Bitter Truths: Why Are Working Class White People So Angry?

amt hid the nail on the head...

1st off it is not just two generations since civil rights. I grew up in Detroit. I happen to be white. I only make 30 k a year I certainly would not make me be rich. Growing up in the 60's and 70's. I have a very different view. You have several generations that they are told they are entitled and do not have to earn anything. Heard that fiddle until I moved away from Michigan. As the late 70's rolled around I watched my folks Struggle under the Carter Administration. Everything they had save for me was eaten up just to make bills. My dad also taught inner city school(in those days you had to love to teach because you were not there for the money even a couple of years the state of Michigan said they might have to pay teachers in script) just as well as we lived in a very diverse neighborhood. By the time I graduated from High school I watched those that were a minority get money to go( we were too rich to get aid and Parents to poor to pay for it). So I went to work My friends went the for about two terms and did not go back as to they failed to pass to continue going. Money they were given in loans were defaulted on and not paid back. This happened alot. Than most of them went back on the social programs had kids and their kids live this way to this day. These folks my fromer neighbors and still friends to this day feel they are entitled.

Also Feel Americanfreethinker Hit it on the head Most people think that if they do not live in the big house or have the fancy car they are not successful. It is ashame that working hard and being responsible are not what matters. I am glad I have never in my childhood and adult life that I have not chose my friends because of their appearances. Some where During the 60's despite the attempt for all the social awareness that went on that most of the shallow ideas came out of.

tired of careing,

I don't know that i agree with everything in your last post. I'm black and I grew up in poverty stricten neighborhoods. All of my family/friends were in the same boat. I can't recall anyone who felt like they were "entitled". I don't know of anyone who were proud to receveive those pityful welfare checks or foodstamps. I remember growing up and seeing my parents working their ass offs making chump change and having to rely on foodstamps to help feed me and my siblings. I recall them sitting up at night stressed out wondering where the money was going to come from to keep the lights on. Even though there are some who abuse the social programs...there are probably twice as many that acutally depend on these services to get by.

psmitty

I understand what you are saying as I have said I am from Michigan. My last job was with Olga's Kitchen at the Briarwood Mall In Ann Arbor. At that last job I met many of interesting folks. Being that University of Michigan was there I met many foreign students who attend there. There were some students who were there from what was know as Congo but the name is not there. There government was paying for them to attend their and take their knowledge back with them. The used to get in arguments over points of opinion with those that were working there. Yes all that were involved were and I hate labels "Black". The would tell them that they were lazy and had no drive to do better and used every excuse not to suceed. They used to tell them they did not know what it was to really do with out or had no clue what diverse and tough life was in the Congo. They used to tell them they were soft and they would never survive what they have had to. These students worked extra to pick up what were called luxury items like perfume and other articles that most take for granted.

You are very fortuante that you never met people like that I believe that we are all in the same boat though. I am female when I was younger I would go to the local Health dept without the my folks knowledge because I did not want any children and this was the late 70's. You could get birth control at no cost. These things were not talked about by my folks they were raised that you waited untill you were married. They are depression children and were taught with a puritanical way of life as far as sex went. Very unrealistic but that was how it was, also because of his position I never wanted to embarass them. So I never depended on any male to be responsible. I see the writing on the wall as far as what happened in the late 70's lost jobs and inflation eating us all alive. Even though I am working If things do not turn around I will be unemployed but for me if it takes working two or three part time jobs to make to the next permanent job that is what I will do.

Also truly wish you the best pssmitty. I do understand that it is not everyone. But I have had the misfortune to meet those were what I have described. I wish and hope for real jobs not something that will not be permanent. We need manufacture jobs. Those are the ones that keep things steady not service jobs. Best wishes

pssmitty,

Your family is what the programs where designed for. Folks that work hard but still need some help to make ends meet. It was never intended for people to live off of for generations. I never want anyone in this country to go hungry, we are too rich of a Nation for that but the argument that most conservatives have is that there are far too many folks that abuse the system and take advantage. I was a single Mom for 16 years and for a time worked 3 jobs so that I did not have to have welfare or food stamps. It was a pride thing for me but I do understand that sometimes it is needed for "short" periods of time. People should not be allowed to use social programs as a crutch.

For my feelings on illegals, I am called a racist but thats OK. I don't understand how anyone can say that letting ilegals drain the welfare system is right. I want my fellow Americans feed first! We cannot save the whole world folks

People should not be allowed to use social programs as a crutch.

Agreed and Government and those that have should also make sure there is enough employment available that people can use to stay off of government programs. The same people who ar crying about social cheats are the same ones laying the people off right now to protect their inflated earnings.

Qwest had a bad 2008. Revenue declined by just 2%, but earnings per share and net income dropped by 74% and 77%, respectively. Qwest stock fell 43%. Thousands of employees lost their jobs.

