America's middle class, or lack there of.

[Cock]

This is a good read,
http://bit.ly/NIdUE0


This is Elizabeth Warren talking about the economy before the 2008 crash,

I know I know
nofucksgiven.jpg

 

[MicrosofSam]

I live in Chicago for school now, so most of my transit is done by train/bike and on the very odd occasion, ZipCar. However, I'm from Michigan and where I come from we need to drive everywhere. Everything is 10-20 miles apart so automobiles are sort of a necessity.

 

[OG buckshot jr]

Thanks for posting this, gonna watch now in bed

 

[skd_mrk]

Read the article, but have yet been unable to watch the video (blocked at work).

I don't find anything surprising or especially alarming about the current home or car buying trends. Some of them might be longer trends for major metropolitan areas (such as NYC, Portland) with good alternative methods of transportation. However like Sam said many areas of the country that's simply not an option (such as here in Cincinnati). I think a lot of it is simply that the younger generation just can't afford to buy cars or homes at this point. Even if they can afford such purchases you can rest assured that people are going to think twice about buying a home after watching values collapse over the downturn. It hurts when you lose $30,000+ in net worth with no expectation on when or if you'll ever see that money again.

 

[thomastronics]

I have put lots of money into my education and I can honestly say that I have learnt more in working and hands on experience than I have from any teacher or class. So I don't agree that the Y generation would rather invest in themselves than in a house it's that high schools and the workforce market dictate that you NEED post secondary education and that going into high levels of debt is worth it. Education is an intangible asset than can be relatively useless unless you learn how to use the knowledge.
Personally I think the education system is the biggest money grab right now because it's "required" to succeed and you have to buy books and this and that which at the cheapest university in the country (Windsor) is still $3500 per semester. I find myself against the grain in the article though, I couldn't wait to buy a car and I'm excited to buy a house and mow my lawn with a john deer.

 

[$alvador]

What does it matter if the middle class falls apart? The whole category is defined by people willing to work more hours to buy more creature comforts. It's a shame to see education as a means (learning) to an end (money), but the high cost has definitely made it so that we have to consider the monetary value we're getting back from the money we invest into it.

In the end it really just comes down to the money which shapes the image which gets categorized as upper/middle/lower class. You're middle class if you can only afford the Subaru not the Ferrari, but what class do you belong to if you don't need any of that shit and have millions in the bank? I didn't peep the whole vid but I noticed the speaker was talking about all this shit in relation to DEBTS. Who has debts? People who blow money on material shit. Sounds like yet another problem that can be solved by indiscriminate theft.

 

[OG buckshot jr]

I have put lots of money into my education and I can honestly say that I have learnt more in working and hands on experience than I have from any teacher or class. So I don't agree that the Y generation would rather invest in themselves than in a house it's that high schools and the workforce market dictate that you NEED post secondary education and that going into high levels of debt is worth it. Education is an intangible asset than can be relatively useless unless you learn how to use the knowledge.
Personally I think the education system is the biggest money grab right now because it's "required" to succeed and you have to buy books and this and that which at the cheapest university in the country (Windsor) is still $3500 per semester. I find myself against the grain in the article though, I couldn't wait to buy a car and I'm excited to buy a house and mow my lawn with a john deer.

I think differently about education. Sure, I can agree with the obvious that it's a money grab (or should I say, too expensive, at least here in North America), but tell me it isn't worth it.

Also, I think about a university education like this: it's what you learn, rather how you learned it. What I mean by that is, most courses within a given program, yes, will teach you things you should know etc., however that's just the foundation. I think the main point is to teach people critical thinking, problem solving, and best one of all (certainly the hardest for all of these dumb-ass kids failing high school, and the category of grading that no one seems to get) applying that skill-set to not only solve a problem, but to build upon previous solutions and innovate or advance a field.

I don't think education is, right now, is geared to 'get you up to speed' so you can work in the field, rather to get you up to speed and teach you how to hone your abilities to get beyond what is already established within the field.

I appreciate education, it's taught me a lot more than what was in my textbooks.

 

[thomastronics]

I agree with you completely. I work in the financial industry and I can say I know basic mechanics of the stock market, bonds, equities and such that I probably wouldn't have learnt in my current job.
But after 4 years of education, I would say I learnt more in 6 months of working in busines than I have in 2 years of education. You don't learn in school basic practices or critical application or complexe reasoning. They just teach you material and then you figure it out.
I've had 1 teacher who was so concerned about kids getting university education, spending $20K on it then coming out of there with no sense critical application that he wrote his Doctorate on it.
I agree bucky it does teach you the foundation of what you need to know to take those tools into the workforce. But I can remeber since grade 11 that they were telling you "you have to go to university or college" so kids just have this poor opinion that they should just do it. I can honestly say that 50% of the people I graduated with don't know shit about business and probably would've learnt more working 4 years in the business industry than they did spending $20K on their education.
Does the school give a shit? Fuck No! Keep pumping out those diplomas baby.

"teach you how to hone your abilities to get beyond what is already established within the field."

This is what there is a lack of in schools. From my experience. No amount of education can teach someone to have the desire to succeed and be motivated.

 

[Leroy]

Like most things in life, to succeed you need one half chance, and one half dedication.

And when you do manage to succeed, you have to hold on for all its worth, because somebody will be there, trying to take it from you.

This, I know.

 

[OG buckshot jr]

"teach you how to hone your abilities to get beyond what is already established within the field."

This is what there is a lack of in schools. From my experience. No amount of education can teach someone to have the desire to succeed and be motivated.

I don't know what it's like on the business-course related academia, but on the science side, I had all of the complex theory, critical thinking and application my brain could handle. I came out a changed mind. So I guess academics has another, very real problem - the experience gained is highly subjective :/