"This country wasn't built by griping and complaining - it was built by hard work."

[kentuck]

Barack Obama - August 5th, 2009 in speech at Elkhart County, Indiana.

[babylonsister]

1. I wonder if any rethugs were listening. This message seems tailor-made

just for them.

[Oregone]

2. I thought it was built by exploiting the poor, weak, meager masses

In southern cotton fields and northern sweat shop factories

[kentuck]

3. Right! but they were working hard.

:-)

[hfojvt]

6. if I know people, there was some griping and complaining involved too

Not everyone whistles while they work.

[Deja Q]

14. Then people should do more things that fit their God-given talents.

Whining would go down, as would stress-related illnesses.

[hfojvt]

15. you mean there are choices?

Job services used to ask me "what do you want to do?" My standard thought was 'beat the crap out of people who ask stupid questions like that'. Since I don't get something like 90% of the jobs I apply for, it makes more sense to tell me what is available and I will choose what I think is the lesser of evils.

But I generally maintain a positive attitude at work. I even had a co-worker at a satellite dish factory tell me 'stop looking like you are having fun'. Hey, I am playing one of my favorite tapes and having a decent time running the drill presses. But it's not like I was happy to go there every day or unhappy to clomp home in my steel toed boots, tired and dirty.

[Oregone]

11. And free men (in other countries) worked hard too

The US just accelerated their growth over others be cheating (ethically) more often. When labor is cheap to free, and completely expendable, anyone with a little foundation to stand on can build an empire in no time. Some countries did it, and do fine today, without being such assholes

[wininboy]

12. It was, but I'm sure the slaveowners whined

about how much hard work it was to whip them.

[Deja Q]

13. Maybe the slave owners got some slaves to whip the other slaves...

I wonder what the qualifications were... :D

[HughBeaumont]

4. Right. Mostly ours. Lots of risks as well. Mostly ours also.

All at the behest of the upper 10%. And we get paid the same real dollar amount for decades for our efforts. Or make less as time goes on. Or get fired for no good reason other than someone rich isn't making enough money.

Yeah, it's a real motivator, let me tells ya . . .

[redqueen]

5. According to George Carlin, there's no point in trying anyway...

it's all rigged, the owners own everything, including us.

I find this news a great relief. Now I can focus on just enjoying life, and stop worrying about meaningless fakery like politics.

[Deja Q]

8. And, ironically, people made him rich.

It must be easy to do... :D

[Deja Q]

7. Back in the day, it was called "Slavery".

I won't deny there's a decline in work ethic.

I won't deny there's less work to be had in this country either thanks to the economy right now.

And if big bankers can say it, so can the working class about "capping our income deprives us of motivation to work in this field". Execs whined when it was suggested they get pay caps, yet nobody uttered a syllable about declining workers' wages thanks to offshoring and other ambient issues.

[Oregone]

9. Yep

Funny how things change.

[Deja Q]

10. 6 months is still too soon. But now the economy is showing signs of stability...

I wouldn't fret just yet.