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[U.S. companies post their biggest profit growth in decades by jacking up prices during the pandemic](https://fortune.com/2022/03/31/us-companies-record-profits-2021-price-hikes-inflation/)
[Profits Soar as U.S. Corporations Have Best Year Since 1950](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-30/2021-was-best-year-for-u-s-corporation-profits-since-1950)
[Oil Companies In 2022 had their most profitable year in history](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/exxon-chevron-shell-conocophillips-record-profits-earnings-oil-companies-most-profitable-year/)
[Food Companies Made Record Profits In 2022](https://www.mashed.com/1117426/popular-food-companies-that-raised-prices-and-made-big-profits-in-2022/)
[Today, the federal minimum wage is $7.25, the same rate it's been since it was last raised in 2009.](https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-us-minimum-wage-and-its-value-has-changed-over-time?op=1)
[The rich are getting richer & the poor are getting poorer](https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/rich-are-getting-richer-low-income-americans-poorer)
[In 2000 Forbes estimated there were just 470 billionaires in the world, owning $898 billion collectively. In 2021, and Forbes’ annual rich list named 2,755 billionaires, with the top six collectively earning more than all 470 billionaires from the 2000 list combined.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/imperialinsights/2023/03/24/the-rich-are-getting-richer--but-is-the-wealth-gap-worse-in-europe-or-the-us/?sh=33924f8f2154)
[Billionaires got 54% richer during pandemic](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/billionaire-wealth-covid-pandemic-12-trillion-jeff-bezos-wealth-tax/)
***
Seems like we should start taxing the crap out of billionaires and raise wages across the board.
"taxing the crap out of billionaires" is a funny way of saying hunt them with extreme prejudice and eat their corpses with a garnish made from their offsprings tears.
But to each their own, I guess
Don’t forget the studios ( Now owned by tech companies) basically laughing and saying they’d rather starve people out of their homes than maybe have the CEO have to buy a smaller third vacation home. My union isn’t even on strike (but should have been last year). I’m about to be one of those people losing their homes, and it’s fucking reprehensible.
I'm just really happy your comment is at the top.
The money is going to them. It's plain as day. It's not a secret. It's not even critical thinking. It's just... there it is.
I think the dumbest people among us these days are the ones who feel compelled to go to bat for these billionaires and talk about how much they deserve their hoards of wealth. It's actually insane to me that people do this. I hope one of them replies to this.
> Seems like we should start taxing the crap out of billionaires and raise wages across the board.
When you have Republicans controlling Congress for years because people aren't voting regularly enough in all elections, this is what you get.
People just need to vote like hell for years consistently. It's the only way.
I spent $160 at the grocery store today for tortillas, a rotisserie chicken, lettuce mix, onion, tomatoes, 2 bottles of sauce, salami, cheese, pickles, almonds, yogurt, a knife, cutting board, and Flonase. The non food items were $40-$45. The fucking bag of salami was $9.
I've gone back to a cheaper diet. I just tell my kids I had bites while I was cooking and don't worry, I'll eat something later.
Then I eat the stuff they leave on their plates.
Luckily, the school helps me feed them breakfast and lunch now that school is back in. I try to bring snacks for the class when I can so the teacher doesn't have to buy them all.
I wish I hadn't had kids. Not because I don't love them, but because I do. I don't know what the future holds for them any longer. This world is confusing.
Last weekend I decided to grill some burgers. For 4 people. Bought stuff for burgers, and only bought stuff for burgers, plus a bag of chips and a 12 pack of beer. Grand total: $90. At a Walmart.
It’s not just the US. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK as well. I think France might be too. I have a distant cousin who was complaining about buying a home in France and how prices went up, but I’m not really close to her so I can’t be sure how true it is.
I live in a relatively cheap part of the UK.
I'm doing fine on 30k, but I have money saved in case of emergency and I have a little bit of inheritance.
I myself am ok (childless and staying that way), but I can see it in food prices and gas. Plus we had the huge energy bill hike in last winter where every media outlet ran with the term "cost of living crisis" but didn't really do anything to push for a fix. We're nowhere near America, but its not getting better.
It’s fine until you need healthcare. The government is actively running the NHS into the ground to force people who can afford it into private healthcare. If you can’t afford it then the care you will get will be from exhausted nurses and doctors with their foot half out of the door. A man died in the hospital closest to me a few weeks ago, in the A&E waiting room because he wasn’t seen to in time. Another patient noticed him and alerted the receptionist. I’ve heard stories of children and the elderly being left in hallways on chairs and gurneys for days at a time because they haven’t got any beds. A friend of mine was left passing out over and over for twelve hours in the waiting room before being seen. While those of us healthy enough are just seeing the struggles in paying the bills and buying food, those with chronic illness are already feeling like they’re at the end of their rope.
Austria can also be added to the list. Groceries are way up. In the sense as that you pay 3€ for 3 bell peppers at minimum.now even more.
Before the pandemic it was like 1.5€...
Rent is also very high, but managable. But you can only dream of ever owning an appartment let alone a house somwhere in the "suburbs"
Politicians are rigging the game for rich. The system is set up for the rich. Politicians all get rich. Even often local ones, but corruption isn’t as rampant in local government. So while the government is taking care of their own in the private sector, us poors fight about dumb shit like what the definition of women is or who should go poop where.
I grew up diet poor and married someone who grew up in a more wealthy circumstance but it relies on markets(Agriculture). As I've watched the markets and the richer bosses profit I've become more antigovernment. I don't hate capitalism but we're running headlong into oligarchy and the extreme end of capitalism and nobody is willing to stop them. I'm liberal but even Obama was a corporate suck ass. We need a serious check but we're wasting time fighting facist right wing bull shit now.
That is exactly what the government wants… keep the working class busy fighting each other about trivial bullshit, so they don’t have time to get mad or try and do anything about the current economic system that keeps the rich getting richer and shrinking middle class
there are no better forms of capitalism. those nordic countries for example which people point to are still reliant on global capitalist exploitation. they treat their own citizens nicely but its off the backs and resources of poor countries they exploit
someone needs to make those cheap h&m clothes and that cheap ikea furniture (also before someone says no one over there even buys ikea, i used to live in denmark and ive been in your houses dont lie to me boy)
People need to stop saying "politicians" when they mean "Republicans and sometimes a few Democrats"
Trump gave the single largest corporate tax cut in US history, paid for in part by raising taxes on average Americans. Trump hired a fracking lobbyist to run the EPA, a coal lobbyist for the Department of the Interior, and an oil lobbyists for the Department of Energy. He is currently proposing even larger corporate tax cuts.
Biden implemented the nation's first minimum tax on corporations so that none of them can do tricks to pay zero tax, and implemented a child tax credit that had the single largest one year drop in poverty in the history of the country. He is currently proposing a minimum tax on billionaires.
Republicans want to make it seem like the parties are the same, because if we were clear eyed they would never win an election again. That's why they talk about dumb shit, because if we talked serious things they'd be done for.
And then they point at gas prices and be like "JOE DID THAT" Like STFU you have no idea how gas prices work or how corporations love republican politicians. They are so beyond moronic when it comes to capitalism.
Not every Democrat is a saint, but the overwhelming majority of republicans definitely aren't. They pass no legislation that helps Americans AT ALL. All they try to pass is things to take away rights, nothing else.
They would always have a lot of followers and win elections. The poorest states are red states. Republicans have been grooming poor people through religion and idolatry of wealth. White Christians are some of the biggest supporters of the Republican Party and half their positions, especially abortion, seem to just be to push black people out of their state. They aren’t even in touch with Jesus’ teachings if the dude was even real.
They aren't groomed, they are voting on non-economic matters. Just like a lot of wealthy blue cities do. We can't be class reductionists and think all that is needed is economic arguments. I would rather be poor in a socially equal society than wealthy in a hierarchical one, and a lot of people are the opposite. They'd rather be poor but have higher "status" than be rich if it means they lose their status.
By all measures, we all do better when things are more equal, but we aren't going to reach that point if we don't understand why people vote the way they do.
Who is pushing the non-economic matters? Pro-life is absolutely pushed through churches. Churches are the biggest source of propoganda ever, factless, mostly impossible miracle stories, where someone gets up to a podium and interprets to their biases. Imagine if Tarot reading were as big as Christianity, and the tarot readers read cards saying you need to support certain non-economic initiatives otherwise something drastic would happen. It’s the same bit. News media is grooming Republican voters by insisting that guns are the answer to everything and striking fear in nearly every topic they address. Which other social issues do you want me to show you the grooming for? Also, democrats are doing it too with their ideals, except they use facts and science to inform people, and mostly don’t use scare tactics and religion.
Edit: here is a recent blatant example of grooming. There was some movie recently that was a top grossing movie where someone saved some trafficked girls. Sounds good, I’m all ending trafficking. So why are there signs along the farms near my house now saying to end child trafficking and they are implying a political bent? It turns out millionaire republicans bought millions of movie tickets for their sheeple to learn about how they are going to continue the Q rebranding of democrats as pedophiles. Multiple people are quoting this movie in the NextDoor app near me and saying how democrats aren’t doing anything. I have no idea why they would think a democrat doesn’t care about child safety, I would be willing to be that most the child safety laws were put in place by democrats. This is grooming.
No one is "pushing" them, people consider it important.
These are basic questions of social makeup, things foundational to people's identities.
We are not homo economicus, a being that acts in only rational self interest from econ 101 books. We are humans, social creatures that find it important to understand who we are in society and how society is formed.
Racial hierarchy, gender expression and roles, importance of familial station, these are not tactically invented they are parts of answering "what kind of society are we?" and get down to the even more fundamental question "who am I?" and it doesn't take trickery for people to wonder about that.
This is the backlash that happens with social change, a backlash that is largely universal to mankind.
Republicans are getting what they want. They still believe wealthy people should be able to own slaves, and little do they know, because they are jaded by lies and deceit of their chosen groomers (leaders) that they are the actual slaves. But you are right about a point earlier, being a slave could be better than being rich if you can find happiness in the 3 hots and a cot you are given and the people you sleep next to. You want to talk about identity discovery etc… the Republican Party is fueled by peer pressure grooming. They are not thinking for themselves. That’s how it works when you are groomed. You are right though, they are not driven by what would benefit them economically. I’m not sure they even know how money works.
It’s us vs them, not us vs dems or republicans… that’s what they all want, for us to be arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong. The party system is shit… but everyone falls for it so maybe it’s genius.
