Economic Inequality becoming Permanent in America

[Reverend Rick]

Most folks are unwilling to do what is necessary to climb the social ladder. Sacrifice and hard work are not that common any more. Who among you are willing to work 80 hours a week and travel to dangerous places?

After making some money, who wants to still live poor and risk it all to make even more?

Who is willing to do without when you could do so much better?

Can you delay your satisfaction and work like a dog?

People don't want it that bad, they are happy to get high and just say frig it.

They like their sleep and fun time too much.

 

[dust1n]

That's what I think about my mom who was married for 21 years before divorced, with only an AA, raising a child alone, working soul crushing collection jobs in an economically dead area, just in hopes of being able to have enough to retire on, and this despite year-long disability, brain tumor, ear transplant, and just terrible feeling all the time.

I think about how she just likes sleep and fun time too much.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Well let's take a look at a few self-made millionaires; Oh by the way they are all immigrants
Josie Natori, Lowell Hawthorne, Shama Kabani, Sergey Brin, Carlos Castro, and Jose Wilfredo Flores. But I can't leave out good ole Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now I could list Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Mark Allen, Scott McNealy, Vaughan Pratt, Vinod Khosla, Andy Bechtolsh, Bill Joy, Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore. I could probably go on but my internet provider says they are having weather problems and I'm down to below dial-up speed.

They didn't build that....

 

[Sunstone]

Well let's take a look at a few self-made millionaires; Oh by the way they are all immigrants
Josie Natori, Lowell Hawthorne, Shama Kabani, Sergey Brin, Carlos Castro, and Jose Wilfredo Flores. But I can't leave out good ole Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now I could list Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Mark Allen, Scott McNealy, Vaughan Pratt, Vinod Khosla, Andy Bechtolsh, Bill Joy, Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore.

Please don't tell me you think that is relevant information here. A handful of millionaires opposed to tens of millions of people who have seen no economic mobility? Really? You really want to say the former is relevant?

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

I'll give you a great example. I work for a global factory for a large automotive company. I've seen this time and again at the particular factory in which I work: the only way to move up is to brown-nose and backstab, and I'm not prone to do either. So I get stuck on the bottom rung of the ladder, unable to move up, because I'm not willing to play the game. How is that fair? I come in every day, do my work, and it's the ones who act unethically who get the rewards. Hard work means nothing.

 

[Secret Chief]

I recently read (in respect of that new British class research) that the US is now less socially mobile than the UK.

Inequality is a characteristic of capitalistic society, so it was never going to go away any time soon...

 

[Secret Chief]

I'll give you a great example. I work for a global factory for a large automotive company. I've seen this time and again at the particular factory in which I work: the only way to move up is to brown-nose and backstab, and I'm not prone to do either. So I get stuck on the bottom rung of the ladder, unable to move up, because I'm not willing to play the game. How is that fair? I come in every day, do my work, and it's the ones who act unethically who get the rewards. Hard work means nothing.

2011 (do you mind if I call you that??!!),

for most, employment is an economic imperative, no more, no less. To attach more to it than this is, IMO, a recipe for trouble. Employers give you money to do stuff for them, unless or until they can find a cheaper option (person, machine, software...). So if you invest in your job psychologically you may be mightily upset when your employer decides to **** on you in some way. The deal is you do what they want and they pay you for doing it. Keep it that way. If they ever think it's better for them to let you go, you'll be out the door faster than you can say "But I work hard / enjoy my job / etc etc"

I'm not saying be unethical, I'm just saying keep clear-eyed as to what the arrangement is; why the employer is giving you money they would prefer not to have to. I'm 53 and have worked in various industry sectors (private, public, charity) and this is what I have realised...

 

[Reverend Rick]

One door has to close before another door is opened. Many times we stagnate in our employment getting too comfortable and become more or less satisfied with the status quo.

It's hard to find a better job when you don't even look any more.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It all depends on the self-sacrifice that one wants to make. As the previous poster opined, it all depends if you are comfortable where you are at. If you have the drive to succeed there is, normally, nothing stopping you but yourself.

Because starving your over-worked self so your kids can eat, so you can get back to work, and so you can pay the bills just isn't enough of a personal sacrifice. Hard-work and self-sacrifice just are not the golden key to success many people think it is. They are a part of the forumula, but if they were the keys then I'd be one of the millions in a much better position than we're currently in.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

One door has to close before another door is opened. Many times we stagnate in our employment getting too comfortable and become more or less satisfied with the status quo.

It's hard to find a better job when you don't even look any more.

One key is to not be a clock punching desk monkey if at all possible. Education is one of the keys. I'm in the IT field and constantly have to keep up with ever changing tech and attending seminars, webinars and workshops.......Not only does one need to constantly seek education but it helps to network with the right people. My job motto is...'In order to be successful you must associate yourself with successful people'.......

 

[Reverend Rick]

My job motto is...'In order to be successful you must associate yourself with successful people'.......

This is so right DP. The whole key is to be in the right place at the right time.

Also, you must market yourself correctly and know what your service is worth.

You don't want to overcharge but you don't want to leave money on the table either.

Lastly, you have to be flexible and willing to work any schedule or go any place you are needed.

Once you have become invaluable to people, you can pretty much name your own price.

 

[WyattDerp]

One door has to close before another door is opened. Many times we stagnate in our employment getting too comfortable and become more or less satisfied with the status quo.

It's hard to find a better job when you don't even look any more.

The same goes for thinking. Just look at the lazy stuf thrown around here.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

This is so right DP. The whole key is to be in the right place at the right time.

Also, you must market yourself correctly and know what your service is worth.

Nothing a good lap dance can't fix. Seriously, though, I agree. But like working with plants or animals, networking and marketing yourself has to be practiced. I say get out there, meet people, find how you can fill a niche that matches a want/need they have, and learn from mistakes.

You don't want to overcharge but you don't want to leave money on the table either.

Admittedly, I'm still learning this. What I do and my specialty/training is more rare than dance performance, which is already a rarity compared with other industries.

Lastly, you have to be flexible and willing to work any schedule or go any place you are needed.

Once you have become invaluable to people, you can pretty much name your own price.

If you can work outside, in the freezing cold, or blazing heat, dance on concrete and tear up your knees and feet, work while sick with the flu, and all the while maintain the attitude that the show really must go on, you become a valuable asset to the industry and are considered first before others for a job.

That being said, I'm still looking for that fat paycheck. I'm still re-investing all our net profit back into the growth of the business! :sad: