"The Secret Shame of Middle Class Americans" - Page 11

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@Mominohio wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Lila Belle wrote:
I know many people who live paycheck to paycheck and they are not in debt or living beyond their means.

Perhaps the secret shame of the middle class is their disdain for those who are not like them and a lack of understanding and empathy for those who just make enough to get by and are not able to set enough aside in savings .

I will offer up that the secret shame might just be that many of us have been in positions of poverty and worked our way up and out of it, know it can be done, but want to appear politically correct and don't voice the expectation that others do the same.

The shame is that when you have achieved, you are supposed to be almost ashamed that you have, excuse all those that don't, and are supposed to relieve your guilt of achieving by giving a pass to those who won't try.

The shame is that more of us don't separate those who truly can't from those that just won't.
@Mominohio

What?? People should be ashamed because they have worked hard and achieved? Just who is influencing them to feel this way? Where is this coming from?

You really don't see the "rich are evil" attitudes on these boards? It comes up all the time. I'm not saying people should be ashamed for achieving, but that many in today's society believe that people of wealth should feel that way.

Heck the powers that be think whatever the rich have earned should be taken and given to those who haven't.

"Where is this coming from?" Really?

***************************

Nah, you are wrong. The rich are our people: Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg. We love them for their compassion.

Spurt · ‎03-20-2010

@Mominohio wrote:
I believe the 'financial fragility' is due to (for most people, but certainly not everyone) overspending and desire for nonessentials that they can't pay for. Even the most modest income level members of our society expect (at a young age) to own the technology, better cars, and nicer homes, big vacations, that people generations ago took a lifetime to accumulate.

Regardless of the size of the paycheck, most people spend beyond their means, and think they can't save. Many were never taught to even put back a very small amount each week and build an emergency fund.

@Mominohio You do make some good points especially when it comes to technology people will spend whatever it takes to get the latest and greatest iphones with the most expensive plans......I am SHOCKED at what people pay on their phone bills, gotta have the unlimited data ya know....then $20 per line....then add to that all the outrageous fees and taxes and WOW!!! A friends daughter lives without A/C in the HOT Texas summer just to be able to afford her high phone/cable bill .....so people's priorities can be a bit CRAZY these days!!!

Although the majority of the people I know live in modest homes and don't go on elaborate vacations---and drive older cars....

Animals are reliable, full of love, true in their affections, grateful. Difficult standards for people to live up to.”

KALLIE · ‎02-17-2016

@Mominohio wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Lila Belle wrote:
I know many people who live paycheck to paycheck and they are not in debt or living beyond their means.

Perhaps the secret shame of the middle class is their disdain for those who are not like them and a lack of understanding and empathy for those who just make enough to get by and are not able to set enough aside in savings .

I will offer up that the secret shame might just be that many of us have been in positions of poverty and worked our way up and out of it, know it can be done, but want to appear politically correct and don't voice the expectation that others do the same.

The shame is that when you have achieved, you are supposed to be almost ashamed that you have, excuse all those that don't, and are supposed to relieve your guilt of achieving by giving a pass to those who won't try.

The shame is that more of us don't separate those who truly can't from those that just won't.
@Mominohio

What?? People should be ashamed because they have worked hard and achieved? Just who is influencing them to feel this way? Where is this coming from?

You really don't see the "rich are evil" attitudes on these boards? It comes up all the time. I'm not saying people should be ashamed for achieving, but that many in today's society believe that people of wealth should feel that way.

Heck the powers that be think whatever the rich have earned should be taken and given to those who haven't.

"Where is this coming from?" Really?

You're 100% correct. Lots of those who post here think so. The rich don't have ANY obligation to give to those who don't have it.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Trinity11 wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Trinity11 wrote:
@esmeraldagooch wrote:
Not to mention those who are not even citizens who are on WIC and welfare getting money for things they haven't even paid into.
Have we as a nation become so heartless that we want to deny a child a meal?
Have we become so PC that we don't require their parents to step up or step out?
It has nothing to do with political correctness and everything to do with our humanity. When it comes to a child who had nothing to do with their parents actions we should not punish them by starving them.

As this same argument usually goes here, I have yet to see anyone say 'Hey, let's starve the kiddos'.

What the point is, is that it costs money. The 'bank' is not infinite that pays for this. There has to be some kind of limit to it. There has to be real oversight with it. There have to be controls that are set and enforced when people continue to flood our borders and take what many of our own citizens are in need of but don't get.

That is not being heartless or unkind or terrible. It is being realistic.

The old 'give a man a fish' will always apply. Maybe give him the first one, but teaching him to fish (and then seeing that he does so) is much more loving.

Spurt · ‎03-20-2010

@Moonchilde wrote:
@shoekitty wrote:
Part of the problem is when the tech age burst on the scene millions of jobs were eliminated or downsized. My husband for one had a company that kept on yop of things. He was lucky. However, they got rid of the older people, and worked with those like my husband who were a bit younger at the time. He is an engineer. Believe me there is not one engineer who has a compass and slide ruler anymore, Who has a draft table? They don't use the same tools, or supplies. (Think of the workers that used to make those products). Gone. he had to be retrained to design on computer., then they learned a different method. Think of the people in banks who sorted our cashed checks put them in the drawer, and mailed them to you end of the month? Many were of age to retire when many jobs were no longer needed. When we mail our bills in, there is no human to sort, open put them to our acct, deposit them. Think of the operators who answered "may I help you?, and found a phone number, address for you...for FREE.