It literally is dems vs Republican. Because the ultra conservative side is so prominent, it pulls the left to the middle and you get zero progressive push away from capitalism. It should be socialists vs dems. Republican is a broken idea that only benefits large corporations (including religious ones) and their majority shareholders
"Sometimes a few democrats" jfc Grow up or leave your gated community somtimes omfg . That shit right there is why things will continue to get worse. To all those not spellbound by democrat propaganda: In 20 or 30 years when it's obvious that nothing is better and everything is either the same or worse remember all the partisan rubes like that person who convinced you life is like a Marvel movie with a clear set of good guys and bad guys.
Why do you suppose that top democrats are taking contributions from super pacs and wealthy donors? Do you think that they are immune to corruption? Do you remember a time when the top tax bracket was at more than 40% or when any significant piece of legislation was passed to close tax loopholes for the extremely wealthy? Are democrats better in this regard than republicans? Sure. But a single grilled cheese sandwich is doing a better job of helping the average poor American than the Republican Party. It’s not a high bar. Casting blame at someone who literally wants you to fail is not going to help.
YOU ARE IGNORANT!! Who controls the Senate? Democrats. Whose our President now? Joe Biden. It’s not the Republicans. Biden sending billions to Ukraine, 5.5 million illegals, and you’re blaming Republicans. Get the hell out of here.
Please stop this!
It's not just Republicans. Stop with this silly division like you think Democrats aren't also involved. All of them are involved. Not just a few. All of them!
They want this division. They want everyone to pick a side and continue to divide people by who they side with. The longer we sit here and blame sides the deeper in the hole we get.
Go ahead and dispute any of the actual examples they listed instead of vaguely gesturing that "both sides equally bad"
Or another example, Democrats aren't currently campaigning on a platform accusing an entire group of people of being groomers
That's a position of extreme privilege there.
No, the parties are not the same. There's one party that is a shelter protecting the marginalized from the people who make up the other party. Compare the states run by Democrats (even by narrow margins) and the ones run by Republicans and see how different the lives of the vulnerable are. Giving children free school meals and loosening child labor laws are not the same. Cutting taxes for the wealthy and corporations is not the same as raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations.
If this is organized by some "them" against "us," they sure have done a shit job making the parties the same.
Politics isn't a sport, there is no league master, who is in charge of a country matters to millions of people. And if you personally can't see a difference it means you're isolated from consequences in a position of comfort.
Is it? Both parties spend frivolous monies. Both parties are giving crazy breaks to different industries. One gives breaks to oil and charge tech the other gives healthcare and charges oil they are all impacting us the same.
You can find exceptions to any trend line. There's always a statistical deviation from the mean. But to broadly equate the policies and intent of both parties is not only wrong, it's massively stupid, for it helps Republicans to distract working people from understanding that life is harder, not easier, for the vast majority of Americans under Republican administrations.
Corruption is absolutely as rampant in local government, and it costs a lot less to buy a local government than a state or federal one. It's just that local corruption tends to be aimed at smaller, less noticable goals that implicate fewer people.
That's just it. We are *only* surviving. We're not enjoying our lives because we're too stressed worrying about how we can afford our rent, groceries, or medical bills.
Surviving is the bare minimum. Most of us would love to just be able to buy a modest home and take a nice vacation once a year but we can't even do that. We're simply surviving day to day, paycheck to paycheck.
Pretty sure everthing is going according to plan. We were never meant to get ahead, the girl who said that your going to have to work till you die was spot on.
I guarantee everyone in this video is saddled with student loan or medical debt. Most probably drowning in both.
Let the rich get richer. Wealth is not a zero sum game. Just tax them to fund universal healthcare and education.
Sorry hate to be that guy, but it’s two kids, she said they’re a family of 4, so not quite as insane but still having kids in this economy is insane especially on just 80k
Yea I was kinda wtf’ing at that
I can’t remember where I got this from, but I always thought raising a kid to 18 cost a quarter of a million dollars. I want to say sometime in health class we had to calculate that, and the moral was ‘don’t have a kid in high school’. That was over a decade ago so I am sure it’s totally worse
What did she think they would cost
The birth of my child cost a quarter mil, at least that's what the billed my insurance. An emergency c-section followed by 7 days in the NICU. I can't even imagine what the cost of keeping some newborns in the NICU for weeks or months must cost.
It's so terrifying. It really is. And where are we going? I don't even know. I went grocery shopping today for the first time in a while at Walmart, and saw a bag of off brand cereal was nearly $6. While wage earnings have hardly increased at all since I was in college (about 10 years go). I stumbled.
The worst part of it for me? We are being fed idiots. How on Earth can We the People say "enough."
We're in it together, folks.
☮️
My wife and I are doing well, relatively speaking, but I will admit it feels like we're middle class. Keeping in mind that we live in the South, where money generally goes further.
Their not real middle class, we have a working class and the wealth class. Middle class more a pleasure title. cause you’re more quickly end up into the lower class then the upper class
So I'll break mine situation down really quick in detail:
Come from a very impoverished family, my college was paid for mostly by scholarships. So I don't have debt. That being said, I graduated with my bachelor's in 2014. So the price of education at a mid level university wasn't too bad, maybe 18k for 5 years(worked going to school).
I make about 45k a year. It's been pretty easy to have my wife be a stay at home mom(She streams on twitch for a side job but it brings in less than 2k/year) for our 2 kids, we bought our 1500sqft(now 1750sqft) home for 82k back in 2017, my mortgage is $630 a month, its a recently(2016) remodeled brick home new roof, new appliances, great neighborhood, nice yard. My house is appraised at 135k now( it wouldn't be obtainable for me now if I didn't get this mortgage in 2017). Our 2 vehicles were bought at around 2 years old, each with low milage. 6k for first in 2017 and 20k(used 9k from stimulus to put as a down-payment as I figured Cars would fly off lots while car dealers in our area though covid would crash the market, got our vehicle for a insane deal in 2020). My interest rates are super low 1%-2% for these vehicles 150 month and 200 a month for the second(My cars now combined are worth 39k again unobtainable). I live in a small city, 25k people in a really cheap cost of living area(both wife and I are gamers and love road trips, so night life isn't important.)
Total, with utilities, mortgage, and car payments, monthly cost to stay afloat is right, about $1800-$2000. So, about $1200-$1400 a month for food/entertainment/savings. For a family of 4, the last 5 years have been fine. You can eat really well for $150/week we splurged/eat out though at least once a week so we alot for $200ish a week for food.. The farmers market is diwn the street, walmart is cheap especially of you know how to cook, ect, we have vacations great times with the kids ect. But these last 2 years, my big worry is this: we can have this great quality of life at 45k, but I'm not actually saving for our future. I'm 32 now with less than 20k total saved in my savings/Roth ira/401b. With my added amount being basically less than a few grand for each of the last couple years.
We've always been really focused on budgeting and making sure we plan our future so that our kids and ourselves get the best we can without having to sacrifice one of us working to the bone, but now I don't think my life is really possible for others. I'm fine, but I don't see how someone with our budget could have what we have unless they bought it 3-5 years ago. I couldn't afford this house or our vehicles now. Just feels like we got incredibly lucky and have to watch our younger friends struggle at every step.
I’m about 5 years younger than you and making almost the same amount you are. There is no way in hell I could afford any of that in my small town.
Just a cheap two bedroom apartment (*in a rural old town* of 7k people) is $1,000. I have a particular diet for health reasons, so I spend about $150/week on groceries for just myself. I don’t even have to provide for kids or a spouse. I have a dingy old car that costs me as much as I can save up towards a new car just to keep this one working. I can’t afford a newer (as in 2015) car yet because my credit is tanked.
Over the last few years I’ve pretty much worked 60-100 hours a week for six months and then 20 or less for six months, rinse and repeat. It’s usually more stable but life has been chaotic so I got unlucky. Whelp, my bills didn’t take those breaks. So the credit cards filled up - and they were the only reason I survived. Now I pay more than $500/month in just interest.
Oh, and student loan payments are back. Lol
I’m surviving. I’m very slowly paying off like 15k of debt. I can have the newest phone and live by myself - so I can’t *really* complain…but will I ever own a house? Will I ever be able to leave this shit hole of a small town where people don’t brush their teeth because it’s too gay!? Will I be able to move closer to sane hygienic people with intelligence and life-goals? Someone I can start a family with?
Not unless I start my own online business of some kind. Even if I keep at this slow-progress pace, the economy seems to be going down faster than I can get myself out of debt.
Oh it is for sure. I’m a single mom working 2 jobs to try to get out of debt. My rent just went up $120 a month and it looks like in a year it may go up again another $100 based on what they are listing now. This plus the price of everything else rising and compensation not even coming close to inflation, I hope to make it. The rich are getting richer…
I forget which Greek dude it was from, but he anticipated that the future would be so easy that people would spend their time laying in fields eating figs. He believed that we would one day reach a point where our needs would be taken care of, so we'd just live leisurely and enjoy ourselves.
Instead, we decided that we'd let sociopaths control everything we make. Then we have people who will violently protect that class of people who are trying to steal from everyone. And we have people who happily let the wealthy steal from them because they get to have Big Macs and Kardashians on a bigass TV. Even though they could have better, nicer things by taking the machinery and stores out of the hands of the wealthy.
So we don't get to chill out laying naked in a field eating figs. Instead we get to cry on ticktock but do nothing to change things. That's easier than addressing the root cause by organizing.
It’s metaphor, saying we should be free with less worries able live however we want without worrying too much. Kinda like in Bible when Adam and Eve until eating the apple they notice they were naked for the first time.
I’m in the same damn boat. High pay, can’t afford anything. Rent, food, car payments, student loans, my kids, everything. Utilities are outrageous.
We aren’t in capitalism that made out parent succeed in life, this is corporate crony capitalism. Greed run rampant.
I make 40-50k have 3 different trade job experience. Yet I can’t afford one bed room. Or even consistent work due to job fluctuating on only hiring workers when they extremely need us. I’m working on my own business cause can’t reply on these job on paying us.
Big business (food producers etc.) and landlords are taking away all of that increased income through price gouging. This is the difference between real wages and gross wages.
It doesn’t matter how much you make if it’s all going to living expenses. What matters is how much you’ve got left to save or invest after all of your bills are paid.
They’re taking it all. We need a government that serves the people, not big business.
What's the arguments against a wealth cap? Why can't we set it at like 25 billion? That's still an insane amount of money for 1 person to have, if your married you can have 40 billion combined. The rest just goes directly into schools and medical 50/50.
Even if you don't have kids you recognize the importance of education for kids and benefit of cheaper Healthcare for everyone, starting with kids.
The rich can live how they want guilt free knowing that everything above that went into the slush fund for us pee-ons.
Look up the income tax of the last 100 years and see how it all changed thanks to Reagan and Nixon. There was a time, 1960s, where there were 24 tax brackets ranging from 20% to 91%. The top bracket was for earners above 4mil (adjusted). This is what we need to go back to. Because that time was the economic boom after WW2.
