Democrats versus Republicans - Page 432

cardiacpaul · #**4311** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

"But so are corp execs/boards who believe that ONLY the short term bottom line counts and do not have an appreciation for their responsibilities to their workers and the country"

Cam,
I agree, but, take a look at some of the posts in the infamous "chicken little, the sky is falling" thread
The board, and management are interested in what... stock performance. If the market goes up one day, they're heros, if the stock tanks, they are bums. daily returns, quarterly profits ARE the only things that matter. They get paid bonuses not on how many flowers are in the parking lots, but sheckles in stockholders pockets. Not this year, but this quarter.
The golden parachutes that result when a CEO blows up a company are written in when he's hired. they do this to get a "proven performer" to lead the team to "turn this ramshacle popcicle stand of a company around and return it to obsene profitability." If it fails, oh well, heres your check.
The "Long view" means diddly, except to a very few.

Thats also gotta be Bushs fault.

PBzeer · #**4312** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

Actually, I think the current fiasco, along with the dotcom bubble and Enron et al crash, will, over the long term, prove to be a further wake up call for today's young people. I think that was apparent in their support for Bush's partial privatization of Social Security. I believe they see the SS is a mess, and they don't see anybody trying to do anything to actually fix it, rather than just keeping it propped up. The question is, will they work towards finding solutions instead of band-aids?

cardiacpaul · #**4313** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

John,
"will, over the long term, prove to be a further wake up call for today's young people. I think that was apparent in their support for Bush's partial privatization of Social Security...."

Perhaps I'm a tad bit sceptical.
in my opinion, "todays young people (18 to 30 or so) by in large, haven't got a sweet clue. (yea, there are exceptions as we've all seen) Nor will they get a clue.
Youth is wasted on the young. Our school district had a program where a person from the local bank would come in, set up a table once a month, and those that wanted could open and make deposits in a passbook savings account.
Where does that happen now?

The level of personal responsibilty way short of nothing.
Its always "someone elses fault". From the simple responsibilty of doing homework in school and still being moved to the next grade when they fail miserably to rampant drug use, to "no job I want" to, you name it, i don't see many young 'uns standing up and saying
"I'm going to do..."
I do see however many of the same saying
"somebody needs to give me..."

wind_magic · #**4314** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardiacpaul

The level of personal responsibilty way short of nothing.
Its always "someone elses fault". From the simple responsibilty of doing homework in school and still being moved to the next grade when they fail miserably to rampant drug use, to "no job I want" to, you name it, i don't see many young 'uns standing up and saying
"I'm going to do..."
I do see however many of the same saying
"somebody needs to give me..."

That's what they said about Gen X, my generation.

They were wrong.

I won't turn this into the generational war thread by going any further with it.

PBzeer · #**4315** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

Paul - I'm hoping that enough of them wake up to make the changes needed. Will they? It's hard to say, but I do believe their future is in their own hands at this point.

One thing I'm pretty sure of is that it won't be the graduates of Ivy League colleges and other politically correct institutions that bring about change. It won't be Hollywood celebrities and Rock Stars that bring about change. It won't be the elites of the Beltway and the Media that bring about change. Nor will it be those whose idea of planning for the future means buying a Powerball ticket.

It will be the common sense people who earn what they have, and know there is more to life than merely satisfying their desires. It will be the ordinary people who instead of looking for someone to blame, look for solutions. Those who, rather than wait for someone else to step up, do so themselves, and do so, not for what they gain, but because it's the right thing to do.

PBzeer · #**4316** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

windy - I happen to think you're mostly right. I think Gen X, in spite of the efforts of the education and media establishments, is much more aware that we can't keep going as we have been. That fundamental changes are not only needed, but necessary. The only question is, will they rise up and meet the challenge?

wind_magic · #**4317** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by PBzeer

windy - I happen to think you're mostly right. I think Gen X, in spite of the efforts of the education and media establishments, is much more aware that we can't keep going as we have been. That fundamental changes are not only needed, but necessary. The only question is, will they rise up and meet the challenge?

We are only just now getting old enough to be taken seriously in politics.

Allow me to introduce our newest representative, 44 year old Sarah Palin.

PBzeer · #**4318** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

A point I was going to make windy, but figured it would just start another outbreak of Palin Derangement Syndrome. My biggest fear isn't whether she, and other's like her, are up to the job, it's whether or not they can resist the corrosive corruption of politics and the power that comes with it.

cardiacpaul · #**4319** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

" Those who, rather than wait for someone else to step up, do so themselves, and do so, not for what they gain, but because it's the right thing to do."

I hope for their sake, you're right.
I hope they "get" the "right thing to do" concept.

I'm 49. Not that old, but I kind smirk when being refered to as "Sir" by the guy in the restuarant. I've got all my teeth, and not a lot of gray hair, "Sir" is for Old guys"

But I remember, when I was kid, way back in the '70's the actions of my 'hood

When someone along the road we lived on was in trouble, sick, died, crops took a turn, cows got out, combine broke, we all helped. My Dad would have us go down to the next farm and combine his wheat because Charlies Gleaner needed something. We just did it. it took 2 days, but that wasn't a question. it was just done.

When a neighbor died, my mom would go from house to house on the road, and people would put money in an envelope. When she got to the house, she'd place the required some lame ass cassarole and the envelope on the front stoop. It was just done.

My boy was giving me a hard time about mowing the lawn one day. He says "I need to be paid."
I told him he was...
with lunch.

Now, he's 17, and regularly mows the elderly neighbors lawn, weeds, the whole deal. The old lady tries to stuff a ten in his pocket, brandon lays it on her kitchen table when he "needs" a glass of water.

Contrast that with "our" 15 year old who is most concerned with what label her underwear has affixed rather than her geography grade.

I'm not saying its a boy girl thing, (geez, I hope its just a phase) I think , no, I know it comes from the parents. and grandparents, from family. the trouble for me is I see more of the "hers" rather than the "hims".

wind_magic · #**4320** (**permalink**) 09-20-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by PBzeer

A point I was going to make windy, but figured it would just start another outbreak of Palin Derangement Syndrome. My biggest fear isn't whether she, and other's like her, are up to the job, it's whether or not they can resist the corrosive corruption of politics and the power that comes with it.

I don't want to make it seem like Gen X is all Republicans, that's not true.

Obama too could be considered either a late Boomer or early X'er. I may not agree with most of Obama's agenda, but I like the man.