Why American Workers Need To Toughen Up

Reader Comments
Back to blog

You god fearing souls seem to love government interference when it comes to social issues like Abortion, Gay Rights etc. We can't all start a dog walking business or be entrepreneurs. The wealthy sold this country out. They are liars and cheats and they got rich by rigging the system and kicking everyone else to the curb to artificially enhance thier bottom line. This is not the same as opening a branch of the company to sell to a local clientele. They are taking advantage of a low cost of living and selling goods back to us while pocketing the difference. Why else would a pair of jeans cost $200 when the cost to make them is probably $1.00.
You people are too easily fooled by Corporate America who pay for and promote their message via fake groups of outraged ordinary folks.
They got you jumping to their tune cause "y'all are afeerd of Socialism!" When quite frankly, you would all be A LOT better off if the costs of essential items were spread evenly via taxation. But you are too stupid to ever really get it.
Gimme a break and S.T.F.U.

Pigbitin Mad of OH 1:22PM December 30, 2010

Yes! Thank you! Great article. I agree,we all need to get more involved in our communities and stop blaming the government for all our woes. Obama is not to blame because the leak has not stopped. Americans definitely need to be more mature in their thinking and actions. Kudos to TJ of AL. I love your story.

KW of CA 5:41PM July 27, 2010

I am a bit of the all of the above. I don't live in a fancy house, I got one I could afford so when the housing bubble burst I was not much in the hole. Since I had no intention of selling or moving who cared! I do the best I can to save and don't have the latest and greatest gadgett. The only reason I got rid of my 26 year old TV set is it couldn't be repaired. I could live without cable with no problem. My two cars are paid and and were used when I got them. I sleep on a cot during the week in a rented room so I can cut down on driving when I am on site at work. Is it a sacrifice, yes, but when I do retire or get lay off I can survive for a long period while looking for another job or career. I use my credit cards sparingly and pay them off. If I don't have cash I don't buy it unless I really need it. Vacations??!!!! Short, close to home and finding free plays, concerts and other events near where we live is still time off. Quality time is in many cases is better than Quantity time. I don't need to spend my hard earned dollars overseas. My parents lived throught the Depression and survived to instill that toughness on all of us children. Yes, our kids are way over spoiled and they need to get over it.

AB of CA 4:04PM July 27, 2010

"I live on a farm in Vermont now, so my own bias is that every kid ought to have one glass of water out of a mud puddle once a week"
I grew up on a family farm and still reside in a rural community. I know exactly what Mr. Peters is talking about when he says children lack resilence nowadays. When I attended college I met many people from big cities, and most were spoiled, lazy, yuppies. Most had never worked a real job in their life, never been responsible for budgeting money, and had everything paid for them, including tuition, vehicles, and room and board. I once dated a city girl who got her masters in Psychology and went to work as a counselor in an office; she constantly complained about how her supervisor made her do things that weren't part of her “job description”. She couldn't stand getting her hands dirty, or being in any discomfort.
The youth of today, especially urban kids, are spoiled, and instilled with the value that you have to wear brand name clothing, drive expensive cars, eat at fancy restaurants, and only accept jobs that have starting pay above 35k.
I live happily on what I make because I am not materialistic, can live in comfort without cable television, large home, use generic brand products, and don't concern myself with keeping up with the status quo. As I told someone just the other day, people today are so reliant on modern technology and conveniences that they are unable to survive without GPS navigations, Iphones, HD television, and brand new homes.
Appreciate all the modern conveiences you have, but don't be so spoiled that you can't live without them, or you empty your checkbook for unnecessary spoiled pleasures. And for crying out loud, it's alright to work outside an air-conditioned office, and to get your hands dirty so stop whinning!

