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Angry white males flipping burgers.

Waco WaltzWaco Waltz Member Posts: 10,828 ✭✭
edited July 2012 in General Discussion
Remember when it was sort of the inside joke about angry white males and burger flipping jobs.

Not so funny anymore is it? And it applies to more then just whites.

Comments

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    scrumpyjackscrumpyjack Member Posts: 5,336 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Blame it on "No Child Left Behind". There was once a time in America, when, although we didn't have a cast system, everyone knew that certain people would end up performing certain types of jobs. And everyone understood that is how it worked. Then the Head Hippy took office and she changed that thinking.

    Now instead of having above average, average & dumb students, we now just have average and dumb. They even restructured the SAT scoring so that dumber kids could get in to college.

    Nowadays, with unemployment what it is, even the dumb people feel entitled to a better job than flipping burgers. I hear/see that fast food joints are having a hard time filling positions.
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    austin20austin20 Member Posts: 34,992 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If I had to flip burgers I would be angry too.
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    tomh.tomh. Member Posts: 3,820 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Used to be that an average or dumb kid could make a decent living working in a factory or industry.
    Now appearently just the average or dumb Chinese kids have that opportunity.
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    cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,435 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    +1 tom. Pretty sad isn't it.
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
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    FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,278 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Angry white male flipping burgers.
    [:D]Guess what I am doing for dinner[:D]
    Burgers with blue cheese bacon and onions[:p]
    That makes me happy!!!!![:D]
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    nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I guess they could be jobless.

    Would that be better?
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    Night StalkerNight Stalker Member Posts: 11,967
    edited November -1
    If the choice is to feed or not feed my family, my only question is where is my spatula?

    NS
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    striperbwarestriperbware Member Posts: 1,044 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have an excellent career that pays well, but that was not always the case, and it might not last as long as I'd like it to.

    People without good job prospects should still work as hard as possible at whatever job they can get. Hard work still gets noticed by employers, and usually leads to better things 1.) A promotion within the current company 2.) Good references for future job applications 3.) Putting in a good day's work is a mindset, and the positive attitude carries into other parts of your life, whether it is a side business or passionate pursuit of your hobbies.

    WORK AND PLAY HARD. Follow this mantra and you will have more positive than negative in your life.
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    mlincolnmlincoln Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Night Stalker
    If the choice is to feed or not feed my family, my only question is where is my spatula?

    NS


    Do you really think you'd be able to feed, house, and clothe your family on burger flipping wages?
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    Waco WaltzWaco Waltz Member Posts: 10,828 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Depends on your area I guess. My supervisor has noticed my work on many occasions. He'd hire me full time in a heartbeat if it was up to him. The Suits up stairs only care about making the suits above them happy and that comes from saving all the money they can.

    I did apply for another job but 500 applicants makes for a slim chance.

    quote:Originally posted by striperbware
    I have an excellent career that pays well, but that was not always the case, and it might not last as long as I'd like it to.

    People without good job prospects should still work as hard as possible at whatever job they can get. Hard work still gets noticed by employers, and usually leads to better things 1.) A promotion within the current company 2.) Good references for future job applications 3.) Putting in a good day's work is a mindset, and the positive attitude carries into other parts of your life, whether it is a side business or passionate pursuit of your hobbies.

    WORK AND PLAY HARD. Follow this mantra and you will have more positive than negative in your life.
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    Waco WaltzWaco Waltz Member Posts: 10,828 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by nemesisenforcer
    I guess they could be jobless.

    Would that be better?


    Interesting all these months later. They could flip burgers and the tax base could go south as it has. Pretty soon you have cops and firefighters working for minimum wage. I bet no one ever thought about the consequences of what happens when too many people like me lose their jobs and have to take lower paying ones. We're all in this together.
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    Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,336 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Night Stalker
    If the choice is to feed or not feed my family, my only question is where is my spatula?

    NS
    +1
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
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    35 Whelen35 Whelen Member Posts: 14,310 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mlincoln
    quote:Originally posted by Night Stalker
    If the choice is to feed or not feed my family, my only question is where is my spatula?

    NS


    Do you really think you'd be able to feed, house, and clothe your family on burger flipping wages?





    Given the choice between some money, and zero money, which would you choose? Does such a question even need to be asked, really?

    Back in my burger flipping days, I was happy making what I did. I could go out and buy just about anything I desired, within budget of course. It sure as hell beat the alternative.
    An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.
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    likemhotlikemhot Member Posts: 2,874 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes, but what about those making more money on unemployment than the angry burger flipper who is trying to do the right thing.
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    mlincolnmlincoln Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 35WhelenClassic
    quote:Originally posted by mlincoln
    quote:Originally posted by Night Stalker
    If the choice is to feed or not feed my family, my only question is where is my spatula?