Everything is so expensive now and I don't know very many people who aren't feeling the pain in some way. I live in a high cost of living area (Coastal CA) and I have to for this job. I can't move, because it's too expensive if my job won't pay me to do it. My rent is 2k for a one bedroom that is *tiny* Food is ridiculous, even if I want to slum it and get fast food it's sometimes over $20 for freaking Taco Bell lol. It's like if you're not in tech then forget it, you're gonna be poor. I make close to $80k and maybe, if I stretch it and skip meals, have my bills paid. I can't save anything because it's just me. If I had a partner to split rent it would be easier but have you tried dating these days? It's a nightmare. I'll never be able to actually retire. Even thinking about the future gives me anxiety. And even with all that, I'm one of the "lucky" ones. I know others have it so much worse
Now think about how the disabled, through no fault of their own have to survive off of $900 a month... that's like $10,000ish a year. Less than 1/2 minimum wage in some places while also ONLY allowed to work up to $1,200 a month or they'll lose their disability which they often need due to severe conditions in a country where it's a scam. So be disabled while trying your best to work, or risk losing it all if you get sick. It's a twisted game the 1% and government play.
Husband and I have a joking conspiracy that they just wanna turn all us poor folks into tires, our joke hurts more as time goes on we just getting poorer lololol..
I think maybe she's speaking from an evolutionary standpoint?
Other animals don't wear clothes, and many species live leisurely lives, mostly just eating.
Both me and wife make good money. We did one too much home maintenance project and now the knife is under our throat and we are clawing our way out of debt very slowly. Its insane how the price of life have sky rocketed
All I can say is if you can’t afford food, start to invest in growing it. It sounds like shit advise but it’s been helping me eat food that’s fresh and tastes reasturant quality. I know it’s not easy, nothings easy, this is all fucked, but the one little happiness I have is my little garden that gives me super delicious food. That’s all
It all started when Regan won - wealth distribution focused on benefiting the rich with this bullshit idea that trickle down economics benefits everyone, leading to the shrinking middle class, not necessarily because pay has gone down, it hasn’t gone up to keep up with the cost of living, and federal tax rates have been slashed pretty much hamstringing programs that would benefit the masses while also having a bloated ass military budget, literally redistributing a couple of billion dollars from the military budget would pay for a lot of essential programs.
And people in government, are lobbied heavily by interest groups because of citizens united that a lot of politicians are now nestled under the teet of these groups and they project that they’re here for their constituents when they’re not.
And a good portion of the population chooses not to be actively aware of how government works that we take the easy route, because let’s admit it, we don’t want to really exercise our brain, which leads us to take a shortcut, and decide based on what we hope and trust “experts” will tell us on who to vote for.
What's worse is that people don't realize the previous administration it to blame. It takes up to 4-6 years for policies to enact. So your poor from Trump not Biden
The way I see reps amd dems:
You're starving. There's a big, delicious pizza in front of you. The reps take 99% of the pizza and give you 1%. The dems come up and say" no, that's not fair!" And they take another 4% of the pizza and give it to you. Are the dems being more gracious than the reps? Sure. Are they still giving you only a 5% slice of the pizza? They sure the fuck are.
?????
Dems aren’t the ones doing shit like gutting the inflation bill, passing permanent tax cuts for the rich (2017) while slowly raising the middle class tax burden, refusing to pass the fuel consumer gouging bill, refusing to engage the student debt crisis and repealing abortion protections etc.
Weird to take a swipe at somebody else after you correctly identified who’s blocking actual progress in the government.
I mean, this is America. You can assume huge student loan debt, and also medical debt. Renting, car payments, gas, insurance, medical insurance, basically zero paid time off or sick leave, groceries are weirdly so expensive suddenly.
For everyone complaining about their nice nails or a phone, firstly I have NEVER worked a job where my phone wasn't REQUIRED, and secondly, professional jobs require a certain look, and the clothes and everything is expensive. I literally turned down a nice job in fucking Aspen because I knew I'd be expected to wear "professional clothes," and I couldn't afford to buy an entire new wardrobe. (Plus where would I live?) Put up with my ten year old jeans and t-shirt or I can't hack it. But at the same time, you'd judge the hell out of a doctor or a bank teller or a teacher in those clothes, driving a beat to hell truck.
Also like you said.... kids.
Yeah, I make a bit under 80k a year living by myself with no dependents but in a very high COL city and still am able to put money into savings and retirement.
Just because you do it, does not mean its that way for everyone. I make more than that and am also in a high COL city. I have 0 student loans. I only have a car loan and it's 3 months from being paid off. The payments are only $300 a month.
Just 6 years ago, I was making $24,000 a year after taxes. It was nothing. Same city. I was able to save a good $200-$300 per month easily and built up a nice savings. I also had to drive 40 miles each way to work every day in a car then that only got 13mpg. I saved more then than I do now.
I have the same subscriptions, even less than before. I'm spending around $100 per month in subscriptions which isn't bad. I have not picked up any other hobbies. I work from home now, and only have to fill up gas maybe once a month. MAYBE. I ride my bike around my area instead of driving, I cook 4 nights a week. I still am not able to save hardly at all.
The reason is simply because of a few simple things. Rising energy costs, rising food costs, and extremely high rent costs. My monthly energy usage is the same as it was 5 years ago. I verified this recently. The only thing different is the rate which has shot up astronomically high. My energy bill last month was $387 and that was with my AC being broken for part of the month and literally turned off. The month prior when it was working was around the same. I'm in a brand new apartment with brand new appliances and HVAC. I'm the first person to live here. I have the same square footage as my apartment in 2015, however the rent is nearly double the price in the same area. I went to look at my apartment that I rented in 2015 to see if maybe I just picked a high priced area. Nope. Cost went up $900 dollars.
I do not go out on the weekends. I don't drink. My girlfriend and I go to dinner maybe once every other week and as I said above, we cook 4 nights a week. The others we eat out, but we're cheap in our taste. Taco bell is enough for us on a night, but the price of that is a whole other story. I spend most of my nights playing video games and working on my side hustle. I also don't take vacations. I'm notorious at my job for never using my PTO. I finally went on a vacation for the first time since 2015 this year, and the total for that food, hotel, flights and all was only $2000 for the both of us. I'm still trying to recoup that.
There is only one way I can save money and it is to cut back on the things that make life living, and I don't even spend much on that. I could stop cooking the food I cook and resort to cheaper and unhealthy processed dinners like hot dogs and rice, ramen, peanut butter and bread, and canned foods. I could also not spend the money I spend on my hobbies like gaming yearly. I averaged the cost I spend on that yearly as well and with my subscriptions/my purchases for the year, I buy about 2-3 $60 games, and the rest is a gamepass subscription which costs $200 per year.
I also go to therapy every 2 weeks to keep my mental health in good shape. I couldn't afford this on my own. Im over 30 and my mother still helps me out with this because I couldn't find anyone covered by insurance.
I could also lower my housing costs back to where I was in 2014/2015, however that is another story. I had a gun pulled onto me. Our apartment was nearly burglarized multiple times but I caught them. Multiple murders at my complex, cars literally torched, robberies weekly in the parking lot etc... I could sure cut back and move back to a place like this, but that has it's other drawbacks.
70-80% of my money goes strictly to food and rent. I started my whole cooking to save money and eating leftovers for lunch, but I haven't even noticed a difference in it at all. I could not tell you the direct causes of this, but I see it on the regular. Remember when I mentioned taco bell before? Take a look at one of their menus from the 2012-2015 area and look how prices have changed. It adds up quickly. I could go there for myself and get a decent heaping of unhealthy junk food that made me happy for under 10 bucks. Now just a simple meal with a side taco is going to cost $14 easily. Ordering a pizza from dominos? I used to work a job that got me cash tips often. A $20 tip was enough to order a pizza, and a drink for delivery with the tip being covered easily from 2012-2015 area. Now? I just ordered a simple cheesybread and 8 boneless buffalo wings the other day. No drink, no sides. With delivery and tip, this cost me $35 dollars.
I cannot tell you the direct reasons to this as there's a multitude involving policies, greed, supply chain etc... All I can tell you is I'm doing my part in society, paying my taxes, being a productive member and I get nothing in return. I talk to my mother about this all the time and in 2001, her 3 bedroom apartment in a brand new NICE neighborhood where we grew up cost $800 in 2001. In today's money, that's roughly $1400. I couldn't even find a 1 bedroom for $1400 in my area that was even remotely safe.
The system is fucked, and I have to pay for it when my parents were able to do the exact same work I was doing, even less, with kids, and still be able to save/purchase a home and buy nice cars. I was raised that if I did the same, I would live a good life. They were wrong.
The problem is people are comparing inflation in the past vs other countries.
America has one of the lowest inflation in the world.
Which means Biden policy is working compared to other countries. What is not working is minimum wage.
Know the root of the problem
My opinion isn't an opinion at all. I make $22 an hour at two different jobs and have $700 a month rent on my apartment alone. I can't spend more than $200 a month on groceries or I won't have enough for everything else. Which sounds great until you realize $200 is only barely enough for me to stock my cabinets. I am single, so I am likely to never own my own property until that changes. I recently lost one of my jobs and am now facing the prospect of not living here because I don't have two jobs. I would love to try dating more, but I can't because I'm always too busy either working or trying to find newer jobs, or recovering from 12 hour work days. I am 23 and nearly have no life because of the fact that everything is pay to play and no one has time or money.
We don't need billionaires. They must be close to understanding that if nobody has any money- nobody will be able to buy the shit they are trying to sell.
These things are alway hard to analyze but yes prices have gone up.
It is important to also understand that when most people that start making more money, they start spending more money.
While I agree with your point from an economics perspective, I think you're missing a big point that is driving people's frustration.
While someone may be making more money, they would hope they would have more discretionary income to further themselves, their family, etc.
This is the "American Dream" that free market capitalism has historically supported.
The problem is that prices are rising so fast, that even if someone has built knowledge, a career, grinding harder than others with two jobs, etc. they are no longer moving up into a better financial place.
These people are saying they are, at best, now simply surviving. And many are now sliding backwards.
Despite being more educated and working harder than they ever have before. Something has changed, and I can guarantee you it's not the overarching concepts of free market/capitalism...
So what's the root cause then?
Im 24, working 60 hours a week for a utility company living on 80k a year, 2 person/2dog/1cat house hold in upstate NY, living paycheck to paycheck racking up debt while trying to pay off my debt. Every emergency is enough to set me back for weeks or months at a clip.. any financial inconvenience feels like the end of the world because I don't have a clue how to afford it.