What I am saying is the middle class was put out of many jobs by machines, computers, or a more efficent way to get work done with the least human time. Shoot there was time not too long ago humans pasted labels to beer bottles in the factory.
I think in several years even teachers will be replaced in many classes by pod casts, by students using ipads. It is sad, but jobs of the future are hard to predict. I am 68, and never 35 years ago could I dream of this world. Shoot I remember a world where you had to see a movie in the theaters, then wait for 5 years before it was shown on TV in black and white. No VHS, CD, DVD for sure!

But heck, @shoekitty, somehow, some way, it's all our fault, really. We just should have known - that it would happen, what the future cost of living would be, and most important of all - we should have calculated things so that no matter what happened, we would all have sufficient $$ (whatever unknown figure that might be) to take care of ourselves until we die, without government help. If we can't do that, obviously we're worthless, selfish, lazy spendthrifts - always have been, always will be I guess ;-(

😜😏😒😖

@Moonchilde Yep, all we had to do was to pay attention to the Jetsons so why weren't we prepared..SHAME ON US! ) ..(EXCEPT for the flying cars that is....something I hope they NEVER EVER invent---people drive bad enough on land---LOL).......

Animals are reliable, full of love, true in their affections, grateful. Difficult standards for people to live up to.”

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@truffle wrote:
@gardensla wrote:
Wage stagnation is killing the middle class.
Wage stagnation and low interest rates for a savings account. Every year most Americans have to get a smog test so they can renew their vehicle registration only to discover that they have various sensor lights that require removing and wouldn't you know it, it often means shelling out some money.

While our vehicles are up on the lifts, the mechanic usually finds something else needing work and then there's just the routine maintenance of periodically getting a new battery or new tires. Every year this can set you back a few hundred which I feel would be annoying to anyone regardless of their ability to pay for it on a debit card or credit card. It just never ends with cars.

I really detest those sensors especially when they don't pertain to emissions.

I'd be interested to know just how many places need those tests. I thought is was only in a few major cities in most states, some states not at all.

I'll look it up, as until you brought it up, I had forgotten it even exists, as we don't have to do it around our area.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Noel7 wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@esmeraldagooch wrote:
Don't mind feeding citizens but non I have a problem with. If you knew how prevalent this was and the huge amount of people walking around with vouchers and multiple EBT cards in their wallets you would be applaud.
No, unfortunately they won't. It is easier to make excuses about the children, than to hold the adults responsible. That is too much like tough love and reality, and those things don't go over well with some people.
**********************************

Is what you mean we let the children starve so we can teach their parents a lesson?

Why, yes, we should let the children starve. Of course, Why not?

Get real! And you know better.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Noel7 wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Lila Belle wrote:
I know many people who live paycheck to paycheck and they are not in debt or living beyond their means.

Perhaps the secret shame of the middle class is their disdain for those who are not like them and a lack of understanding and empathy for those who just make enough to get by and are not able to set enough aside in savings .

I will offer up that the secret shame might just be that many of us have been in positions of poverty and worked our way up and out of it, know it can be done, but want to appear politically correct and don't voice the expectation that others do the same.

The shame is that when you have achieved, you are supposed to be almost ashamed that you have, excuse all those that don't, and are supposed to relieve your guilt of achieving by giving a pass to those who won't try.

The shame is that more of us don't separate those who truly can't from those that just won't.
@Mominohio

What?? People should be ashamed because they have worked hard and achieved? Just who is influencing them to feel this way? Where is this coming from?

You really don't see the "rich are evil" attitudes on these boards? It comes up all the time. I'm not saying people should be ashamed for achieving, but that many in today's society believe that people of wealth should feel that way.

Heck the powers that be think whatever the rich have earned should be taken and given to those who haven't.

"Where is this coming from?" Really?
***************************

Nah, you are wrong. The rich are our people: Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg. We love them for their compassion.

Those listed aren't the ones taking it, but they will have enough of it someday.

Beth-QVC · ‎06-14-2015

Moved:

This post has been removed by QVC because it is rude to another poster

Lila Belle · ‎01-24-2013

@Noel7 wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Lila Belle wrote:
I know many people who live paycheck to paycheck and they are not in debt or living beyond their means.

Perhaps the secret shame of the middle class is their disdain for those who are not like them and a lack of understanding and empathy for those who just make enough to get by and are not able to set enough aside in savings .

I will offer up that the secret shame might just be that many of us have been in positions of poverty and worked our way up and out of it, know it can be done, but want to appear politically correct and don't voice the expectation that others do the same.

The shame is that when you have achieved, you are supposed to be almost ashamed that you have, excuse all those that don't, and are supposed to relieve your guilt of achieving by giving a pass to those who won't try.

The shame is that more of us don't separate those who truly can't from those that just won't.
@Mominohio

What?? People should be ashamed because they have worked hard and achieved? Just who is influencing them to feel this way? Where is this coming from?

You really don't see the "rich are evil" attitudes on these boards? It comes up all the time. I'm not saying people should be ashamed for achieving, but that many in today's society believe that people of wealth should feel that way.

Heck the powers that be think whatever the rich have earned should be taken and given to those who haven't.

"Where is this coming from?" Really?
***************************

Nah, you are wrong. The rich are our people: Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg. We love them for their compassion.

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Let's not forget that those who have the least are more generous with their charity, giving, tithing, time and compassion than the "haves" in the middle class.

It's really telling about a person in how they treat and talk about those who are down on their luck isn't it?