Hat tip Boston Bob
Guest Post by Robert A. Hall
I’m 70.
Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I’ve worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven’t called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn’t inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there’s no retirement in sight, and I’m tired. Very tired.
I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth” to people who don’t have my work ethic. I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.
I’m tired of being told that Islam is a “Religion of Peace,” when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family “honor”; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren’t “believers”; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for “adultery”; of Muslims mutilating
the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur’an and Sharia law tells them to.
I’m tired of being told that, out of “tolerance for other cultures”, we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America and Canada, while no American nor Canadian group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.
I’m tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.
I’m tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off?
I’m tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I’m tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
I’m real tired of people who don’t take responsibility for their lives and actions. I’m tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.
Yes, I’m damn tired. But I’m also glad to be 70 – because, mostly, I’m not going to have to see the world these people are making. I’m just sorry for my granddaughters and grandsons.
Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served
five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.
This is a reprint from his blog, originally published when he was 63.
Impressive though, to be a Republican Senator in the always Democratic Massachusetts.
AND – I agree with everything in the article.
I call it fatigue. I have Mexican / Neegrow / Muslim / Somali / Trans / Entitlement / MSM fatigue. Just don’t want to hear from any of these people or causes. They should STFU and get a job.
As for working – I’m 67. Write code 40 hrs a week. Don’t intended to retire. In 2008 didn’t have any work for 6 months. I realized that I couldn’t be home with my wife 24/7 – for more than a week. Remodeled the second bath – and stayed out of her hair.
Okay…..I agree, there’s plenty of ‘fatigue’ and ‘tired’ to go around – and anyone who does what they can is feeling it. But…..this….
“I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth” to people who don’t have my work ethic. I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.”
…..replace lazy with ‘dumb enough to believe in a system that was obviously as fucked as an ponzi, meaning SS/medi-this, and all ‘earned’ federal/state programs that constitute any and all “transfer payments”, and you know how the rest of us who are younger feel.
As for this, “Yes, I’m damn tired. But I’m also glad to be 70 – because, mostly, I’m not going to have to see the world these people are making. I’m just sorry for my granddaughters and grandsons.”
…..fuuuuuuuck……more ‘virtue signaling’ that doesn’t mean shit and just falls on deaf ears.
Sorry to pick but when the vast majority of jobs gains go to 55+, when the wealth of every category of income goes down BUT the 55+…..and I have to listen to artists and prophets wax on about their fear of the future ‘for the children’, I call bullshit.
I’ll get hammered here because TBP is gaining a serious older demographic, but where you and yours are tired, we are pissed. Sorry for the rant – not an apology – but sorry for an unprovoked rant, but I have go do what you did in a world where I can’t do what you did.
Don’t blame you for being pissed, but make sure where you aim the rocket. Blame should be place on elected politicians, over decades, CONgress and Presidents.
I could make this 10 pages long, but….the working people are really getting fucked by Obamacare and the job market sucks to high heaven. I did not have those problems when I was working. And now the biggest threat to America, besides our politicians, is importing Islamists into our country.
There was the first industrial revolution in the 1800’s, then the second with the likes of people like Henry Ford. After that came the tech revolution – and that’s come to an end. Each succeeding revolution was shorter than the previous. Right now there is nothing – thus you can’t do what we did (I’m a 67 year old computer scientist) cause nobody is seen a unique or valuable. Between outsourcing and ‘teams’ and management – we are now all cogs.
In ten years, many of us geezers will have died off. But what you won’t get rid of is all the entitlement folks / breeders – that’s where the majority of your tax dollar goes. We have too many people doing nothing, no productivity. I think the key is to require some sort of work, some contribution, if you want money from the government.
I feel the same way. I’m going to be 50 next month and don’t see much hope for the future. I’ve done everything in my power to try to get a decent job, including spending $4000 of my own money to go back to school, to no avail.
KaD
You should have spent the 4k starting a business. My daughter thinks it is possible her company has been bought out and just in case, she is in high gear working on a internet based business. Work for yourself, be your own master. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Get a job with the gubmint and start something of your own on the side. That’d be my take.
@Bea: Here’s a job for your daughter:
http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/07/welcome-to-the-new-prostitution-economy
In this economy we’re all prostitutes anyway.
“Sorry for the rant – not an apology – but sorry for an unprovoked rant, but I have go do what you did in a world where I can’t do what you did.”