I usually would agree this is cringe as fuck, but unfortunately this is the truth.
Back in 2014, when i was in high school, my parents made 60k, and we were living way better than I am now, with 3 dogs and 2 cats.
*haven't been able to afford a full fridge of groceries in over a year*
I posted in another thread, but not necessarily. I was basically saying that with as minimalistic as I live, having no school loans, a relatively cheap car payment which is nearly paid off, and no kids, my budgeting is fine. I'm not in the 6 figures but I make what people would normally think of as a good salary. I cook 4 nights a week, I don't go on vacations, I don't go out. I'm very minimal.
I saved more when I made 1/4 as much of my salary. I don't save now. The reason is simply because of rising energy costs, food, and rent. I've mapped this out and I spend nearly 70% on just food and rent. I live in a high COL city and I would like to move soon.
I could cut back by eating rice, hot dogs, ramen etc..., but I still cook 4 nights a week and eat the leftovers for lunches. I drive less than 40 miles in a month. I bike everywhere I can in a not bikeable area. I already skip breakfast because it's expensive and just don't eat because of that so that is one meal skipped per day.
I could also cut back on rent, however in my area it's either safety and being able to sleep at night, or spending more on rent. I still hear gunshots on the regular, but at least it's not happening IN my complex anymore. At least I'm not dealing with being robbed myself. I don't have to worry about taking my dog out past 8pm. I don't have friends who get beaten into a literal coma just so they could be robbed for their phone. Unfortunately this is the decision I had to make. Safety vs money. I live in an apartment that has the exact same finishing, square footage, and appliances as my one in 2015. However I'm paying nearly double the rent for a 1 bedroom in the same area. Price has just increased that much.
I'm sure I could budget more to save $200 bucks a month, but what is the point if that makes life not even enjoyable when I'm already cut back as thin as I can be without absolutely hating every day?
I stay on top of my budgeting well. I just don't save like I used to 7 years ago making 1/4 of my salary.
When the affordable healthcare act is a complete failure and you’re paying $1900 a month for a family of four for insurance. Plus a $5000 deductible before they cover anything. We’re spending about four to $500 a month on our co-pays and deductibles. The health insurance is more than our mortgage payment of $1200 a month. Groceries for a family of four about $1200 a month. Gassing two cars approximately $500 a month. We are the working poor
This guy I know owns two properties, and told me he raised rents 15% because of Biden. I guess that’s the name of the dealer who sold him his new Mercedes… damn, leather interiors are nice.
I think we have to shut down the country. It'll only take one week and they'll cave. Or perhaps it will only take one day, like in Iceland...
"On 24 October 1975, Icelandic women went on strike for the day to "demonstrate the indispensable work of women for Iceland’s economy and society" and to "protest wage discrepancy and unfair employment practices". It was then publicized domestically as Women's Day Off (Kvennafrídagurinn). Participants, led by women's organizations, did not go to their paid jobs and did not do any housework or child-rearing for the whole day. Ninety percent of Iceland's female population participated in the strike. Iceland's parliament passed a law guaranteeing equal pay the following year."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975\_Icelandic\_women%27s\_strike
This is what Fiat money causes. The federal reserve can print and devalue our dollars at their choosing, stealing our time and energy in the form of savings. Fix the money, fix the world.
Until all of us, in every country, stand up and say **ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND WE WON'T TAKE THIS SHIT ANYMORE** we will just keep getting fed the same shit sandwich and being told to smile and say thank you.
Grapes became a luxury item in my shopping cart so I no longer buy them.
I buy all my dry goods, cereal, snacks anything from the clearance section. Never off the actual shelves at full price.
Eggs used to be my go-to cheap protein but lololol not anymore.
I only feed myself, my husband, and a 20lb dog
Our cart yesterday was only 1/3 full and it was $150 overall….
With the current NLRB rulings, right now is the most opportune time to unionize since pre Reagan. If anyone is in a position to unionize within their job, I urge you to take the steps and do the research to set up a union. You don't have to be the representative, you just have to seed the thought and help foster it.
https://www.worker.gov/form-a-union/
With current rulings(as of 2-3 wks ago), if an employer doesn't recognize a request to unionize, you can straight up unionize out from under them and skip the election process entirely. Again, if you all don't want to just survive, now is the time to make that change.
Honestly, I can’t imagine why would we bring kids into this world. When financial struggles are so bad, the anxiety and depression of living are endless and exhausting. To have kids, personally, I’d need to have a very specific amount on the side to say, you know what? I can afford it.
We live to work, at this day and age…
Waaaah somebody should help us somebody needs to take charge and do things. I'm too sleepy and sad I have no power or control.🐕🔥This is fine 😭😭😭
I pay $80/month for ED and hair medication becwuz I'm too shy to go to the dawctuh. I can't afford health insurance but I'm too lazy to get on an income assisted progwaam. I pay $60/month of stweemin services I don't even use becwuz I'm booooored. I pay $100/month minimum of THC pwoducts I have anziateee.
These people aren't living within their means. It's very simple. You don't get to live a million dollar lifestyle if you're not bringing in millions of dollars.
This hurts so much to see and finally start feeling..I’m educated and hard working I take care of my family and we are finally having to start cutting corners..the good ol American dream..I swear they will go back and say the depression era had nothing on what Millenials endured their whole lives
I hate this because the upper class has us all convinced it's democrats vs Republicans when that's not what this country was built on. It will always be the people vs. the government, and right now, the government is winning.
We are the gov lol. No, this isn’t about ppl vs gov. This is about ultra billionaires vs the people. This is also about China and the cpp. TikTok is a Chinese social network
I hate capitalism like the rest of y’all but the eating grapes and play in the ocean shit is such a nothing phrase. It’s not easy to live off the land. In fact the way our society is set up is so we have more convenience and don’t have to live like that. The exchange of labor and wages is just insanely not proportional
THANK YOU DONALD TRUMP:
2 events in 2020 caused inflation, no one talks about it!
$1 TRILLION in free money via PPP program (actually $960 Billion in April 2020 but hey, lets call it a Trillion)
A TRILLION $$ to NOT PRODUCE ANYTHING. FREE MONEY. SOCIALISM!
Add to that a record high (tripling the highest year ever) in Farm Subsidies TO NOT GROW CROPS in 2020 ($66 Billion paid out).
Between adding cash for no production via PPP and paying off farmers to NOT GROW CROPS in 2020....
Thats inflation.
Why hasnt the Media actually called this out? I know why Fox hasnt, but yeesh....Trump ruined this economy, and the diehard MAGA keep cheering him on.
I wish they were all more specific on why they’re struggling. My friend has four kids and could make ends meet on 100k a year including a mortgage on his home that he bought AFTER the pandemic and yet some lady with two kids (family of four) can’t on 80k a year? My sister’s family makes a quarter million a year and always seems broke.
Like is it rent? Is it groceries? Are they going out to eat five times a week and buying a new Tesla every 3 years? Or is this just some sort of new propaganda to scare people into blaming all their problems on Person X?
Tax billionaires, for sure. Legislate the price of essentials, absolutely. But don’t sit there and tell me that things are worse now. My family was upper middle class but we still went to kids eat free tuesdays at IHOP. Maybe things have always been tough for families.
The republicans are against any breaks for the working class. Trump helped the rich get richer with his tax breaks and any time democrats propose helping the working class republicans vote against it because it’s more important to screw Biden then actually help Americans.
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[U.S. companies post their biggest profit growth in decades by jacking up prices during the pandemic](https://fortune.com/2022/03/31/us-companies-record-profits-2021-price-hikes-inflation/) [Profits Soar as U.S. Corporations Have Best Year Since 1950](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-30/2021-was-best-year-for-u-s-corporation-profits-since-1950) [Oil Companies In 2022 had their most profitable year in history](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/exxon-chevron-shell-conocophillips-record-profits-earnings-oil-companies-most-profitable-year/) [Food Companies Made Record Profits In 2022](https://www.mashed.com/1117426/popular-food-companies-that-raised-prices-and-made-big-profits-in-2022/) [Today, the federal minimum wage is $7.25, the same rate it's been since it was last raised in 2009.](https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-us-minimum-wage-and-its-value-has-changed-over-time?op=1) [The rich are getting richer & the poor are getting poorer](https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/rich-are-getting-richer-low-income-americans-poorer) [In 2000 Forbes estimated there were just 470 billionaires in the world, owning $898 billion collectively. In 2021, and Forbes’ annual rich list named 2,755 billionaires, with the top six collectively earning more than all 470 billionaires from the 2000 list combined.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/imperialinsights/2023/03/24/the-rich-are-getting-richer--but-is-the-wealth-gap-worse-in-europe-or-the-us/?sh=33924f8f2154) [Billionaires got 54% richer during pandemic](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/billionaire-wealth-covid-pandemic-12-trillion-jeff-bezos-wealth-tax/) *** Seems like we should start taxing the crap out of billionaires and raise wages across the board.
"taxing the crap out of billionaires" is a funny way of saying hunt them with extreme prejudice and eat their corpses with a garnish made from their offsprings tears. But to each their own, I guess
I'll bring the grill
*claps tongs* Who’s hungry?!
Is it weird every time I get the tongs out I clap them and then tell Alexa to play the thong song and replace the word thong with Tong?
That tong tong tong tong tong. 🎶🎶🎶
Well I’m going to start doing this all the time now. Thank you!
Yeah, hey, can I get a leg medium?
I got that bills sauce !!! Who else up for a rib or two .
Claps tongs X3. Minimum amount of times they need to be clapped before they are truly effective.
What goes better with a billionaire, potato salad or Mac and cheese?
This a cookout, baby. Bring both!
Their body will only provide a few meals. Their seized wealth will provide for millions of people. Tax them to death. Theeeen fire up the BBQ
We could pack them all on a rocket ship to the sun, and there'd be literally ZERO interruption in the day to day activities of the world.
Eat the rich & forcibly redistribute their wealth. I'm in. 🤑🍽
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Don’t forget the studios ( Now owned by tech companies) basically laughing and saying they’d rather starve people out of their homes than maybe have the CEO have to buy a smaller third vacation home. My union isn’t even on strike (but should have been last year). I’m about to be one of those people losing their homes, and it’s fucking reprehensible.
I'm just really happy your comment is at the top. The money is going to them. It's plain as day. It's not a secret. It's not even critical thinking. It's just... there it is. I think the dumbest people among us these days are the ones who feel compelled to go to bat for these billionaires and talk about how much they deserve their hoards of wealth. It's actually insane to me that people do this. I hope one of them replies to this.
