[Shadowfax]

[quote=cooprider]Barack Hussein Obama (don’t you just love his middle name) will return to the higher tax rates.[/quote]

“Yes, it’s a shitty, f*&(ing name. But you’d think someone named Shlomo Shitzkowitz would understand that…”

–roughly quoted from Sara Silverman, The Great Schlep

[Shadowfax]

[quote=cooprider]Barack Hussein Obama (don’t you just love his middle name) will return to the higher tax rates.[/quote]

“Yes, it’s a shitty, f*&(ing name. But you’d think someone named Shlomo Shitzkowitz would understand that…”

–roughly quoted from Sara Silverman, The Great Schlep

[Shadowfax]

Ok, my asian amis. I am fine if you want to write scholarly treatises about the asian american experience, but please don’t quote someone else’s diatribe (pages long) in full, right below the original and then not have anything to add? Artificially adding length to this thread is very uncool… 😉

[Shadowfax]

Ok, my asian amis. I am fine if you want to write scholarly treatises about the asian american experience, but please don’t quote someone else’s diatribe (pages long) in full, right below the original and then not have anything to add? Artificially adding length to this thread is very uncool… 😉

[Shadowfax]

Ok, my asian amis. I am fine if you want to write scholarly treatises about the asian american experience, but please don’t quote someone else’s diatribe (pages long) in full, right below the original and then not have anything to add? Artificially adding length to this thread is very uncool… 😉

[Shadowfax]

Ok, my asian amis. I am fine if you want to write scholarly treatises about the asian american experience, but please don’t quote someone else’s diatribe (pages long) in full, right below the original and then not have anything to add? Artificially adding length to this thread is very uncool… 😉

[Shadowfax]

Ok, my asian amis. I am fine if you want to write scholarly treatises about the asian american experience, but please don’t quote someone else’s diatribe (pages long) in full, right below the original and then not have anything to add? Artificially adding length to this thread is very uncool… 😉

[Shadowfax]

That is very true–Americans are spoiled from the bottom to the top. Poor in Africa or Asia or the Middle East is several orders of magnitude worse than poor in America.

The key is that “you have seen what hard work can do.” And the rumors or stories of that success are carried back to the “homeland” to entice more ambitious people to come to America to make their fortunes. There are not many success stories in the projects, the immigrant work camps or in the coal mines (lest anyone think I am advocating based on skin color). Many people do work hard in these groups (physical labor or long hours, though perhaps not skilled or educated work) and barely get by. And if you do get a little bit ahead, how do you protect yourself from being robbed by the neighbors? Police don’t like to patrol these neighborhoods.

How do you instill a work ethic when there appears to be so little gain to such hard work. If there is an uncle or grandfather to look to as a success story, something tangible, then maybe some will persevere. But Uncle is in jail and grandpa died in a mine cave in…penniless.

It is a challenge to inspire and motivate people in these groups. Compounding all the rest, there is tremendous peer pressure not to excel! It’s unimaginable. I don’t think that we just turn off the spigot for these people, though it can seem daunting to throw good money after bad.

I sincerely believe that education is the key to most of our societal ills. Other than funding schools/teachers and supervising curriculum, not sure what else a government can do. You ultimately can’t lead a horse to water….
It’s a dilemma.

[Shadowfax]

That is very true–Americans are spoiled from the bottom to the top. Poor in Africa or Asia or the Middle East is several orders of magnitude worse than poor in America.

The key is that “you have seen what hard work can do.” And the rumors or stories of that success are carried back to the “homeland” to entice more ambitious people to come to America to make their fortunes. There are not many success stories in the projects, the immigrant work camps or in the coal mines (lest anyone think I am advocating based on skin color). Many people do work hard in these groups (physical labor or long hours, though perhaps not skilled or educated work) and barely get by. And if you do get a little bit ahead, how do you protect yourself from being robbed by the neighbors? Police don’t like to patrol these neighborhoods.

