You don't have a damn clue about me, you fool. I am AGAINST the welfare system, so quit trying to put words in my mouth like you know me, cuz you don't.
Russell Okung - Huh?
- Thread starter 77cowboy
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You don't have a damn clue about me, you fool. I am AGAINST the welfare system, so quit trying to put words in my mouth like you know me, cuz you don't.
Social inequality is a hard stance and a myth on many levels. Liberals would love it if everyone had the same amount of money, resources, education, etc. The sad reality is the world doesn't work that way, has never worked that way, and will never work that way. Trying to fight or argue for such is pissing in the wind.
Success and the American Dream are a result of many things that align with several moving parts. To a degree, RO is absolutely right: solely working hard doesn't mean someone will "make it" in this societal landscape. It is required, but not the end-all-be-all. I don't have the link saved anymore, but it was given in an economics class while at OSU. Basically stated that those whom inherit their "fortune" with little to no working experience will leave nothing to their next lineage with few exceptions. Being handed a lifestyle or sum of money with no real world experience is a full proof blueprint for failure.
To make it in this country you have to bring something of value to the table, otherwise you are at the mercy of scraps that are left over. Microcosm for the welfare state that has been created and will eventually lead to our demise. People want things handed to them instead of working for them. Trying to "build up" others through the medium of the government and social/entitlement programs is the greatest farce that's ever been told. It's robbing Peter to pay Paul. There is no value created there. A professor at OSU once told me regarding "wealth distribution": "A poor man never gave a man a job." For those that have a creative mind and can solve problems, along with a hard-working mindset and habits, can make anything happen while in this country. The problem is too many people are mentored in environments that don't encourage that. It can be a broken home, mother/father abandonment, unattended behavioral issues, learning deficiencies, etc. but it runs rampant in the US and it's an 18-wheeler rolling downhill at this point in society. Someone who offers no additional value to the greater good is paid accordingly. That is why the minimum wage discussion is laughable. Dropping french fries in oil or flipping burgers is not a $15 per hour job. Low to no skill labor doesn't offer financial comfort and it's not designed to do so. Arguing that you can't raise a family while at one of these jobs is terrifying because those working these jobs as their means of living have no business having kids, but they are by the hundreds of thousands. Minimum to low wage jobs are structured for a specific faction of the population. That faction should not be having kids at that point in time but they're breeding like the world population is going down. Sex education is something that should be drilled in every youths head.
The US has a parenting and education epidemic and one that doesn't have an answer in today's PC infested world.
Success and the American Dream are a result of many things that align with several moving parts. To a degree, RO is absolutely right: solely working hard doesn't mean someone will "make it" in this societal landscape. It is required, but not the end-all-be-all. I don't have the link saved anymore, but it was given in an economics class while at OSU. Basically stated that those whom inherit their "fortune" with little to no working experience will leave nothing to their next lineage with few exceptions. Being handed a lifestyle or sum of money with no real world experience is a full proof blueprint for failure.
To make it in this country you have to bring something of value to the table, otherwise you are at the mercy of scraps that are left over. Microcosm for the welfare state that has been created and will eventually lead to our demise. People want things handed to them instead of working for them. Trying to "build up" others through the medium of the government and social/entitlement programs is the greatest farce that's ever been told. It's robbing Peter to pay Paul. There is no value created there. A professor at OSU once told me regarding "wealth distribution": "A poor man never gave a man a job." For those that have a creative mind and can solve problems, along with a hard-working mindset and habits, can make anything happen while in this country. The problem is too many people are mentored in environments that don't encourage that. It can be a broken home, mother/father abandonment, unattended behavioral issues, learning deficiencies, etc. but it runs rampant in the US and it's an 18-wheeler rolling downhill at this point in society. Someone who offers no additional value to the greater good is paid accordingly. That is why the minimum wage discussion is laughable. Dropping french fries in oil or flipping burgers is not a $15 per hour job. Low to no skill labor doesn't offer financial comfort and it's not designed to do so. Arguing that you can't raise a family while at one of these jobs is terrifying because those working these jobs as their means of living have no business having kids, but they are by the hundreds of thousands. Minimum to low wage jobs are structured for a specific faction of the population. That faction should not be having kids at that point in time but they're breeding like the world population is going down. Sex education is something that should be drilled in every youths head.
The US has a parenting and education epidemic and one that doesn't have an answer in today's PC infested world.
Aside from the "American Dream is a lie" part, I pretty much agree with him. I like how his solution isn't that "the government needs to do this..." Barack Obama and the rest of Washington are a big part of the problem. They're enablers. Dems love poor black people. As they're economic status improves, the percent voting democrat likely goes down.
Kudos to Russell for starting an organization to address the issue and encouraging others to do so.
Kudos to Russell for starting an organization to address the issue and encouraging others to do so.
I stopped right here, two pronouncements in. Who? Who are these liberals that want everyone to have the same amount of money, resources, education, etc.? Would you please give me the citation to this factual claim?
Are you a coach?
Do you even democrat, bro? You want a source? grab any liberal-leaning literature, or better yet, why don't you read the very article posted in the thread discussing how not everyone is on the same playing field in terms of resources and opportunity. Just a thought.
wealth distribution clamoring?
Occupy movement?
Blacks Lives Matter/"white privilege" morons?
List goes on and they're the exact reason why the only thing I despise more than a republican is a democrat.
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Great post.
This illustrates perfectly the cost of slavery we're still paying.
How many slave descendants would be as successful as Donald Trump if their parents gave them $1million startup?
Duh...
In Trump's case that's like giving Secretariat a 10 furlong lead in a horse race. Or scoring from third base on a walk and claiming a home run.
Reparations to descendants of slaves from the 62 biillionaires like Trump who own more than 1/2 the planet's wealth would be a good start.
