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It’s amazing how pissed of this made me, I’m still pissed now about it. I live in the UK and because of the credit crunch thing might be a little difficult Financial for a while. Personally I don’t see the UK crash, inflation going to 20%, house price dropping 15% a month unemployment reaching record levels. But if you read a news paper or watched bbc news you’d think it already has happened.

But I just got home it was about 18:45ish, and turned the TV on went to do other things and at about 7 sat down to watch some TV. BBC one was the channel which was one when I sat down and the programme was talking about the current economic crisis and people getting second jobs to be able to afford there living cost.

I think because I have come from a poor working class background, I’ve never know going away on holiday once or twice a year, or being able to waste thing like food and electricity. But I do know the basic cost of living in the UK is increasing and that what at first I though this programme was talking about people not being able to afford the basics. But I quickly realised it wasn’t.

But it was basically people moaning about not being able to afford to do very luxuries things. I thought it was going to be about people not being able to afford the mortgage on their homes, not about people who might have it a little tight on paying a mortgage on a second house. People who are finding it difficult to feed their families not about people who can no longer be fat and greedy and stuff their face all the time.


The thing that pissed me off was how this programme made it look like these people were suffering. Crap we shall not be able to go on holiday this years and we have to eat this asda’s own cereal my life is not worth living.

I had to rant to get this of my chest and the internet is a great place to do it. And my thanks to anyone who read it.

Side note before I begin-- what's Asda cereal? sweatdrop

I'm not sure what to write on this. A part of me thought about the fact I have $70,000+ in student loan debt thanks to pell grants not being awarded post bachelor's degree (I miss my pell grant). Yet I have so much to be grateful for.

I have had up to three jobs (though part time ones while I was doing full time school), become a street musician to scrape up coins for ramen, lost 15-20 lbs one summer due to the lack of money for groceries, and experienced having a deadbeat father and having to help out my poor mother who is working two jobs.

But I am fortunate, I have always had enough food to service, nice luxuries like internet access, a reliable vehicle that in 4 years will be paid off -crosses fingers-, and a place to sleep. I find the hardest part of being broke is feeling like I let my friends down. I've been ashamed more than a few times when I could hardly afford the cheapest gift on a registry for a friend's wedding, baby shower, or birthday. My friends come from about every SES there is-- some who can't make ends meat and a few others with doctors and lawyers for parents. I've learned that what one friend constitutes as an "Affordable" place to eat isn't fast food or even moderate dining.

I think my ultimate pet peeve is when people harp me on fashion. Most of my clothes could be carbon dated (10+ years old), and the only label item of clothing I own I happened to find at a vintage shop for a very very nice price. I realize most of what I wear is worn, full of holes, frayed, as outdated as Betamax tapes, etc. But people have to be realistic. I have excellent taste and style-- but I have a not so excellent bank account and keeping food in my belly takes precedence over shoes.

In short... I am clueless as to why we have designer purses. (Man, this was a tangent post-- I'm sorry)

Everything is soaring high, rich people complaining. While the middle class getting poorer and try to think how to make a living that pays well, while poor people are getting homeless (because the government is on a tight budget and can't help them all).

When I go shopping which is rare I hit the clearance sale section.
Use as much coupons or buy stuff I have coupons to save a dime or more.
And stay at home, not going as much anymore because gas price is a killer.

Shoot I even got smarter and see if I am elegible to go to this schooling for free and free dorm as well......I do hope I am elegible though; that way I can keep money on my savings and stay there.

Yeah...I remember when the price of a pound of butter in the U.S. was $1.50 or so, and now it's well over $4 in places. I've had to work during college for the past four years of my life, sometimes working two jobs and going to school (like this year). It's tough. I feel like in the U.S., you can see our economy getting worse fast...all you have to do is look at the falling value of the dollar and the debt our country is in. Everyone's buying everything on credit... confused

I try not to think about it when I can help it.

vote for a left wing political party then

these rising costs are killing me. i'm working so much overtime and am still unable to survive.thankfully, my body is able to miss a couple meals every now and then, but it shouldn't have to be this way. gas prices keep rising, food prices keep rising, utilities keep rising, and yet the only thing that isn't rising is the wages. "living the dream" is no longer obtainable for the masses. more people are looking at renting apartments here than buying houses because the local economy is so unstable. people, such as myself, are working jobs they are not happy with because it's difficult to find work that's stable enough to pay the bills. things need to change. the time for action is now. unfortunately, actions won't be taken until it's too late.

Many Americans are bad off due to the following reasons:

-Public Transport, many American cities are not outfitted with proper public transport. Gas prices may be less than in some places, but when you take into account that living within a metro in a safe area is very expensive, and so is commuting... eeps.

-Health Care: Americans do not have a good health care system. Even with insurance we wind up picking up most of the tab. When my mother was hospitalized for her heart problems she wound up paying 1,000 dollars for one night, one night in the hospital and a few basic tests.

-Education: sad Yeah...

Americans also suffer from a rather distinctive unequal distribution of wealth. There are a great deal of very very wealthy Americans. But there are also places in our country that are decaying economically--I've already heard two news stories within the past 3 months of mothers abandoning their children. This to me is a sign of recession.

Why do they or why don't they?

To be honest, I'm a proud lefter both in hand dominance and in political allegiance. What can I say, I keep things consolidated that way. wink

Reasons Many Americans Vote Right:

-Religion: The Republican (resident conservatives) party has come to present itself as being in the vested interest of good-old-wholesome-Christians. The centerpiece of this is the Pro-life issue. Somehow a myth exits that Republicans are automatically pro-life and democrats are automatically pro-choice. Also, some (not all) Republican reps are against Gay & Lesbian Rights. This is both a religious issue as well as a social issue regarding prejudice. Finally on the religion side of things, when President Clinton was in office the "Zippergate" Scandal caused the left to be associated with moral depravity. I know that this is attaching the actions of one individual to an entire political sphere-- but that is how public thought went.

-Economic: The right promotes tax cuts and "Fiscal responsibility". The republican Governor of the State of Missouri cut the funding behind programs benefiting Mentally Disabled children. The belief of those who support the cuts is that less money being taken out by taxes the more money individuals have to appropriate as they see fit. I think both republicans and democrats alike can be faulted with the poor use of tax dollars. They just put them to poor use in different ways.

-GUNS: Many Republicans have taken a platform to defend the right to bear arms, as outlined in the 2nd amendment. People like their guns. You could say the VP of our country is Quick d**k (he accidentally shot a hunting partner). Just remember, if Queen Elizabeth, the Prime Minister, or any member of Parliament meets up with Vice President Cheney, please have them wear a bullet proof vest.

Unfortunately I'm sure some of my bias is oozing through my text, and I suppose I cannot give a very just representation of the positives of the Right Wing.

At the same time it must be said that while I have pointed out many flaws in American thinking and policy, that I should note that I am by no means unpatriotic or lacking in love for my country. Americans simply have lost hope in their ability to have a real impact on their government. As much as I agree with the left, we must also be cautious that no one political party or affiliation can be the anodyne to all our sufferings. Rather, change must nest itself in our national culture--to be cognizant of our brethren in humanity, and to fight with unfaltering courage for that which believe. Perhaps that is all that any civilization can do.