(A) All rants are provoked. Just maybe not by the article, whose comments you are ranting to.
(B) NO – you have to find YOUR niche, figure out what makes YOU happy and a way to make money at it.
We elders, to some extent, had favorable circumstances. Expanding economies and industries hire more people, and there were several in the 1950’s – 60’s, even into the 70’s – 80’s when I was graduating and first-jobbing. Nowadays, not so much. But why is this? Did we suddenly lose all entrepreneurial spirit, motivation, ability?
Or was it beaten out of us to enrich the already wealthy? Politicians bought and legislation written to create obstacles, penalize and defeat anyone who tried?
A large part of it is the limited-pie outlook of Marxist thought: inequality is proof of capitalist corruption. The concept of the “limited good” has been around forever, and in the Middle Ages the fortunate were regarded with hostility and suspicion: if you had good fortune in excess, it must be because you TOOK MY GOOD FORTUNE. Because there’s only so much good fortune to go around in the world! Some of this seems to be implicit in your comment.
But consider: in 1981 Facebook (gag) did not exist. Nor Twitter, Uber, Lyft, LinkedIn, and so on. Hell, Microsoft and Apple barely existed! Tons of jobs, revenue, opportunity for young people (how many seniors do you think work for Facebook? Outside of accounting (possibly)? )
EVERY graduating senior has the same challenge: how do I find something to do that pays the bills, at least marginally interests me, and has some path to promotion? It hasn’t changed a bit since 1981 when I graduated to now. It may be more challenging (but there have been busts and booms forever as well). I went to work for a major oil company (since merged into another) to do that; figure out what you can do to accomplish the same. Maybe it’s start your own, its what Jobs and Wozniak did; maybe it’s overseas (my Dad went to Saudi Arabia when he was over 50 for a job). Simon Black thinks Chile is one place for now, maybe Colombia; do you know Spanish (can you learn it)?
Figure it out! I’m a consultant these days, and some months are REALLY lean, which makes supporting a family of four rather challenging; but I am not on food stamps, welfare, etc. even now. Figure it out!
….figure it out….hmmmm, never thought about that – I’ll give it a try! Thanks for the inspiration, I feel totally fresh and new thanks to you! Oh look, I see a rainbow!
We don’t tend to coddle “special snowflakes” here on TBP. Or anyone else.
Yes, I understand sarcasm. Let me give you some back:
My life as a “late boomer” has all been peaches and cream, strawberries and pancakes, gin and tonic. I had no problems at all in my life, least of all any that might cause me pain and suffering or make me question whether I had chosen the right career, mate or location(s); I had no challenges, no unpaid bills with the first of the month coming up, no conflicts with supervisors or managers. Everything was handed to me on a plate: I had my rent or mortgage money waiting in the bank from birth, I had the plum job I wanted given to me through nepotism, I never had to worry about a thing. Least of all did I ever have to sacrifice, do work I didn’t like, go places that weren’t garden spots. I always drove the latest cars, lived in McMansions, ate in the finest restaurants. I never had to get real and keep digging just to put a meal on the table, and after I had kids it got even easier. Nothing ever went wrong! So you can see why I have no sympathy for your plight, in this, the toughest economy in decades with 90 million unemployed and endless mandates like ObamaCare and Clean Power Plan to make it worse. All I have to do is go to the mailbox and collect my dividend checks while the maid cleans house and the butler makes me a cocktail!
(/sarc off)
I do have sympathy for your challenges, but I cannot give you anything but encouragement and advice over the wires. Perhaps what I did is not possible for you, but so many people remain stuck in ruts (frequently mental) of their own making. Have you looked overseas, or do you have such family engagements that you can’t? Have you thought of starting your own business (often the best possible solution), and if so what would you do? What concrete steps have you taken to make sure you save some money, even if trivial at first, to build a future with? And make no mistake, you are going to have to build your future, if you’re going to have one. Government WILL NOT take care of you, any more than it did the cavemen.
YES, it’s challenging. YES, it can be painful. YES, it may get worse. The alternative is to give up, and that will guarantee your eventual failure, which is why we disdain the Free Shit Army here. They are too stupid, too brainwashed and too irresponsible to take care of themselves and depend on the government to do it – which is why they will DIE when the systems collapse, not too long from now.