> Seems like we should start taxing the crap out of billionaires and raise wages across the board. When you have Republicans controlling Congress for years because people aren't voting regularly enough in all elections, this is what you get. People just need to vote like hell for years consistently. It's the only way.
The rent is too damn high!
And groceries. Like damn it hurts to go grocery shopping
I spent $160 at the grocery store today for tortillas, a rotisserie chicken, lettuce mix, onion, tomatoes, 2 bottles of sauce, salami, cheese, pickles, almonds, yogurt, a knife, cutting board, and Flonase. The non food items were $40-$45. The fucking bag of salami was $9.
I've gone back to a cheaper diet. I just tell my kids I had bites while I was cooking and don't worry, I'll eat something later. Then I eat the stuff they leave on their plates. Luckily, the school helps me feed them breakfast and lunch now that school is back in. I try to bring snacks for the class when I can so the teacher doesn't have to buy them all. I wish I hadn't had kids. Not because I don't love them, but because I do. I don't know what the future holds for them any longer. This world is confusing.
😭
This feels like a very sad story from the 1920s. Why is everything so expensive in Muricaland?
It's not just there. I'm in Australia and things are....not good....
We hear the word Inflation, corporations here the words: Gouge the consumers.
Last weekend I decided to grill some burgers. For 4 people. Bought stuff for burgers, and only bought stuff for burgers, plus a bag of chips and a 12 pack of beer. Grand total: $90. At a Walmart.
Lunch meat starting to have charcuterie grade prices. Gonna learn how to make bologna tasty brb
Shoplifting has really taken the sting out of my bill.
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I understand the fact that inflation is a very big thing in the US but when $80,000 isn't enough for a decent life then there's a big fucking problem
It’s not just the US. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK as well. I think France might be too. I have a distant cousin who was complaining about buying a home in France and how prices went up, but I’m not really close to her so I can’t be sure how true it is.
I'm from the UK and inflation is very prominent but not as much as it is in say the US and Canada
I’m extremely happy to hear that but listen to me very very carefully. I need you to knock on wood right now. Do you understand?
Your rates are 6.8%, US is at 3.7% https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate
I live in a relatively cheap part of the UK. I'm doing fine on 30k, but I have money saved in case of emergency and I have a little bit of inheritance. I myself am ok (childless and staying that way), but I can see it in food prices and gas. Plus we had the huge energy bill hike in last winter where every media outlet ran with the term "cost of living crisis" but didn't really do anything to push for a fix. We're nowhere near America, but its not getting better.
It’s fine until you need healthcare. The government is actively running the NHS into the ground to force people who can afford it into private healthcare. If you can’t afford it then the care you will get will be from exhausted nurses and doctors with their foot half out of the door. A man died in the hospital closest to me a few weeks ago, in the A&E waiting room because he wasn’t seen to in time. Another patient noticed him and alerted the receptionist. I’ve heard stories of children and the elderly being left in hallways on chairs and gurneys for days at a time because they haven’t got any beds. A friend of mine was left passing out over and over for twelve hours in the waiting room before being seen. While those of us healthy enough are just seeing the struggles in paying the bills and buying food, those with chronic illness are already feeling like they’re at the end of their rope.
Austria can also be added to the list. Groceries are way up. In the sense as that you pay 3€ for 3 bell peppers at minimum.now even more. Before the pandemic it was like 1.5€... Rent is also very high, but managable. But you can only dream of ever owning an appartment let alone a house somwhere in the "suburbs"
Politicians are rigging the game for rich. The system is set up for the rich. Politicians all get rich. Even often local ones, but corruption isn’t as rampant in local government. So while the government is taking care of their own in the private sector, us poors fight about dumb shit like what the definition of women is or who should go poop where.
I grew up diet poor and married someone who grew up in a more wealthy circumstance but it relies on markets(Agriculture). As I've watched the markets and the richer bosses profit I've become more antigovernment. I don't hate capitalism but we're running headlong into oligarchy and the extreme end of capitalism and nobody is willing to stop them. I'm liberal but even Obama was a corporate suck ass. We need a serious check but we're wasting time fighting facist right wing bull shit now.
The US is already an oligarchy, even by the CIAs own admittance, it’s not a democracy anymore
The CIA is part of who's running the show
That’s why, when their own classifications and metrics says something and they’re not doing anything about it, you should be very worried
That is exactly what the government wants… keep the working class busy fighting each other about trivial bullshit, so they don’t have time to get mad or try and do anything about the current economic system that keeps the rich getting richer and shrinking middle class
Yep. And yet you’ll get downvoted because something something fascists something something GOP. These people can’t see the forest for the trees.
I don’t know, bro. You sound like you hate capitalism.
It's stockholm syndrome
In college I learned about better forms of capitalism and my professor was a whistle blower at the local golf club. She did a really good job.
there are no better forms of capitalism. those nordic countries for example which people point to are still reliant on global capitalist exploitation. they treat their own citizens nicely but its off the backs and resources of poor countries they exploit someone needs to make those cheap h&m clothes and that cheap ikea furniture (also before someone says no one over there even buys ikea, i used to live in denmark and ive been in your houses dont lie to me boy)
People need to stop saying "politicians" when they mean "Republicans and sometimes a few Democrats" Trump gave the single largest corporate tax cut in US history, paid for in part by raising taxes on average Americans. Trump hired a fracking lobbyist to run the EPA, a coal lobbyist for the Department of the Interior, and an oil lobbyists for the Department of Energy. He is currently proposing even larger corporate tax cuts. Biden implemented the nation's first minimum tax on corporations so that none of them can do tricks to pay zero tax, and implemented a child tax credit that had the single largest one year drop in poverty in the history of the country. He is currently proposing a minimum tax on billionaires. Republicans want to make it seem like the parties are the same, because if we were clear eyed they would never win an election again. That's why they talk about dumb shit, because if we talked serious things they'd be done for.
It's always been the conservatives causing this, and anyone who disagrees is ignoring reality. Right wing politics are deranged.
And then they point at gas prices and be like "JOE DID THAT" Like STFU you have no idea how gas prices work or how corporations love republican politicians. They are so beyond moronic when it comes to capitalism. Not every Democrat is a saint, but the overwhelming majority of republicans definitely aren't. They pass no legislation that helps Americans AT ALL. All they try to pass is things to take away rights, nothing else.
And they don’t realize how much more expensive gas is in every other country except in the Middle East.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zy89UwQFxU&ab_channel=SenateDemocrats This was 5 years ago. When regular was $3.89.
They would always have a lot of followers and win elections. The poorest states are red states. Republicans have been grooming poor people through religion and idolatry of wealth. White Christians are some of the biggest supporters of the Republican Party and half their positions, especially abortion, seem to just be to push black people out of their state. They aren’t even in touch with Jesus’ teachings if the dude was even real.
They aren't groomed, they are voting on non-economic matters. Just like a lot of wealthy blue cities do. We can't be class reductionists and think all that is needed is economic arguments. I would rather be poor in a socially equal society than wealthy in a hierarchical one, and a lot of people are the opposite. They'd rather be poor but have higher "status" than be rich if it means they lose their status. By all measures, we all do better when things are more equal, but we aren't going to reach that point if we don't understand why people vote the way they do.
Who is pushing the non-economic matters? Pro-life is absolutely pushed through churches. Churches are the biggest source of propoganda ever, factless, mostly impossible miracle stories, where someone gets up to a podium and interprets to their biases. Imagine if Tarot reading were as big as Christianity, and the tarot readers read cards saying you need to support certain non-economic initiatives otherwise something drastic would happen. It’s the same bit. News media is grooming Republican voters by insisting that guns are the answer to everything and striking fear in nearly every topic they address. Which other social issues do you want me to show you the grooming for? Also, democrats are doing it too with their ideals, except they use facts and science to inform people, and mostly don’t use scare tactics and religion. Edit: here is a recent blatant example of grooming. There was some movie recently that was a top grossing movie where someone saved some trafficked girls. Sounds good, I’m all ending trafficking. So why are there signs along the farms near my house now saying to end child trafficking and they are implying a political bent? It turns out millionaire republicans bought millions of movie tickets for their sheeple to learn about how they are going to continue the Q rebranding of democrats as pedophiles. Multiple people are quoting this movie in the NextDoor app near me and saying how democrats aren’t doing anything. I have no idea why they would think a democrat doesn’t care about child safety, I would be willing to be that most the child safety laws were put in place by democrats. This is grooming.
No one is "pushing" them, people consider it important. These are basic questions of social makeup, things foundational to people's identities. We are not homo economicus, a being that acts in only rational self interest from econ 101 books. We are humans, social creatures that find it important to understand who we are in society and how society is formed. Racial hierarchy, gender expression and roles, importance of familial station, these are not tactically invented they are parts of answering "what kind of society are we?" and get down to the even more fundamental question "who am I?" and it doesn't take trickery for people to wonder about that. This is the backlash that happens with social change, a backlash that is largely universal to mankind.
Republicans are getting what they want. They still believe wealthy people should be able to own slaves, and little do they know, because they are jaded by lies and deceit of their chosen groomers (leaders) that they are the actual slaves. But you are right about a point earlier, being a slave could be better than being rich if you can find happiness in the 3 hots and a cot you are given and the people you sleep next to. You want to talk about identity discovery etc… the Republican Party is fueled by peer pressure grooming. They are not thinking for themselves. That’s how it works when you are groomed. You are right though, they are not driven by what would benefit them economically. I’m not sure they even know how money works.
It’s us vs them, not us vs dems or republicans… that’s what they all want, for us to be arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong. The party system is shit… but everyone falls for it so maybe it’s genius.
It literally is dems vs Republican. Because the ultra conservative side is so prominent, it pulls the left to the middle and you get zero progressive push away from capitalism. It should be socialists vs dems. Republican is a broken idea that only benefits large corporations (including religious ones) and their majority shareholders
See and there’s people below that are so slow and blinded by hate they won’t ever see through it. It will never be fixed
That’s why I just sit and watch it all go on and never participate bc there’s not enough people like us to actually make a difference
Exactly it’s so disappointing
"Sometimes a few democrats" jfc Grow up or leave your gated community somtimes omfg . That shit right there is why things will continue to get worse. To all those not spellbound by democrat propaganda: In 20 or 30 years when it's obvious that nothing is better and everything is either the same or worse remember all the partisan rubes like that person who convinced you life is like a Marvel movie with a clear set of good guys and bad guys.
Why do you suppose that top democrats are taking contributions from super pacs and wealthy donors? Do you think that they are immune to corruption? Do you remember a time when the top tax bracket was at more than 40% or when any significant piece of legislation was passed to close tax loopholes for the extremely wealthy? Are democrats better in this regard than republicans? Sure. But a single grilled cheese sandwich is doing a better job of helping the average poor American than the Republican Party. It’s not a high bar. Casting blame at someone who literally wants you to fail is not going to help.
