ot:taboo

[CA renter]

[quote=flu]If you have money (and I don’t), just shut up and don’t talk about it….

Because if you have any sort of shred of wealth built or accumulated, obviously you must be part of the “rich 1%” (plus or minus a few points) that is part of the problem in the U.S… Hard work, savings, investing,living within your means, frugality had absolutely nothing to do with it…

Because it’s evil….

Just say you’re poor….[/quote]

Just saw this and thought of you, flu. I’d love to hear your take on the issues mentioned here.

As I’ve noted above, nobody’s saying anything against productive workers, or people who live frugally, or those who save their earnings. The problem lies with graft, corruption, monopolies, and the concentration of wealth and power that results from the exploitation of people and resources.

People like myself are advocating for the rights of workers. We don’t harbor any ill feelings toward people who work for a living.

———-

John Steinbeck wrote his masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath at the age of 37 in 1939, at the tail end of the Great Depression. Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize for literature. John Ford then made a classic film adaption in 1941, starring Henry Fonda. It is considered one of the top 25 films in American history. The book was also one of the most banned in US history. Steinbeck was ridiculed as a communist and anti-capitalist by showing support for the working poor. Some things never change, as the moneyed interests that control the media message have attempted to deflect the blame for our current Depression away from their fraudulent deeds.

…The working class bore the brunt of the Great Depression in the 1930s and they are bearing the burden during our current Greater Depression. Steinbeck knew who the culprits were seventy years ago. We know who the culprits are today. They are one in the same. The moneyed banking interests caused the Great Depression and they created the disastrous collapse that has thus far destroyed 7 million middle class jobs. Steinbeck understood that the poor working class of this country had more dignity and compassion for their fellow man than any Wall Street banker out for enrichment at the expense of the working class.

http://www.theburningplatform.com/2014/06/21/grapes-of-wrath-2011/

[UCGal]

Money is very much taboo. And it’s a hard taboo to break.

I’m trying to teach my kids some of my money “values”. (saving early to capture compounding, saving for long term goals, paying down debt will give you more cash flow later since you won’t need to service the debt, etc.) It’s hard to have these discussions without getting into specific examples. Yet it’s ingrained culturally that you don’t tell ANYONE, even your kids, what your income or net worth is.

My husband is dealing with the finances of his aging mom. She has years of paranoid asset hiding that he’s trying to unravel and uncover. The taboo about money is directly impacting his ability to settle his dad’s estate and get her affairs ordered. If she hadn’t felt so strongly about “money is private” then it would be easier.

At work, you’re not allowed to know what others make. This wasn’t the case when I first started out. It gave me aspirational goals – Hey – if I work for 5 more years – I’ll be making close to double what I’m making as an engineering intern – I could buy a house!!! Now – NO ONE talks about salary. This is imposed by management because they want us all competing with each other – not encouraging each other.

On the end of life issues – very taboo. And you need to consider the case of physical health but cognitive issues. (aka dementia.) Have a plan for that – tell your kids, siblings, trusted people.

Other taboos. Politics is taboo in many circles.
Religion (or lack thereof) is taboo in many circles.

I’ll be a taboo breaker here –

This week I retired. (If I live cheap, I’m done working forever.)
The week before I paid off my mortgage. (Public record anyway).
I’m a lefty liberal for social issues, fairly conservative for fiscal issues.
I’m agnostic.
I have advanced directives and a written plan for dementia.

[UCGal]

.

[scaredyclassic]

I tell my brother to the nearest dollar our household income now and then. i have always told my kids to the dollar exactly how much money i make.

my brother doesnt tell me.

sometimes i tell my mom but she seems embarrassed tot alk about it. i never knew what my dad made. recently my mom said he never earned over a certain amount. she gave me a limit to work off of. i would have thought hed earned more than that.

it’s difficult to remember with inflation what certain amounts even mean.

[paramount]

The real taboo: Freedom of Thought.

ie. Donald Sterling

[paramount]

[quote=svelte]

Other things, in order of decreasing resistance:
– Disliking kids (not that I dislike them, but have friends who don’t care for them and they feel ostracized to even mention it)
[/quote]

And as well they should be (ostracized), anyone who just generally doesn’t like kids just for being kids needs their head examined.

