Susan Rice: Building A More Equitable Economy Is "Essential"
- Thread starter Guard Dad
- Start date
Far West
Pursuit Driver
Boss 302
Pursuit Driver
This whole income equality the socialists keep promoting is nothing more than trying to make everybody earn the same (except for the political elite), which in reality would not be enough because even more will become dependent upon the government. Look at any country that has tried this.
Here's how I see income equality. If you want a really good paying job, then get the education and skill sets to be qualified for that job. Look at adults well into their 40s, 50s and 60s who have been working all their adult lives earning minimum to slightly higher than minimum wage jobs all their lives because they did nothing to obtain an education and/or skill sets for jobs that pay higher. Then you have those college educated people with college degrees in areas that are over saturated; making it very difficult for them to even find a job in the area they majored in.
On the other hand, we have an abundance of skilled trade jobs that go unfilled because public education pushed the need to have a college education over vocational education. Too many students heard all through high school, "You will not make a good living unless you go to college." That tells a kid who struggles learning, "You ain't gonna be shit son." There are a lot of people who went to a trade school making a lot more money than many who graduated from college. Unless you have a Bachelor's Degree in a STEM field, you're education isn't worth near as much as those teachers told you it would be.
The left wants only two classes of people; the working class and the political elite. Big Tech sees that and they want to be a part of the political elite.
Here's how I see income equality. If you want a really good paying job, then get the education and skill sets to be qualified for that job. Look at adults well into their 40s, 50s and 60s who have been working all their adult lives earning minimum to slightly higher than minimum wage jobs all their lives because they did nothing to obtain an education and/or skill sets for jobs that pay higher. Then you have those college educated people with college degrees in areas that are over saturated; making it very difficult for them to even find a job in the area they majored in.
On the other hand, we have an abundance of skilled trade jobs that go unfilled because public education pushed the need to have a college education over vocational education. Too many students heard all through high school, "You will not make a good living unless you go to college." That tells a kid who struggles learning, "You ain't gonna be shit son." There are a lot of people who went to a trade school making a lot more money than many who graduated from college. Unless you have a Bachelor's Degree in a STEM field, you're education isn't worth near as much as those teachers told you it would be.
The left wants only two classes of people; the working class and the political elite. Big Tech sees that and they want to be a part of the political elite.
We have a lot of people who had no higher education at all (nothing above high school, if that even) making more than many college grads.
The key word is skill set and that may or may not come from college. Nothing against college at all, but the reality is that it isn't necessary for everyone to make a fine living. For many people, college was a huge waste of time and money.
I'm technically a high school dropout, though I have a considerable education from non-conventional means. And I've done OK for myself.
If a person has natural intelligence and they are willing to work hard, they can be successful no matter what their education level.
Boss 302
Pursuit Driver
I agree. A person has to have the desire and drive, and to actually take the initiative to acquire the skills needed to be paid more. There are a lot of people out there who want more, but don't want to do the work to have more. They want someone to just give it to them. It doesn't work that way.
The Sound Guy
Pursuit Driver
My FIL learned to be a mechanic in the army motorpool and used those lessons to make a living for 52 years. He had to quit school after 6th grade to work the fields. He could do stuff that many an educated mechanic would exclaim they were not trained to do.
Boss 302
Pursuit Driver
A good example of having the drive and desire to take the initiative to be skilled.
NotSoSecret Russian Agent
Licensed Driver
I dropped out of high school after 2 years of being in the states. Even at age 18 I already saw how ridiculous American educational system was. Things I learned in 5th grade in Russia were taught here in the 11th grade. With that, they were presented to students in little bites as if they were still kindergartners and couldn't comprehend bigger and more complex information.