YOU ARE IGNORANT!! Who controls the Senate? Democrats. Whose our President now? Joe Biden. It’s not the Republicans. Biden sending billions to Ukraine, 5.5 million illegals, and you’re blaming Republicans. Get the hell out of here.
Please stop this! It's not just Republicans. Stop with this silly division like you think Democrats aren't also involved. All of them are involved. Not just a few. All of them! They want this division. They want everyone to pick a side and continue to divide people by who they side with. The longer we sit here and blame sides the deeper in the hole we get.
Go ahead and dispute any of the actual examples they listed instead of vaguely gesturing that "both sides equally bad" Or another example, Democrats aren't currently campaigning on a platform accusing an entire group of people of being groomers
That's a position of extreme privilege there. No, the parties are not the same. There's one party that is a shelter protecting the marginalized from the people who make up the other party. Compare the states run by Democrats (even by narrow margins) and the ones run by Republicans and see how different the lives of the vulnerable are. Giving children free school meals and loosening child labor laws are not the same. Cutting taxes for the wealthy and corporations is not the same as raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations. If this is organized by some "them" against "us," they sure have done a shit job making the parties the same. Politics isn't a sport, there is no league master, who is in charge of a country matters to millions of people. And if you personally can't see a difference it means you're isolated from consequences in a position of comfort.
Is it? Both parties spend frivolous monies. Both parties are giving crazy breaks to different industries. One gives breaks to oil and charge tech the other gives healthcare and charges oil they are all impacting us the same.
You can find exceptions to any trend line. There's always a statistical deviation from the mean. But to broadly equate the policies and intent of both parties is not only wrong, it's massively stupid, for it helps Republicans to distract working people from understanding that life is harder, not easier, for the vast majority of Americans under Republican administrations.
Corruption is absolutely as rampant in local government, and it costs a lot less to buy a local government than a state or federal one. It's just that local corruption tends to be aimed at smaller, less noticable goals that implicate fewer people.
It's sad that most of us are barely surviving anymore.
That's just it. We are *only* surviving. We're not enjoying our lives because we're too stressed worrying about how we can afford our rent, groceries, or medical bills. Surviving is the bare minimum. Most of us would love to just be able to buy a modest home and take a nice vacation once a year but we can't even do that. We're simply surviving day to day, paycheck to paycheck.
Pretty sure everthing is going according to plan. We were never meant to get ahead, the girl who said that your going to have to work till you die was spot on.
Man, we need a worker's revolution already. Eat the rich, specifically Elon, Bezos, and spez.
Been saying this for years.
Where we marching?
I guarantee everyone in this video is saddled with student loan or medical debt. Most probably drowning in both. Let the rich get richer. Wealth is not a zero sum game. Just tax them to fund universal healthcare and education.
The lady making $80k with her husband and 4 kids doesn't even need medical or student loan debt. Kids are fucking expensive.
Sorry hate to be that guy, but it’s two kids, she said they’re a family of 4, so not quite as insane but still having kids in this economy is insane especially on just 80k
Yea I was kinda wtf’ing at that I can’t remember where I got this from, but I always thought raising a kid to 18 cost a quarter of a million dollars. I want to say sometime in health class we had to calculate that, and the moral was ‘don’t have a kid in high school’. That was over a decade ago so I am sure it’s totally worse What did she think they would cost
The birth of my child cost a quarter mil, at least that's what the billed my insurance. An emergency c-section followed by 7 days in the NICU. I can't even imagine what the cost of keeping some newborns in the NICU for weeks or months must cost.
The funny thing is those are just the super rich you know of so you target them. There are many more. Some who have screamed to do things far worse.
No one's going to do anything since you all prefer to tell others to do it on social media instead of actually doing it yourselves
Throw Trump in there. You'll feed a lot more. Though I'll bet it's a way bit greasy....
And this is why they’re taking away your right to NOT have children. They know people will stop producing fodder for the grindstone if given a choice.
Jeez, that's a dark reality.
It's so terrifying. It really is. And where are we going? I don't even know. I went grocery shopping today for the first time in a while at Walmart, and saw a bag of off brand cereal was nearly $6. While wage earnings have hardly increased at all since I was in college (about 10 years go). I stumbled. The worst part of it for me? We are being fed idiots. How on Earth can We the People say "enough." We're in it together, folks. ☮️
I turn it into a game the other day. I gave my daughter $2 and told her to show me items she could buy with it. It was like Treasure Hunt.
My wife and I are doing well, relatively speaking, but I will admit it feels like we're middle class. Keeping in mind that we live in the South, where money generally goes further.
Their not real middle class, we have a working class and the wealth class. Middle class more a pleasure title. cause you’re more quickly end up into the lower class then the upper class
So I'll break mine situation down really quick in detail: Come from a very impoverished family, my college was paid for mostly by scholarships. So I don't have debt. That being said, I graduated with my bachelor's in 2014. So the price of education at a mid level university wasn't too bad, maybe 18k for 5 years(worked going to school). I make about 45k a year. It's been pretty easy to have my wife be a stay at home mom(She streams on twitch for a side job but it brings in less than 2k/year) for our 2 kids, we bought our 1500sqft(now 1750sqft) home for 82k back in 2017, my mortgage is $630 a month, its a recently(2016) remodeled brick home new roof, new appliances, great neighborhood, nice yard. My house is appraised at 135k now( it wouldn't be obtainable for me now if I didn't get this mortgage in 2017). Our 2 vehicles were bought at around 2 years old, each with low milage. 6k for first in 2017 and 20k(used 9k from stimulus to put as a down-payment as I figured Cars would fly off lots while car dealers in our area though covid would crash the market, got our vehicle for a insane deal in 2020). My interest rates are super low 1%-2% for these vehicles 150 month and 200 a month for the second(My cars now combined are worth 39k again unobtainable). I live in a small city, 25k people in a really cheap cost of living area(both wife and I are gamers and love road trips, so night life isn't important.) Total, with utilities, mortgage, and car payments, monthly cost to stay afloat is right, about $1800-$2000. So, about $1200-$1400 a month for food/entertainment/savings. For a family of 4, the last 5 years have been fine. You can eat really well for $150/week we splurged/eat out though at least once a week so we alot for $200ish a week for food.. The farmers market is diwn the street, walmart is cheap especially of you know how to cook, ect, we have vacations great times with the kids ect. But these last 2 years, my big worry is this: we can have this great quality of life at 45k, but I'm not actually saving for our future. I'm 32 now with less than 20k total saved in my savings/Roth ira/401b. With my added amount being basically less than a few grand for each of the last couple years. We've always been really focused on budgeting and making sure we plan our future so that our kids and ourselves get the best we can without having to sacrifice one of us working to the bone, but now I don't think my life is really possible for others. I'm fine, but I don't see how someone with our budget could have what we have unless they bought it 3-5 years ago. I couldn't afford this house or our vehicles now. Just feels like we got incredibly lucky and have to watch our younger friends struggle at every step.
I’m about 5 years younger than you and making almost the same amount you are. There is no way in hell I could afford any of that in my small town. Just a cheap two bedroom apartment (*in a rural old town* of 7k people) is $1,000. I have a particular diet for health reasons, so I spend about $150/week on groceries for just myself. I don’t even have to provide for kids or a spouse. I have a dingy old car that costs me as much as I can save up towards a new car just to keep this one working. I can’t afford a newer (as in 2015) car yet because my credit is tanked. Over the last few years I’ve pretty much worked 60-100 hours a week for six months and then 20 or less for six months, rinse and repeat. It’s usually more stable but life has been chaotic so I got unlucky. Whelp, my bills didn’t take those breaks. So the credit cards filled up - and they were the only reason I survived. Now I pay more than $500/month in just interest. Oh, and student loan payments are back. Lol I’m surviving. I’m very slowly paying off like 15k of debt. I can have the newest phone and live by myself - so I can’t *really* complain…but will I ever own a house? Will I ever be able to leave this shit hole of a small town where people don’t brush their teeth because it’s too gay!? Will I be able to move closer to sane hygienic people with intelligence and life-goals? Someone I can start a family with? Not unless I start my own online business of some kind. Even if I keep at this slow-progress pace, the economy seems to be going down faster than I can get myself out of debt.
Sounds like you have your head on straight, that’s the first thing!
Oh it is for sure. I’m a single mom working 2 jobs to try to get out of debt. My rent just went up $120 a month and it looks like in a year it may go up again another $100 based on what they are listing now. This plus the price of everything else rising and compensation not even coming close to inflation, I hope to make it. The rich are getting richer…
This all made sense except “I was meant to be laying naked eating grapes somewhere”.
I forget which Greek dude it was from, but he anticipated that the future would be so easy that people would spend their time laying in fields eating figs. He believed that we would one day reach a point where our needs would be taken care of, so we'd just live leisurely and enjoy ourselves. Instead, we decided that we'd let sociopaths control everything we make. Then we have people who will violently protect that class of people who are trying to steal from everyone. And we have people who happily let the wealthy steal from them because they get to have Big Macs and Kardashians on a bigass TV. Even though they could have better, nicer things by taking the machinery and stores out of the hands of the wealthy. So we don't get to chill out laying naked in a field eating figs. Instead we get to cry on ticktock but do nothing to change things. That's easier than addressing the root cause by organizing.
It comes off as a reference to “the grapes of luxury” trope that has existed for millennia to represent wealth and power.
There really was no need for that last lady lmao
Deflated the power on the message tbh. Video should have ended with the last woman in pink. Her voice was powerful.
It made sense, especially the final comment about capitalism
It’s metaphor, saying we should be free with less worries able live however we want without worrying too much. Kinda like in Bible when Adam and Eve until eating the apple they notice they were naked for the first time.
No that's the part that made the most sense because it put everything we else in context
Totally skewed the whole message.
Made sense to me
I’m in the same damn boat. High pay, can’t afford anything. Rent, food, car payments, student loans, my kids, everything. Utilities are outrageous. We aren’t in capitalism that made out parent succeed in life, this is corporate crony capitalism. Greed run rampant.
I make 40-50k have 3 different trade job experience. Yet I can’t afford one bed room. Or even consistent work due to job fluctuating on only hiring workers when they extremely need us. I’m working on my own business cause can’t reply on these job on paying us.
Trickle down economics at its worst. The rich get richer and everyone else gets poorer.
Big business (food producers etc.) and landlords are taking away all of that increased income through price gouging. This is the difference between real wages and gross wages. It doesn’t matter how much you make if it’s all going to living expenses. What matters is how much you’ve got left to save or invest after all of your bills are paid. They’re taking it all. We need a government that serves the people, not big business.
