Forum Post: I'm talking about the good old days for good reason.
Posted 11 years ago on April 28, 2012, 2:28 p.m. EST by ShubeLMorgan2
(1088)
from New York, NY
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I'm a lifetime New Yorker in my sixties. I want to talk with younger people about the good old days because what was reality not so long ago should make you mad and galvanize younger people to get busy with #OWS or some similar allied group.
Did you know that back in the sixties the City University was well reputed and had zero tuition? That on top of that students who were good at least at test taking got Regents Scholarships that would at least cover carfare and lunch?
That most apartments were rent controlled. You could go to school, have a part time job and live in a thirty-five dollar a month apartment on Avenue A.
There were union jobs out there. We had major employment in the publishing industry with several newspapers and magazines employing lots of unionized proofreaders, deliverymen, printers, etc.
That in many ways there was more personal freedom. People bought joints outside movie theaters and lit up in the smoking section. (Maybe that was an excess but no one was getting locked up for personal use or possession of small amounts of marijuana). Probably one of those happy smokers was Mike Bloomberg.
Not to say that things were perfect or that we were just wonderful, just to say things can be better and you can fight for it and win.
Bad things were:
The draft and the Vietnam War. But millions of people raised hell about that which was good.
Police repression aimed at the Black Panther Party and the anti -war movement. (But there was fight back).
You can have free decent useful education. You can have personal freedom. You can organize and fight against injustice.
You touch the tip of the iceberg and bring up one of the 'does not compute' thoughts that's been rolling around in my head. Take your publishing example. Major publishing house can afford to pay union wage while still turning a nice profit all the while keeping the costs of their product low. The same with manufacturing and a host of other industries. Businesses back then, by and large, weren't struggling. Most major players were making profits. The average middle class household could afford to support the entire family on one income, remain fairly comfortable, take a vacation every summer, and still manage to put away some money for the future. We didn't have nearly as many toys and gadgets but not because they were too expensive, they simply didn't exist. The rich were still getting richer (though not as fast). We were one of the richest, most productive nations on the planet. I could go on, but you middle-aged and older already know the stories.
WTF happened? In my opinion, pure, unfettered, unmitigated greed. Look what it's gotten us. We're broke and largely unemployed. Most of those working are working low-pay service industry jobs. We've become a joke, both to the people abroad, but also here at home. What a great path our fearless leaders have led us down.
Truth.
And the very wealthy seem to be the only ones not suffering. They've gotten far richer during this 'Second Great Depression' than they could've ever imagined back when America was still prosperous. Richer beyond even their wildest dreams.
Thing is they could still be as comparatively wealthy. The more things change..............They always had more money than they needed, and if they had kept things equal in distribution as business and the economy grew nothing would have changed - they would still have more money then they could ever possibly need - the main difference would have been that the family unit would not have been blown all to hell and gone, and the economy would have been deeper wider stronger and more resilient as for having a well paid population. Now because everyone who possibly can get a job needs to just to survive and that leaves us with an employment problem - how do we provide work for everyone - add on top of that mechanization/automation and you now have even less employment.
That's the thing. It's entirely possible some of them could've been even wealthier had they not eviscerated American's buying power. We love to spend money (I know I do) if we have it. Once again, the folly of short-term vs. long-term. And the 'Law of Unintended Consequences.'
What I truly do not understand - Who the hell do they think they are going to be selling to in the very near future? No one is gonna have money except for the bare essentials. Are they gonna hyper inflate their prices and only sell to each other? What the Hell are they thinking??????????
Exactly! Whoever came up with this 'business plan' should be shot. Literally. For treason.
I humbly accept a position on the firing squad and will perform my duty to the best of my ability. It's the least I can do for my fellow Americans. Thank you. Thank you all. ;-)
LOL - oops I think I aimed a little low .... can I try again? OOooo in the crotch...quick quick another shell.
Fine!
But you're only allowed twenty, thirty shots, tops. I don't think you're really trying!
Awww come on I am I am I promise... I just got distracted {:-O
Oh, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . okay. I guess.
Thanks . . . look a pretty butterflyBANG....ooops...wow that has gotta hurt..{:-o...damn still low......
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