GETTING AHEAD

Oddvark (OC): Gee Feckless, why so gloomy today?

Feckless (FP): I read Robert Samualson's column in the paper yesterday. He listed all the ways in which the American public willfully allows itself to be deceaved by politicians. Essentially, Samuelson argues that the public doesn't want to know the bad news. They just want to live in a delusional state.

OC: That sounds very cynical.

FP: It's not cynical, it's realistic. I was watching a show about Diners in America on the Food Channel last night. One of the owners and short-order cooks was crowing about anybody being able to make it in America (maybe he was Albanian; everything being relative you know). He was absolutely right, anyone can make it in America, as long as they're willing to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. In this respect, we have not progressed very far in 250 years. I guess it can be argued that most people can get by (survive) on a 40-50 hour week; whereas that was far from certain 250 years ago or even 75 years ago. However, it is very difficult to "get ahead" by working standard hours. Getting ahead is limited to the following scenarios: (1) Building a better mouse trap; assuming the idea isn't stolen from the inventor. This is increasingly hard to achieve in our ever more technologically sophisticated world. (2)Working 16 hours a day for years on end, being relatively frugal, and investing the profits wisely. (3) Having access to large amounts of capital and investing the profits wisely. This avenue is forclosed to the vast majority of Americans due to the lack of access to capital (inheritence) and the inability of most Americans to invest wisely on a consistent basis. (4) Working regular hours and being excessively frugal (miserly),investing wisely, and a little luck. These are the only formulas available for "getting ahead" in America. In some parts of the world, "getting ahead" is virtually impossible. In America, we are proud of the fact that it is possible for perhaps 10-20% of our population. Everyone else is just getting by. I should also add that with the price of gas, food, housing, transportation, and insurance going up, it will be increasing difficult for most Americans to "get ahead". For the foreseeable future, America will become the land of lowered expectations.