Peripatetic and OK with it

Yeah, unfortunately, I think this student is the 1% of people who don’t have loans and actually are fiscally responsible.  The hard part is that some people, in order to get ahead, have to get loans.  There’s just no other avenue available to them.

I was amazed to hear the reason for Steve Jobs dropping out of Reed College after 6 months: he felt he was overburdening his working class parents with unnecessary loans.

Luckily for him, he was a genius, and able to manipulate the capitalist market to his own ends (yes, he was that smart  ;)), but not everybody is so lucky that they “serendipitously” decide to go into one of the fastest growing markets on the planet. (And even then, it took a LOOONG time for people to call Steve Jobs a genius. They weren’t as supportive in the early ’90s)  Some people don’t have the stubbornness to know they are right, and keep fighting against the stream.  Some people just want to be social workers, or teachers.  Should they be required to be in debt forever and ever?

Debt is great if it allows you to do something you wouldn’t otherwise have been able to.

But would seem things are getting a little out of whack.

lostinfont:

Reblogged for the last comment.

citylightscomebackinjune:

fuckyeah-nerdery:

pocketfullofrosepose:

stareatthesky:

vandyprincess:

Things happen that are beyond our control. But I definitely happen to believe this side of the argument than others.

That isn’t to say that other people don’t have problems - they do. This person did not mention whether their parents may have given them a car. Or what their major is to get that 3.8 GPA. A 3.8 in English is completely different than a 3.8 in engineering.

Also, this person most likely lives in a town that isn’t super expensive to live in, and therefore doesn’t have to spend as much — though they don’t make as much as those in more expensive places.

This person also doesn’t have children to support which makes a HUGE difference. They are completely independent and have no one relying on them for money. For many, this is not the case. Especially in our economy, families are relying on ANYONE who has a job to help keep them afloat, so this person most likely has parents who are more or less secure financially.

What it comes down to is smart spending decisions. Don’t borrow more than you can pay back. Don’t buy that new SUV that takes a ton of gas. Wait until Christmas for new clothes. Choose the college that will pay YOU to go to school (like for my Cookeville followers, is Tech. Don’t underestimate a debt-free education!). Invite your friends over for a movie night instead of paying $12 to watch one at the theater.

There are many things to blame wall street for. Your personal debt is not one of them.

Agreed completely with Emily.

I completely agree with this picture. I’ve been saving money my whole life. I pay off my credit card each month because I know not to buy things I can’t afford. I choose to eat in the caf at school instead of going and getting better food because the food here is already paid for. I worked hard in high school to get good grades so I would hopefully be accepted on the tuition exchange program. I came to a small school with not very much to do (although I have come to love Bobby Mo) instead of either of my dream schools (UCLA and William & Mary) because I would be paying less than $10,000 every year instead of more than $50,000. I drive the mini-van with almost 115,000 miles on it that my parents let me use with pride. And I’m still involved in school activities and going to get a job next semester. 

Sometimes there are seriously unfortunate circumstances that put people in debt or poverty that are beyond anyone’s control. But most of the time, you have a choice. You have many choices, and the 99% has made choices to get themselves there. 

A gift to my followers. Have at them.

Are any of these people paying attention to what the 99% truly is? There’s a part of me that wants to rant and rave at the idiocy of such comments. Granted, I’m in that so called 53%. I’m lucky. I have a job. I’m married and working at achieving my Masters in Library and Information Science. I have debt but I know it’s by my own choice and no one else’s. I work hard and take time off when I need to rest. I have some medical bills, but for the most part I’m not nearly as stressed as I could be about that last bill that I owe. I’m not looking for hand-outs and I expect that if you need help, you’ll only use that help for the time you need it. You should never exploit unless it’s during Christmas time and you know that 11 Doctors action figure set would look fantastic under the Christmas tree.

I am in no way, shape, or form blaming Wall Street for any debt that I owe.

I AM blaming Wall Street and poor government regulations for allowing our country to sink in economic turmoil. I have issues with accountability. I have issues that government spending was used to bail out banks with poor and illegal practices and nothing has really changed. I have issues for when money that was intended to maintain the health of this great nation was taken from us and used to bail out institutions that had no intention of paying it back. I have issues with tax percentages. If you make more you should contribute more. If you make less, you still contribute, but to the level you can economically afford. If you ran your small business as the government runs its budget, you wouldn’t have a small business. You’d be lucky to survive.

I question some of the 53% mentality. So you worked hard. Fantastic. I’m happy that you have made a great life for yourself. You are living the American Dream. But we live in an era in which we shouldn’t have to work three jobs just to make ends meet. We shouldn’t have to worry about our paying for health care. We shouldn’t have to worry about basic living techniques.

As an advanced society our actually standard of living compared to the rest of the world is quite poor. The education for our future generations is quite poor when we compare it to the rest of the world as well. We have become a numb society, ready to accept anything so long as it doesn’t disrupt our own little circle of existence. If we don’t protest, we can still survive.

There are people out there who do want to work. They are looking for jobs. Do you really think it’s easy?

Really?

That bubble must be nice and rose-colored.

Granted, I will agree that sometimes that isn’t always the case. But any assumption that this is about people not stepping up and getting on with their lives is just plain silly.

And here’s where I really rant, because I can. You can comment about how I’m wrong and you are right but I don’t fucking care. Look outside your little circle of life. If you followed the “correct” path, then you should expect that everyone else should do so as well. That includes institutions that govern our existence. There were banks that took advantage of the fact that our government is not truly elected, they are bought. The more finance you have for your campaign, the more likely you are to be elected. That doesn’t sound democratic to me.

There is a great confusion in the 99% argument. I wish that it was stated more coherently before the occupation occurred, but that can only be discussed in hindsight. This country has real problems and there have been no real solutions. Any attempts by any part of our country’s government have been stalled due to petty party squabbles. We “elected” these idiots. We have no one to blame but ourselves if we don’t stand up and argue when they haven’t done the job they were “elected” to do.

If you want to really know what the 99% argument is really all about, watch Charles Ferguson’s Inside Job. Do a search on PBS’s Frontline program about the 2008 financial crisis. Research how prosperous the Eisenhower administration was compared to the years after Carter. Actually talk and listen to those who are protesting. Never assume anything and use your hard earned education and learn something new.

I’m the 99% and I’m the 53%.

And I’m tired of this bullshit.

And I’m tired of America being blind to its own arrogance.

(PS. Edited to add one additional statement: Fuck you)