 PM, Kevin125 said:

I live on earth.  My wife went from hourly employee to Asst Mgr of the 3rd busiest Walmart in the country in 3 years.  Co-Manager of different Super-Store in 4 years...total time there.  Not another 4 years.  She was on track to Manage a D1 store.  (Smallest class of walmart store. No dedicated, huge grocery side) in another year before she left to work for a different company.

 

46 minutes ago, Sniper said:

They said more than 75 percent of them have worked through the ranks after starting out as hourly employees."

In my experience working with 2 major food and beverage companies, I had occasion to meet some people who worked at Walmart's Bentonville Arkansas HQ - I was amazed how many of their staff at the director-level and above (including Sr Leadership Team members) had actually started on the sales floor... and moved quickly through the company ranks. 

I don't think this is unique to Walmart either. This echoes a personal story I know about Home Depot: my friend's sister started off in a sales role with them. Now, to be fair, she is a very intelligent, busy-savvy woman with a degree who also happens to look like a model, lol. But man, has she zoomed up the ranks of that company! Really meteoric rise... sales floor, assistant mgr,  then over to loss prevention, then regional loss prevention... then because she had never actually managed a store they moved her into that role and after a year at that, she's now over all store operations for a large region of stores. I mean, she was blasting through roles... every year or so, another promotion. She's very confident and knowledgeable of retail operations, logistics, etc.... her very happy husband doesn't work... he lives on the golf course... they own a beautiful home plus a vacation home...  they sent their kids to top colleges, etc. Yup... little ol' Home Depot!!

NEVER, EVER believe that ANY job or company is too "lowly" for a talented, hard worker to parlay into a winning career!! In fact, if you're surrounded by slackers... that's to your distinct advantage, because the comparison makes you shine even brighter.

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1 hour ago, Sniper said:

It only happens to people who actual WORK for a living, NOT just show up each day (like you do).

Walmart says store managers are making an average of $175,000 a year

...." In the company's first ever environmental, social and governance report, the nation's largest private employer reveals store managers earn an average salary of $175,000 a year.

They said more than 75 percent of them have worked through the ranks after starting out as hourly employees."

https://abc13.com/finance/walmart-managers-earn-$175000-a-year-on-average-report/5293048/

 

 

This is a fact.  And many managers make quite a bit more than that $175K average. Its a challenging job.  They have to work hard for that money. Which is as it should be.

 

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35 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

I mean, she was blasting through roles... every year or so, another promotion. She's very confident

 

35 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

NEVER, EVER believe that ANY job or company is too "lowly" for a talented, hard worker to parlay into a winning career!!

That is exactly what I did. Started as a service tech and equipment installer in my early 20's. Over about a six year or so period, I moved up to Service manager, then Designer and Project Manager, then Sales, the Equipment Manager. Hard work, paying attention, willing to do whatever it took, always looking to learn more, were the secrets. Never worried about who was making more than me, or if the "evil" boss was keeping all the profits. I just focused on what I needed to do to make more than them.

Then, using all the knowledge I learned, started my own equipment business when I was 30.

Nobody gave me nothing, I used a home equity loan to fund my start-up business. Many years later, sold the company to my biggest competitor, and worked for them as a Territory Equipment Manager. Hard work, determination, never giving up, and I was able to retire in my 50's, zero regrets and totally happy.

But then again, I'm not a Socialist, but a Capitalist.

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Well, it looks like it's not just students and snowflakes...

Four in 10 Americans Embrace Some Form of Socialism

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans today are more closely divided than they were earlier in the last century when asked whether some form of socialism would be a good or bad thing for the country. While 51% of U.S. adults say socialism would be a bad thing for the country, 43% believe it would be a good thing. Those results contrast with a 1942 Roper/Fortune survey that found 40% describing socialism as a bad thing, 25% a good thing and 34% not having an opinion.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/257639/four-americans-embrace-form-socialism.aspx

gallup.jpg

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This is being driven by promised “free stuff”.  Like free college tuition, free healthcare, free cash.  Clearly, the people supporting the idea of socialism are ignorant.  They are clueless about what socialism really is and the effect it would have on the country and eventually, their own asses.

If the question were asked properly and specifically pointed out the dirty details of socialism, far fewer would support it.

For example, if the poll asked a series of questions pointing out elements of socialism then asking each time, would you support socialism......you’d see people with a functioning brain recinding their support as they learned what socialism would cost them.

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