But Mueller got an annual bonus of $2.25 million, up from zero in 2007. That was on top of $8.2 million in salary and other compensation.

How did this happen? In part, because in late 2007 the Qwest board switched one of the metrics used to award bonuses. In place of net income, it used a measure of cash flow that gauges earnings before interest, taxes and the accounting charges depreciation and amortization, known as "EBITDA."

In a way, the switch makes sense. Execs wouldn't be penalized for a decline in 2008 earnings compared to an artificial jump in 2007 earnings caused by a one-time tax benefit.

But did EBITDA really rise enough to justify a big annual bonus? It increased by just 3%, and much of that gain came as the company bolstered cash flow by shedding 3,906 jobs, 11% of Qwest's work force. In effect, Mueller got a boost to his annual bonus for cutting jobs!

americanfreethinker,

Did you ever think that people in the middle and upper classes today were born of the "working" class? What was the dream of my poor, under-educated immigrant forebears? It was to see their family succeed beyond their own station in life. Their goals were to have children and grandchildren who were better educated and upwardly mobile.

I am proud of my working class roots and yet I have not "worked with my bare hands." I have also not embezzled, cheated on taxes or scammed unsuspecting people. Does that mean that I have not contributed to society? By your statement, does it mean that my life is a sham, built on the "hard work" of those who physically "build" the nation?

I would caution you about using terms like working class and middle or upper class, when it denotes an "us against them" mentality. Did you ever think that it takes labor AND management to successfully complete a project? Did you ever stop to think about the sacrifices that white collar workers have made over the years to make a better life for their families? The people who work for me are important to me. They are not just drones who punch a clock and do my bidding. They are a dynamic part of my operation and I rely on both their industry and their judgement to fulfil my mission. In return, I provide them with the support, training and guidance they need to complete their job successfully. When they work on Christmas, I'm there with coffee and pastries for them. When someone calls out of work and no one is able to work the shift, I go in to work it, so someone doesn't have to stay and work a double (of course, I don't get paid for any of that since I am a salaried manager). I don't do it for self-promotion, I do it because I know that my success or failure is dependent on my employees and their motivation and ability to perform their jobs.

You can't have the middle or upper class without the working class, just as the working class does not exist without the middle manager or the finacier who puts their wealth behind a company or project. Until we realize that every one of us is interconnected, as Americans, we will never move forward and we will never succeed. This is true regardless of race, gender, religion or social status.

Jelly, I do think there are some poor statements in Thinker's post, although I think on the whole he is spot on. The American Working Class did make this nation and he continues to do so today. When you think of the word make in its literal context, white collar workers did not make America. America, in the context which we are speaking, is factories, roads, goods, schools, and all the other material things that make our lives as possible as they are today.

There is no doubt that white collar workers have to sacrifice and work hard to make ends meet, but they are not treated in the same fashion that blue collar workers are. As someone who worked in construction, factories, and office settings I can assure how we are treated by management and people as a whole dramatically changes from profession to profession.

I am a Socialist and I do believe Capitalism is degrading and wrong; my mother is the vice-president of a company and largely plays the role of manager. When I was younger, I saw her come how tired and on the verge of tears; I watch as she poured her energy into that company. There is no doubt in my mind that there are good managers; but there is a line between the necessity of having a manager and the necessity of having an owner. I reject the notion that the man who works her to the bone, pays her less because she is a woman, and is largely divorced from the process. We are interconnected, no one denies that, but the question is who profits and who loses from our current societal arrangement. I have no doubt in my mind that my mother has lost much to her job and gained very little. I can say whole heartedly that none of my jobs have ever truly benefited me. I can appreciate the sentiment behind your post, but I find such thinking breeds a level of complacency in a system that decidely and purposefully unfair.

Adrian,

I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Since you state that you are a Socialist, I'm afraid there is little that we could constructively discuss. I regret that my comments seem to reflect a complacency. My philosophy is that if everyone took the time to think about those around us, things would be better. I do not believe that socialism is the answer, as I have seen no sustainable example of it in the world, to date.

The "system" is unfair, as is life. An egalitarian society, the goal of many socialists, seems fair, certainly on the surface. However, in such a society, the human mind is stifled for the good of the state. Individuals become drones of the state. At least, in a capitalist society, the average person still has a chance to improve their station in life. In a socialist society, that is gone, a daydream of the poor wretches as they look up from their factory job at a soulless manager, who, because of the system, makes the same money as them. Do they feel better, having "brought down the man"? Somehow, I doubt it.

I find that people who are unwilling to discuss are usually unwilling to open their minds. I've had many constructive discussions on the matter of Socialism with a variety of people.

