How many of you here worked today? and by work I mean phisical, not BS careers

You're in secondary school? University?

 

What if English is his second language? Is he still anti-intellectual? I speak three modern aside from my own and two dead. I am not nearly as proficient in any of them as I am English and appreciate others forbearance when I speak or write in their language. I would hate to think that people spoke about my grammar or spelling when I make the effort.

I think what he meant was "honest" work, the type of work that built nations, the type of work that forged Rome out of a slimy creek bed. That sort of solid, laborious work that farmers do to provide safe, organic food for those of us with desk jobs to buy at city markets.

Or...I could be reading into it.

 

I'll attend a community college in the fall.

 

Slaves did it then and the equivalent are doing it now.

Good job.

 

That's lovely. And they say attorneys are evil...

 

Ok.

That still doesn't justify ridiculous rates.

 

Is it not true? With their wages and their expendability, it's not quite different.

 

I know exactly what my rate is.

My billable as well as my direct overhead and loaded. I also know what the executives and principals of my firm earn, and what their billable rates are. $350 for an attorney is still ridiculous. Its not even close to most other similar professions bill in comparison.

 

My country does not manufacture much anymore. In fact, I do not know a single person that actually makes anything. Everything comes from China. Clothes are made in Turkey. Even all the wood comes from Finland, while the furniture comes from Poland. Apparently it is all a "service" economy now. No wonder there is a trade deficit slowly draining our country of capital. The only thing my country does for the outside world is manage some of the shipping between the USA and China.

 

Very well said. Bravo!

Usually the folks that are exceptionally successful have had their path laid out for them and all they had to do was follow it. They normally don't even understand, much less acknowledge the fact that people AREN'T all given the same opportunities. Many factors influence how successful people will be in life. Everybody has a different set of circumstances to deal with and many have the odds greatly stacked against them from the outset. Arrogance and ignorance outweigh common sense for most of these folks.

 

We could deal without all the service based jobs in the mid 20th century. Why do we need them now?

 

The government pretty much says you need a lawyer in court, so yes, the government does decide what your job is worth. You don't think capitalism has just as many problems, if not more?

 

Well take it up with Laffey.

 

Yes, I do believe his job has more value than yours. Like I said, the government determines a lot of what you are paid. If the government made the legal system simpler, people could represent themselves. Most crime is probably attributed to money problems. If people didn't pay lawyers such high amounts, people would have less money problems and there would be less crime. And besides, there is a lot of bias if you choose to represent yourself in court. Settlements are decided on who has the better lawyer, not who deserves it, and that isn't how it should be. Also, a lot of judges were lawyers at some point.

 

Are you saying 'honest' work as opposed to 'dishonest' work? Working with your hands is no more honest than working with your intellect. I don't denigrate those who earn their living by the sweat of their brow and see no reason why those who earn their living through the use of their brains should be denigrated.

 

You retired early because your job is over-valued. You don't even know how to spell 'word.' And your children have 2 of the most over-valued jobs out there (special education and lawyers). I don't care how hard they work. Their jobs are worthless. I work hard at my job, too, but it is worthless.

 

I worked 9 hours in a warehouse like I do every weekday..... does that count? I mean I'm not creating anything, but I'm the getting things other people created to the people that want them.

I landscape on the occasional weekend as well.

 

Exactly. So it is actually the stupid people that work hard, while the smart people go off to college and get an easy desk job. Then, they can make even more money by investments and the value of their home, while the stupid slave workers live pay check to pay check and rent an apartment. I'm probably going to be one of those workers with a desk job, but I definitely wouldn't be working harder than those other people and probably shouldn't deserve the pay I'd be getting compared to someone else.

 

The market determines what your work is worth, and then the proprietor of your workplace decides how much of that you actually get. You don't get all of it, after all he needs to make a profit.

 

Yeah. Pretty much. But why don't you deserve it?

You made the right decisions given the circumstances. You work for an education. Depending on your major, that can be extremely difficult. Probably, the harder your major, the easier the rest of your life is. Suffer for a few years for a lifetime of ease.

Good.

 

You think its good that a passive, useless position within production allows an individual to keep his workers from realizing the full worth of their work?

Okay.

 

You think its good that a passive, useless position within production allows an individual to keep his workers from realizing the full worth of their work?

Okay.

 

There's more to production than labor.

 

You mean careers that do not require literacy?

 

Depends how you define labor. When I use the word labor I'm not talking about just manual labor. I'm talking about any work done that has use in production.

Owning property has no use, no work spent on it, and only serves to subject the workers to the will and greed of the property owner.

Don't get property ownership and management confused.