Tom Delay: People Are Unemployed Because They Want To Be

[Kevin]

Choice nonetheless.

The premise I'm arguing against is that no one is culpable for their own demise in this economy.

Are some people's situations worse than others? No doubt. But I've seen damn near homeless folks scrape together the cash they needed for representation while still paying the bills. If a multi-time felon, semi-literate individual can make it, so can these apparently educated folks. They don't get my sympathy because no matter how bad they think they have it, I've seen people climb out of deeper holes.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by LatinaAlumna

It would make your ego feel much, much better if I said that I had a degree in one of those fields, wouldn't it? I am completely comfortable having you conjure up stories about my life.

And, sorry, but you still haven't convinced me that you are successful. Try harder.

Actually, he is. I know him personally. I don't have to stick up for him, he can do that himself. But this argument isn't over what the topic covers, this is a pissing contest because you two disagree with each other.

Originally Posted by Kevin

I really doubt you could do better working retail unless it's a really, really good retail job.

Things might be different in D.C., but I'm quite sure they have petty criminals who need to be pled out just like everyplace else.

Originally Posted by Kevin

Where I'm from, it's no gamble. You'll do better than retail wages, period. Could be different over there. I dunno. Otherise, substitute teaching would be much smarter than retail -- it's something to do when you're not in court or with clients, but you're flexible enough to still be able to practice law.

You're contradicting yourself now. If he QUITS his retail job, he becomes UNEMPLOYED, but not eligible to collect UNEMPLOYMENT. Then, he can take the chance of finding cases? And if he gets none?

First you said retail is better than nothing. Now you're saying quit your retail job and take a chance. Which one is it?

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Actually, he is. I know him personally. I don't have to stick up for him, he can do that himself. But this argument isn't over what the topic covers, this is a pissing contest because you two disagree with each other.

Relax. It's the internet. But you made me laugh, so it's okay.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Otherwise, solo attorneys can do pretty well.

Sometimes. I know some who aren't.

Originally Posted by Kevin

Choice nonetheless.

The premise I'm arguing against is that no one is culpable for their own demise in this economy.

Then you're arguing against a premise no one has advanced (we've all agreed that some people are quite cuplable and some people are somewhat culpable) by arguing the other extreme: that everyone is cuplable for their own demise in this economy, that unemployment simply means they're not trying hard enough. The premise I'm arguing against is that it is always that black-and-white, as cut-and-dry or simple as you make it out to be, that everyone could just find a job if they tried harder or made the right choices. Complicated problems just don't have simple answers like that. To quote H.L. Mencken, "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong."

Are some people's situations worse than others? No doubt. But I've seen damn near homeless folks scrape together the cash they needed for representation while still paying the bills. If a multi-time felon, semi-literate individual can make it, so can these apparently educated folks. They don't get my sympathy because no matter how bad they think they have it, I've seen people climb out of deeper holes.

From your persective it's a deeper hole. Any chance your perspective is incomplete?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

From your persective it's a deeper hole. Any chance your perspective is incomplete?

Want to trade places with a multiple-time felon with no home who has an addiction it'd be really easy to return to?

I sure as hell don't.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Want to trade places with a multiple-time felon with no home who has an addiction it'd be really easy to return to?

I sure as hell don't.

I don't either, never suggested I would.

But then, they're plenty of people I wouldn't want to trade places with. You know a lot about this particular former felon and that gives you an insight into how deep his hole was and how easy it would be to fall back into it. I get that. But I also get that neither you nor I know as much about plenty of other people. That's why I'm hesitant to assume that his hole is "deeper" than the holes other people have that I know nothing about.