I can recall no point in time where everyone took the time to consider those around them, yet I would not contend that just because I have not seen something that does not mean it is not possible. The is a difference between the realities of life and the decided upon structures of society. To blur the two to the point where no problem becomes fixable is to... breed complacency.

Its funny, I've heard the same argument so many times. So many times I've heard people who have never even read the literature, heard a socialist speaker, or even thought about the practicalities of Socialism dismiss it out right. Rarely have I heard an idea held with so much contempt as the notion of socialism. The concepts, the methodology, the arrangements can be re-worded and the term can be left out and the argument will be accepted and lauded. Funny.

You say the human mind is stifled for the good of the state - what does that mean? Are you saying that working in a nine hour job doesn't stifle your creativity? That spending time that should be yours assisting your company doesn't constitute some sort of barrier? The notion that Socialism breeds servitude is blatantly false - the entire purpose of socialism to liberate the minds of individuals and promote self-governance. This is specifically why Socialism leads to communism and an end of government. Socialism seeks to bring the powers of production under the control of workers through workplace democracy. The ability to be a factory worker and have a voice in what is being produced - that does not stifle the human mind, that liberates it. We are drones under Capitalism. We are given specific tasks and have no control over anything beyond those tasks. I see very little difference between being the drone of a state and being the drone of the Rich.

The idea that such a society leads to "everyone being paid the same" is also quite silly. No Socialist at any time has EVER expressed such an idea. Marx himself expressed the opposite sentiment:

"Communism deprives no man of the ability to appropriate the fruits of his labour. The only thing it deprives him of is the ability to enslave others by means of such appropriations."

There is nothing wrong the acquistion of wealth - there is something wrong with acquring that wealth by taking it from others. There is nothing wrong with a desire to consume and improve one's social standing - there is something wrong with using those desires to prevent other people from improving the quality of their lives.

A manager is paid more because of his unique set of skills that other worker's cannot provide. There is nothing wrong with that. However, when a man owns a factory that can put out a product for 5 dollars and then sells it 50 dollars, something is wrong. When that man pays his workers only a fraction of the profit from a product that THEY made, and then walks away with 40 dollars from that product, something is wrong. You contend that Capitalism provides an avenue to build one's self up and it does: at the cost of those around them. Hard work is rarely rewarded, thats why so many hard working Americans are poor. It is only exploitation and cut-throat thrift that is rewarded.

You are guility of the very confabulation you accused Thinker of. You said that Thinker did not treat managment as a member of the working class, and yet in your "socialist" analogy you purposefully seperated the worker from management. You are not the man, you contribute to the production of goods or the provision of services. The vast majority of the rich do not. They earn money from a final venture, they invest it into new financial ventures, and then reap the rewards of someone else doing the actual production.

In a Capitalist Society, the average person does not have the chance to improve their standing. This is precisely why the great majority of Americans are simulatenously hard working and poor. If all it took was hard work to get ahead, everyone would be ahead and (as the author puts it) working class white people wouldn't be so angry. Americans work hard and yet are crippled by debt. They struggle for the bare necessities, they work long hours, and yet we still say "capitialism gives us the chance to progress". It does not give "us" the chance to progress, it gives those who are willing to work "us" to death to get ahead.

This isn't about "bring down the man" its about taking back what is rightfully ours, its about curing our social ills and fixing a broken system. I have a model and a course of action - do you?

I found out something recently, that last year was the first year that 10 medical schools did background checks. They are hoping to implement it either this year or next year for all schools. That means that you can have an ex-con for a doctor and not even realize it. however, go to mccdonalds and they won't hire you for having a criminal record.

I don't think its racism, i think its classism. After all it doesn't matter if you are white or black, you go to medschool, buisness school or law school and you are protected. If you are poor, white or black, you aren't.

For example, If someone got busted for drugs at minimum wage jobs they are fired and it could be hard for them to get a another job. They can't use that job as a reference.

If you are busted in an upper-middle class job you are just sent to rehab and your position is held for you.

The system is set to keep the poor poor, no matter what the color.

Honestly, I have to say that I experienced less racism from working class whites among whom I spent most of my youth than when I graduated to become middle class, which is an awkward experience. It's not open racism, mind you, but a subtle mix of class consciousness, common arrogance and racial profiling. Stereotypical disregard, you may call it, without really harnessing a lot of energy. These people know I am not going a threat.

This is why I said aft hit the nail on the head. It's not so much racism from working class whites as it is class frustration, a sense of being constantly downgraded and humiliated, and I guess it involves some rub-off racism in the way the working class will sometimes take over middle class attitudes, because it's essentially what they are told to aspire to.

Maybe, to me, it is just more a question of whether or not I am able to get laid / procreate, since I got no problem currently with employment. Empirically, my chances would be better if I had remained working class. Much more at stake when concerning status points when come to higher income levels.

