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CoveyIsHere t1_j9v23n1 wrote

Dystopian things in feel-good packages.

When a country's citizens have to pick up where its government has failed, it is a clear sign that the system is flawed

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RideWithMeSNV t1_j9v2qwg wrote

Yeah... This is only uplifting on the surface. Reality is that 1) he was forced out of retirement to start with, and 2) this impressive gesture may not be enough.

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BiggusDickus- t1_j9ykja9 wrote

I don't see this as a situation where the government has failed. I see it as one where the culture has failed.

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Crew_Doyle_ t1_j9yv0n3 wrote

Why does the government owe you anything?

−2

weaponizedpastry t1_j9za2iu wrote

Because we’ve been paying into it since birth

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Crew_Doyle_ t1_j9zb3u2 wrote

From birth? wow... Tough tax regime in the states then, getting taxed as an infant...

in the UK we start paying when we reach 18 and earn above a certain amount....

−1

Bamanec t1_j9zxywt wrote

Technically our parents owe us everything and we as children should never have to work. Wasn’t our choice to be in this world. However that’s not how life works

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webgambit t1_j9vife2 wrote

How has the government failed in this situation? Individuals are responsible for saving for their retirement. And we know very little of this person's situation other than his rent was increased.

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ScottEATF t1_j9zarcf wrote

Governments are formed to provide for the general welfare of their citizenry, among other things. 80 year olds being forced to work to keep up with rent is a clear societal problem that is negatively impacting the general welfare of the citizenry.

Not rocket science. Even if you just want to look at it from an economic angle you don't want older people having to work for longer and longer as you're bottlenecking jobs for younger people.

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webgambit t1_j9zdm3w wrote

Thank you for answering my question. I can see where your reasoning makes sense when you believe what you do for why government exists. I wish you were correct, the United States would be a better place if it actually was formed to provide for the general welfare of its people.

0

SoraUsagi t1_j9wstyv wrote

I know why you're being downvoted, I just wish you weren't. I tend to agree with you. Many people believe social security is your retirement fund. It isn't. It's a supplement to it.

−21

seataytle t1_j9wtefk wrote

Save? When medical bills can take your entire life savings in seconds? Save? When rent goes up astronomically each year and the housing market is so inflated that the only people that can afford them is corporations? Save when food prices and gas prices are higher than ever? Yeah ok. Lets just save for retirement. Most americans dont have much money to save anymore even for emergencies, let alone retirement.

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SoraUsagi t1_j9x8yh6 wrote

I get where you're coming from. I really do. However, I've had a different experience.

My girlfriend and I moved in together when we were 20. I was working quasi part time, and she definitely part time. We had our first kid a year later. By now I was full time working at Walmart, at minimum wage. We never applied for food stamps. We had our second kid two years later. I got fired form my job (totally my fault, unfortunately) now my wife and i were both working "part time". We bought our house in 2013, and I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease the same year when i almost died. (that was a fun 13k bill)

My wife and i didn't do anything special. We showed up to work every day, we worked hard, and we went home.

I have a hard time getting people to show up for their shifts now. People complain about money, but when I offer them extra shifts, they don't want the hours. 4-5 hours a day is the most I can get out of them. "8hrs is a long day..."

So I have a very hard time listening to "how do you expect to save money in this economy?!". There are absolutely things wrong in the world. Corporate greed is definitely an issue. But this pessimistic look on life isn't helping either. You want free healthcare? Maybe young adults should actually show up to vote in all elections, local up to federal. You know who does show up to every election? The "fuck you, I got mine" generation.

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Bamanec t1_j9zxsxo wrote

Asking for more money and instead of giving them a raise you decide to make them work more hours.

Our lives shouldn’t be about working 90% of our lifetime.

And using your experience to compare many millions of others who don’t have those outcomes is gross.

You sound like a young boomer or an older GenX who were both raised saying that hard work leads to so and so l. Overall it is simply not true, or else the most hard working people wouldn’t be struggling in life

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SoraUsagi t1_ja0cj66 wrote

I would love to give people a raise. I'm not allowed to. People have abused "merit raises" in the past, so now no one gets one. I'm not asking people to work 90% of their life. How about just 20hrs/wk?

I'm a millennial, not that it should really matter. While my personal experience is absolutely anecdotal, we did nothing special. I didn't have family get me a job/car/house. I applied for and secured a part time job, and showed up every day.

There are absolutely struggles out there. But they aren't insurmountable.

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fernser t1_j9xzhkq wrote

Another rich idealist...

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SoraUsagi t1_j9y1kmn wrote

Rich? How much do you think I make?

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Bamanec t1_j9zxu7p wrote

He didn’t call you rich

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SoraUsagi t1_ja0doxb wrote

He called me a rich idealist.

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Bamanec t1_ja0k7rg wrote

Yes an idealist with the adjective of rich

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SoraUsagi t1_ja0pmoj wrote

The nuances of English language are hard. Here I thought he was calling me an idealist that is rich

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webgambit t1_j9wvoom wrote

Appreciate it.

I expected the down votes but had hoped I'd get a polite response explaining their logic as well.