In my lifetime, the Vietnamese came after we screwed over their country. (Sub-thesis topic: are there idiots in Washington D.C. who think that if we screw over a government in Lower Slobbovia, all the smart people in Lower Slobbovia will come to America and build businesses and vote Democratic all their lives? How well did that work out for Europe lately?) The Vietnamese came here with literally nothing beyond their clothing, knew no English in general, suffered and died coming here. In my lifetime they are shop owners, skilled tradesmen, fishermen and so forth. If they could manage that can you? Why or why not?
Decide; work and learn from your mistakes; look farther from your comfort zone. This is life; live it or die trying!
I’m just in a shitty mood – but this ‘attitude’ shit always sets me off because its bullshit. I’m a small business owner, I don’t need cheerleaders – but I’ve got legitimate bitches the same as the rest. I’m watching in real time my customers vaporize – we are diversified in related fields and no debt…..and have been around for some time. We bend and twist over the years to no avail. I’m pissed.
“We” here at TBP includes me, as I’ve been around awhile – so I don’t need the rules of the site …….., but I know you mean well.
Excellent. You are far ahead of where I thought you were (not that it isn’t challenging).
Have you considered writing an article for TBP coming from your unique perspective? I know as a small business owner there are never enough hours in the day, but it might help to get some of that load of cement off your chest. And I’m sure Jim Quinn can find a few column inches that you can rent (VBG!) .
Hang in there; are you selling overseas? Anywhere still untapped you could expand sales in?
I’m a small biz owner as well, Tommy and what I’ve seen since 2008 is pretty much a slow leak of business volume. We’re running on fumes compared with prior to Q4 2007, with almost no new business coming in from either ads or referrals.
What that tells me daily is economic conditions are way worse than either the gov or msm admits. And we do business across the English-speaking world, not just the U.S., so things are tough all over.
My plan is to just plowing ahead as long as possible, hoping conditions improve and always looking for new opportunities to serve existing clients and earn a profit.
Damnation, WC just wrote something I can agree with! Now I’m likely to explode in flames and sink below the surface …..
It is harder than it used to be. Unemployment is north of 90 million people, and they all can’t be soldiers, sailors or bureaucrats. What’s a republic to do?
[Getting rid of the Federal Reserve, DOEs (both of them) and about a dozen extraneous other departments would be a good start …]
I know what you’re saying. My partner and I watched our private sector customers dry up and all but disappear. Our business used to be about 50/50 private and public sector. We altered our product line and picked up many new customers who had government contracts. Those contracts were eventually given to foreign companies and that line dried up. Now the public sector customers are slashing their budgets drastically. Gross income is less than half what it was in 2000. Frustrating beyond belief.
Yes, Mr. Hall, the “Old Jarhead” is tired, his lung transplant may have put many into the grave. His Marine background is what keeps him going forward. His insight into the hypocrisy of our society is point on. He knows the value of earning something rather than acquiring it. The great American experiment is in deep trouble!
You’re a sucker who wasted your life away to buy junk to try an impress morons.
I try to be as prepared for things as possible.I think life has been hard for as long as people have been around(sweat by your brow) My oldest says the kids in grade school even talk about how fuked up things are.They wonder about their future. I try to be upbeat and will try to offer better advice than my dad did. He actually discouraged me from going to college. A trade school or union job or at least learning a trade that not many can do would be a good idea. Having a paid for piece of dirt with a shack on it at least gives a person a sense of security that they will always have a place to live.
Everyone working their ass off for a box to sleep in and that new car is what causes so much stress.
Amazing how much having things payed for makes life more enjoyable. My father liked the idea of debt and having a reason to get up and work each day.
We live in a time of to much information that depresses people.
I agree with Robert A Hall. I’ve noticed that if there wasn’t a huge FSA, so many high placed Affirmative Action “workers”, or Illuminati-Cultural Communist running (actually ruining) everything in America: There would be almost no Nightly Bad News to report….
A FUCKING MEN!!!
In case you aren’t paying attention, the shit and piss raining upon you is coming from above not below
I am sorry but I have no sympathy for the special snowflakes that think they can waltz into a job and be treated like their opinions matter, they don’t. You have to EARN it and that means sucking it up every day for decades, showing up on time dressed appropriately and ready to learn, no whining your first week on the job about how things are, they are the way they are because the person running the company likes them that way. I see absolutely NO customer service skills in most people under 25, they don’t even say thank you and as far as being familiar with the stock in the store, forget it, they won’t even look up from their smartphones. No wonder the friendly polite courteous 55+ worker gets hired.