Jack of LA 2:31PM July 27, 2010

After nearly 11 years at the same company (at a newspaper... nuff said), I lost my job last year due to budget cuts. One of my friends asked me how I was managing to survive on unemployment, while job hunting. She was horrified when I listed some of the personal choices made by our family to keep our "boat afloat", so to speak.
No Manicures
No Movies
No Eating Out
Reduce Dry Cleaning Expense
Dropped Cable TV
No New Clothing, unless related to job hunting or new job requirements
No Shopping except for necessities
Cut Christmas Budget by 75%
Sold Home - moved to more affordable housing
Sold one vehicle - replaced with a used one (no payments!)
NO Family Vacation - just day trips to explore local area
I am still unemployed. We moved to another state last year, where the in-laws reside, and my husband had a position waiting for him. My husband lost his job in March of this year. More budget cuts... and, we are still making it. We are now in the process of starting our OWN business, as mobile food vendors in our area. BOTH of us came from cooperate positions, suit and tie required. We will now be living in khakis and polo shirts all day long. We are applying our skills to OUR business, and are starting DEBT FREE, so will immediately begin to realize net profit. Our friends think we are NUTS, but openly admit they admire our guts. Common comment? "Great! Good Luck! Not for me, no thanks"! There is NO WAY they are willing to make ANY compromises in their current lifestyles, nor can they comprehend moving from management, into a service attitude. We expect that even after all expenses, including savings, and re-investment into our business, we will still clear more in one week than we made (net) from our cooperate jobs! AND, with LESS hours per week! I guess it does indeed depend on personal values, and personal need. We, however, are not going back to our past lifestyle, even if for some reason we fail. We are happier, healthier, and far less stressed than we have been for many years. And, we will just pick up and try something different, until we succeed! Our friends? Still enjoying mojjitos by the pool... and freaking out every day wondering how long it will continue...

TJ of AL 11:07AM July 27, 2010

I truly enjoy the fact that you are not afraid to let your own bias enter your writing. So many journalists and writers are too afraid to and the people that aren't end up going to an extent of overkill. It is refreshing and humorous even to see a little personallity in such a serious article.

Charles of NV 4:26PM July 22, 2010

Sounds like boyscout,girlscout stuff. When chaos happens, people become chaotic. America is a selfish society, but so is humanity. Working together sounds good, being involved and engaged is cool, being responsible and pro-active is nice, but when panic hits people lose their minds. It is human nature. Yeah, Americans have it good when you compare us to the Congo, but I suspect many Germans feel that their lives are better than Americans. Humanity is not rational nor reasonable, never has been and never will be. What keeps humanity as stable as it can be are the governments that control the behavior of its citizens. The "mob mentality" is true human nature as is very evident in Somalia today. Americans will ask for more government involment and less involvement at the same time. Americans will ask for more benefits and lower taxes too. It is the governments job to balance what it needs from its citizens, like taxes, and to make the hard choices it needs to make. Americans are always going to "want their pie and to eat it too." That is the "mob." It is the government that has to effectively determine how that pie is divided and to determine how much is good for us and when to cut it off. Americans will always ask for everything, want everything that is human nature. Humanities past was a mess, its present is messy too and its future has a mess waiting on it. Organized chaos is true human nature and disagreeing, fighting, rebelling, selfishness and will are how we accomplish it.

Mel of Cali of CA 6:17PM July 15, 2010

get a book on the life styles of the amish.
no we cant go back to horse and buggie.
yes we can leaarn to be less dependant on onthers

bozo of IA 11:47AM July 03, 2010

The resilience and adaptability of the average worker these days is pitiful. Having lived in both urban and rural areas, the people and children of those that live in rural areas put the urbanites and the suburban dwellers to shame. Furthermore, having traveled and lived internationally, I totally agree with Mr. Peters observations. We in the US don't know how well we have it. What I find even more interesting is the historically short sightedness of the current populace. It wasn't that long ago. The midwest rural home I grew up in in the 1950's did not get electricity or running water until that decade, not because we couldn't afford it but because electric power hadn't been run there yet.
His comment about the Gulf oil spill is right on target. The "people", not just the tea party, are arguing against themselves. The hue and cry of more government regulation and expecting instant gratification from the government to do something about any disaster (re Katrina or the oil spill) conflicts directly with their incessant calls for lower taxes and less government. You can't have it both ways.

tom of SD 7:32AM June 21, 2010

"Look at the Gulf disaster. Large numbers of people, way beyond the Tea Party folks, want us to have smaller government, while others are screaming bloody murder because the regulations we have weren't executed properly."
This is a straw man. The complaints about government from the tea party are not about regulation of huge corporations - it's about the meddling in the daily lives of private citizens and the small businesses they run. Big government and big business are two peas in a pod. The "revolving door" ensures the regulators stifle entrepreneurship, and small business innovation and growth with draconian rules & regulations designed to kill competition and ensure the survival of the two headed monster. Its perpetual monopoly and oligarchy.

Jim of OH 10:20AM June 20, 2010