We both bought during COVID, and only because the rates were so low. Our home prices have gone up, but not crazy (we had to pay extra for property taxes due to the appraised home value though), but I didn’t mean to come off as abused. I’m doing well, and knock on wood whenever I get the chance [edited, spelling incorrect], but I also know I’m on a thin fucking tightrope - due to what I’m about to bring up next.
However, and this is what caused our discourse, I don’t believe it’s right for jobs like my father’s to just vanish to the other end of the world. That has real life implications for everyone, someone’s family, their mental health; it just messed him up for a while dude. To go back to the main topic of the thread, “Migrants aren’t pushing down wages, its your boss,” while you believe that we may not be promised anything in life (and this is true), what’s the point of upholding this social contract, going to work and producing towards a GDP, towards a country, and doing your fair share; when you can’t even be promised your end of the social contract, the American Dream? At that point, I’m sure my dad would have just made the decision to stay in India instead of coming to the US in 1996.
In one of my other comments, I talk about how my middle school janitor came to this country (back in like the 70’s or the 80’s), and purchased a house on a Janitor salary. Dude was unionized and was based af. From my experiences today, the American Dream is dying and not the same as what it once was. Whether it be Migrants, companies, the policies that allow for labor to be off-shored; it’s infected and (in my honest opinion), not worth chasing atm. We aren’t a third world country, but we’re not a country that can provide that social contract for its youth. The youth works to enrich the old and rich, kept oppressed by low wages and replaceability (the off-shoring of work), no longer do the youth work to enrich themselves.
“what’s the point of upholding this social contract, going to work and producing towards a GDP, towards a country, and doing your fair share; when you can’t even be promised your end of the social contract, the American Dream?”
I agree completely (despite everyone having their own version of “the american dream”), I just think we have different ideas of how to get there. I dont know all the answers but I do know going back to any place we have already been is just worse with corruption, accountability, abuse, and disparity in quality of living.
I think the main difference now is that groups that were originally on the side that generally benefitted from all of this abuse, are now being targeted for wealth extraction themselves and they can no longer live happy middle-income lives. Everyone besides the wealthy are being pushed downwards.
I’d also argue that what you mentioned your father going through is a mental health issue, and it would benefit us all if we acknowledged the need to help people transition to new skills or ways of life that fit the new reality.
If we focus on moving backwards the world will leave us behind and we will suffer for it. Looking forward means embracing change, and those who are good at changing quickly will have the advantage.
We both bought during COVID, and only because the rates were so low. Our home prices have gone up, but not crazy (we had to pay extra for property taxes due to the appraised home value though), but I didn’t mean to come off as abused. I’m doing well, and knock on wood whenever I get the chance [edited, spelling incorrect], but I also know I’m on a thin fucking tightrope - due to what I’m about to bring up next.
However, and this is what caused our discourse, I don’t believe it’s right for jobs like my father’s to just vanish to the other end of the world. That has real life implications for everyone, someone’s family, their mental health; it just messed him up for a while dude. To go back to the main topic of the thread, “Migrants aren’t pushing down wages, its your boss,” while you believe that we may not be promised anything in life (and this is true), what’s the point of upholding this social contract, going to work and producing towards a GDP, towards a country, and doing your fair share; when you can’t even be promised your end of the social contract, the American Dream? At that point, I’m sure my dad would have just made the decision to stay in India instead of coming to the US in 1996.
In one of my other comments, I talk about how my middle school janitor came to this country (back in like the 70’s or the 80’s), and purchased a house on a Janitor salary. Dude was unionized and was based af. From my experiences today, the American Dream is dying and not the same as what it once was. Whether it be Migrants, companies, the policies that allow for labor to be off-shored; it’s infected and (in my honest opinion), not worth chasing atm. We aren’t a third world country, but we’re not a country that can provide that social contract for its youth. The youth works to enrich the old and rich, kept oppressed by low wages and replaceability (the off-shoring of work), no longer do the youth work to enrich themselves.
“what’s the point of upholding this social contract, going to work and producing towards a GDP, towards a country, and doing your fair share; when you can’t even be promised your end of the social contract, the American Dream?”
I agree completely (despite everyone having their own version of “the american dream”), I just think we have different ideas of how to get there. I dont know all the answers but I do know going back to any place we have already been is just worse with corruption, accountability, abuse, and disparity in quality of living.
I think the main difference now is that groups that were originally on the side that generally benefitted from all of this abuse, are now being targeted for wealth extraction themselves and they can no longer live happy middle-income lives. Everyone besides the wealthy are being pushed downwards.
I’d also argue that what you mentioned your father going through is a mental health issue, and it would benefit us all if we acknowledged the need to help people transition to new skills or ways of life that fit the new reality.
If we focus on moving backwards the world will leave us behind and we will suffer for it. Looking forward means embracing change, and those who are good at changing quickly will have the advantage.