Freepers in deep denial

[spinbaby]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/981706/posts

I don't know whether to laugh at the clueless freepers or cry when I go over there.

Freepers discuss disappearing factory jobs:

"Yep, all the articles about layoffs in manufacturing are just propaganda - companies have actually been hiring millions of new workers."

"I TRIPLE GUARANTEE there are no laid off workers in Ohio"

"Today's 6% jobless rate is the same as 1978, 1987 and 1994."

" This guy should shut his trap, wipe his tears, and go out and get another job."

"Go spend some money!"

[Paschall]

1. And why would the administration

Release bad economic ratings? To foment chaos, perhaps...

Couldn't be. That's their Middle East scenario.

[Kamika]

2. Its clintons fault

dont you ever learn :)

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

37. Hello, Democratic party, outsourcing is an issue that will win elections

An economic populist will win in a landslide. So is the Democratic party going to do it, or will they wait until Bush gives a speech about how outsourcing is bad?

[durutti]

51. And One That the Dems Won't Touch

None that are electable, anyway. Wouldn't be good for big business.

[knight_of_the_star]

38. Yeah

Its all due to Clinton's dick, remember?

[disgruntella]

3. "triple guarantee?"

Is that similar to a "double-dog dare?"

Sorry... http://www.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.t04.htm

[ronzo]

29. Get outta my head!

My thoughts exactly.

[stlsaxman]

42. ...or "double-secret probation" nt

[leftchick]

4. my husband sells capital equipment to manufacturers

His earnings were cut in HALF last year as he saw 3 Factories close in NC. This year looks worse. Keep dreaming you clueless freepers...

[joefree1]

5. Thanks for reporting from the toxic waters of freeperland

Remember to wash your hands and brush your teeth.

[pa28]

32. Second That

It probably would'nt hurt to be blessed by a Priest as well.

[knight_of_the_star]

39. How many priests would that take?

That place is fairly toxic. I feel dirty just thinking about it.

[alcuno]

6. Kramer said last night that the only one hiring in the next 6

would be WALMART. He then began extolling the merits of being a WALMART employee when he said "well at least they have benefits." This is what Americans have to look forward to.

[shrike]

16. Yes, I saw that.

Almost fell off my chair. That son of a bitch, with his multi-million dollar TV contract, has the nerve to tell us to go work at Walmart.

[Philosophy]

18. Walmart doesn't give benefits

Like all minimum wage service jobs, the managers intentionally schedule workers for only 39.5 hours per week so they can't be classified as full time workers that could receive benefits.

[jmowreader]

56. Full time isn't 40 hours a week

It depends on your state, but it can be as low as 28.5.

Forty hours a week is another milestone: pass it and they have to pay you time and a half for every hour past 40.

[kysrsoze]

69. Here in Chicago, Jewel Foods hires people for 10 hours a week or less

B/C they have a union and if they work someone over 10 hours a week, that person is given benefits. So all the unions there with full workweeks don't want to allow anyone else to get in there and get their benefits, while the store gets unnecessarily profits. It's sick. Plus, Jewel sucks ass! They're always the dirtiest, dingiest stores. I hate Jewel.

[Neecy]

73. yup

CNN has a little segment they run entitled "Where the Jobs Are". I almost crapped a couple of weeks ago when these "jobs" they touted were at....Krispy Kreme Doughnuts! Yes, KK is expanding every day and all of you unemployed high-tech folks should just stream into their doors with resume in hand.

They're so desperate to prop up pResident Pinkslip that they crow about minimum wage jobs. Pathetic.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

27. Walmart?????? FU KRAMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jim Kramer is a sellout rethug!

Wal-mart is a shit store who abuses their employees!!!

[Mari333]

7. Wal Mart closed many of our family stores here

Im out of my job because there were 2 supermarkets here, and I worked at the one that paid better...not great, but better..
when Wallyworld opened its superstore, our supermarket closed down.
Id rather live very carefully, not buy anything, then work at wallyworld.
There are no jobs here, except for 5 dollar an hour service jobs...drive thru the country around here...its all poverty, using wood for heat, and the foodlines at the ONE church here are long. The other 80 or so churches around town have no food pantries. As winter looms, the tourist season ends, and it gets worse and worse. This is one of the poorest counties in Michigan.
Illegal drugs are evidently one of the only ways some people make money, on the side, like the bootleggers of old, someone told me.
the party of family values , my ASS.

[Karen01]

8. I'm new here...

and love EVERY second of this truth saying, but what is a FREEPER? Please excuse my newbie ignorance. It sounds like something I may want to stay away from...