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic] i never knew what my dad made. recently my mom said he never earned over a certain amount. she gave me a limit to work off of. i would have thought hed earned more than that.

it’s difficult to remember with inflation what certain amounts even mean.[/quote]

My mom once (when I was in 7th grade) implied that my dad made x dollars a year. Having snooped into his filing cabinet and seen his tax returns, I knew that the real number was about 8x. Mom was generally truthful to a fault, but for some reason she felt the need to mislead me about that.

[zk]

[quote=paramount]The real taboo: Freedom of Thought.

ie. Donald Sterling[/quote]

[quote=paramount]
And as well they should be (ostracized), anyone who just generally doesn’t like kids just for being kids needs their head examined.[/quote]

They should be ostracized and have their heads examined for their freedom of thought?

[paramount]

[quote=zk]

They should be ostracized and have their heads examined for their freedom of thought?[/quote]

That’s called hatred and discrimination – not freedom of thought.

It’s one thing to have freedom of thought, quite another to put thought into action.

[zk]

[quote=paramount][quote=zk]

They should be ostracized and have their heads examined for their freedom of thought?[/quote]

That’s called hatred and discrimination – not freedom of thought.

It’s one thing to have freedom of thought, quite another to put thought into action.[/quote]

Not liking kids is hatred and discrimination? And asking your girlfriend not to bring black people to your business is not?

What actions are you talking about?

[CA renter]

[quote=UCGal]
I’ll be a taboo breaker here –

This week I retired. (If I live cheap, I’m done working forever.)
The week before I paid off my mortgage. (Public record anyway).
[/quote]

Hooray!!!!!!!! 🙂

Congratulations on both paying off your house and your retirement! I thought you still had a year or so to go. You’ve certainly done your research and worked hard toward your goals. Nicely done, UCGal!

What’s awesome is that you get to spend time with your kids when they are still young-ish. Didn’t your DH retire recently, too? Travel plans, or?

I am so very happy for you!

[CA renter]

[quote=zk][quote=paramount]The real taboo: Freedom of Thought.

ie. Donald Sterling[/quote]

[quote=paramount]
And as well they should be (ostracized), anyone who just generally doesn’t like kids just for being kids needs their head examined.[/quote]

They should be ostracized and have their heads examined for their freedom of thought?[/quote]

ZK nailed you on this one, paramount. It’s one or the other. Either you get to have freedom of thought (assuming you don’t take action that would harm others), or you don’t. You don’t get to be arbiter of what people can or cannot approve/disapprove of or what they can or cannot think if you want to advocate for freedom of thought.

[NotCranky]

[quote=CA renter][quote=UCGal]
I’ll be a taboo breaker here –

This week I retired. (If I live cheap, I’m done working forever.)
The week before I paid off my mortgage. (Public record anyway).
[/quote]

Hooray!!!!!!!! 🙂

Congratulations on both paying off your house and your retirement! I thought you still had a year or so to go. You’ve certainly done your research and worked hard toward your goals. Nicely done, UCGal!

What’s awesome is that you get to spend time with your kids when they are still young-ish. Didn’t your DH retire recently, too? Travel plans, or?

I am so very happy for you![/quote]

Yes, good for you and congratulations!

[FlyerInHi]

Since I was a boy, I thought the pledge of allegiance was weird. I have no choice but to stand like the rest of the class. But I didn’t raise my hand or say the pledge.

[NotCranky]

Paramount may be exercising some kind of double standard but if people come out and say something like “I can’t stand kids” I am going to write them off. Said to a parent? Not smart , not sensitive. Even before I was a parent I wouldn’t have like that …though it might go a little more under the radar. That’s is a lot like saying I can’t stand homosexuals or women or people of other races. Say that to them or about someone they love and they should value your opinions on anything? If someone told me I can’t stand any of those people I instinctually would pretty much write them off.

[Author]

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