The Self-Made Myth

[Bravus]

http://www.alternet.org/visions/155149/t...us_--_fiction_/

[Bravus]

(bump)

[phkrause]

[bonnie]

Quite the article.Leaves a few things out and adds to what most of us believe to promote the point.

I don't know of anyone that has risen from poverty to either a modest middle class or wealthy lifestyle that believe they have lived on a isolated island and made it without the input in one way or another of other human beings.

Self made does not mean,"I have built the roads,railroads,airlines,produced the materials that go into a product,produce the product,purchase the product,print the money

etc single handedly.

Commerce is a interdependent endeavor.Not an endeavor where the government produces the demand,the product,the consumer and the final result out of thin air.

There is difference between self made and government made

I have two young women living almost side by side.One is government made and one is well on her way to self made as most rational people understand it.

The one well on her way to self made didn't have as many advantages as the one government made because of her sense of self responsibility,motivation and desire for a better life for her child.

Home life was non-existent and a baby to support without help from the babies father,same situation as the government made young woman.She lives in the same"Unfair world"

She has continued her education without government loans,pay as she goes.works three jobs and does all without welfare.

The government made is on full welfare benefits and is waiting for that right job to be provided.

Our neighbor,legal Mexican immigrant,could not speak english,not government made,not even a high school education now has his own successful business. No SBA loan or special breaks because of his skin color.Slept in his car to save money on housing,worked for someone else and slowly built up his own clientele after hours.Sometimes working 18 hours a day.

That is compared to others like himself that come here with the same disadvantages,same lack of education that are on the government dole and can't succeed because of "Unfairness"

Self made to liberals is Occupying Wall Street and demanding someone hand them a break,or startup money,pay their college etc.

Self made to a conservative is "Just get out of my way,don't tell me I can't" because of my skin color,lack of education or financial status

[phkrause]

Self made to liberals is Occupying Wall Street and demanding someone hand them a break,or startup money,pay their college etc.

Self made to my "liberal" father was coming out of a concentration camp, getting himself back to being a healthy person, getting married, having 2 kids, moving to America, working his butt off for .50 an hour for years. Finally getting us out of being a poor family into low middle class, than middle class. Giving me and my brother an example of what a good "liberal" democrat worker does to get ahead! Work hard, do the best with what God has given you. The only reason I'm using quotes is because that's your label for what a democrat is. My father always voted democrat because they were always for the working class. The only time he voted republican was when Kennedy ran for president and the church made it a point to let all there members know that we don't vote for a RC, at least back in '60. For me I have no problem with either party, they both #$%&, neither one is for anyone but themselves.

[phkrause]

Self made to a conservative is "Just get out of my way,don't tell me I can't" because of my skin color,lack of education or financial status

That is plain rubbish!!! I know quite a few conservative's, who all they do is take, take, and take. And quite a few liberals, like my father may he RIP, who just work as hard as they can and wont even take a dime when they are down.

[bonnie]

That is plain rubbish!!! I know quite a few conservative's, who all they do is take, take, and take. And quite a few liberals, like my father may he RIP, who just work as hard as they can and wont even take a dime when they are down.

No,you are not correct.There are of course conservatives that are stingy with their own wealth.But to follow the line of reasoning in this "factual" article that is not possible.

For anyone to become wealthy whether they like it or not they have to give to employee's,charities and taxes.

Charitable giving may involve tax breaks on income but it is given.Not taken.Employee's are provided a wage and generally benefits.Far more taxes of all kinds are paid by the wealthy that provide the roads,schools and welfare benefits.

Referring to your father you are speaking of mindset that is fast disappearing. My parents lived those years as well as children of those parents.My mother worked for a 1.50 a week,she was thrilled to have Sundays off.She would not have believed her wealth at .50 a hour.

There is no comparing either party or religious affliation to the mindset of a few decades ago.

Try oatmeal three times a day in good times,times not so good twice a day.Yet for some strange reason they would have been horrified to demand others give them something because they were poor.

The last few decades that has been replaced with "you have more,you owe me"

The last couple of decades so many are acting as if hard times are unique to them and someone needs to do something.In fact they haven't a clue what hard times are really like.If they can't afford or claim they can't afford cell phones,by all that is holy and right,someone better give it to them.

Better give them a college education,after all why should they work their butts off to pay?

[bonnie]

The government can not be the equalizer.

If John Doe and Tom S equal physically and education wise,either higher education or lack of education apply for the same job,

John Doe puts his heart into being successful and all the that takes,longer hours,more responsibilty and stronger work ethic,Tom S does his 40 hours a week and just a acceptable performance why should Tom S expect the same results John Doe achieves?

To level the playing field,John Doe is penalized to make Tom S equal.

The only time any of us are equal is in the sight of God and even he does not walk ahead,removing obstacles from our path.

It is up to us as individuals what we do with those obstacles of life.It is not up to the government to remove them for some by taking from others

Government is not a christian charity.There are mean,selfish people of all walks of life. No where are we commanded to take from them and give to those that demand that government remove the obstacles life throws in their way