Austerity & the Mentality of Poverty

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:30 pm

So I was reading the latest John Cheese article on Cracked, and it set off the usual small brain avalanche - this is the same basic mentality as politicians are running through with the austerity-based economic plans. The obsessive focus on cutting spending rather than spending smart, getting used to shitty government and economic policies because they're used to it rather than try a different way - it's the same mindset. The question is, why?

K · Post by K » Fri Jan 20, 2012 2:08 am

Conservatives don't believe in new solutions. They actually see new ideas as a weakness and a threat.

Now, since the Right makes up a huge proportion of the politicians and voting populace, it is no surprise that it's been really hard to get rid of failed ideas (abstinence-only education, austerity, blue laws, anti-abortion laws, trickle down economics, the gold standard... the list is long and stupid).

I mean, we have Republican candidates for President who oppose laws that are only 50 years old as being too new. They cloak it in various arguments, but it boils down to a base worship of tradition.

Count Arioch the 28th · Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:11 am

That is something I've struggled with my entire life. I can share my opinions on why that is.

In my case, any attempt I've made to better myself has failed. I flunked out of the college transfer program (and they've cut off my funding so even though I can retake my old classes I'd have to pay out of pocket anyway), I have a trade license that thus far has failed to get me a job, and although my health is vastly improved lately I no longer have the constitution to work a grunt job as my last attempt into menial labor proved.

I try my best to work towards new opportunities, but it's really hard to give two shits when you've failed as often as I have.

I know some really smart people who have done well in college. And they all insist that even an idiot can pass college, and I'd find a way if I "just tried". When I tell them what I've done, they interrupt me in mid-sentence to tell me to do something else I tried and didn't work.

In the end, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know the code-words and secret handshakes to get the funding or get into a college, and the people that know them do it instinctively and are literally perplexed that I can't do it automatically like they can.

But your new shoes are worn at the heels and
your suntan does rapidly peel and
your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick.

It is easy to let myself fall into the trap of thinking I'm less than human when all the smart people I know are so far removed from what I've been through they can give no useful advice. Even the poor people that made something of themselves seem like alien super-geniuses and talk in ways my brain can't even comprehend, or give me elementary advice that I already follow but don't get the same results (and of course, the fact that I'm not getting their results means I'm "not trying").

I really am fighting that trap of thinking, but it's very hard and the second I slip my family and friends all ambush me and lecture me that my attitude is what's making my life bad. My struggles and efforts don't matter, only results.

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:52 am

Most success is due to a combination of inherent advantages (well-off parents, good genes, etc) and luck. But people want to think that they made a difference, so they credit things like "hard work" instead.

Which is not to say that hard work doesn't matter--you have to take advantage of the opportunities you have if you want to succeed. But it's not enough on its own, and it may not even be the difference between success and failure.

The actual article was fascinating to me, because it's easily something that can happen to a whole society. The one about eating bad food was literally true for the British; they got used to bad food, which created a market trap where there was no demand because people didn't know what they were missing. So no one supplied good food and they went on eating garbage for decades. It basically took immigrants coming in with non-awful tastes to fix the problem.

Neeeek · Post by **Neeeek** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:29 am

Count Arioch the 28th wrote:
I know some really smart people who have done well in college. And they all insist that even an idiot can pass college, and I'd find a way if I "just tried". When I tell them what I've done, they interrupt me in mid-sentence to tell me to do something else I tried and didn't work.

What you need to do to succeed in college is dependent on what you are studying. And where you find you have problems.

There is a large subsection of college that you can pass, easily, if you just know how to make a fairly basic argument and write it into an essay. The problem is, of course, writing teachers aren't the ones who know how to argue. So they tend to suck at teaching it.

Count Arioch the 28th · Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:43 pm

Yeah, I think it doesn't need to be said that I suck at arguing, I've lost every argument I've ever been in online even when I'm right factually.

K · Post by K » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:24 pm

Count Arioch the 28th wrote:Yeah, I think it doesn't need to be said that I suck at arguing, I've lost every argument I've ever been in online even when I'm right factually.

Well, no one actually wins online arguments.

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:02 am

And then once you graduate from college you find that the only jobs that will take you are absolute bottom-level retail grunt work, and that people you know who didn't bother going to college have had enough time to work their way up 'bank manager', 'head cable guy', or 'courier who makes a disconcertingly large amount of money delivering medical documentation'.

shau · Post by **shau** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:43 am

CatharzGodfoot wrote:And then once you graduate from college you find that the only jobs that will take you are absolute bottom-level retail grunt work, and that people you know who didn't bother going to college have had enough time to work their way up 'bank manager', 'head cable guy', or 'courier who makes a disconcertingly large amount of money delivering medical documentation'.

Just go on to law school. Basically the same deal, except with about an extra six figures in non dischargeable debt.

ckafrica · Post by **ckafrica** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:11 pm

shau wrote:
CatharzGodfoot wrote:And then once you graduate from college you find that the only jobs that will take you are absolute bottom-level retail grunt work, and that people you know who didn't bother going to college have had enough time to work their way up 'bank manager', 'head cable guy', or 'courier who makes a disconcertingly large amount of money delivering medical documentation'.
Just go on to law school. Basically the same deal, except with about an extra six figures in non dischargeable debt.

I will again advocate the solution of getting the fuck out of dodge, moving to a developing world country and finding work there. Not all of them will earn you more than you could at home, put your cost of living will be lower and the quality will be better. I've spent 7 years in SE Asia and while I don't have a bulging bank account to show for it, I am happy, I go out 2-4 times a week without stressing my budget, I've married a beautiful woman and had my first child. I go on diving trips 2-3 times a year and I haven't seen snow (except 1 stupidly planned winter trip home). Honestly with a university degree you have to be an almost a social stunted retard not to be able to find a job as an english teacher. Well unless you're not white, then it's much more of a bitch. And if you actually have a useful degree (as in not my history degree) its even easier to find work teaching academic subjects. Have a masters and you can lecture at universities or international schools no prob. I know guys lecturing for 5k a month when you can live pretty comfortably on 1-1.5k.