This is generally a really good article that should give you pause to think before complaining about things.  A lot of this stuff reminds me of how i used to think back in highschool.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/7-reasons-news-looks-worse-than-it-really-is/

Good stuff.

People do forget that all of these "Sending jobs to China/ect" slogans have lifted billions out of squalor into a solid middle class lifestyle. Even now, jobs in China are being exported to Bangledesh, Vietnam, and other South East Asian countries... Lifting them also out of poverty.

Yes, it sucks that we all don't get a McMansion, but it also means that there our "Sacrifices" are giving people a life they had never had.

What an optimistic title. No wonder this thread went nowhere.

(WTF? Jennifer Lawrence is really what people consider beautiful these days? The world really does suck!)

I completely agree and have argued this myself. We live in the golden era of humanity. I honestly cannot think of any other time in history where people live so well and in such comfort. It does not mean we stop here, but that we realize we really have little room to complain about "life being hard" when it has never been easier for our species.

I can see what the author was going for, but it still sounds disturbingly similar to the latest Koch Bros campaign telling all the American poor how lucky they are.

It's generally the government and huge corporations that does the bad things, most people are alright. But good article.

Aren't the American Poor lucky though?

I mean shit.  I'd rather be poor and American then Middle class or even Rich in most other countries.

I agree. I am very happy that the once poor people are finally starting to get the opportunities they deserve.

Yes, but i feel that the way the message is framed is one to tell the poor "shut up and be grateful for what you have, quit trying to better yourselves through legislation."

Eh, fair enough... but quite honestly.  That's probably  a lesson people should learn... with somewhat of a twist.

People in this country should be a lot more greatful for what they have for being born in this country... and well, lets be hoenst here.   It's not like Legislation meant to better the poor has been particularly successful.   In general it almost always produces the opposite effect.

Rent Control ends up raising rent prices, Minium wage laws cost jobs and allow acceptence of service industry as a valid career vs getting real well paying jobs, focus on minority poverty allows the wage gap to continue to rise because they often fall backwords and aren't focusing on where the gap can be closed.

The problem with Legislation is it gives people a sense of complacency as it being "Government's job" allowing most people to feel perfectly swell buying stuff from Walmart who rips off it's distrubtors who have to outsource.

 Sociatal changes that actually use capitalism... now that would work.   Support companies providing good jobs even if it costs a little more and people working hard so it makes more sense to put said jobs here, or so they can create their own jobs... that would create change.

And that's not even getting into the oft forgotten part of Keynsian Economics about trade imblances.    At the moment, poor people are actually more likely to import that the rich, which is the inverse of Keynes time.  Therefore... shifting the money to the poor will shrink the economy.