How do you instill a work ethic when there appears to be so little gain to such hard work. If there is an uncle or grandfather to look to as a success story, something tangible, then maybe some will persevere. But Uncle is in jail and grandpa died in a mine cave in…penniless.

It is a challenge to inspire and motivate people in these groups. Compounding all the rest, there is tremendous peer pressure not to excel! It’s unimaginable. I don’t think that we just turn off the spigot for these people, though it can seem daunting to throw good money after bad.

I sincerely believe that education is the key to most of our societal ills. Other than funding schools/teachers and supervising curriculum, not sure what else a government can do. You ultimately can’t lead a horse to water….
It’s a dilemma.

[Shadowfax]

That is very true–Americans are spoiled from the bottom to the top. Poor in Africa or Asia or the Middle East is several orders of magnitude worse than poor in America.

The key is that “you have seen what hard work can do.” And the rumors or stories of that success are carried back to the “homeland” to entice more ambitious people to come to America to make their fortunes. There are not many success stories in the projects, the immigrant work camps or in the coal mines (lest anyone think I am advocating based on skin color). Many people do work hard in these groups (physical labor or long hours, though perhaps not skilled or educated work) and barely get by. And if you do get a little bit ahead, how do you protect yourself from being robbed by the neighbors? Police don’t like to patrol these neighborhoods.

How do you instill a work ethic when there appears to be so little gain to such hard work. If there is an uncle or grandfather to look to as a success story, something tangible, then maybe some will persevere. But Uncle is in jail and grandpa died in a mine cave in…penniless.

It is a challenge to inspire and motivate people in these groups. Compounding all the rest, there is tremendous peer pressure not to excel! It’s unimaginable. I don’t think that we just turn off the spigot for these people, though it can seem daunting to throw good money after bad.

I sincerely believe that education is the key to most of our societal ills. Other than funding schools/teachers and supervising curriculum, not sure what else a government can do. You ultimately can’t lead a horse to water….
It’s a dilemma.

[Shadowfax]

That is very true–Americans are spoiled from the bottom to the top. Poor in Africa or Asia or the Middle East is several orders of magnitude worse than poor in America.

The key is that “you have seen what hard work can do.” And the rumors or stories of that success are carried back to the “homeland” to entice more ambitious people to come to America to make their fortunes. There are not many success stories in the projects, the immigrant work camps or in the coal mines (lest anyone think I am advocating based on skin color). Many people do work hard in these groups (physical labor or long hours, though perhaps not skilled or educated work) and barely get by. And if you do get a little bit ahead, how do you protect yourself from being robbed by the neighbors? Police don’t like to patrol these neighborhoods.

How do you instill a work ethic when there appears to be so little gain to such hard work. If there is an uncle or grandfather to look to as a success story, something tangible, then maybe some will persevere. But Uncle is in jail and grandpa died in a mine cave in…penniless.

It is a challenge to inspire and motivate people in these groups. Compounding all the rest, there is tremendous peer pressure not to excel! It’s unimaginable. I don’t think that we just turn off the spigot for these people, though it can seem daunting to throw good money after bad.

I sincerely believe that education is the key to most of our societal ills. Other than funding schools/teachers and supervising curriculum, not sure what else a government can do. You ultimately can’t lead a horse to water….
It’s a dilemma.

[Shadowfax]

That is very true–Americans are spoiled from the bottom to the top. Poor in Africa or Asia or the Middle East is several orders of magnitude worse than poor in America.

The key is that “you have seen what hard work can do.” And the rumors or stories of that success are carried back to the “homeland” to entice more ambitious people to come to America to make their fortunes. There are not many success stories in the projects, the immigrant work camps or in the coal mines (lest anyone think I am advocating based on skin color). Many people do work hard in these groups (physical labor or long hours, though perhaps not skilled or educated work) and barely get by. And if you do get a little bit ahead, how do you protect yourself from being robbed by the neighbors? Police don’t like to patrol these neighborhoods.

