Side effects? See the three decades following WWII. You know how all you conservatives wish it was the 50s again?
Well, a vast portion of what you miss was due to far greater wealth equality. Go figure.
I guess it was some of the consequences hitting in the 60s you weren’t so keen on, with folks learning stuff and questioning authorities and so on.
Why, golly gee. I had no idea that all “us conservatives” wuz all da same. I guess poor 'ole ignorant me learned something new evury day.
Really. I sure am glad that you know me well enough to know what it is that I miss. What is my favorite color? My favorite movie?
Riiiigh. Like you think freely for yourself too.
I know exactly what YOU are thinking, and you are right! It sure is easy to attack somebody when you can put words in their mouth…
Among white, male Americans, at least. The women and African-Americans who got good defense jobs during the war, were quickly replaced by returning servicemen, and far less African American vets benefited from the GI Bill and the like.
You keep saying that, so I’m going to try a different tactic. I know there are many different types of engineers, so this analogy might not be exactly applicable to your line or work, but hopefully the principle broadly applies:
Let’s say you’re designing a machine or structure for the public to use… everyone, or almost everyone is going to be using it… it’s like a bridge over a major thoroughfare that everybody has to cross over, walking or riding, at some point, they don’t really get a choice. And, as it turns out, consistently people are getting hurt by that machine or structure. Some people get decent results out of it, and a few get spectacularly good results, sure, but there’s a large dose of luck involved, and sometimes because those people knew the engineers and asked them to build special little tricks for their particular aptitudes. Would you, as an engineer, when told of this problem say, “Hmmm… this is a poorly engineered structure… let’s try and make it better!” Or would you say, “They’re just using it wrong, they have only themselves to blame. I’m happy with how it works.” I’d think a responsible engineer has to take into account how people actually use it.
And right now, the structure is not working. Growing income inequality is a fact. Less social mobility is a fact. People drowning in debt is a fact. It may be working for you, personally (despite your self-confessed status of being in debt until you retire), but, for most people, it’s not working, and it’s only getting worse. (And for all you complain that people are just being lazy and not hard working enough to go for opportunities, remember… if EVERYBODY followed the same path as you did, worked as hard as you did, then there’d still be a need for fast food workers and janitors, and only so many engineering jobs… statistically speaking, you probably wouldn’t have yours, you’d be in one of these very low-paying jobs with no benefits).
Now, you’re on the engineering team for improving your society… everyone living in a democratic society is. Maybe your voice is only a small one, one vote, but you’re on the team, and you have, by your words if nothing else, the opportunity to influence the rest of the team. Now you’ve been told (though you shouldn’t have to be, as a good engineer you should be able to see it for yourself): the society isn’t working for most of the people using it. Are you going to be an engineer who suggests to the rest of the team “let’s fix this obvious problem,” or are you going to be an engineer who says, “everyone’s just using it wrong, I’m happy with how it works”?
If you give the right answer, maybe we can see how good an good an engineer you are, instead of you having to tell us.
I was addressing @Kevin_Harrelson, who plainly couldn’t handle being lumped in with conservatives despite being the only guy defending their intellectually bankrupt stance all the way through this thread.
Let me try again, Kev -
Side effects? See the three decades following WWII. You know how so many conservatives wish it was the 50s again?
Well, a vast portion of what they miss was due to far greater wealth equality. Go figure.
I guess it was some of the consequences hitting in the 60s they weren’t so keen on, with folks learning stuff and questioning authorities and so on.
Got a substantive response now?
ETA - even though the thread’s closed, you’re free to reply to my post as a new topic, if you’re game.
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