I got my GED in my 30's, finally deciding I wanted to go to college. I'm a nerd, really, and a perpetual student. I'll take courses just for the information and because I love to learn. I found out that my psychology degree by the time I am done will cost me over $140k in student loans. If I'm lucky, even with a PhD I'd be barely making 40k a year and that's after internship and years of building my own practice. Of course I would have to repay those student loans while paying my bills for my living and overhead for practice. By my calculations it would leave close to nothing to live on for a very long time. Add to it that most of the colleges and institutes at that time implemented a new rule where you're not allowed to take ANY classes outside of your major, even if you paid out of pocket to take them, I simply dropped out of college too.
Getting my real estate license cost me about $1000, including test and state license fees. My life coaching certification $3500. I think I'm doing pretty good, considering all I've heard all my life is "you have to get a degree to be anyone." Well, I am someone. And that someone doesn't work to pay off student loans but leads a decent life. As much as I love knowledge, I'll find it in the libraries and online these days.
My son wanted to go into graphic designing and video production, when he graduated high school. We did research on the fields he wanted to go into together and I had to point out to him how over-saturated they were. In the end he chose an electrician skill, costing a total of $11k that will always be in demand and have a good paycheck.
The problem I see with jobs and education not only our government but a society have are that they are concentrating on 2 things: 1. keeping everyone in debt with student loans, without a job they went to college for and still drum it in that without education you are nothing and 2. everybody is going to get rich and famous simply by having an account on social media.
As far as our dear democratic socialists go though, they forgot to take one important page from the communist's book: not everyone is fit or should be able to get a higher education, so the rest (70% or so of population) must and will be herded into a trade school. And if you don't have a job, don't worry, the government will provide you with one, even if you're pushing the broom around. A job you will have, like it, want it or not. You can't run a government without having constant production and work force to supply those elite with their dachas and caviar.
I'm not sure which is worse: being dependent on the government and taxed to death, or dependent on the government and be its work horse-slave in a country that was built on free enterprise. Even if that enterprise is a dream to become rich and famous by having a YouTube account on how to dodge cat's farts. But we are are going to watch a combination of these two emerging if mindsets don't get adjusted soon. (Taxes and work horse-slave combination. Not cats and farts. Had to clarify that for Guard Dad and Cptlo.)
I got my GED in my 30's, finally deciding I wanted to go to college. I'm a nerd, really, and a perpetual student. I'll take courses just for the information and because I love to learn. I found out that my psychology degree by the time I am done will cost me over $140k in student loans. If I'm lucky, even with a PhD I'd be barely making 40k a year and that's after internship and years of building my own practice. Of course I would have to repay those student loans while paying my bills for my living and overhead for practice. By my calculations it would leave close to nothing to live on for a very long time. Add to it that most of the colleges and institutes at that time implemented a new rule where you're not allowed to take ANY classes outside of your major, even if you paid out of pocket to take them, I simply dropped out of college too.
Getting my real estate license cost me about $1000, including test and state license fees. My life coaching certification $3500. I think I'm doing pretty good, considering all I've heard all my life is "you have to get a degree to be anyone." Well, I am someone. And that someone doesn't work to pay off student loans but leads a decent life. As much as I love knowledge, I'll find it in the libraries and online these days.
My son wanted to go into graphic designing and video production, when he graduated high school. We did research on the fields he wanted to go into together and I had to point out to him how over-saturated they were. In the end he chose an electrician skill, costing a total of $11k that will always be in demand and have a good paycheck.
The problem I see with jobs and education not only our government but a society have are that they are concentrating on 2 things: 1. keeping everyone in debt with student loans, without a job they went to college for and still drum it in that without education you are nothing and 2. everybody is going to get rich and famous simply by having an account on social media.
As far as our dear democratic socialists go though, they forgot to take one important page from the communist's book: not everyone is fit or should be able to get a higher education, so the rest (70% or so of population) must and will be herded into a trade school. And if you don't have a job, don't worry, the government will provide you with one, even if you're pushing the broom around. A job you will have, like it, want it or not. You can't run a government without having constant production and work force to supply those elite with their dachas and caviar.