But, of course, it's all about love.

Hello, ohiogal.

It's a mixture of racism and classism. I'm glad that people are finally starting to see -- after the 80s -- that there was a War on the Poor. As you said, the poor lost:

The system is set to keep the poor poor, no matter what the color.

There is a War on the Middle Class. (And now we are ticked off and trying not to give any more ground).

Then there are the Rich, who are feeling the crunch and the anger from the Middle and Poor Classes.

Then there are the Elite Rich, who are orchestrating everything. And they are the ones who are goading racism within the other classes. It's all about Divide and Conquer. They know if the people of America ever got their sh*t together, there would be safeguards against the Elite Rich.

This is going to sound Socialist, but maybe some of the European countries have figured it out that the Elite Rich -- once monopolies have formed -- is actually bad for society. Maybe that's why their tax rates are so incredibly high. Elite Wealth unbalances the whole system. That whole: "Ultimate power corrupst absolutely" jazz.

hi al :)

I think the problem here is we don't know how to get along enough in order to get our issues in the front. Most people dem, rep, or indep agree on most things. But they keep us arguing on the few things we don't agree with, so they can stay in power. People can say what they want about France, but they know how to keep their government in check. Did you hear about them taking their managers hostage for laying them off with out severance pay??? Crazzzzzy.

I am not familiar enough with the social histories of all the socialist countries of Europe, but I do have some background with the Danes. After the Germans were forced out of Denmark at the end of World War II, the Danish people were faced with a huge economic decision, and collectively chose the model of the social welfare state. It would guarantee free medical, free education, cradle-to-grave security at the cost of all the Danish people agreeing that there would neither be rich nor poor Danes. One of my friends makes well over a million kroner a year and is taxed at the 90% rate. He has a lovely family, lives in a middle-income house that would be acceptable in any middle to upper-middle income neighborhood in America. His kids all qualified for university and all graduated and went on to successful careers.

The primary difference I see in Denmark with the USA is that Danes don't want to seem better off than their neighbors. They don't go for showy cars (the national automobile tax of 150% on the price of the car is a pretty big disincentive for that! They generally get three or four weeks of vacation time a year, and like such activities as camping, hiking, mountaineering and so forth. The argument can be fairly made that the welfare state leads to complacency and a lack of incentive. I have not seen that to be at all true. The creative types are just as driven to create and improve as are any of their type in America. They just don't have the same concerns with the financial reward aspects of their ingenuity.

All in all, it stands to reason that 4.5 million, blue-eyed, blonde, nordic speaking and nominally Lutheran folks could see themselves as 'family' so coming to these conclusions about equality in their culture was maybe not that difficult. It would certainly be nearly impossible for Americans to do it, considering the diversity (in all aspects of our culture) to feel as if we are more than tangentially linked to each other. Even though most of us would not put up with Denmark's tax structure, a couple of weeks visit to that lovely country (particularly if you make the effort to know the local people personally) would convince you that they love their welfare state, they are generally happier and healthier than Americans and have a much wider world-view than most of us have.

There is a darker side. Neo Nazi skin heads are pretty active and their spleen is usually vented towards the Turks and other middle easterners who are coming into Scandinavia for work to improve their lives. In this respect, there's a lot of similarity to the Americans who feel threatened by immigration.

Yea, the homegeneity factor contributed to the consensual choice of welfare state, and the relatively limited inflow of foreign workers and refugees puts a tremendous stress on the political discourse.

I think it is erroneous to think the biggest problem with racism are Neo Nazis or racist skinheads. It's quite institutionalized, and at this point almost every political party is soaked with it in one form or another, from the reasonably legitimate skepticism towards sharia to down right paranoia, fearmongering and hate - preached from the Parliament.

So, you know, as a wellfare state Denmark is pretty succesful. Everybody complains about the tax pressure. In spite of it a lot of people drive two cars, and Danes can be very materialistic, very obsessive showing off their stuff and their success, just like Americans. Privatization is on the rise, and so is social disparity.

All in all a relatively accurate portrait. It's just different to live here, I guess.

Hi ohiogal,

I think the problem here is we don't know how to get along enough in order to get our issues in the front. Most people dem, rep, or indep agree on most things. But they keep us arguing on the few things we don't agree with, so they can stay in power.

I agree whole-heartedly.

And, OMG-no, I did not hear about the French workers taking their managers hostage.

I usually say nothing bad about the French; they were pretty damned nice to me when I visited a while ago. It helped that I used all of my two years of rusty college French to try to communicate.

