My wife wasn't serious, but she asked, "Should we quit our jobs and just stay home? Maybe we'd have more money ..."
You can't build a successful society with a culture like that, but you sure can destroy a society that way.
Yep. Know another baseball mom....and her kid always has the best stuff. She workd minimum hours to ‘suppliment’, IOW have spending money.
Everyone I know are asking similar questions...especially the younger ones.
it’s the only way you’ll get some of the money govt confiscated from you, back.
This is exactly why there is virually no outrage, and no pitchforks. A big % of the population has put their faith in government for their sustenance. They have willingly sold their souls for those vacations and iPads, and all they want and expect is more.
You and the rest of us who reject the collectivist lies will be blamed for the inevitable death of the too-big-to-fail ever-bearing money tree, not the pols, media, and education establishment that have have crafted the deception. That FedGov is not the Tree of Life is not a popular message.
Gray areas are fast fading and life is requiring a conscious choice between God or mammon, truth or lies, real wages or EBT freebies. This ought to help people discern that the famed (feared) "mark of the beast" is not so mysterious a concept, but a choice to accept and live on a foundation of lies and theft, with the "Party" looking after its own and punishing all others.
Those who reject not only the enticements of government largess but the debasement of societal norms and corruption of the language risk their livelihoods, reputations, personal relationships, and freedom. But they'll preserve their souls.
These days I am practicing a lot more situational awareness in quietly observing others' behavior, and taking mental notes of their beliefs. Family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, acquaintences.. even relative strangers such as cashiers or others in service-related positions. Many may appear decent and "well-meaning" but are not to be trusted. And some others will be marked as trustworthy. Handy info for when SHTF.
This must not be far from the survival mentality and techniques of European Jews and those who harbored them.
/rant
I don’t know if all unemployed people live desirable lives, but I have repeatedly observed a phenomena last year or two.
My wife works full time, I am retired. So I do most of the grocery shopping. She makes the list, I buy the items. We look for sale items. My cart is rarely over 1/4 full at checkout. Then I see a cart ahead of me with cart fully loaded with groceries. Then they whip out an EBT card to pay! Many times the stuff they bought exceeds the EBT card balance. Then they pay the rest of bill in cash. Invariably these people look overweight.
I have no problem feeding the poor who can’t afford to buy enough food. But obviously food stamps are being handed out with abandon.
I completely relate to this, I work part time, my husband works full time. We are very middle class. I get tired of working hard, while I watch those that don’t work get a free ride. I work with a client who is on medicaid, and I find out his 40 something daughter, son-in-law and now grandchild our all on disability, this is making me sick. They all have smart phones, but live off the state, how can this be?? For years I have chosen a pay as you go phone to save a little money, why? My money will be worth nothing at this rate.
A number of the people who do that have under the table income to make it work. If you have a skill you can sell that's usually done by high-priced union labor, you are in better shape.
Black market labor and let's not forget dealing drugs. I have been advertising for help for several months. Nature of my business often means I hire temp. help or independents. I have had a number of folks turn down the jobs when they find out our state required I report them as new hires....even as contractors to be filed on 1099's.
Black market labor force is starting to really operate and push back on the economy. While they may not want to give up their benefits to work, they don't want to pay their fair share either if they do take a job.