If I had it to do all over

[tryan]

5 people in a 1 bedroom apt ..... sign me up! (not)

[arebelspy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakeTravis What I found equally if not more disturbing were the number of comments at the bottom of the article supporting and praising this lifestyle.

The comments over there and the comments over here do provide a stark contrast.

[FANOFJESUS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Why on God's earth would she want to go to college when Dad is so admired and obviously has it all figured out? With a degree there'd be expectations to get a job, pay taxes and support the ever growing number of gimmie people. "No thanks, that's for losers...I'll just go play tennis with my dad"

LOL you're right the college way is to hard. Better yet maybe she will be the next Serena Williams.

[UserRequested]

Bring back the hippy commune lifestyle I say. Any of you boomers out there ever give that a go? Tis the season turn, turn, turn .....

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jags Bring back the hippy commune lifestyle I say. Any of you boomers out there ever give that a go? Tis the season turn, turn, turn .....

Something many hippies didn't take into account was that "living off the land" can be very hard work...

[foxfirev5]

And to think I feel guilty about considering ER after 35 years of working, saving and investing.

[comicbookgujy]

And to think I was feeling guilty at age 40 for thinking about quitting my job and moving back in with my momma and paying $700 to rent a room.

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERhoosier +1M, except I sometimes doubt if society will cut down on those freebies. He's what we used to call a "bum". Refuses to invest the $500 to get his cert as tennis pro...even when he had the $$ from selling those iPhones. If too many in society take that path the society starts to crumble. Its like the old joke about Greece's most valuable export.......working Greeks

In my neck of the woods he would still be called a bum.

[Lazarus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jags Bring back the hippy commune lifestyle I say. Any of you boomers out there ever give that a go? Tis the season turn, turn, turn .....

Had a former girlfriend that did it. She didn't stay. And I didn't go with her.

East Wind Community

Read and be amused.

[obgyn65]

My thoughts exactly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Definitely NOT a role model we want our youth to emulate. While it is one thing to live to work, at the same time people need to support themselves. This guy seems like he is just dependent on society to provide for him.

[jollystomper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakeTravis What I found equally if not more disturbing were the number of comments at the bottom of the article supporting and praising this lifestyle.

It seems to me that one sees more and more articles like these, which either celebrate what I call the "fully subsidized life" as the perfect life, or that things are so bad one can no longer make it on their own at all. Planning, discipline, and hard work that achieves a goal is dismissed as "dumb luck".

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollystomper It seems to me that one sees more and more articles like these, which either celebrate what I call the "fully subsidized life" as the perfect life, or that things are so bad one can no longer make it on their own at all. Planning, discipline, and hard work that achieves a goal is dismissed as "dumb luck".

Lately, "planning, discipline and hard work that achieves a goal" is dismissed as "getting ahead at the expense of others".

Success has been redefined as a zero sum game.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Lately, "planning, discipline and hard work that achieves a goal" is dismissed as "getting ahead at the expense of others". Success has been redefined as a zero sum game.

By some...

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR By some...

Yes, but those "some" are the ones now making the rules and deciding how much we should pay for our frugality selfishness...in the name of fairness of course.

[Major Tom]

The posting of this article seems more like an attempt to provoke and incite, than elicit any kind of thoughtful response or meaningful dialogue.

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom The posting of this article seems more like an attempt to provoke and incite, than elicit any kind of thoughtful response or meaningful dialogue.

Well, the original post is about one man's view of early retirement. It's just another way to get there and how he's willing to live in order to not have to work.

Some save and invest, others play the system...I personally resent those who game the system but that's just me.

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Well, the original post is about one man's view of early retirement. It's just another way to get there and how he's willing to live in order to not have to work.

True, but given the make-up of nearly everyone in this forum, it would be surprising if his way of living found much support here. I don't think there's anything for us to learn from this article.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom True, but given the make-up of nearly everyone in this forum, it would be surprising if his way of living found much support here. I don't think there's anything for us to learn from this article.

Perhaps we already "know" what we need to learn, but the story reminds us of the dangers of providing such a system as an alternative. I've often said that there needs to be an incentive to get out of poverty. Hunger, lack of comforts, less medical care, heat in the summer, cold in the winter, etc. etc. These "specters" all drove me to find a decent j*b, save, prepare, plan, etc. etc.

Now, while I wouldn't want to live as the "hero" of the story live, he does live better than most people in the world. I don't like the uncertainty he faces, I don't like the limited options he has, but he clearly can exist in relative comfort for the future.

We have provided a system that is too good to get out of. As we are finding out (by 3rd and even 4th generation participates) the system is its own prison. I know this could get political, but I think its been "equal opportunity" when it comes to giving away someone else's money to buy votes. I'm sure many disagree, so, as always, YMMV.

[haha]

If I were emporer, none of this would exist. Given our actual political system, this exists and will increase until everything finally breaks.

When social democracies really got going in Europe after WW2, there was considerable attitudinal homogeneity in the populations, and most of them shared similar moral and ethical foundations. I remember reading that Scandinavian socialism has gone along relatively well for so long because it runs on the leftover vapors of Lutheranism. The people being helped made mightly efforts, and were generally able to pull themslves up fairly quickly. Their pride/embarrassment required that.

None of this is true anymore. The paying class is entirely divorced from the payee class. In many cases, they don't even share a language, let alone cultural assumptions. To make mattters worse, there is a large professional class of mostly government workers whose job it is to be sure that there will always be a growing supply of "clients".

Regard it and weep.

Ha

[marko]

Well said, Ha.