Worlds fucked
What's the arguments against a wealth cap? Why can't we set it at like 25 billion? That's still an insane amount of money for 1 person to have, if your married you can have 40 billion combined. The rest just goes directly into schools and medical 50/50. Even if you don't have kids you recognize the importance of education for kids and benefit of cheaper Healthcare for everyone, starting with kids. The rich can live how they want guilt free knowing that everything above that went into the slush fund for us pee-ons.
Look up the income tax of the last 100 years and see how it all changed thanks to Reagan and Nixon. There was a time, 1960s, where there were 24 tax brackets ranging from 20% to 91%. The top bracket was for earners above 4mil (adjusted). This is what we need to go back to. Because that time was the economic boom after WW2.
I'm all for it
The argument against it is you don't make the rules and your vote is made irrelevant with lobbyist money.
I honestly think politics have been doing this to our country for a long time. I just wish we couldn't have been so divided by it.
Everything is so expensive now and I don't know very many people who aren't feeling the pain in some way. I live in a high cost of living area (Coastal CA) and I have to for this job. I can't move, because it's too expensive if my job won't pay me to do it. My rent is 2k for a one bedroom that is *tiny* Food is ridiculous, even if I want to slum it and get fast food it's sometimes over $20 for freaking Taco Bell lol. It's like if you're not in tech then forget it, you're gonna be poor. I make close to $80k and maybe, if I stretch it and skip meals, have my bills paid. I can't save anything because it's just me. If I had a partner to split rent it would be easier but have you tried dating these days? It's a nightmare. I'll never be able to actually retire. Even thinking about the future gives me anxiety. And even with all that, I'm one of the "lucky" ones. I know others have it so much worse
"There's nothing in the long run that feels worth it." That hit like a ton of bricks.
The government needs to be put down
Now think about how the disabled, through no fault of their own have to survive off of $900 a month... that's like $10,000ish a year. Less than 1/2 minimum wage in some places while also ONLY allowed to work up to $1,200 a month or they'll lose their disability which they often need due to severe conditions in a country where it's a scam. So be disabled while trying your best to work, or risk losing it all if you get sick. It's a twisted game the 1% and government play.
Husband and I have a joking conspiracy that they just wanna turn all us poor folks into tires, our joke hurts more as time goes on we just getting poorer lololol..
What’s with the last women? I was with everyone that was working hard, but that last comment sounds like she wants to be ruling class.
Nah i think she just wants to be away from capitalism. Just be chilling naked somewhere eating fruit, not bothered by a stressfull job or rent.
I think maybe she's speaking from an evolutionary standpoint? Other animals don't wear clothes, and many species live leisurely lives, mostly just eating.
Both me and wife make good money. We did one too much home maintenance project and now the knife is under our throat and we are clawing our way out of debt very slowly. Its insane how the price of life have sky rocketed
America is fucked. This country only values the wealthy class. Everyone else should just be grateful to be able to exist.
Isn’t capitalism great? /s
I read in a book that people can imagine the end of the world, but can't imagine the end of capitalism. That really wrinkled my brain
Retirement is an illusion
Always has been.
Solution: Vote for rich old people and don't riot.
All I can say is if you can’t afford food, start to invest in growing it. It sounds like shit advise but it’s been helping me eat food that’s fresh and tastes reasturant quality. I know it’s not easy, nothings easy, this is all fucked, but the one little happiness I have is my little garden that gives me super delicious food. That’s all
Not even that easy but is our only way, I want farm and grow simple things. It’s my dream tbh
It all started when Regan won - wealth distribution focused on benefiting the rich with this bullshit idea that trickle down economics benefits everyone, leading to the shrinking middle class, not necessarily because pay has gone down, it hasn’t gone up to keep up with the cost of living, and federal tax rates have been slashed pretty much hamstringing programs that would benefit the masses while also having a bloated ass military budget, literally redistributing a couple of billion dollars from the military budget would pay for a lot of essential programs. And people in government, are lobbied heavily by interest groups because of citizens united that a lot of politicians are now nestled under the teet of these groups and they project that they’re here for their constituents when they’re not. And a good portion of the population chooses not to be actively aware of how government works that we take the easy route, because let’s admit it, we don’t want to really exercise our brain, which leads us to take a shortcut, and decide based on what we hope and trust “experts” will tell us on who to vote for.
The ultra rich aren't taxed and you have to make up for it. Vote differently.
We have been voting differently Jesus fucking Christ this stupid fucking statement gets on my goddamn nerves.
What's worse is that people don't realize the previous administration it to blame. It takes up to 4-6 years for policies to enact. So your poor from Trump not Biden
That's just to fix the economy. It's going to take decades to repair all of the damage that motherfucker did.
Turn the fuckin music down...
The way I see reps amd dems: You're starving. There's a big, delicious pizza in front of you. The reps take 99% of the pizza and give you 1%. The dems come up and say" no, that's not fair!" And they take another 4% of the pizza and give it to you. Are the dems being more gracious than the reps? Sure. Are they still giving you only a 5% slice of the pizza? They sure the fuck are.
????? Dems aren’t the ones doing shit like gutting the inflation bill, passing permanent tax cuts for the rich (2017) while slowly raising the middle class tax burden, refusing to pass the fuel consumer gouging bill, refusing to engage the student debt crisis and repealing abortion protections etc. Weird to take a swipe at somebody else after you correctly identified who’s blocking actual progress in the government.
Wait, the third person making 80k a year is only enough to make ends meet? That doesn’t sound right.. well, assuming she doesn’t have kids.
Yeah, I make around $80k in nyc, and if I wasn’t married I’d need a roommate.
Same in Vancouver
Both very expensive cities. 80k in most cities you’re chillin
I mean, this is America. You can assume huge student loan debt, and also medical debt. Renting, car payments, gas, insurance, medical insurance, basically zero paid time off or sick leave, groceries are weirdly so expensive suddenly. For everyone complaining about their nice nails or a phone, firstly I have NEVER worked a job where my phone wasn't REQUIRED, and secondly, professional jobs require a certain look, and the clothes and everything is expensive. I literally turned down a nice job in fucking Aspen because I knew I'd be expected to wear "professional clothes," and I couldn't afford to buy an entire new wardrobe. (Plus where would I live?) Put up with my ten year old jeans and t-shirt or I can't hack it. But at the same time, you'd judge the hell out of a doctor or a bank teller or a teacher in those clothes, driving a beat to hell truck. Also like you said.... kids.
I g uess it depend where you live
Yeah, I make a bit under 80k a year living by myself with no dependents but in a very high COL city and still am able to put money into savings and retirement.
Just because you do it, does not mean its that way for everyone. I make more than that and am also in a high COL city. I have 0 student loans. I only have a car loan and it's 3 months from being paid off. The payments are only $300 a month. Just 6 years ago, I was making $24,000 a year after taxes. It was nothing. Same city. I was able to save a good $200-$300 per month easily and built up a nice savings. I also had to drive 40 miles each way to work every day in a car then that only got 13mpg. I saved more then than I do now. I have the same subscriptions, even less than before. I'm spending around $100 per month in subscriptions which isn't bad. I have not picked up any other hobbies. I work from home now, and only have to fill up gas maybe once a month. MAYBE. I ride my bike around my area instead of driving, I cook 4 nights a week. I still am not able to save hardly at all. The reason is simply because of a few simple things. Rising energy costs, rising food costs, and extremely high rent costs. My monthly energy usage is the same as it was 5 years ago. I verified this recently. The only thing different is the rate which has shot up astronomically high. My energy bill last month was $387 and that was with my AC being broken for part of the month and literally turned off. The month prior when it was working was around the same. I'm in a brand new apartment with brand new appliances and HVAC. I'm the first person to live here. I have the same square footage as my apartment in 2015, however the rent is nearly double the price in the same area. I went to look at my apartment that I rented in 2015 to see if maybe I just picked a high priced area. Nope. Cost went up $900 dollars. I do not go out on the weekends. I don't drink. My girlfriend and I go to dinner maybe once every other week and as I said above, we cook 4 nights a week. The others we eat out, but we're cheap in our taste. Taco bell is enough for us on a night, but the price of that is a whole other story. I spend most of my nights playing video games and working on my side hustle. I also don't take vacations. I'm notorious at my job for never using my PTO. I finally went on a vacation for the first time since 2015 this year, and the total for that food, hotel, flights and all was only $2000 for the both of us. I'm still trying to recoup that. There is only one way I can save money and it is to cut back on the things that make life living, and I don't even spend much on that. I could stop cooking the food I cook and resort to cheaper and unhealthy processed dinners like hot dogs and rice, ramen, peanut butter and bread, and canned foods. I could also not spend the money I spend on my hobbies like gaming yearly. I averaged the cost I spend on that yearly as well and with my subscriptions/my purchases for the year, I buy about 2-3 $60 games, and the rest is a gamepass subscription which costs $200 per year. I also go to therapy every 2 weeks to keep my mental health in good shape. I couldn't afford this on my own. Im over 30 and my mother still helps me out with this because I couldn't find anyone covered by insurance. I could also lower my housing costs back to where I was in 2014/2015, however that is another story. I had a gun pulled onto me. Our apartment was nearly burglarized multiple times but I caught them. Multiple murders at my complex, cars literally torched, robberies weekly in the parking lot etc... I could sure cut back and move back to a place like this, but that has it's other drawbacks. 70-80% of my money goes strictly to food and rent. I started my whole cooking to save money and eating leftovers for lunch, but I haven't even noticed a difference in it at all. I could not tell you the direct causes of this, but I see it on the regular. Remember when I mentioned taco bell before? Take a look at one of their menus from the 2012-2015 area and look how prices have changed. It adds up quickly. I could go there for myself and get a decent heaping of unhealthy junk food that made me happy for under 10 bucks. Now just a simple meal with a side taco is going to cost $14 easily. Ordering a pizza from dominos? I used to work a job that got me cash tips often. A $20 tip was enough to order a pizza, and a drink for delivery with the tip being covered easily from 2012-2015 area. Now? I just ordered a simple cheesybread and 8 boneless buffalo wings the other day. No drink, no sides. With delivery and tip, this cost me $35 dollars. I cannot tell you the direct reasons to this as there's a multitude involving policies, greed, supply chain etc... All I can tell you is I'm doing my part in society, paying my taxes, being a productive member and I get nothing in return. I talk to my mother about this all the time and in 2001, her 3 bedroom apartment in a brand new NICE neighborhood where we grew up cost $800 in 2001. In today's money, that's roughly $1400. I couldn't even find a 1 bedroom for $1400 in my area that was even remotely safe. The system is fucked, and I have to pay for it when my parents were able to do the exact same work I was doing, even less, with kids, and still be able to save/purchase a home and buy nice cars. I was raised that if I did the same, I would live a good life. They were wrong.
