How does it make you feel that 64% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck?

[blondfrog]

All cause your sending taxes on stupid things that a party that has only been around for less than 200 years tells you what to do? Republican and Democratic party didn't even come first but most of you Americans are too stupid to realize that. Also I am sorry to say this but having two options is never an option, that's called an ultimatum. And ultimatums never end well.

[lightbulb27]

not good, it's very bad. We used to have a solid middle class. It's been trashed.

If more people listened to dave ramsey, and did what he said, we'd be better off. But people have been told what to do by a huge corporate marketing machine since babies and generations of them, and we make bad decisions. The fed promotes that behavior, wreckless spending. Obama era prime example, but most. People spending $90,000 on one car... as if there won't be a rainy day. Insanity! Our society promotoes based not upon discipline, love, honor... no... but on jealousy, fear, shame. It manipulates and programs. We consume a lot of garbage food, etc..

So we pay the consequences. Some people just unlucky, but most are living situations due to bad choices... assuming all days will be sunny, when it was raining.

To their credit, the govt has totally screwed them over decades and many are not wise enough to see it. Only suffering will get them to change, else they will continue doing what they were trained to do. They aren't educated... intentionally... to keep them stupid so they can be controlled.

[Sevenpointfive]

that is probably true. let's say 10% are employed somehow and can afford everything. that's 26% unemployed or employed on welfare. it doesn't factor in people with multiple jobs which also messes with the numbers.

i think we're realistically 50% jobless for a variety of factors (this includes people that can't work, are too young and the elderly). it could be higher? that's unacceptable!

[blondfrog]

I know its messed up man.

[Sevenpointfive]

so i can't get any recent data on this, but at least in 2019, 1/3 of america was receiving some kind of government assistance. you know that number has to be so high right now? and they are stripping these benefits? that's messed up man.

[blondfrog]

Yeah that's crazy. And it has to be higher now in 2025.

[Anonymous]

I’m confused… I work with over 100 staff… I talk to them on a daily basis … no one is in debt… I mean… aside from their mortgages… some don’t even have a mortgage because they paid off in 7-10 years.
like who are these people on debt? Living pay check to pay check?

[blondfrog]

Then they must be the 36 percent

[Opinion Owner]

The rest need to learn from them. So they don’t go broke

[blondfrog]

That's true but it also depends on what line of your doing as well.

[Opinion Owner]

What line?

[blondfrog]

Line of work sorry lol typo

[Opinion Owner]

Lots of blue collar.
Some income under property.
Difference… they save 50%. Vs. the 64% who spent 200% of their income… right?

[Anonymous]

That's what you get for letting AI think for you.

[abc3643]

Good and bad.
Bad because I am one of them given my wife's "Terminally Ill Drunken Democratic Sailor" spending mentality.
Good because I could see this coming in the first half of the 1980s so I chose not have kids to protect them from this nightmare.

[Ariesman81]

@abc3643

I think God would forgive you

[abc3643]

We have something of a teachable moment...
The "Why It's Happening" in the AI answer above is insufficient.
Those are direct causes... like symptoms. These are not what we call "root causes".

For instance:
"Housing Costs: Mortgage and rent expenses consume a much larger portion of income than in decades past."

That's true... but WHY is that true? Well, there's a few factors here...

First, the last "Why": Insufficient income. Wages haven't increased as fast as the rising costs (inflation, but that's part of it).
Also, basic Economics 101: The law of supply and demand. There's more people, so there's more demand. But, worse, there's less supply and that's the real problem. Institutional investors buy up older homes, raze them, then build new expensive homes on the property... homes that only the wealthy can afford. So, there are less "starter homes" or homes that are simply more accessible with most people's income.

In short, ALWAYS keep asking "Why?" something is true. Let your inner 2-year-old come out and constantly ask why things are the way they are. When you do that, you will learn a lot about the real world and human nature and... which political parties are more aligned with your best interests.

[abc3643]

The basic economic civilization that we've had for hundreds of years is beginning to fail because of 3 things:
1. Our competitors have societies which operate differently and more efficiently. They also have less checks and balances which we normally have.
2. Our own checks and balances on bad behavior are being removed for the past 45 years. They were put in place from the 1890s to the 1970s, but have begun to unravel in the late 1970s/early 1980s.
3. Technology and outsourcing. These have led to needing less people or using less expensive people. All this saves money for the owners, but their savings isn't spread to the remaining workers. Instead, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

I fully expect that the United States as we know it will cease to exist before 2150.

[abc3643]

@Ariesman81 God doesn't need to forgive me for this. I've done God's work.

[Friendlybro79]

We're not too stupid to realize the points you made about how incompetent both our parties are. We need a better way (without violence) to make much needed changes to ensure politicians work for us and not rich donors and super PACs. We need to get rid of money in politics big time.

[Snakeyes7]

We haven't been a capitalist country since 1913 when the federal reserve, federal income tax and Dodge v. Ford was established. I'm so tired of seeing morons whining about capitalism when the conditions we live in now are their own doing.

[exitseven]

people are living beyond their means. They go on expensive vacations, they subscribe ot 3 or 4 pay channels and eat out 3 or 4 times a week, Cut back on extras and put some money in the bank every week

[DryGermanGuy]

How is that even possible in Trump’s amazing golden age of America? 🤔

[DryGermanGuy]

Hold on to your butts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DESCw-rknLo

[Agape93]

I don't care.

[blondfrog]

You will when it effects you directly but then it will be too late.

[Agape93]

Except it hasn't. If I lost my job right now, I can keep my shit paid in full for the next 6 or 7 months of not working at all. A lot of what people waste their money on, I don't.

[NathanDavis]

nothing new...