I'm a bit nervous about writing this because there's always a chance I'll have to eat my words. But that's never stopped me before (even though it always tastes nasty), so here it is.
According to the general definition, I would be considered in the 99%. I have less than $1000 to my name, I'm $15,000 in debt (yay college), I work three jobs and am going to school full time. Yeah, it's a lot of work, but I'm not complaining (that much...). This semester has been an experiment in how little you can live on. I pay rent, utilities, gas and food on 10 hours per week at minimum wage. God's been faithful-- there have been a few times when I've wondered how I would pay for gas and a day later someone would send me a $20 with a note that they were thinking of me. No, I'm not paying medical or car insurance, I'm not making large payments on my college loans, and I have roommates, but it's amazing how little you can live decently on.
[Here's where I might get myself into trouble...] My question for all you 99%-ers is how did you get to where you are now? Have you consistently lived on a budget, always paid your credit card in full every month, only bought a house when you were prepared to, always been a reliable, hard-working employee, and never squandered your money on random/dumb stuff? If your answer to anything above is 'no', I really don't feel that bad for you. It's not the government's job to take care of you. There are jobs to be had, but you have to be willing to do them. Digging ditches never hurt anybody.
I don't mean to be harsh. My family has been indirectly affected by these hard economic times, and I know several families who have been directly affected with job loss and the like. I get that it's hard, and you can't always control what will happen to you. But you can control how hard you work and how well you manage your money. As a general rule, the work ethic in the US is quite poor. Where I worked this summer, if you showed up consistently and gave 50% while you were there, you kept your job. It wasn't too tough.
According to the general definition, I would be considered in the 99%. I have less than $1000 to my name, I'm $15,000 in debt (yay college), I work three jobs and am going to school full time. Yeah, it's a lot of work, but I'm not complaining (that much...). This semester has been an experiment in how little you can live on. I pay rent, utilities, gas and food on 10 hours per week at minimum wage. God's been faithful-- there have been a few times when I've wondered how I would pay for gas and a day later someone would send me a $20 with a note that they were thinking of me. No, I'm not paying medical or car insurance, I'm not making large payments on my college loans, and I have roommates, but it's amazing how little you can live decently on.
[Here's where I might get myself into trouble...] My question for all you 99%-ers is how did you get to where you are now? Have you consistently lived on a budget, always paid your credit card in full every month, only bought a house when you were prepared to, always been a reliable, hard-working employee, and never squandered your money on random/dumb stuff? If your answer to anything above is 'no', I really don't feel that bad for you. It's not the government's job to take care of you. There are jobs to be had, but you have to be willing to do them. Digging ditches never hurt anybody.
I don't mean to be harsh. My family has been indirectly affected by these hard economic times, and I know several families who have been directly affected with job loss and the like. I get that it's hard, and you can't always control what will happen to you. But you can control how hard you work and how well you manage your money. As a general rule, the work ethic in the US is quite poor. Where I worked this summer, if you showed up consistently and gave 50% while you were there, you kept your job. It wasn't too tough.
"God helps them who helps themselves" is not in the Bible. This is:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” Ephesians 6:7
Hard work won't hurt you, people.
Hard work won't hurt you, people.
This concludes my little rant of the week.
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