This is the American Spirit.

[gatordowneast]

Heartwarming story for those of us who believe in hard work and self reliance. Lefties do not need to read as it will piss you off as this guy is for everything you are against and is obviously against everything you are for. And he is a Croation immigrant who came to the US with nothing.

http://members.jacksonville.com/busi...american-dream

"You seem to have carved yourself a business at a time when lots of people are struggling.
I was cleaning bathrooms at Bank of America when I got here for seven months. If I lose my business tomorrow, I’m going to have a job the next day. Whatever it takes me.

So is this the American dream?
Pretty much. I just don’t want to wake up. You know, it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it."



Unfortunately, our current Administration would want to punish this guy. He has a tenacious work ethic and spirit, is not indebted to anyone, does not need or want government programs and if his venture fails tomorrow, will not need or apply for unemployment and will be working again the next day. He's self reliant and dependent on no one but himself.

And I'm sure the administration would claim he "didn't build that."

And some wonder why the economy continues to flounder with 20% of the population that could work, not participating.

[rivergator]

It is a good story and you have to admire the guy's attitude. But it's a shame you couldn't appreciate it without taking lame potshots.

[PSGator66]

Thanks for sharing - very good story. Here is another story that shows that some young Americans will go to lengths just to get an interview........

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/enter...eadlines-video

[brainstorm]

Originally Posted by PSGator66

Thanks for sharing - very good story. Here is another story that shows that some young Americans will go to lengths just to get an interview........

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/enter...eadlines-video

This is an awesome story and it brought tears to my eyes.

[PSGator66]

It was cool how that guy at the cajun restaurant happened to be the one that the young man reached out for directions to his destination. Great story.

[gatordowneast]

Originally Posted by rivergator

It is a good story and you have to admire the guy's attitude. But it's a shame you couldn't appreciate it without taking lame potshots.

Trying to shame some lefty, libbie, loafers into getting up off their asses and taking responsibility. Unfortunately, we have an administration and government that promotes laziness through their policies and vilifies those who have worked their asses off and become financially successful.

[jdrgator]

I'd really like to see you actually post something that is thoughtful without having to make such silly blanket categorical generalizations. How about upping your game a little and actually making a post that generates discussion without such puerile bs attached to it? Can you do that?

[HALLGATOR]

Originally Posted by jdrgator

I'd really like to see you actually post something that is thoughtful without having to make such silly blanket categorical generalizations. How about upping your game a little and actually making a post that generates discussion without such puerile bs attached to it? Can you do that?

Excellent question.

[gatordowneast]

Originally Posted by jdrgator

I'd really like to see you actually post something that is thoughtful without having to make such silly blanket categorical generalizations. How about upping your game a little and actually making a post that generates discussion without such puerile bs attached to it? Can you do that?

I thought the article was very thoughtful and inciteful and pointed to exactly what caused our country to become the most prosperous and generous nation in the history of the world...this one guy's attitude was symbolic of those who settled and built this country and sadly he is in a minority. And through reading about this immigrant, it is obvious as to one of our gigantic problems...a lack of work ethic and personal responsibility by a huge percentage of our population who have become dependant on government handouts/crack. And whose fault is this? And who can change it?

And the article shared by another poster was very thoughtful and pointed out the willingness of a youngster to do "whatever it takes". And isn't it interesting who applauds this type of attitude? And it is also interesting to watch those of a different persuasion squirm, isn't it.

And I would strongly disagree with your charge of bs. The BS is what we are being fed by our President and Politicians. And our media has rolled over like cheap whores and given these idiots a pass on the damage and destruction to our families and our kids future.

The left and those voting for those on the left has become a collection of exactly what I described along with those politicians buying their allegiance. Some are naive or suffer from "left brain" thinking which is always proven to be wrong. A very small % are "kennedy liberals" who convince themselves that a contrary point of view makes them "enlightened." But the vast majority of their voters just want free stuff and they want the rest of us to pay for it. There are no more yellow dog democrats....or very few. There are very, very few moderate democrats in national politics. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are their leaders. What does that tell us?

There are idiots on the pub side as well. However, a smaller federal government is all we can afford, so the righty idiots at least have that part right.

[rivergator]

didn't this story come from the media?

[chemgator]

Originally Posted by gatordowneast

Trying to shame some lefty, libbie, loafers into getting up off their asses and taking responsibility. Unfortunately, we have an administration and government that promotes laziness through their policies and vilifies those who have worked their asses off and become financially successful.

The liberals are right. This man needs to accept his food stamps, Medicaid, and disability checks like the rest of us. Only by accepting government cash can he truly be free from his problems.

Besides, this man is from Croatia. He didn't have the additional burden of being born and raised in the United States. He didn't grow up watching the fat cats stealing from the little people, living high on the hog off of the sweat of the poor man's brow. He didn't experience the rabid anti-Croatian bigotry that can be found on every street corner in the U.S., draining him of the will to go on and leaving him a hollow shell of bitterness and despair, kept alive only by a complex system of federal aid packages. How can he possibly understand how difficult it is for an American to succeed in America when he has had every possible advantage?

[gatordowneast]

dittos and reps to you Chem. Doubt those it is intended for catch your sarcasm.

[jdrgator]

Originally Posted by gatordowneast

I thought the article was very thoughtful and inciteful and pointed to exactly what caused our country to become the most prosperous and generous nation in the history of the world...this one guy's attitude was symbolic of those who settled and built this country and sadly he is in a minority. And through reading about this immigrant, it is obvious as to one of our gigantic problems...a lack of work ethic and personal responsibility by a huge percentage of our population who have become dependant on government handouts/crack. And whose fault is this? And who can change it?

