Are You a Burden to Society?

Whatever the exact rate is isnt much.

While I support capitalism over every other economic system, I do have a problem with 'capitalists' who are protected from risk by taxpayers yet are rewarded and compensated for risks they never experienced. Its the Special Olympics for Wall Street.


You just finally figure that out?
 
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Yes I am a burden on society. I'm fifty four years old, I barely have a high school education and I have a long history of mental illness.

So no jobs for me.
 
Yes I am a burden on society. I'm fifty four years old, I barely have a high school education and I have a long history of mental illness.

So no jobs for me.

I would suggest that in the society of LIT, you are a definite asset - a man of few, but choice, words.

Another aspect of your RL situation, Rob, is that I don't think you chose your fate. Able bodied people who choose to not pull their own weight in society have no excuse, other than selfishness.
 
I would suggest that in the society of LIT, you are a definite asset - a man of few, but choice, words.

Another aspect of your RL situation, Rob, is that I don't think you chose your fate. Able bodied people who choose to not pull their own weight in society have no excuse, other than selfishness.

It's nice to see that we agree for a change, both about Rob and about people in general. :)
 
I am.
I'm a teacher. In Florida. According to most, that makes me doubly useless.
 
I am.
I'm a teacher. In Florida. According to most, that makes me doubly useless.

Don't take it too hard. You can always have a second career in adult education and just pick up where you left off.
 
I suppose that would depend on your definition of Burden on Society.

Cat
 
Don't take it too hard. You can always have a second career in adult education and just pick up where you left off.

With the bill in the works down here, I just may have to. Oh well.
 
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I'm not a burden on society, but my husband probably thinks I'm a burden on him sometimes...especially when I'm making him work on my friend's car (and he doesn't much like her to begin with), watching him work in the yard, making him feed the dogs, etc. ;)
 
I suppose that would depend on your definition of Burden on Society.

Cat

In other words, do you take more than you give? (Not "you" personally, but "you" in general.) Judging from your threads, Seacat, I'd suggest everyone in your trailer park is a burden to society, with you as the exception.
 
I'm sure that certain people here will say I am.

I am unable to work following 5 strokes since the age of 27-34. Each got progressively worse. The last taking 6 months to learn to walk, talk, and write again. I am unable to stand or sit for long periods of time due to arthritis in my spine, knees and hips. There are some other things, but I refuse to give certain trolls anymore to use against me...

I get SSI and Medicaid. I get food stamps. I would love to work again, but I cannot. I worked as long as I could. Taking whatever jobs were available. I have worked Customer Service for a large Retail store, Cashier for a large chain, and for small, "Mom/Pop" businesses. I have flipped burgers and waitressed for a well-known Pizza chain. I did what I could for the length of time I was able. I can't do any of that anymore. If people wish to call me a burden on society, so be it.
 
Sadangel - thank you for your thoughts, and your perserverance. :rose:

As I mentioned earlier, I don't see the "burden to society" as strictly a monetary issue. The fact that you are contributing to culture (looking at your story links in your sig line) means that you are not simply existing, but rather enriching society with your creativity, so thanks for that.
 
Everyone has an excuse to ride rather than pull, most feel entitled to ride, and fuck the costs.

I've witnessed the attitude for years and years till I'm over YOU and your misfortunes.

Fuck you; root hog or die.
 
I'm sure that certain people here will say I am.

I am unable to work following 5 strokes since the age of 27-34. Each got progressively worse. The last taking 6 months to learn to walk, talk, and write again. I am unable to stand or sit for long periods of time due to arthritis in my spine, knees and hips. There are some other things, but I refuse to give certain trolls anymore to use against me...

I get SSI and Medicaid. I get food stamps. I would love to work again, but I cannot. I worked as long as I could. Taking whatever jobs were available. I have worked Customer Service for a large Retail store, Cashier for a large chain, and for small, "Mom/Pop" businesses. I have flipped burgers and waitressed for a well-known Pizza chain. I did what I could for the length of time I was able. I can't do any of that anymore. If people wish to call me a burden on society, so be it.

You are the sort of person the UK's 1945 Parliament designed the Welfare State for. Someone who would work to support themselves if they could, but can't. They were thinking of disabled people and also injured war veterans including those with mental problems. The treatment of the UK's war veterans after the First World War was shameful.