    NS


    Do you really think you'd be able to feed, house, and clothe your family on burger flipping wages?





    Given the choice between some money, and zero money, which would you choose? Does such a question even need to be asked, really?

    Back in my burger flipping days, I was happy making what I did. I could go out and buy just about anything I desired, within budget of course. It sure as hell beat the alternative.


    And if a frog had wings it wouldn't bump its butt when it hops.

    What you're talking about has absolutely no bearing on what everybody else is talking about. The topic is the loss of low-skill decent wage jobs in America. It's widespread, these jobs are not coming back, and low skill workers are having a very hard time making ends meet on 35 hours a week of burger-flipping wages. Even if a second such job is put on top of the first job, the amount made might still have a very hard time covering the bills for a family of four. Such a family would be only one new transmission or big medical bill away from financial collapse.

    "Back in your burger flipping days" be it in the 50s or 60s or whenever, I would still be very surprised if you were able to raise a family of four on whatever McDonalds was paying you. Perhaps your burger flipping days were when you were 16 and you were living at home and making fun money. If so, I have no doubt that you were having a grand time on your wages, but you're ignoring the fact that somebody else was paying for your room, board, medical care, etc. So, your points really have nothing at all to do with this thread.

    I'm sure somebody will point out--and perhaps validly so--that if as an adult a person can only get a low paying burger flipping job then he shouldn't be having kids. If you can't feed 'em don't breed 'em goes the usual argument. Fair enough, but let's stop for a second and really think that through. If society is going to say to the bottom 30 - 40% of each year's graduating high school class, "Hey, the American dream is done and over for you, and you should not have children" then, well, damn. Think about the implications of that. That's end stage population growth, negative growth, on a massive scale. You're looking at America's population dropping by a staggering amount in 30 or 40 years. And, of course, when this pool of cheap labor dries up you're looking at some very uncomfortable economic aftershocks rising up through all levels of American society. You're looking, whether you like to admit it or not, at the death of America.

    The OP's point, that falling wages and job prospects are only going to rise up through the ranks of what most Americans think of as skilled workers, is valid and terrifying indeed. How sad, too, that it took this happening to make many of us finally realize what blue collar America has known for the past 20 or 30 years.
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    retroxler58retroxler58 Member Posts: 32,693 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Most people today live BEYOND their means...

    I agree that most if not ALL of the low paying industrial jobs have left the country...
    Never to return in our lifetimes.

    But, we have people coming in here from south of our border
    willing to be doing whatever for whatever they can get...
    And doing well enough.

    I've been there and done exactly that...
    Whatever I could do and get paid whatever it was worth.
    For as long as it was available...
    So that I could support a family of 5 doing it.

    The ONLY way anyone is going to make it on their own is to get off their * and jus'do it...
    Otherwise they can gripe, complain, and piss their life away waitin' on Good Ol'Uncle Sam to do it for'em.

    The bad thing is... More and more are doin' exactly that on OUR TAX Dime...

    That Folks... IS what PISSES ME OFF... [:(!]
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    bartman45bartman45 Member Posts: 3,008 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Public education system sux. A lot of universities are having to offer remedial courses so the youth will have a chance. Having to take remedial reading is inexcusable. They should have paid attention when they had the chance.
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    Waco WaltzWaco Waltz Member Posts: 10,828 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 35WhelenClassic
    quote:Originally posted by mlincoln
    quote:Originally posted by Night Stalker
    If the choice is to feed or not feed my family, my only question is where is my spatula?

    NS


    Do you really think you'd be able to feed, house, and clothe your family on burger flipping wages?





    Given the choice between some money, and zero money, which would you choose? Does such a question even need to be asked, really?

    Back in my burger flipping days, I was happy making what I did. I could go out and buy just about anything I desired, within budget of course. It sure as hell beat the alternative.


    You miss the point. How many burger flipping jobs does it take to support cops and firefighters at more then minimum wage? The fact is everyone in America could flip burgers and cops and fire fighters would not see any raises.

    Why risk getting shot on the job for minimum wage when you can flip burgers for the same and go home safe? Me thinks it would have been wiser not to offshore our jobs.

    But then as far back as 1992 we were warned about that giant sucking sound.
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    dreherdreher Member Posts: 8,788 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Can't live on the pay for flipping burgers?? Maybe. But around here McDonald's managers make over 40,000, plus benefits and a bonus based on both sales volume and profitability. Many do well over 50,000 per year. Some do a LOT more than 50,000. I can live on 50,000. For those who do the basics, you know, show up for work, show up on time, show up without an attitude problem and actually work when you are at work, the time from flipping to managing is surprisingly short.
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