And the article shared by another poster was very thoughtful and pointed out the willingness of a youngster to do "whatever it takes". And isn't it interesting who applauds this type of attitude? And it is also interesting to watch those of a different persuasion squirm, isn't it.

And I would strongly disagree with your charge of bs. The BS is what we are being fed by our President and Politicians. And our media has rolled over like cheap whores and given these idiots a pass on the damage and destruction to our families and our kids future.

The left and those voting for those on the left has become a collection of exactly what I described along with those politicians buying their allegiance. Some are naive or suffer from "left brain" thinking which is always proven to be wrong. A very small % are "kennedy liberals" who convince themselves that a contrary point of view makes them "enlightened." But the vast majority of their voters just want free stuff and they want the rest of us to pay for it. There are no more yellow dog democrats....or very few. There are very, very few moderate democrats in national politics. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are their leaders. What does that tell us?

There are idiots on the pub side as well. However, a smaller federal government is all we can afford, so the righty idiots at least have that part right.

I didn't object to the article, substantively or philosophically. It was your comments about it that I took issue with. But I am happy that you responded more thoughtfully since if you are going to post things like this for discussion purposes, even to provoke others, it's silly to simply just hurl ad hominems. That to me is just trolling. But as far as your above response, I'd argue that you misunderstand--at least partially--the work ethic and laziness; and ultimately the role of government in allegedly producing this laziness.

The rise of the middle class and even the notion of the American Dream (formally coined) actually occurred with the rise of the welfare state. Of course, we can trace the underlying philosophy back to our founding documents, but the realization in a sense, the kind of apple-pie Americana most of us grew up on was one deeply rooted particularly in post WWII America. To that end, Americans of all ethnic and racial persuasions have shown themselves to be incredibly hard working. In fact, we work longer hours now and take fewer vacations then most other developed countries.

That there are some truly lazy folk is to be expected. That there are a percentage of very hard working, underpaid poor or working class folk who also might receive govt benefits should not be confused or lumped in with lazy folk. Indeed, a majority of folks receiving govt benefits are either elderly or children, or working poor or working class folk.

Of course people want free stuff. That's probably as natural an instinct as any others we might have. And no, I don't think we should all just get free stuff. Working hard is a terrific principle we should all ascribe. But it's a principle that doesn't make for great policy if that is the only driving point especially since lived reality is decidedly more messy.

And while there are quite a few things I disagree with our president about, his position on this is spot on. As for the media, well, that's another generalization. There is plenty of good reporting on these issues, one though needs to be a critical consumer, not a passive lump. Back in 2005, for example, the NYT did a terrific series on social mobility (there are other examples, but I am not going to track them down right now).

Fact is, hard work does not always mean upward social mobility. Indeed, the changing nature of social mobility in the US has led to many problems given the increase in inequality and increasing concentration of wealth. Of course, inequality will always be part of society (what I would call accepted wisdom) but the role of wealth and inequality--i.e. the movement of it, plays a role in shaping opportunity or the lack thereof.

You can point to instances of people who've "made it" (economically speaking) despite the odds, but in modern US society, that might be more of an exception then a rule. And to simply call out the left as if they are the be all and end all of the problem is massively short-sighted. Heck, as much as I'd like to also blame the right in a similar fashion--since of course blaming others does satisfy some deep psychological urge--I'd be mistaken. There are many "fathers and mothers" to this problem, but one of the biggest might be an inability to look beyond simple notions of left and right/purely partisan lenses, to appreciate just how complex and problematic this issue is. And really, what says passive acceptance of what is being fed by whatever media one reads/listens/watches than making talking points that come straight from said media?

[gatordowneast]

Paralysis by analysis is what I would describe as to several of the above comments. Sounds like a philosophy course I had to take 35 years ago. It is really far simpler than most big government thumbsuckers would have us believe.

Wages are stagnant or have gone down when factoring in inflation as production and manufacturing has sought lower cost options (as it always does and always will)...so lower or modestly educated workers are squeezed.

However, most middle income families today are not like the 1950s and Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet, Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy. Many middle income households now have 2 adults not married, or single mom's with multiple baby daddies. Prior to the "Great Society" blacks were slightly more likely to be married when they had children than whites. Care to check the stats today? Why? Dumb ass government policy.

Middle income families today live in 2,000 square foot homes with 2-3 bathroooms, not 1100 square foot homes with one. Most middle class families today have 2 wage earners working or (looking for work in the Obama era). In the 1950s, a much higher % of women did not work outside the home. Most families have 2 cars or more. Most have multiple TVs including flat screens. All have cell phones with many smart phones and internet access. And wiis and net flix video membership and they eat out a few times weekly. And they have hundreds of TV channels, not 3. So middle income today is not the middle income of yesteryear.

There are hundreds more government programs providing free stuff. And there are affirmative action programs and free birth control, free abortion on demand, free cell phones, housing vouchers, subsidized day care and the list goes on and on and on. We have head start, pre head start, teach for america...the list goes on and on and on.

A bloated, out of control, federal government and the idealistic, well intentioned, liberal social policies crammed down are throats has not worked. So lets decide what is really necessary, what do we really need, and get rid of the rest which we can't afford anyway.

Real simple.

Each program- Can we live without it? Is it worth being in hock to the Chicoms to fund it? What is the return on our investment? If we decide to keep it, how can it be delivered with the lowest cost to the taxpayer?

No different than some of these state and local pension plans...they sounded good 50 years ago...but not when someone retires at age 45 and local government is on the hook for the pension until the age of 85 or 90. We can just not afford it.