[Mari333]

9. Welcome to DU!!

a Freeper is someone who posts frequently at this site

www.freerepublic.com

they are often, and usually, extremely right wing and usually never question Bush or the GOP...

[Karen01]

11. ACCCCKKKK!

Freepers! I know lots of them, unfortunately! I was right! Best kept FAR away from - and cover your ears, too!

[Brucey]

14. Welcome

to DU Karen01, hope you enjoy!

[ClintonTyree]

10. A denizen of a web sit called.........

FreeRepublic. Right wing nut cases that can't see the forest for the conservative trees.

[nolabels]

75. You can look it up at this site

http://dug.seattleactivist.org/

The following Glossary was originally inspired by the following threads
in the DU (DemocraticUnderground.com):

[bahrbearian]

12. $5 an hour?

How can they pay that What's minimum wage?

[ryharrin]

17. I'm not sure about Michigan, but its $5.15 in NY

[Mari333]

23. same here

and believe me, when the migrant workers come to pick in the fields here, they are paid less....a whole bevy of fruit farmers here got into a lot of trouble a few years ago for that..
5.15 an hour..utter shit.

[Woodstock]

49. A Libertarian told me the minimum wage was unconstitutional

and was responsible for destroying the economy. Said these people were being paid too much, if they had more to offer, they'd get paid more. (He is making close to $100,000 a year for a job where he works 2 hours a day and gets paid for 8, by the way.)

[punpirate]

53. There's nothing in the Constitution to prevent...

... Congress from making law regarding wages, first.

Second, do a Google for "living wage" and "study" to discover just how effective a _living wage_ law is in _stimulating_ local economies. That will give you some ammunition when the subject comes up again.

As well, there's lots of good information on wages and working and how communities can avoid low-wage traps here:

http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/

Finally, tell the Libertarian jerk to read _Wealth and Democracy_. The author pretty much _destroys_ the notion that good wages for the poor and middle class are bad for the economy. The more wealth concentrated in the top 1-2% of the population, the _worse_ the economy becomes. As well, better-paying manufacturing jobs (which corporations are busily hustling off to foreign locations) are the _mainstay_ of a healthy economy.

Cheers.

[The Backlash Cometh]

57. There is no bottomline for a Libertarian when it comes to human suffering

I just don't understand why the majority of Americans haven't caught on to this one critical failing.

[Clark Can WIN]

65. Most Americans couldn't really give a schpuck

about the libertarian party or the radical elements of the green party or the communist party or any of the fringe gripe groups.

[The Backlash Cometh]

74. Those groups haven't infiltrated the administration's decision-making

policy the way the Libertarians have. Someone should point out exactly who or what is the destructive force in the Republican party, or we may be finding ourselves targeting potential friendlies. (As hard to believe that there may be ANY friendlies in the Repub party.)

[knight_of_the_star]

40. That low?

Out here in California its at $6.75 for minimum wage.

[shrike]

19. Regarding churches

There are a lot of big, beautiful churches going up in our areas, and it disturbs me that they appear to have little or no concept of ministering to the poor. I'm a freelance journalist, and had to interview the pastor of one of these places. This "church" looks more like a corporate headquarters or college campus -- no expense spared. I asked him about food pantries or social ministries. He got a funny look on his face and mumbled something about "maybe they'll go to trailer parks and hand out gifts or food to the kids." (I'm impressed.)

Say what you will about the Catholic Church, I was raised Catholic and I credit that for giving me a sense of social justice. The Catholic church near my house has even formed a Social Justice committee. They're going to focus on affordable housing and unemployment issues in our area.

[ewagner]

20. Wierd!

There were three new churches built here over the past year, and one big expansion. (two new fundies and one new mainstream...expansions was televangical fundie) I thought that was just in our area but if it's going on elsewhere....well, I don't know what's going down...

anybody else have the same situation in their area?

[Mari333]

21. Yes yes and yes

the churches around here pay no taxes, and only one provides a food pantry...and its a poor church..
The other monstrosities called churches here are like giant corporate offices with pews...social clubs, basically..
Nary a one of them offers any help to the poor , the hungry , etc etc etc...they are republican types, who dont believe in compassion but prefer pointing fingers at the poor as tho they were beneath them. One church has a tennis court and basketball court, another has a giant steeple, which pissed off the church next to it with a lesser steeple and the steeple wars began.
Its ludicrous, and pisses me off that they get tax breaks for tennis courts and stained glass windows.