Happy MLK Day
So is Trump level wealth the only way to define the American Dream? Or do any rich kids have an advantage? Do Okung's kids have an advantage over mine? Or are you such a racist that you think not?
Advantages are overrated and overstated, and the American Dream is definable in a lot of ways. I reject your materialistic, shallow, racist interpretation of it.
Clinton I appreciate your point of view but you don't know me well enough to categorize me.
You have no idea that I was going through a protracted and expensive divorce - in a system still heavily weighted against men, white or not,while starting my business. That was not an advantage.
And you don't seem to realize I'm making a lower middle class living (far from middle-middle class income) in an industry that actually is dominated by women (portrait photography). That is not an advantage.
I've lived for years without health insurance, rolling the dice and reinvesting every cent into business expenses. Trust me, an ER bill out of pocket was not an advantage.
There is no advantage. None. Every dollar I make is based on hard work, a learned skill-set, grassroots marketing, God given gifts and a virtually idiotic focus on succeeding as an artist in an over saturated field. My advantage is that I'm talented and bust my ass. Not my race or gender.
Art is either good or it's not, and white privileges play no part. Nor does being a man. And frankly, I look nothing like a corporate white guy. I used to but that wasn't me.
In another thread here, @syskatine, that bastion of progressive empathy, took a swipe at me for wearing makeup (as part of my band's stage show). If you are being honest, do you really think long hair, earning and tattoos help my white privilege advantage professionally? Spoiler - they do not.
In this system, you can succeed if you bring something valuable to the table, work hard and most importantly, take risks. Not everyone can or will do those things.
None of those are a source. You've heard through hearsay they want that. I want a REAL cute and not something you heard Hannity pull out of his ass.
Advantages overrated?
I believe any definition of the American Dream would start with a level playing field.
Unless you are descended from slaves you were born with a leg up, a distinct advantage, not at all overrated. As were your forbears.
The rights of one's ancestors to own land, other human beings and vote is hardly "overrated."
So let's say you're a white guy who didn't inherit anything. You attended public school and made good grades. You worked your way through college. You worked your ass off for 20 plus years and are finally starting to see some success. Where is the white privilege in this scenario? I'm willing to feel guilty about some of this if I could just find something to feel guilty about....
This is racist and displays no understanding of how to succeed.
White guy--you're one up by birth.
We'll assume you weren't born into public housing.
We'll assume your neighbor role models weren't the crips and bloods.
We'll assume you've never been shot and that none of your classmates have been murdered on their front porch.
We'll assume your parents never had to use food stamps to feed you.
We'll assume you knew both your parents.
Did you grow up drinking any lead in your water?
Almost sounds like you are alluding to a cultural problem CUp. Be careful or syskatine will label you a racist.
Jesus this is so racist. For real.
1. My family was eligible for lots of free government shit when I was growing up. We just didn't take it.
2. My neighbor role models were just as poor as we were.
3. What percentage of black people have been shot exactly? What kind of stupid ass assumption is that and how exactly is that relevant? That is inherently a racist statement and you should be ashamed for dreaming shit like that up.
4. My parents never used food stamps. I was eligible for free lunch at school for many years and never used that, either. Again, I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, either.
5. I knew both my parents.
6. I have no idea about lead content in drinking water. Did you fall out of a tree and land on your head when you were growing up?
I did get a kick out of your statement about me being born a white guy and that in itself being an advantage. I missed out on two really good jobs over the years because of affirmative action. Maybe I'll tell you about those one of these days. But if anything, being white has COST me, not helped me.
I actually do know. The effects do not include gang banging and being willfully and contently dependent on government assistance.
Is there a widespread undetected lead poisoning targeting blacks or something? I ask because there are people of all races and ethnicity that may also be victims.
Flint Michigan--more than 1/2 black.
White boy Governor fires all the local officials in Flint (new power granted him by GOP statehouse.) Orders switch in water supply from glacial Lake Huron to toxic water of Flint River. Kids exposed to high level of lead poisoning. Does that Governor switch any white suburbs in MIchigan to toxic water supplies to cut expenses? F--k no.
If you're a white Republlican governor you only do that to a black city. To cut costs.
If you're born white in America you got a leg up...Generally speaking, Republican Governors in blue states don't risk poisoning your kids if your city officials are white.
Ccup at his 2015 family bbq.
Man I was usually joking with you calling you a racist, but you've pretty much summed it up with this line of thinking. You need help. Serious help.
Had a feeling that's where you were going with it. You should lose the tin foil hat and read up on what really happened and why. Plenty of finger pointing and blame to go around, but if you think it was an evil plot hatched by the governor, you're much crazier than I gave you credit for.
Institutional racism. This doesn't happen to white America--leg up.
It happens to the poorest black city in America by a White GOP governor putting a f--king to descendants of slaves with their city hijacked by a 'conservative' governor's political appointees who fired elected officials
How does that happen where electetd officials are ousted by a state official to switch their drinking water from clean to toxic?
Answer-- in white America your kids aren't drinking and bathing in lead poisoned water....leg up
It happens to the poorest black city in America by a White GOP governor putting a f--king to descendants of slaves with their city hijacked by a 'conservative' governor's political appointees who fired elected officials
How does that happen where electetd officials are ousted by a state official to switch their drinking water from clean to toxic?
Answer-- in white America your kids aren't drinking and bathing in lead poisoned water....leg up
So you're saying white people are superior? Typical democrat.
By the way, no amount of money or welfare is gonna help change any of the problems you are alluding to above.
Wrong. Infrastructure can be replaced. All it takes is money.
Typical RepubliCON. More tax breaks for billionaires but no $$$ to fix toxic drinking water in black community.