Please...I think it's funny how people can pick and choose what they want to address. You want to address that a white ex-con will get a job over a black one, but you don't want to address affirmative action? Give me a break. This does break down to race. While most people absolutely disagree with racism, most people are so afraid to be called one that our government has to cater to anybody of any kind of ethnicity. I'm a single mother with two toddlers and have paid for years of school by myself. When I applied for financial aid this year I was told that my income is eligible for full benefits. However, because I hold a job and can't commit to full time school, I received nothing. Yet, if I was on welfare, receiving medi-cal and food stamps, I would absolutely receive even more by getting full tuition and even day care to go to school. Where's the incentive? Our government is so cowardly to stand up to the "entitled" that it is now out of hand. Of course, I had to drop out because I didn't have the $1500, but perhaps I should suck a little more off of the government's teat and I will receive the whole load.

Get real.Any company will hire a person who is in a "minority group" before a white person because the goverment has for years given tax breaks for doing so.

The Liberals could not survive if they could not keep racial tension going.They thrive on hate. Wake up America !If the goverment keeps us divided,they win.We have to pull together as people united for our freedom and independance as indivuals and a Nation.

Unfortunately this statement is necessarily not true. I've sat in on meetings where HR looked for reasons not to hire the better qualified Black and/or Hispanic American over the white American. They had to come up with reasons to block potential lawsuits.

I have sat in similar meetings where the opposite were true. I'm afraid this sort of thing is a two way street these days. The only difference is that one is sanctioned by the Government.

have worked with several people who say "they will not fire me, I am black and they will have a lawsuit."

Any one who says or believes this statement in any shape of form is ignorant over the laws that protect businesses. Even if there was discrimination: racism, sexism, ageism, whatever, its hard as hell to prove it. They protect the companies more than the workers and companies know how to get rid of you if they want to with no legal ramifications.

So my question is why are you getting mad over what some BS that someone else says? Its like worrying about texas seceding, you know they aren't going to do it, they are just venting their frustration.

Any company will hire a person who is in a "minority group" before a white person because the goverment has for years given tax breaks for doing so

They don't get tax breaks OR recieve federal funds. You can not receive federal funds if you company is practicing discrimination. No company HAS to hire minorities, women or disabled but if they want to receive public money they have to show they aren't discriminating and misusing the public funds.

the quotas you are talking about that the government uses to see if an institution is an equal oppurtunity employer are often FAR LESS than the representation of the community. Most miniority regulations are around 5% of the representative population. And thats divvied up between blacks, hispanics and asians. The other 95% left for non minorities is often over represented.

So if you put aside the rhetoric and use a little math, you would see that when it comes to quotas it is easier for a white person (70%:95%) to get a job over a minority (30%:5%)

Thanks, ohiogal, that was instructional. I was wondering about the US system of regulating against discrimination, the extent and the technicalities of implementing it.

If what you say is correct, I think it makes sense.

I personally know of a boss who used a very simple system to keep blacks and other minorities from being hired. Just make a very light pencil mark in the upper right hand corner of the paper; if questioned about it, it just looks like someone was looking at the paper, and accidentally tapped their pencil down.

The next person up the chain would see the little mark and shuffle those applications to the back of the file.

Yep, heard of it too, here in DK. "No P" stands for "No Paki" on pre-printed application forms - not anymore, of course, the code has been replaced after the news story broke. Also, customers wills ask for a cab and say "they bring a dog", meaning "no driver of other than Caucasian ethnicity."

Rainmaker I actually learned those stats from a diversity class I had to take my first year of med school. It was a really good lecture and it provided info on why there are regulations like they are.

When it comes to medical schools they are light years ahead of other institutions when it comes to equal opportunity.

To add a little history here, there was a time where medical schools shut their doors to women and minorities and took only graduates from prestigious schools like harvard, yale, etc. what ended up happening is what you see now, a shortage in medical doctors in rural and urban areas. So for about the last 2 decades they have adopted polices in order to change the inequality in medicine and to accurately represent the society in which they serve in order to provide for all.

I think the break down for my school is around 30/70 for minority/non-minority. Way over the average that the government regulates for. And guess what? The sky hasn't fallen. we still have qualified applicants of all races and financial backgrounds. We still have a 99% graduation rate, a 99% match rate and rank in the 95% percentile when it comes to our boards.

Ohiogal, impressive stats, the latter ones. I almost feel compelled to doubt them. But I'll take you word for it.

Ever since I saw Crash I wondered about how equal opportunity applied in real life and to what level the white working class anger portrayed by Matt Dillon was substantiated.

It's not that I would necessarily oppose it if it seemed like reverse discrimination, because as you point out, it could mean survival to individuals, families and entire communities.

Still, I think it would be better for all if there was no element of charity - and how you describe the system, it doesn't seem charitable but ethical.