How do you instill a work ethic when there appears to be so little gain to such hard work. If there is an uncle or grandfather to look to as a success story, something tangible, then maybe some will persevere. But Uncle is in jail and grandpa died in a mine cave in…penniless.

It is a challenge to inspire and motivate people in these groups. Compounding all the rest, there is tremendous peer pressure not to excel! It’s unimaginable. I don’t think that we just turn off the spigot for these people, though it can seem daunting to throw good money after bad.

I sincerely believe that education is the key to most of our societal ills. Other than funding schools/teachers and supervising curriculum, not sure what else a government can do. You ultimately can’t lead a horse to water….
It’s a dilemma.

[Shadowfax]

There is a downward spiral in certain socio-economic areas that defies explanation but it is very real. I admire those who come her from afar, work hard and create for themselves the American Dream. Many times there is a support network of others who came before or others they want to help at home. Most of us who are native born are sons and daughters of an immigrant somewhere.

Ironically, I think that immigrants who come here actually have an advantage. There is a sort of collective “poor self-esteem” amongst many native born, poor Americans. And I think this rings true in “blighted” urban areas and destitute rural areas. Where the immigrant sees a land of opportunity, the domestic poor see oppression and see the odds stacked against them. Education is usually minimal or non-existent. Same for positive (or realistic) role models from their walk of life or alternative perspectives. Immigrant groups tend to help each other while domestic poor tend to drag each other down into the mud–they seem to not want their neighbors to succeed. I think there are many who pull themselves out of this cycle, but many fall prey to easy money (drug dealing and other illegal activities), substance abuse, etc.

It’s really sad and paradoxical and many sociology types have studied it and can’t find a way to fix it. I personally believe a message of hope will help, if only in a miniscule way.

[Shadowfax]

There is a downward spiral in certain socio-economic areas that defies explanation but it is very real. I admire those who come her from afar, work hard and create for themselves the American Dream. Many times there is a support network of others who came before or others they want to help at home. Most of us who are native born are sons and daughters of an immigrant somewhere.

Ironically, I think that immigrants who come here actually have an advantage. There is a sort of collective “poor self-esteem” amongst many native born, poor Americans. And I think this rings true in “blighted” urban areas and destitute rural areas. Where the immigrant sees a land of opportunity, the domestic poor see oppression and see the odds stacked against them. Education is usually minimal or non-existent. Same for positive (or realistic) role models from their walk of life or alternative perspectives. Immigrant groups tend to help each other while domestic poor tend to drag each other down into the mud–they seem to not want their neighbors to succeed. I think there are many who pull themselves out of this cycle, but many fall prey to easy money (drug dealing and other illegal activities), substance abuse, etc.

It’s really sad and paradoxical and many sociology types have studied it and can’t find a way to fix it. I personally believe a message of hope will help, if only in a miniscule way.

[Shadowfax]

There is a downward spiral in certain socio-economic areas that defies explanation but it is very real. I admire those who come her from afar, work hard and create for themselves the American Dream. Many times there is a support network of others who came before or others they want to help at home. Most of us who are native born are sons and daughters of an immigrant somewhere.

Ironically, I think that immigrants who come here actually have an advantage. There is a sort of collective “poor self-esteem” amongst many native born, poor Americans. And I think this rings true in “blighted” urban areas and destitute rural areas. Where the immigrant sees a land of opportunity, the domestic poor see oppression and see the odds stacked against them. Education is usually minimal or non-existent. Same for positive (or realistic) role models from their walk of life or alternative perspectives. Immigrant groups tend to help each other while domestic poor tend to drag each other down into the mud–they seem to not want their neighbors to succeed. I think there are many who pull themselves out of this cycle, but many fall prey to easy money (drug dealing and other illegal activities), substance abuse, etc.

It’s really sad and paradoxical and many sociology types have studied it and can’t find a way to fix it. I personally believe a message of hope will help, if only in a miniscule way.

[Author]

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