Posted by bad_luck on 6/6/2014 5:10:00 PM (view original):

Posted by toddcommish on 6/6/2014 4:42:00 PM (view original):
If you don't push back for yourself, YGWYD

So you make $8 an hour. What can you do?

At that point, all you really have is a single vote (assuming you don't live in a state that is actively trying to make it harder for you to vote). You're powerless.

You can learn how to do a job that pays more!  Watch TV after 1am once in a while, and see how many trade schools are out there.

WyoTech will teach you to be a mechanic.  Those guys make TONS of money.  You sure as hell won't make more than $8/hour sitting on your ***, eating Pringles, and watching Maury.

Posted by toddcommish on 6/6/2014 5:21:00 PM (view original):

Posted by bad_luck on 6/6/2014 5:10:00 PM (view original):

Posted by toddcommish on 6/6/2014 4:42:00 PM (view original):
If you don't push back for yourself, YGWYD

So you make $8 an hour. What can you do?

At that point, all you really have is a single vote (assuming you don't live in a state that is actively trying to make it harder for you to vote). You're powerless.

You can learn how to do a job that pays more!  Watch TV after 1am once in a while, and see how many trade schools are out there.

WyoTech will teach you to be a mechanic.  Those guys make TONS of money.  You sure as hell won't make more than $8/hour sitting on your ***, eating Pringles, and watching Maury.

A handful of people improving their situation doesn't solve the structural problems in politics/society/economy. Lobbyists are winning and we're all (assuming none of us are millionaires) worse off because if it.

A handful of people show that it CAN be done, with a little elbow grease and a little focus.  Why do you assume ithe problem is the infrastructure when Occam's Razor says it's just just plain laziness?

Some people have a more difficult path.   Maybe they're not as smart, maybe they're just ugly, maybe the opportunities are few where they CHOOSE to live, maybe skin color plays a role.   But that doesn't mean one should say "**** it" when the first roadblock is encountered.     I can rattle off numerous non-athlete minorities who are doing quite well in the horrible, white male dominated infrastructure.   

And, if you walk the streets of any decent sized city, you'll encounter more than a few homeless white males.

Posted by toddcommish on 6/6/2014 6:19:00 PM (view original):
A handful of people show that it CAN be done, with a little elbow grease and a little focus.  Why do you assume ithe problem is the infrastructure when Occam's Razor says it's just just plain laziness?

I don't think that's a proper use of Occam's razor.

Posted by bad_luck on 6/6/2014 4:39:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tecwrg on 6/6/2014 4:26:00 PM (view original):
And here we come full circle from other BL threads.

Let's punish the rich and successful people for being rich and successful.  And white.  And for having dicks.

Yeah, that seems fair.

I don't want to punish anyone. Do you not think that lobbyists are pushing for public policy that allows more wealth to accumulate at the top?

Who is there to push back for everyone else? (Don't say Democrats because, facts).

Lobbyists do that because it's their job to do that.  That's their purpose in life.

Blame the ******** in Washington who let the lobbyists line their pockets.

Hold the right group of people accountable.

Posted by tecwrg on 6/6/2014 9:26:00 PM (view original):

Posted by bad_luck on 6/6/2014 4:39:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tecwrg on 6/6/2014 4:26:00 PM (view original):
And here we come full circle from other BL threads.

Let's punish the rich and successful people for being rich and successful.  And white.  And for having dicks.

Yeah, that seems fair.

I don't want to punish anyone. Do you not think that lobbyists are pushing for public policy that allows more wealth to accumulate at the top?

Who is there to push back for everyone else? (Don't say Democrats because, facts).

Lobbyists do that because it's their job to do that.  That's their purpose in life.

Blame the ******** in Washington who let the lobbyists line their pockets.

Hold the right group of people accountable.

I'm not blaming lobbyists, just noting that they are winning.

Whose fault is that?

You want a list?

Posted by bad_luck on 6/6/2014 9:19:00 PM (view original):

Posted by toddcommish on 6/6/2014 6:19:00 PM (view original):
A handful of people show that it CAN be done, with a little elbow grease and a little focus.  Why do you assume ithe problem is the infrastructure when Occam's Razor says it's just just plain laziness?

I don't think that's a proper use of Occam's razor.

That's because you have NFI what you're talking about:.... again.

Occam's razor (also written as Ockham's razor and in Latin lex parsimoniae) is a principle of parsimony, economy, or succinctness used in problem-solving devised byWilliam of Ockham (c. 1287–1347). It states that among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected

I know what Occam's razor is. I'm saying you're applying it in a way that it wasn't intended. See this: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/occam.html

"Occam's razor is often cited in stronger forms than Occam intended, as in the following statements:
The simplest explanation for some phenomenon is more likely to be accurate than more complicated explanations.
The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct."

Posted by bad_luck on 6/6/2014 11:08:00 PM (view original):
You want a list?

Sure.  Entertain us.

Posted by tecwrg on 6/7/2014 8:15:00 AM (view original):

Posted by bad_luck on 6/6/2014 11:08:00 PM (view original):
You want a list?

Sure.  Entertain us.

I guess a person isn't really to blame. I'd blame a system that allows money to buy influence. Maybe the Supreme Court is the closest thing to a person to blame. Politicians are just working within the system they have. I don't blame corporations for doing what's in their best interest anymore than I blame unions or individuals for doing what's in theirs.

Realistically, the only way to make things better is to change the system.

Please elaborate on this magical place where corruption and greed do not exist and money does not buy influence.

What about a constituent base that cares enough to get off their butts and hold these greedy corrupt leaders accountable?

APATHY is the enemy and the blame for a lot of the problems. People work 8 hours or more a day and when they come home they would rather watch TV, play video games or surf the web rather than write or call their congressman and stay more politically aware than simply ingesting whatever narrative the media is pushing this week.

"We the people" have dropped the ball as a nation and have allowed for the corruption and greed to continue to grow worse and worse.

This is the best system ever created by man, but it is a system that depends on "We the people" to be active, dedicated and aware.

If campaign finance laws were changed, money wouldn't buy influence anymore.