I checked out the poverty ratio on About.com's excellent series on American Economics (I wish it was compulsory reading for Newsviners sometimes), and those are startling numbers.

you can google it. Most med schools are anal to the point of arrogance about their stats and put them up on their websites from diversity to scores. just google some in your area, most med schools have a really high grad rate. But thats prob. also due to their acceptance rate being so low. I might be a little off, but last year we had around 4000 applicants for only less than 200 seats. So I suppose when you deny 90% of your applicants you better justify it by having a high grad rate. And we have nothing compared to schools out in NY and California. They can have around 10,000, apps for about the same amount of seats.

Good link, i've read about the poverty ratio that was reversing. Thats why its important to moniter the poorest communities. If they had been doing that they would have noticed the economic collapse we had last fall. Downturns in the economy always affect the poorest communities first and then has a ripple effect.

You state: ...they will have nothing to complain about".. WHAT THEY?

Ohiogal, my Primary Care-Taiwan, my OB-Gyn-Black, my Dermo-Indian, my Dentist-Chinese and I love them all. It is about how we treat one another, that's how I feel. I don't want the govt taking more and wasting more.......it is that simple.

Hey the plight is brought on by the govt and it wears different colors to lie to us. It tugs at race, class, education, our children, religion........the govt yanks our chains to stir up the masses against each other.

Viva, that is one of the more pertinent statements in this thread.

Untold billions have preferentially been given to the "minority" since the '60's in various form inclusive of Section 8 housing, Pell grants, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credit

I suppose your whole argument would be moot the majority of these money were paid out to whites.

numerous "scholarship" monies that typicaly place thousands upon thousands of additional spending money in the pockets of those who obtain same.

What school are you talking about? I never seen a university give out more than 2 to 3 full ride scholarships. A pell grant is laughable it'll cover your books for a semester if you're lucky. Any one who has ever filled out a FASFA can see how much money is borrowed and how much is given, how much is sub and how much is unsub. And once you pass undergrad you don't even QUALIFY for a pell grant anymore. I have spent a decade filling out fasfas and i can tell you you are speaking a language that i have never heard of.

The four-year-degree is a 100% guarantee regardless of GPA and can be issued in not just four years but, "if need be", five or six, sometimes even seven years. Again, all expenses paid. Then there's graduate and post graduate school, almost as corrupted.

I don't know whats worse, the assumption that only minorities take longer to graduate, or the insult that you can get a college degree no matter your GPA. The qualification for a BS is a c average, any thing lower than a c in a major class has to be repeated. For my MS your are allotted 9 credit hrs worth of a c (which amounted to one class) everything else had to at least be a B. in med school I can't even think about not passing a class, thats instant remediation.

I don't know which school you went to but it obviously wasn't accredited. You have no idea how college works!

But, hey, i guess one should never let facts get in the way of a good rant!

Yes, 13% of the population is taking all of the jobs. LOL. So true, Tanyars. Oh, wait...it can't even BE 13% since we are led to believe that 99% of blacks don't even work. So that leaves less than 1% of the population to take away jobs from all whites.

Hilarious.

Bigger what white people have found out it is that they have been sold a bunch of crap and they were/are the biggest losers. Jobs were being outsourced years ago but they still were able to keep theirs. Black unemployment has always been higher than whites. A statistic they would always blame on the laziness of black people. Remember when they felt it was ok for Mexicans to do the jobs that black people were to lazy to perform. While the white middle class was hell bent on keeping black people down the white elite class was in the process of stealing all of their wealth. It was almost overnight the evaporation of wealth.

The funny thing is that the white elite has the white middle class acting like fools again. They are out in the streets protesting about taxes and they themselves received a tax cut. They have these same people spouting incoherent messages about black people. Middle class white people wake up.

In the words of Malcolm X

You've been hoodwinked. You've been had. You've been took. You've been led astray, led amok. You’ve been bamboozled.

The white people are angry because of their loss of power. Please read Elizabeth Kubler-Ross "Loss and Separation: The Grieving Process". You will see that most of these hate-mongers are undergoing the grieving process and are at the shock/denial and anger stages. That's exactly what is going on. They are totally at a loss; this was not supposed to happen. A BLACK MAN was not supposed to win the White House! Now I will be found out! I know I took what I did not deserve! Guilt, Guilt!

I am upset because the govt. takes four months pay away from me to waste every year. Then most of it stays in DC with bureaucrats and the rest to politicians. That money doesn't even reach the poor and aged. It is soon going to be more.........No, waste has to stop, accountability needs to kick in. The govt. needs to regain my trust. No more free rides, generations of welfare (don't care about color), medicaid fraud, giving money to other countries, our own politicians lining their pockets and I have to feel guilty for not giving more? Poor children get free breakfast and lunch.......while their parents show up with McDonalds for lunch, because they don't like the free stuff, so it gets tossed. Old poor people can't get the good medicine, because they are on Medicare. Some people using disability checks for drugs, others selling their food stamps, free dental and medical for illegals, while our citizens go without, so where does it end? How long do I need to keep taking it from my children to make it better for everyone? How compassionate and understanding should I be about the hardships of the poor, unwed mothers, addicts, homeless, uninsured, illegals, greedy politicians, starving in Africa, the Middle East, endangered species, the Arts, etc. ??????????