−7

alexr_tk t1_j9v2c7p wrote

We probably shouldn't have built an orphan-crushing machine in the first place eh.

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ZBottPrime t1_ja3pc2r wrote

We do know two things now: It can be retooled easily into the elder crushing machine, and child labor can defeat it. Just don't ask who is building it or why.

2

FireBrentVenables t1_j9x7cec wrote

I love all the myopic enlightened redditors who comment this while ignoring the janitor who just Got a small fortune and are frothing at the mouth because he came out of retirement.

What would you like, for him to deny the money?

−54

BoringWebDev t1_j9xba4a wrote

We'd like an end to the exploitative economy that forces the elderly out of retirement.

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FireBrentVenables t1_j9xcdyi wrote

I wish we could end world hunger but I’m not gonna get pissed when the local restaurant offers free meals to homeless people. reality doesn’t usually match up with what we want.

Is receiving $250k a bad thing?

−43

jabberwockgee t1_j9xdsqo wrote

You keep acting like having to come out of retirement should be the default unless altruism vanquishes shitty reality.

Maybe we should change the default to not having to go back to work at 80.

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FireBrentVenables t1_j9ylfeh wrote

Yeah maybe we should do a lot of awesome things but until that’s the reality we can take some small victories here and there.

−11

BoringWebDev t1_j9y1gi4 wrote

People getting shitty would be actually being mad at the kids raising the money or the man accepting it. They are mad at the reality of the situation. Just because you don't like when people acknowledge reality when feel good stories like this are posted doesn't mean those people are being shitty.

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FireBrentVenables t1_j9yluzp wrote

It’s the same boring sophomoric observation made by equally boring and vapid people. No shit working at 80 sucks, what does that have to do with this man getting a quarter million dollars in response?

Here’s a news flash for you: nobody forces a fucking 80 year old to do anything, if he really didn’t want to work he would’ve said so.

−2

petertotheolson t1_j9yo7yr wrote

Yes I suppose he has the right to starve in his home when the money runs out

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FireBrentVenables t1_j9yrihi wrote

Looks like he just got a small fortune gifted to him, but don’t let that get in the way of your surface level critique of society. You’re really changing the way you and everyone else repeat the same quips over and over.

0

petertotheolson t1_j9z3eo6 wrote

The point is he shouldn’t have to rely on the generosity of children. He worked his whole life, retired, and the system fucked him over. It’s not that hard to say we live in a terrible economic system if it values a number over the livelihoods of millions of people

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FireBrentVenables t1_j9zguja wrote

Cool, so what did your comment echoing the same shit as everyone else change? Nothing? I bet that 250k changed a lot for him though.

1

bathshebat t1_j9v9l8z wrote

This is so bleak.

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theblacksmith__ t1_ja20bgh wrote

It seems that way sometimes. It's hard to see, but it's actually slowly getting better.

Before social security it was pretty common for old folks to just starve or be homeless. SS was established in 1935. There are people alive today that could probably tell those kinds of horrible stories.

That doesn't make this man's situation any less awful.

It's possible to build a world where the benevolence of children isn't required for an old man to retire. But it's going to take time and effort to get there.

Look for the helpers. They actually need more help to bring about meaningful change.

4

fieldredditor t1_j9vm2sq wrote

Nothing uplifting about this. Janitor shouldn’t have to come out of retirement in the first place. This country is fucked.

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pbradley179 t1_j9xfjkn wrote

How many years retirement should people get in the US?

−24

iani63 t1_j9y3bus wrote

France has retirement age at 62, they started rioting when an attempt to raise it to 64 started...

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[deleted] t1_j9wpc3x wrote

[deleted]

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SoraUsagi t1_j9wt263 wrote

I'm not sure I understand your post. He had to come out of retirement because his rent was raised, right? How did capitalism discard him?

−15

Cheeto______ t1_j9xc2tm wrote

you answered your own question literally

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SoraUsagi t1_j9xdqa6 wrote

You guys keep using that word... I don't think it means what you think it means.

−5

jezra t1_j9v4zav wrote

once again, socialism for the win!

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SwivelingToast t1_j9w6d0k wrote

Can we get some uplifting stories that are organic? This sub is so dark "some people did something great for this person, who got totally screwed by some system or other person". I might as well watch the news.

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Crew_Doyle_ t1_j9yvbs4 wrote

Use the scroll on by feature ... There are tutorial vids on YouTube

−1

Jenetyk t1_j9wpg3j wrote

Thought I was on r/aboringdystopia for a second.

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GingerMau t1_j9xly79 wrote

Wow...about as uplifting as that story about the 80yo woman who was arrested because she couldn't pay her rent.

Great job, America!

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1

mcjohnson415 t1_j9zy7uk wrote

Doing a Go Fund Me for one guy doesn’t change the world. Voting for UBI does. Spread the love folks.

1

InvisiblePhilosophy t1_j9y9tww wrote

There’s not enough info (intentionally) about why he has to come out of retirement.

One cause was because his rent increased $400, yes. But what else? Did he have insufficient savings to have entered retirement to begin with?

Or did he spend more than expected? A victim of elder abuse (theft)?

−2

blueskies1800 t1_j9vygx3 wrote

where do students get that kind of money?

−9