Locally we have several disabled people who are a considerable asset to our community. For example, one lady who is unable to leave her bed is the main contact for a neighbourhood watch group. She takes all reports of incidents, refers them to the Police if necessary, maintains the log and database of unusual activities, and writes the newsletter. She may never leave her bed but she has many friends and performs a useful service to the community. The committee meetings may have to come to her bedroom, but without her they wouldn't be as effective.

Another one, who can walk only a few yards from her powered wheelchair, is a committee member of a disabled group. She advises retailers and others about providing disabled access and will come to look at a building and demonstrate the problems.

A local man has several problems with his sight. He has a full-time job but in his spare time he helps with design of information leaflets to ensure that they can be read by those with limited vision. Size of type isn't enough. Colour printed on colour can cause real problems.

In the UK we generally don't, because of our past history with Workhouses, distinguish between those who deserve help and the "undeserving". We object to those who abuse the system for example by claiming unemployment benefits while working, or by claiming disability when not disabled - but those people are cheats, not unfortunate.

Our welfare state is expensive but is supported by all our main political parties - because it works and supports those who need help.

Og
 
Welfare State is pretty much every industrial, post-industrial country on the planet. It isn't going away. There'll always be marginal people, in the United States we try to put all of them in prison like this is Charles Dickens' Hard Times(but with inner city black people.)

One woman essentially gets paid to care for her child, the other woman has to work to pay daycare to care for her child. I think it's rare that someone lives their whole life working at not working. The real burdens are war making presidents and local politicians spending more money than a city has so school and property taxes have to go up every year. Any politician who thinks they have to stay in office and does whatever they have to do to stay in office is the biggest burden on the system.
 
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You are the sort of person the UK's 1945 Parliament designed the Welfare State for. Someone who would work to support themselves if they could, but can't. They were thinking of disabled people and also injured war veterans including those with mental problems. The treatment of the UK's war veterans after the First World War was shameful.

Locally we have several disabled people who are a considerable asset to our community. For example, one lady who is unable to leave her bed is the main contact for a neighbourhood watch group. She takes all reports of incidents, refers them to the Police if necessary, maintains the log and database of unusual activities, and writes the newsletter. She may never leave her bed but she has many friends and performs a useful service to the community. The committee meetings may have to come to her bedroom, but without her they wouldn't be as effective.

Another one, who can walk only a few yards from her powered wheelchair, is a committee member of a disabled group. She advises retailers and others about providing disabled access and will come to look at a building and demonstrate the problems.

A local man has several problems with his sight. He has a full-time job but in his spare time he helps with design of information leaflets to ensure that they can be read by those with limited vision. Size of type isn't enough. Colour printed on colour can cause real problems.

In the UK we generally don't, because of our past history with Workhouses, distinguish between those who deserve help and the "undeserving". We object to those who abuse the system for example by claiming unemployment benefits while working, or by claiming disability when not disabled - but those people are cheats, not unfortunate.

Our welfare state is expensive but is supported by all our main political parties - because it works and supports those who need help.

Og

Very succinctly put, Og.
I second that.

I recall a voice on the CB radio (during the craze), somewhere up the A19 region. She was the only fixed station for miles and the Truck drivers got all the road reports from her (she is also reputed to have sent them to the BBC). It was only a long time later that it turned out she was in a wheelchair and house-bound.
 
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Figured you would. That's the easy way ;)


I come from a family of educators going back many generations. Teachers have never been esteemed or valued in America. When a good one comes along the pedagogical industry treats her like a leper until she lowers her performance or quits to sell real estate.

Sending a child to school prepared to learn is about like sending a corpse to the undertaker already embalmed...they frown.
 
I well recall one old gal refered to me, which services she declined until her old man landed in jail and she was evicted from her trailer park a week before Christmas. And then she appealed for material help.

Anyway, I tossed the problem to my boss, and he moved mountains to connect my putative client to housing, furniture, utilities, etc. His wife collected toys and clothes and housewares etc for the woman, and I delivered it all on Christmas Eve.

The woman was showing her new crib to friends when I arrived. I brought in all the cartons and wished her a Merry Christmas.

She then wanted to know when we planned to connect her to cable teevee.

I told her cable wasnt included.

She then said, "You mean I'm supposed to watch the goddanmed free channels all fucking day?"

I said, Yes.

She then told me to get fat fucking ass out of her house!

Typical.
 
Here's a question for our resident parasites.

If the guvmint paid you what youre worth, how much money would you get?
 
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