I'm not sure which is worse: being dependent on the government and taxed to death, or dependent on the government and be its work horse-slave in a country that was built on free enterprise. Even if that enterprise is a dream to become rich and famous by having a YouTube account on how to dodge cat's farts. But we are are going to watch a combination of these two emerging if mindsets don't get adjusted soon. (Taxes and work horse-slave combination. Not cats and farts. Had to clarify that for Guard Dad and Cptlo.)
The Sound Guy
Pursuit Driver
When the truck trailers went to aluminum, he decided that he needed to learn how to weld aluminum. He took scrap over to the machine and started trying to weld it. His supervisor asked what he was doing and he told him. The supervisor told him "Carry on".
He could do any job in that shop, from engines, transmissions body work, trailer work, anything.
He has my greatest respect.
I never finished college myself. I just had a knack for computers and always enjoyed working with them. I really got my career started when the company that install our computer at the bank I worked at decided to give me a shot and hired me. I learned a lot "on the job" to get where I am today. I started at a lower rate than a college educated person (25k a year back in 1996) and I am in the 6 figure range now so I would say I have done very well for not having my degree. I have certifications and experience which trumps a college degree. No student debt either.
Nothing against college whatsoever, but a lot of people simply are not meant for it. We will always need blue collar people and tradesmen, there is a severe shortage of them even now, and I think part of that is due to the mindset that's been forced on us that we all have to go to college to be somebody. We need to back up a bit and return to encouraging vocational education instead of trying to send everyone to collage. Collage has become big business and the truth is that they run a whole bunch of people through their halls and take their money without giving them a degree that has any real earning potential. Higher education should be about further developing people's minds, not just sucking their bank accounts dry.
And then there's student debt...this is way out of hand! I know so many people with 50-100 K in student debt and a degree that is nearly worthless. College grads who are waiting tables or babysitting (nothing wrong with either, but it will be tough paying loans back on those salaries). I made sure I put my kid through college without any debt so neither of us would be chained by it. And I worked my butt off to do it. But, my kid saw the sacrifice I made for her and she learned a valuable lesson from it.
Having said...I think if I had it all to do over again, I would go to college. Though I've done fairly well for myself, I thing my lack of education kept me from reaching my potential. But I'm not your normal blue collar guy, I can do well with "book learning" and critical thinking. A lot of very smart and capable guys I know, one of them is one of my partners, have it "in their hands and not in their heads", if that makes sense. These type of people can be amazing craftsmen, but usually don't do well with schooling. I can do both if I want to bad enough.
And then there's student debt...this is way out of hand! I know so many people with 50-100 K in student debt and a degree that is nearly worthless. College grads who are waiting tables or babysitting (nothing wrong with either, but it will be tough paying loans back on those salaries). I made sure I put my kid through college without any debt so neither of us would be chained by it. And I worked my butt off to do it. But, my kid saw the sacrifice I made for her and she learned a valuable lesson from it.
Having said...I think if I had it all to do over again, I would go to college. Though I've done fairly well for myself, I thing my lack of education kept me from reaching my potential. But I'm not your normal blue collar guy, I can do well with "book learning" and critical thinking. A lot of very smart and capable guys I know, one of them is one of my partners, have it "in their hands and not in their heads", if that makes sense. These type of people can be amazing craftsmen, but usually don't do well with schooling. I can do both if I want to bad enough.
lotstodo
aka "The Jackal"
I'm paraphrasing here, but one of the owners of Waffle House said something like "all you need to succeed in business is a willingness to do do more than needs to be done" I know people who started out there as a waiter who run areas now.
You don't necessarily need a formal education, do your work, ask for more, ask for help doing more. If you haven't received a raise in 6 months, that's probably your fault. I guarantee you that those adults complaining about not being able to support themselves don't show up for work on time 3 days a week.
You don't necessarily need a formal education, do your work, ask for more, ask for help doing more. If you haven't received a raise in 6 months, that's probably your fault. I guarantee you that those adults complaining about not being able to support themselves don't show up for work on time 3 days a week.
And many were the same ones who skipped class, didn't do assignments, and blamed everyone but themselves for their poor grades.