In Chicago, IL fast food workers are striking, protesting and demanding $15/hr where the state minimum wage is $8.25/hr.
The average profit margin for a company is about 5-10% and these idiots want their salaries nearly doubled, arguing that they're not receiving a livable wage.
Um, no. I'm getting a bit sick of this attitude of entitlement floating around the USA, and keep in mind I work in the field of social services.
When I graduated and began work as a counselor in the adult psychiatric unit of a Chicago hospital, I made $15/hr with a post-graduate degree and was sent to the emergency room twice for being assaulted on the job within a period of 6 months.
So, what did I do? Did I bitch and complain and protest about my salary or my work conditions? No. Instead, I updated and revised my résumé and began sending it directly to the email addresses of the hiring managers at a variety of agencies. Within 2 months I secured a new job where I am under-qualified and overpaid, and I love my new job. I'm proud of it, and proud of myself for doing what I needed to do to adapt and thrive.
Thoughts?
Different people whine/brag in different ways. Some choose bitcointalk.org forum for example.
I am 'entitled' to social security because I've put in probably at least several hundred large. In the unlikely event that the system does not collapse completely, I only really expect to get back what I need. If I don't need my full 'investment' back it means that I've been lucky enough to remain healthy. If I genuinely need more than I put in it means that I have had some mis-fortune and am probably living in misery. I'd much prefer the former.
Would I prefer to not be forced into this insurance policy but be free to make my own choice? Obviously yes, but human nature is such that it is simply not a workable scheme. I cannot force myself to take up residence in Libertarian la-la-land, though it seems like a cozy area if I could.
Alas, what we have (I strongly believe) is a situation where well connected insiders have managed to abscond with my SS contributions and it is entirely unlikely that I will see anything near a 'fair' return whether I have a true need or not. Sucks, but it makes no sense for me to 'go postal' about it. It would just make my life less pleasant and would not solve the problem. At this point I am comfortable making alternate plans to protect my own ass (like Bitcoin for instance) and trying to support the minority of decent politicians with the wisdom to set up for the best possible outcome (for us plebs) when the shit does finally hit the fan.
In the mean time, my strategy is to arrange my life such that I can go through periods of not making a lot of money and thus not paying a lot into an 'entitlement' system which I strongly believe will ultimately fail me (and the rest of us who are not in the higher echelons of the modern financial capital system.) Doing that now. It's great!
Well said. And yes, some people are whining about other people whining, what can you do.