# How to prosper in George Bush's America **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 8, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210 "2004-10-08T15:43:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/21 "2004-10-14T13:01:10Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > …Don’t get excusionary just because your anecdotal evidence doesn’t mean anything. But your working-stiff sob story is relevant because…? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/22 "2004-10-14T15:37:48Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > But your working-stiff sob story is relevant because…? Sorry, Brutus, unless you manage posts of at least two lines, I think I’ll just ignore you. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/23 "2004-10-14T15:51:29Z")
The game of life is such that advantage facilitates the consolidation of that advantage towards eventual monopoly. Politically, this manifests itself as effective plutocracy. The question thus becomes: **how do we effectively _combat_ plutocracy?** ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/24 "2004-10-14T18:24:14Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > I’m making the exact same money I was making three years ago, and I’m working twice as hard with three times the responsibility. And I know I’m incredibly lucky to be in my situation. I’ve got a guy working for me who had to leave a job he loved (that paid more) to come work with me because his old place had extremely bad insurance (ours isn’t good, bit it’s slightly above mediocre) and he’s got a new baby. I, myself, am contemplating a huge downward move in my career (say, fry cook) because I just can’t fucking stand the place I’m at anymore. > > But I can’t. Because it’s just that bad out there. TJ couldn’t stay at a job he loved because the insurance system is so fucked up. If you are working that hard for some schmuck, then why don’t you become a schmuck yourself and run your own business? You decide how much/little insurance everyone gets. If you have that kind of energy (and you’re claiming that you do, btw), then why in the hell are you sitting there playing the victim? Don’t tell me how tough it would be to start taking care of yourself by starting your own business now; the climate isn’t as jacked up as it was when I started my business in California in 1992 at the height of the double dip recession and state-paid IOUs and warrants were all the rage, yet I worked my ass off to make sure I didn’t become a statistic. **Brutus** has a point that you chose to ignore because it just might involve being responsible for your own income and your own insurance, etc…Oh, I get it…you would be labeled a “Pubbie” for doing such treachery. Ok, let me tell you how to do it the “Dem” way then… 1. _Have a Plan_ (so far, so good, eh?) 2. Go get an SBA loan. 3. Work as hard as you claim to be in your own business. Hire other folks like you (in your current situation) and be generous with your wages and benefits. 4. Profit! Be your own boss, and not a BMC[sup]TM[/sup]\* employee that likes to hear him/herself whine. - - Bitching, Moaning & Complaining ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/25 "2004-10-14T22:09:56Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Sorry, Brutus, unless you manage posts of at least two lines, I think I’ll just ignore you. > > -Joe Oh no! ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/26 "2004-10-15T15:31:44Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Oh > > no! Wow, twice as many lines as usual, yet still completely content-free. Why break a trend, huh? Anyways, **Rex** , just because I’m bitching about it doesn’t mean that I’m necessarily doing nothing, does it? I’m actually working toward two separate plans and the moment. Whether or not they’ll succeed is, of course, another matter entirely. All I need is for one of them to work to get my sad self out of this place I’m currently enjoying. However, that doesn’t change in the least what I said. I absolutely hate where I am, but that doesn’t change that fact that I know I’m lucky to have a job where I’m making enough for my needs. The health care situation in this country is totally fucked, with people’s career decisions sometimes being decided by how well someone can bend them over on health insurance. On top of all that, well, fuck, I’ll just quote myself: > [@](#): > > Meanwhile, I have some smirking chimp who has never worked a day in his life telling me how absolutely wonderfully awesomely great things are going and how happy I should be. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/27 "2004-10-15T16:29:03Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Yes, and I can say that ‘Education and hard work are the best way to get ahead in our country’. > > Does that mean that is the only way to do so? There is no other way? > > Nope. > > Don’t get excusionary just because your anecdotal evidence doesn’t mean anything. Actually, my anecdote does prove something. Recall that I was responding to **Aeschines** , whose response to the OP was: “Be born a WASP. A rich one.” My anecdote shows that this is NOT the only way to be successful. Nowhere do I claim that this is the only route – undoubtedly, being born into a wealthy family is also a route to success, but it’s a bit difficult to consciously implement that strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/28 "2004-10-15T16:49:39Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Actually, my anecdote does prove something. > > Recall that I was responding to **Aeschines** , whose response to the OP was: “Be born a WASP. A rich one.” My anecdote shows that this is NOT the only way to be successful. Nowhere do I claim that this is the only route – undoubtedly, being born into a wealthy family is also a route to success, but it’s a bit difficult to consciously implement that strategy. Yeah, and nowhere did he claim it was the only route. If you want to argue semantics, we can do that all day. Q: How do I turn around? A: Turn 90 degrees to the right. Then turn another 90 degrees to the right. Bricker: Well, I turned around by turning 90 degrees to the left and then another 90 degrees to the left, so obviously the previous answer was wrong! No, because the word “only” is nowhere in there. Why you’d try to overanalyze what was obviously a simple, flippant remark is beyond me. Must be bored or something. -Joe, turns around by doing a handstand ---
**Author:** ![midget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@midget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/midget)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210/29 "2004-10-15T23:00:22Z")
I agree with everything that **Rex** said. I can’t stand when people jump to blame the government for every problem they have. The job economy is a widely fluctuating market, with many factors influencing the demand for labor. If you live in a small town that relies on rural agriculture, you and all your neighbors will be likely be doing worse and worse for yourself as big businesses streamline agricultural production and adopt new technology that you can’t afford. Meanwhile, the president could be saying (accurately) that the job economy is better than it has ever been. I’m not saying anything about the validity of Bush’s claims about the job economy, but saying that he’s lying just because you and several people you know are doing worse than you were three years ago is outrageously ignorant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prosper-in-george-bushs-america/268210.md?page=1)