Viva- if this is what you think about on a daily basis you need Jesus or a higher power. You cannot solve all the worlds issues. These problems didn't start with Obama and will not end with Obama.

Tanyars, I am talking about the irresponsible govt..........not religion. Obama is not any different than Bush. Just that O is going to taking the spending to a new level. My paycheck does't stretch than much. Does yours, if it does, then good for you. I am not talking about race, gays, religion........common sense. Responsible, accountable, fair, servants of the people govt., that actually puts it's citizens first, without self serving interests.

Are you aware that the country has been vandalized by the Bush Administration? My paycheck is taxed just like yours.

I watched a segment on 60 minutes tonight about 401k's and the evaporation of wealth of those who have invested in that scheme. Your obsession with poor people and how they are taking away your wealth is not serving you well. The poor had nothing to do with the evaporation of millions dollars of wealth overnight.

Tanya, are you not reading correctly? The problem is that the legitimate poor are not getting the standard of services that our tax money is meant to provide. Govt is ripping off both sides..........My parents have a second and third grade education, I send them 400 a month to help them, because I know it is going to them, not to the idiot govt. My husband is from a family of 12 and he is an engineer, he helps his family out with a monthly check. His dad installed tile for a living. Many people have more opportunity than ever and yet the list of benefits cannot keep up with the growing numbers, then the govt wastes are going to finish off the middle. Why am I upset? What is going to happen to my parents if I can't send them money to help them? What is going to happen to my mom-in-law if my husband cannot help them? The govt. is not going to help them, that's a joke. A JOKE, do you hear that, a BIG JOKE. The govt. doesn't care about your family as much as you think or expect it to. People that rely on the govt are living on the scraps of the politicians, at the mercy of policies than we pay for, but may not benefit from. As long as the govt owns you, you will eat, live, earn, on the whims of their waste and mismanagement.

Have you just discovered this? This is not new. So you got upset after Obama got elected? I don't expect the government to do anything for me but collect my taxes. The mismangement of tax dollars has gone on for decades. You need to do some research. Again, are you aware that Bush and co stole billions from the American people?

No.........it's going to get worse. If you think Bush was bad, O is going to be worse. Enough is Enough for me. Get the message? It is about Obama now, take the heat. I will be fine, hunker down again, same as usual........No Change. You go ahead start giving up more and more. You obiviously believe his promises, follow the yellow brick road.

Bush didn't try to do anything and you see what that got us. Obama works and is engaged with the issues. That is a 100% improvement over Bush. Now you can run around with tea party people demonstrating about who knows what or you can try to change the country for the better. The tea party people don't have any coherent solutions or messages. If you don't want to be part of the solution then you are part of the problem.

If the govt is working the way, you like it, fine. You go your way, I will go mine. If the people at the tea parties all lose their jobs........hope you can pick up the slack. Let O stop the pork, like he promised. Review his own Congress on corruption. Quit bailing out the banks. They turn around and lend the money to other countries and buy out other banks, while people lose their homes. Quit appointing cheats and liars to his cabinet, like Bush and Clinton. Cut the BS and come through on Change, by making the govt work for the people. Don't bail out the auto makers either, they didn't run their businesses right. Quit sending jobs overseas. Don't sell out America, like Bush and Clinton. Listen to the people that went to the tea parties........they are important too.

Hang on a second here and show us just how Obama is going to bankrupt me and yu anymor than Bush already has. You are speculating that Obama will outspend Bush show us how.

Will do. Sorry.

I could appreciate the title in context after reading the article but in general I agree with your assessment. I had exactly the same response when I saw the title (although that was actually what prompted me to read the article).

You say "Greedy Black People". It seems to me that YOU are the one that is GREEDY!!!

it seems these minorities believe they are inferior to whites and need special treatment. they cannot be competitive on a level playing field.

Viva-----you say..." I am upset because the govt. takes four months pay away from me to waste every year. Then most of it stays in DC with bureaucrats and the rest to politicians. That money doesn't even reach the poor and aged. It is soon going to be more.........No, waste has to stop, accountability needs to kick in. The govt. needs to regain my trust...."

But this has been going on for decades, why are you taking it out on our new President who is trying to right the ship???? Where was your disdain before now? I would like to know the answer to that question.

please explain what slavery has to do with this discussion???????????????