[sushi]

47. What is a "food pantry?"

Does it provide free meals or does it hand out free groceries? Do people have to prove that they need help? I don't live in the US.

[shrike]

52. Food pantries generally don't provide meals

But they do provide non-perishables and such. Most rely on donations of food and household items from the community. Most require proof of income in our area, but the system is not too stringent -- most people are so embarrassed to go to a food pantry that those who run it don't put them through much more humiliation.

[Clark Can WIN]

68. Our food pantry

hands out non-perishable goods and is supported by every church in our community, protestant and roman churches alike. You do not have to give your name, register or prove your financial condition to receive help and food for your family. Our purpose is not to humiliate, but to ease hunger.

[karlschneider]

50. One of the local fancy Baptist churches here (Wagoner, OK) has gone into

the grocery business. I shit you not. They sell "a week's worth of groceries" (I need to pick up one of their flyers) for ...I forget, something like $49.50...whatever. I did read one briefly, but don't recollect enuf details to properly comment. Will do so later.
:eyes:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

24. I agree-at least the Catholic Church helps the poor

I was raised in the '70s and early '80s and went to Catholic school. We were always donating money, foodstuffs, clothing and toys to those less fortunate than us. It was also the heyday of Liberation theology and I knew a lot of nuns and priests that had worked down in central America helping the poor there.

This fake, over-the-top, fundamentalist Christianity is contrary to Jesus' teachings. How can these ministers and their followers claim they're doing Jesus' work?

[bitchkitty]

33. Mormons too -

one might have issues with what they believe, but they really do put their money where their mouth is in this little town.

[Fridays Child]

34. Where I live, Mormons are quite generous but only to other Mormons.

I've seen zero evidence that their welfare programs have ever been made available to the larger community.

[bitchkitty]

44. There are some like that, I'm sure -

I guess because this town is so small, they can afford to be nice to everyone.

[redwitch]

45. Just joined the social justice committee at mine!

we're looking at outreach to migrants- we already have a good community source for emergency aid with food, clothing, summer lunch for kids etc.- which my church contributes to quite generously. And our pastor is a total sweetheart.

[_NorCal_D_]

58. I agree.

I my semi-religious Catholic parents have taught me anything, its to be selfless, and to give what you can to charity, unlike these miserly, corporate churches.

[Ilsa]

60. They aren't really churches,

they're social clubs for Republicans.

[Resistance Is Futile]

61. Corporate churches

Most of these corporate churches are basically arms of the GOP. Their major purpose is to keep the sheeple in line and give them a religious pretext to support whatever policies the top 1% happen to want.

Much like the mosques in Saudi, really...

[Avalon Sparks]

70. Catholic Schooled for 8 years ~~~

Yup, it sure made me a liberal~

I have no doubt that is where my liberal mindset began.

It was drummed into my head to 'do unto others' on a daily basis....

That was the main lesson taught above all others.

[disgruntella]

13. more on the "triple guarantee"

Call me obsessive, but... just saw this in another thread. I guess talking out of one's ass comes quite easily for some people.
Triple guarantee THIS!

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/13/national/13JOBS.html?hp

<EXCERPT>

CANTON, Ohio, Sept. 12 — For nearly 30 years, Jim Greathouse was part of the blue-collar elite, a tool-and-die man who sometimes earned more than $50,000 a year because his job, making the precision metal molds that factories use to shape parts, required such exacting skills.

But in June, Mr. Greathouse, 55, lost his job at the Hoover vacuum cleaner factory here, and with so many other factories laying off people, he is at a loss about what to do.

<SNIP>

Mr. Greathouse has a lot of company. In three years, Ohio has lost more than 160,000 factory jobs, representing one-sixth of its total. That is but a small fraction of the 2.7 million manufacturing jobs lost nationwide in those three years, many of them because of imports. Some economists say that even with a boom all those jobs are not likely to return.

[avtho]

15. NYT today says

Ohio lost 160,000 factory jobs in 3 years, what is that fool talking about??

[leesa]

26. Well...don't you know? If NYT isn't kissing bush's butt, then it's

librul propaganda. Get with it!

[ChimpyMcSmirk]

22. They really are clueless!

"I TRIPLE GUARANTEE there are no laid off workers in Ohio"

I live in Ohio! Lots of people that I know have been laid off! Even if I shipped the people in a big fat box with their pink slips taped to their heads to the freepers door HE STILL wouldn't get it. Or he'd blame it on Clinton.

" This guy should shut his trap, wipe his tears, and go out and get another job."