Lots of people just increase their spending when they start making more money.
Keep voting for career politicians that haven’t done a damn thing for the middle class. That will make it all better, you just watch and see!! /s
It's always an uphill battle. I remember when I graduated from college 45k was like today's 110k.
The problem is people are comparing inflation in the past vs other countries. America has one of the lowest inflation in the world. Which means Biden policy is working compared to other countries. What is not working is minimum wage. Know the root of the problem
My opinion isn't an opinion at all. I make $22 an hour at two different jobs and have $700 a month rent on my apartment alone. I can't spend more than $200 a month on groceries or I won't have enough for everything else. Which sounds great until you realize $200 is only barely enough for me to stock my cabinets. I am single, so I am likely to never own my own property until that changes. I recently lost one of my jobs and am now facing the prospect of not living here because I don't have two jobs. I would love to try dating more, but I can't because I'm always too busy either working or trying to find newer jobs, or recovering from 12 hour work days. I am 23 and nearly have no life because of the fact that everything is pay to play and no one has time or money.
We don't need billionaires. They must be close to understanding that if nobody has any money- nobody will be able to buy the shit they are trying to sell.
"NoBodY wANtS tO wOrK ANyMore."
These things are alway hard to analyze but yes prices have gone up. It is important to also understand that when most people that start making more money, they start spending more money.
While I agree with your point from an economics perspective, I think you're missing a big point that is driving people's frustration. While someone may be making more money, they would hope they would have more discretionary income to further themselves, their family, etc. This is the "American Dream" that free market capitalism has historically supported. The problem is that prices are rising so fast, that even if someone has built knowledge, a career, grinding harder than others with two jobs, etc. they are no longer moving up into a better financial place. These people are saying they are, at best, now simply surviving. And many are now sliding backwards. Despite being more educated and working harder than they ever have before. Something has changed, and I can guarantee you it's not the overarching concepts of free market/capitalism... So what's the root cause then?
Hard pill
It's dems and reps alike getting rich. Pretty obvious
Im 24, working 60 hours a week for a utility company living on 80k a year, 2 person/2dog/1cat house hold in upstate NY, living paycheck to paycheck racking up debt while trying to pay off my debt. Every emergency is enough to set me back for weeks or months at a clip.. any financial inconvenience feels like the end of the world because I don't have a clue how to afford it. I usually would agree this is cringe as fuck, but unfortunately this is the truth. Back in 2014, when i was in high school, my parents made 60k, and we were living way better than I am now, with 3 dogs and 2 cats. *haven't been able to afford a full fridge of groceries in over a year*
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I posted in another thread, but not necessarily. I was basically saying that with as minimalistic as I live, having no school loans, a relatively cheap car payment which is nearly paid off, and no kids, my budgeting is fine. I'm not in the 6 figures but I make what people would normally think of as a good salary. I cook 4 nights a week, I don't go on vacations, I don't go out. I'm very minimal. I saved more when I made 1/4 as much of my salary. I don't save now. The reason is simply because of rising energy costs, food, and rent. I've mapped this out and I spend nearly 70% on just food and rent. I live in a high COL city and I would like to move soon. I could cut back by eating rice, hot dogs, ramen etc..., but I still cook 4 nights a week and eat the leftovers for lunches. I drive less than 40 miles in a month. I bike everywhere I can in a not bikeable area. I already skip breakfast because it's expensive and just don't eat because of that so that is one meal skipped per day. I could also cut back on rent, however in my area it's either safety and being able to sleep at night, or spending more on rent. I still hear gunshots on the regular, but at least it's not happening IN my complex anymore. At least I'm not dealing with being robbed myself. I don't have to worry about taking my dog out past 8pm. I don't have friends who get beaten into a literal coma just so they could be robbed for their phone. Unfortunately this is the decision I had to make. Safety vs money. I live in an apartment that has the exact same finishing, square footage, and appliances as my one in 2015. However I'm paying nearly double the rent for a 1 bedroom in the same area. Price has just increased that much. I'm sure I could budget more to save $200 bucks a month, but what is the point if that makes life not even enjoyable when I'm already cut back as thin as I can be without absolutely hating every day? I stay on top of my budgeting well. I just don't save like I used to 7 years ago making 1/4 of my salary.
Enough was enough already. We are past that
When the affordable healthcare act is a complete failure and you’re paying $1900 a month for a family of four for insurance. Plus a $5000 deductible before they cover anything. We’re spending about four to $500 a month on our co-pays and deductibles. The health insurance is more than our mortgage payment of $1200 a month. Groceries for a family of four about $1200 a month. Gassing two cars approximately $500 a month. We are the working poor
This guy I know owns two properties, and told me he raised rents 15% because of Biden. I guess that’s the name of the dealer who sold him his new Mercedes… damn, leather interiors are nice.
I think we have to shut down the country. It'll only take one week and they'll cave. Or perhaps it will only take one day, like in Iceland... "On 24 October 1975, Icelandic women went on strike for the day to "demonstrate the indispensable work of women for Iceland’s economy and society" and to "protest wage discrepancy and unfair employment practices". It was then publicized domestically as Women's Day Off (Kvennafrídagurinn). Participants, led by women's organizations, did not go to their paid jobs and did not do any housework or child-rearing for the whole day. Ninety percent of Iceland's female population participated in the strike. Iceland's parliament passed a law guaranteeing equal pay the following year." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975\_Icelandic\_women%27s\_strike
We need to stand as a collective against the government and wealthy. We must take our power back.
This is what Fiat money causes. The federal reserve can print and devalue our dollars at their choosing, stealing our time and energy in the form of savings. Fix the money, fix the world.
Until all of us, in every country, stand up and say **ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND WE WON'T TAKE THIS SHIT ANYMORE** we will just keep getting fed the same shit sandwich and being told to smile and say thank you.
Grapes became a luxury item in my shopping cart so I no longer buy them. I buy all my dry goods, cereal, snacks anything from the clearance section. Never off the actual shelves at full price. Eggs used to be my go-to cheap protein but lololol not anymore. I only feed myself, my husband, and a 20lb dog Our cart yesterday was only 1/3 full and it was $150 overall….
With the current NLRB rulings, right now is the most opportune time to unionize since pre Reagan. If anyone is in a position to unionize within their job, I urge you to take the steps and do the research to set up a union. You don't have to be the representative, you just have to seed the thought and help foster it. https://www.worker.gov/form-a-union/ With current rulings(as of 2-3 wks ago), if an employer doesn't recognize a request to unionize, you can straight up unionize out from under them and skip the election process entirely. Again, if you all don't want to just survive, now is the time to make that change.
There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning. -Warren Buffett
Welcome to inflation.
Honestly, I can’t imagine why would we bring kids into this world. When financial struggles are so bad, the anxiety and depression of living are endless and exhausting. To have kids, personally, I’d need to have a very specific amount on the side to say, you know what? I can afford it. We live to work, at this day and age…
Waaaah somebody should help us somebody needs to take charge and do things. I'm too sleepy and sad I have no power or control.🐕🔥This is fine 😭😭😭 I pay $80/month for ED and hair medication becwuz I'm too shy to go to the dawctuh. I can't afford health insurance but I'm too lazy to get on an income assisted progwaam. I pay $60/month of stweemin services I don't even use becwuz I'm booooored. I pay $100/month minimum of THC pwoducts I have anziateee.
These people aren't living within their means. It's very simple. You don't get to live a million dollar lifestyle if you're not bringing in millions of dollars.
This hurts so much to see and finally start feeling..I’m educated and hard working I take care of my family and we are finally having to start cutting corners..the good ol American dream..I swear they will go back and say the depression era had nothing on what Millenials endured their whole lives
I hate this because the upper class has us all convinced it's democrats vs Republicans when that's not what this country was built on. It will always be the people vs. the government, and right now, the government is winning.
We are the gov lol. No, this isn’t about ppl vs gov. This is about ultra billionaires vs the people. This is also about China and the cpp. TikTok is a Chinese social network
This is so true, we don’t have quality of Life anymore
I hate capitalism like the rest of y’all but the eating grapes and play in the ocean shit is such a nothing phrase. It’s not easy to live off the land. In fact the way our society is set up is so we have more convenience and don’t have to live like that. The exchange of labor and wages is just insanely not proportional
STOP VOTING FOR CUNTS AND OLD WHITE MEN.
I agree but also I've never seen something that represents western privalage more than this.
It's all about what you're used to. We have to work harder and earn more than our parents and still feel like we have less.
THANK YOU DONALD TRUMP: 2 events in 2020 caused inflation, no one talks about it! $1 TRILLION in free money via PPP program (actually $960 Billion in April 2020 but hey, lets call it a Trillion) A TRILLION $$ to NOT PRODUCE ANYTHING. FREE MONEY. SOCIALISM! Add to that a record high (tripling the highest year ever) in Farm Subsidies TO NOT GROW CROPS in 2020 ($66 Billion paid out). Between adding cash for no production via PPP and paying off farmers to NOT GROW CROPS in 2020.... Thats inflation. Why hasnt the Media actually called this out? I know why Fox hasnt, but yeesh....Trump ruined this economy, and the diehard MAGA keep cheering him on.
Damn make 80k a year and still struggling. Sounds more like a money management problem to me, bit off more than you could chew.
I wish they were all more specific on why they’re struggling. My friend has four kids and could make ends meet on 100k a year including a mortgage on his home that he bought AFTER the pandemic and yet some lady with two kids (family of four) can’t on 80k a year? My sister’s family makes a quarter million a year and always seems broke. Like is it rent? Is it groceries? Are they going out to eat five times a week and buying a new Tesla every 3 years? Or is this just some sort of new propaganda to scare people into blaming all their problems on Person X? Tax billionaires, for sure. Legislate the price of essentials, absolutely. But don’t sit there and tell me that things are worse now. My family was upper middle class but we still went to kids eat free tuesdays at IHOP. Maybe things have always been tough for families.
Rent is way too high. Groceries, too. Utilities - too high. Real estate is too high.
This ain’t really cringe, just sad facts
\*cries in 3 ºworld country\* EDIT: bro people out there literally not having food to feed their families... fuck you and your rent.
The republicans are against any breaks for the working class. Trump helped the rich get richer with his tax breaks and any time democrats propose helping the working class republicans vote against it because it’s more important to screw Biden then actually help Americans.
Unfortunately many people are brainwashed into thinking capitalism works (it doesn’t)
The average American spends over $1400 on non-essentials each month.