tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343439372519556254.post4779250044022068883..comments2024-02-11T03:50:53.613-05:00Comments on Counterlight's Peculiars: On the L TrainUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343439372519556254.post-66995231627817266872012-03-29T23:18:05.431-04:002012-03-29T23:18:05.431-04:00With JCF on the student loan thing.
But, basicall...With JCF on the student loan thing.<br /><br />But, basically, the reason this happens is because we allow it. You don't share in the produce, because the parasites who - we are told - "produce the jobs" actually do nothing but buy up the means of production and sit back to rake in the wealth of others' work. <br /><br />I say it again - the wealthy (I'll even say "well-off" in the current economy) are parasites.MarkBrunsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16971990948866488080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343439372519556254.post-19013537790104531172012-03-29T17:21:45.106-04:002012-03-29T17:21:45.106-04:00Give me a job. Then give me a raise. Give me the r...Give me a job. Then give me a raise. Give me the right to get married (I'm still on the hook for finding Ms Right)!<br /><br />And THEN I can uphold that precious American Dream that the GOP is always on about.<br /><br />[Well, and let me off the hook for MOST of that student loan debt, that I can NEVER pay back in full.]JCFnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343439372519556254.post-87880989695584193012012-03-29T11:14:34.320-04:002012-03-29T11:14:34.320-04:00Doug --this post reminds me --of being provided &#...Doug --this post reminds me --of being provided 'company' housing and being able to shop at the 'company' store... and at the end of the month, owing still more to the 'company' despite having worked our lives away....<br /><br />--but it's not just mining towns any more --the 'company' owns everything, every where...it's margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13577280471100732619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343439372519556254.post-79211105943195497612012-03-29T10:46:43.115-04:002012-03-29T10:46:43.115-04:00There is no ´L¨ train at the foot of the volcano.
...There is no ´L¨ train at the foot of the volcano.<br /><br />I retired and moved to a little village in Guatemala at age 62...now I´m 68 years old and still here. I knew that I wanted to live comfortably (inexpensive rent), eat fresh foods (open indigenous markets) and spend my remaining life, doing art, being of service (in modest ways) to others, living amongst ¨regular people¨ in a small village and having a maid (I hate cleaning but like to cook) and a twice-a-week gardener. <br /><br />I knew I could live comfortably on my SS check (and a tiny/recession-depreciated monthly retirement check from a NY corporation where I had been president of their California division--quite the bomb when it was devalued to less than $200 monthly thanks to greedsters who still are running rampant on Wall Street/beyond). <br /><br />Here we have no need of heating or cooling (a fan now and then) as it´s the ¨Land of Eternal Spring.¨ Propane Gas and Electric combined are about $150 monthly (I installed hot water and have a washer and dryer). <br /><br />Of course, many in this village live on a tenth/less of what I do every month but there are advantages too. There are wealthy ¨Nationals¨ who live discreetly and seem to help others when emergency needs arise for cash (sickeness/death) and their are ¨foreigners¨ like me that add much to the economy by employing people and sometimes helping out a little...I don´t know everything about this underground economy (and don´t ask) but at least in this village there seems to be ¨support¨ of sorts with community services (schools, recreation, some basic health services and even a 1/2 time nutrisonist, Dr´s. without borders and even visiting denists come from time to time from Italy and fundamentalist norteamericano Christians providing a child food program which feeds 500 kids a day--most of whom are/remain Roman Catholic. We have a learning center, sewers, lights and water connections everywhere--this is a good place as opposed to others that have none of the above.<br /><br />Even here prices are going up drastically. The monthly ¨remittances¨ from the U.S. (family working in the States) have dropped about 30% (the largest source of National income) and tourism has consistantly dropped year after year (people either can´t come because of financial set-backs in the U.S./Europe or are afraid to come because of drug/gang violance, which, btw, doesn´t usually impact visitors to any great degree as the locals kidnap one another -- even the kidnappers know that kidnapping U.S. Citzens causes great problems, the FBI arrives, REAL investigations take place and it´s just BAD for BUSINESS).<br /><br />Gas is around $5.00 a gallon. Food prices, even in the indigneous markets, have doubled (transportation charges from the fincas to the markets). When I go to the dentist it is $20.00 for cleaning and another $20.00 to repair fillings. The top cardiologist in Guatemala City (really good/Harvard trained) was $50 for a recent visit which included tests and a through exam.<br /><br />Most of my Americano friends live in lovely homes in Antigua and not in the villages. Most of them have solid finances, travel extensively and enjoy expensive restaurants and luxurous lifestyles (all at a fraction of big city America prices).<br /><br />I think there seems to be a big influx of Americanos and others moving to Latin America to have a better standard of living...truly I believe that people like me, foreigners, in this environment are greatly advantaged in many ways and not least of all, MOST (but by no means all) try and give back to our ¨communities¨ too...I feel very little social resentment and people treat me with great respect (and I keep it that way by paying attention to the impact of my own behavior).<br /><br />This living situation is not for everyone...this is a different culture and many can´t accept the ¨differences¨...differences that are many, double standards being one, in a society where everyone is wonderfully polite but usually resentful of ¨social differences¨ and each person learns from birth the importance of not only ¨survival¨ but ¨get what you can.¨Leonardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16667415590825321701noreply@blogger.com