I have been without a job for 2 years. This past summer I put it a TON of resumes and applications and I didn't get ONE job! Factory work, customer service, restaraunt work...hell even Target wouldn't hire me.

What a flippin' moron!

[JitterbugPerfume]

25. Before the "Bush years"

they were begging people to TAKE jobs around here with huge hire in bonuses Now you can't buy a job

Well, there IS Wal Mart

the store that ate America

[wabeewoman]

64. Don't cha know

that up is down to the repugs. They are SOOO lacking in compassion and empathy but are very judgemental. Combine that with a absence of logical thinking, an inability to recognize their own hypocracy and the firm conviction that they are always right and viola: a repug.

[Cat Atomic]

28. It's Doubleplus Untrue!

Sad little bunch of duckspeakers over there. But really- they're hopeless. Who gives a shit what they think? :P

[RedEarth]

30. These people are totally wrong!!!!!

I am involved in working with mfg. companies through out the country and I can absolutely, 11O% GUARANTEE that mfg. have been laying off workers all over the country, including Ohio. Futhermore, they have not been hiring new workers. The uemployment rate of 6% doesn't mean jack, since it doesn't include people that have quit looking or are underemployed. The true unemployment/underemployed rate is close to 11%....this can be found on government web sites.

[prolesunited]

31. Must me some really good Soma

the are taking. That's all I can figure. How do you think they are getting it to them?

For reference, this is from Orwell's "Brave New World," a utopia where uniformity, equality, happiness and all forms of social engineering were implemented via a rigid class system (is there ever a non-rigid artificial system?). And to subdue and suppress independent thinking (outside the box) a drug known as Soma is ingested regularly by the human drones (arguably akin to Prozac or even Heroin today).

[billyskank]

41. Brave New World

is by Huxley. Orwell wrote 1984.

[prolesunited]

67. D'oh

I really do know that, even had to Google the description. Thanks for posting the correction.

:+

[private_ryan]

35. soem I see them as sarcastic

"Yep, all the articles about layoffs in manufacturing are just propaganda - companies have actually been hiring millions of new workers."

"I TRIPLE GUARANTEE there are no laid off workers in Ohio"
but you never know, they're freepers

[yeti]

36. Sarcastic, yes, and obviously so...

I went to the FR thread, and it was plain to me that all but one of the quotes in this DU thread is clearly meant as sarcasm. I know alot of DUers seem to like to bash FR, but jeez luhweez, when a person can read that and *not* see the dripping sarcasm, s/he needs to take a deep breath and exhale slowly.<p>

[stanwyck]

59. I wonder if the Freepers where I work

still love Bush now that they've lost their jobs. Our owners (we're a small company, only 35 employees) cut staff by four people. All young white males who are ultra-conservatives. Now, I don't think the owners fired them because of their politics...since our owners are two ultra-conservative white males. It's just how it worked out. Not as much job performance as a consideration of who was most needed...and who wasn't depending on responsibilities. I just wonder if these guys, who haven't been able to find work, are still extolling the "MBA" president. I asked one of these guys one time why he was such a Bush fan. He told me: "because he's such a successful businessman". (!) Really. Three businesses failed under his leadership. Exactly how was Bush a success as a businessman? Another myth. I hate it when anyone loses their job. I just wonder if losing your job when you're a conservative makes a difference in your compassion and understanding for other people.

[eauclaireliberal]

43. RE: "Freepers in deep denial"

Then the seemingly random statements of the supposed laid off workers are exact talking points matches. This is an editorial. A set up. A fraud. Propaganda.

If bile could fly, these clowns would soar like eagles...

[Lady President]

46. This is great news for me!

"I TRIPLE GUARANTEE there are no laid off workers in Ohio"

Wow, I thought I was a laid off worker in Ohio, but I guess I'm not. I'll have to do some laundry and run some errands tomorrow because apparently I should just go back to my old job Monday. Seriously, how stupid do you have to be not to realize that unemployment is destroying Ohio (and the rest of the country).

[Woodstock]

48. I just head two formerly pro-War pro-Bush guys yesterday turnabout 180

They were full of chest pumping "Go USA!!! Bomb them!!! Rule of the jungle!!! The French suck!" nonsense when the war started. We used to get into big arguments about how I didn't think we should have gone to war with out giving the UN a chance to work it out, and then not alone.

Now they were stumbling all over each other with complaints - "Where are the weapons of mass destruction? What a ripoff. Soldiers dying every day. And now they want more money. What a big fat mess." I told them, OK, I won't tell you "I told you so, but I told you so."