Maybe the title of this article is overstated and should have read "Why are so many working Americans pissed off".

my anger is directed at my own government that has made laws requiring others to discriminate against me because i was born white.

Red Thunder, you are wrong. You have been given White Privilege because you were born white. Trust me, the only thing wrong with you is that you are SPOILED. And if you NOW are being asked to do more than others [ give back?], it is because you have been GIVEN more than others of equal merit! Be angry at yourself. You are not worth any more than you are receiving!

Red, someone is assuming that you have been given too much, because you are white. Others have been given too little because they are black. So you spoiled white person give it to the black person, so you won't be called a racist. They are counting on O to spread the wealth that was given to you. So be honest, how many slaves do you own? As for me I have only been given the right work with my hands and brain, don't even try it with me.....My parents were picking cotton in the fifties when my Mom was eight and my Dad was 10.

Viva for some reason you are upset with black people. Black people are the least of your issues. White people are the ones running around about things they cannot explain. Black people stayed far away from the tea parties because of obvious reasons.

McCain and Palin didn't win the election. Get over it. To bad because "O" as you call him will win another term. Black man is now in charge of you. If you don't know now you know!!!!!!!!

You don't know me!!! I'm tired of you using black and white in every sentence. It is none of your business who I voted for, but it is obivious who you voted for. It is not fair to judge anyone by their skin color. You will not intimidate me because you are whatever color, or make me feel ashamed for disagreeing with you. You vote your way and I will vote my way. Don't assume that you know anything about me.For some reason you are upset with anyone who thinks differently. I don't vote color, only issues. I know that is difficult for you to understand, but the day you finally understand that you are using your skin as an issue that means very little to most of us, you might be more amicable.

Red Thunder~ I understand what you are saying. Some of my heritage only came to the US around 1900's. I even have a slave somewhere "back in the haystack." But, the majority of ancestry were share croppers, and almost all of my husbands were as well. I don't have a single person in my family's history that actually owned slaves with the exception of one, but that is part of a legend that was passed down through my family and unproven. The part that has been traced doesn't show a single one.

My highschool was 60% black (not a big deal. I just remember seeing it somewhere in report thing on it.) Every year, they were pulled out of class to be given information about different scholarships and awards that were based on the skin color alone. Granted, I had no trouble getting scholarship money because I worked long and hard to get as many A's as I could. I graduated with a 3.7 (nearly) GPA from high school. I worked my butt off. LOL

I just wanted to say that I did understand what you were saying even though others were taking this back to the presidential candidates that you may have or may not have voted for. I didn't quite get their point though...

maryellen-

YOU MUST BE ON DRUGS. how can you possibly say such things when you don't even know me? i was born dirt poor. my family was killed by hitler except for my grandfather and his brother. my family had to sleep in barns in wisconsin. using cows for warmth in the winter. i worked in a factory starting at age 10. i never had a childhood. only my working life. with the family working together we pulled ourselves out of poverty and into the fortune 500. i always had to work twice as hard for what i got. and that's how i got it. do you think you give back more than me? where's your petting zoo for the disabled? you should be ashamed of yourself for passing judgment on people you know nothing about.

Red, some people are guiltyof judging others by their color. Maryellen, has chosen to do to you what she dislikes the most.........She has stereotyped whites and then is shocked when the same is done to blacks. Ignorant is ignorant, whites are all individuals, just as each black is an individual. It is everyone's right to have that human dignity and anyone that denies that, based on race..........is just ignorant and hateful. I can't think of a bigger insult than to be judged by something that you have no control of, or ability to change. Maryellen, give people a chance to be your friend, even if you disagree with them. You don't know what people have experienced just by the color of their skin. No one wants to be lumped together by the color of their skin. I am sorry that you are expecting so much tolerance, when you deny it in return. Don't hate, appreciate. Red Thunder, I relate to what you wrote, my grandparents, parents went through hard times too. You have a right to be proud of what you have Earned. Good Luck

thank you lissa rose. i don't know their point. i marched side by side with blacks to fight for equality. i have no problem with a person's color or religion. i try to treat people the way they treat me. i enjoyed working with troubled and abused kids; and the other things i did to give back. but after reading obama's plan posted on his website before the election; i knew i had to give up the petting zoo and the other things. i had to protect myself. the socialist attitude of the government forces charity and decides where it goes. i feel sorry for the kids. once again they suffer.

VIVA-

thank you. i don't see color; only what people do. nothing breeds hate more than someone getting preferential treatment. especially at the cost of someone else. obama didn't get elected by his own merits. he got special treatment. i got fed up with it. the government retired me so why should i work? i try to give people employment and the chance to live the american dream; and now they want more??? are you kidding me? you taxpayers can support me for a while. i'm tired.