Then we went on to talk about Ashrcroft and the Patriot Act and the guy who got a year jailtime and lost his right to criticize the government for life because he was forced to plead guilty or else face 20 years under the Patriot Act. And how a journalist had asked what's going to stop you from arresting me and nobody knowing, and being told, but you're well known, and DUH - that's just the point, what about the other 98% of us who aren't well known?

Another Republican I talked to (a more mature guy, a lifelong Eisenhower Republican, and who was against the war) is also deeply disturbed by this administration - in fact, I didn't even have to talk, just nod my head - his list of grievances was identical to mine. The FCC, Ashcroft, the religious right and the state religion agenda, the assault on the environment, Bush's massive incompetance, ...

The worm has turned with some Republicans. Freepers and Ditto Heads will go down with the ship, but there are definite rumblings among the rest.

[are_we_united_yet]

54. When Turd-Tetes

Finally realize that jobs are actually leaving the US, I guarantee it will be Clinton's Penis' fault.

[grasswire]

55. most churches...

...now refer hungry people to government agencies for help. I kid you not. I volunteer at a regional food bank. The era of hand-to-hand assistance is gone. The poor have been demonized by Republicanism and distanced by government programs, and church folk generally do not feel a need to feed others.

Food pantries in neighborhoods are largely gone. Those charities that offer emergency food supplies give a box containing a few government surplus items (such as peanut butter, dry beans, powdered milk) and a few meal items such as soup, tuna, and bread. It's a two-day supply. And the applicant can only get assistance once a month.

Of course there are soup kitchens. But the process of even getting an emergency food box is so humiliating for most people -- one has to be about rock bottom to go to a soup kitchen.

[pasadenaboy]

63. I volunteer for my church outreach to the homeless.

We don't refer people elsewhere because we don't care. We refer people elsewhere because we have limited resources. There is way more need than we able to handle. We do what we can, but often times we don't have enough resources to take care of all that ask.

Some church folk care, some don't , but I don't think it is "generally" true that we don't..

[Resistance Is Futile]

62. Better places

A better place for the Freepers would be deep in the Nile.

[nolabels]

66. I have had a Job since Nixon was in office, does that make me.......

some kind of evil person or something? Our government and education system is way messed up and is incased in a system of iniquity run by a group fascist-capitalist corporate Pigs. But my pursuit of happiness partly has to do with having game full employment for the abilty contribute to Human Society and live off the fruits of my OWN labor

ON edit : syntax, and what the hell guess I should go find a cave to live in. (that is as soon as make enough jack to buy me a few space heaters so I don't freeze my arse off this winter)

contiuation from above link
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/981706/posts?q=1&&page=151
(snip)
To: Tokhtamish

"Next winter go to your local WalMarts or Sears and notice the brisk business they do in space heaters."

I own a few myself. What does that mean?

Are you saying that the poor are not looked after in this country?


155 posted on 09/13/2003 10:13 PM PDT by At _War_With_Liberals (Post steak fry: I say it again...All Dems is PIMPS and HO'S)
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 152 | View Replies >

(snip)

[Isome]

71. ha ha ha ha

They're well aware that the giant sucking sound they hear is their jobs being flushed out and OVERseas.

Here's a post containing that special brand of neo-con projection, and mentioning DU (they watch us as much as we watch them):

I am disappointed that FreeRepublicers are being seduced into spending all their free time focusing on what's wrong, b*tching and Moaning and P*ssing their lives away. {My Comment: As usual, they are exactly what they mock. They spent eight years crying about Bill Clinton; we've only had three to righteously point out what's going wrong with this illegally installed administration.} Read this post and others of it's genre and you'll think they came from the Democratic Underground! And they're expanding at an alarming rate.

The simple reality is that the movement of opportunities in certain fields overseas is happening. It will continue to happen. Tariffs are not the answer. Protectionism isn't the answer. The answer is what has always set America apart from other nations. Vision, entrepreneurism, innovation, creation. The rest is best saved for the sob sisters at DU.

best, ampu


126 posted on 09/13/2003 4:52 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion (... that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)

[nolabels]

72. Its just too ridiculous, trying to make sense out of somebody that......

that pretends that it works, and then pontificates about it is just beyond my ability of comprehension. I really went and looked through that thread to understand what it was they were trying to defend, but I found nothing of substance that one could point out. All I could see is Hyper-groupthink laced in low and hi-brow platitudes.

I someone is monitoring them, I hope it's the a funny farm, because their is a lot of work for group of dedicated individuals that could gain full employment there

Btw I may be a little loony, but at least I am cognizant enough to be able to admit it