Kicking. Squealing.
1. Charles Murray’s latest post on Asians’ lack of social conservatism. Matt Yglesias foamed at the mouth on Twitter calling Murray’s post “racist bullshit.” Then Richard Posner posted on the same subject at Slate, where Yglesias works.
2. At Ezra Klein’s blog, Sarah Kliff lays out some of the ins and outs of who will be covered by Obamacare. It left me way more confused than before. I read this and just see large piles of paperwork sitting on my computer desk that I’ll someday toss in the trash. It also creates room for more “policy liasons” who bridge the gap between the public consumers of health insurance and the nation forcing them to own it:
This all seems pretty confusing. Who is going to explain what this all means for me, specifically? A great question! The health-care law does require states to provide access to “navigators,” individuals who will assist with outreach and help answer questions about best options. There are also non-profit groups, like Enroll America, who are trying to do this kind of work. Insurance agents may also play a role too, given their expertise in the industry.
3. Glenn Reynolds discusses how marginal tax rates will impact freelance work. More and more people are working as freelancers. When you have a traditional job, you pretty much have a set income which is taxed at the prevailing rate. Being self-employed, to a degree, freelancers might slack off at the end of the year to avoid tipping over into a higher tax bracket.
4. A father tells his three spoiled children how it is.
5. A bartender who is tired of people who, after she tells them she’s a bartender, asks her what she “wants to do”. I get this a lot. And though being a waiter isn’t what I do actually want to do, the insinuation that my occupation isn’t a “real job” pisses me off.
1) I used to work with this Chinese immigrant who complained that Chinese immigrants who could vote could never decide who to vote for and they would split their vote and get nothing. He thought that Chinese people should pick one party or the other and get some leverage. He liked McCain (it was 2008) because the financial things, but he said Chinese women liked Obama, etc. Anyway, Asians probably get more crap about their race from whites than blacks and hispanics receive, so I’m sympathetic to the racist argument, but Charles Murray is not where it starts.
5) In some dream life, I decide to become a bartender in my 20s and leave the computer world behind. I’m pretty sure I would have earned the scorn of all my friends and family, but I’m pretty sure I would have made more money and had more fun.
As usual the comments are the best part. Basically “I’m smart, I have a college degree” If you take on 50-100k in debt to work at a job that you could have taken no debt and been ahead 4 years, then it’s really not all that smart.If some dude got a degree in Xbox studies: First person shooters and racial demographics we’d all laugh at him as being an idiot but some chick gets a poli sci (or anthropology in her case) degree and all of a sudden she’s learned. And the “Went on a road trip and ended up in LA” is so cliche.
Glenn Reynolds discusses how marginal tax rates will impact freelance work.
Higher taxes will cause a larger share of “freelance” work to go underground, or be conducted in ways that are harder to trace. This already happens a lot in Europe, especially the Southern part.
At my own business we’re already formulating plans to shift some salary and/or holiday bonuses to hard item gifts to escape some tax burden. We got one of our employees a Mac Book last year – if we had given her the cash to buy it there would have been $350 more lost to taxes in the process for both sides.
Knowing this would happen, the Obama regime has already made it clear that they will pursue tax payment with a lot of independent contractors in “problem areas” like Information Technology – that guy who blew up the IRS building in Texas was someone miffed about being pursued for 1099 taxes for his own computer work.
I have to dig into Obamacare stuff for a project at work. Weird trick is that it might make sense for some boomers to retire at 55-60 due to the subsidies and whatnot. It’s pretty clear that a small class of marginally attached female workers too stupid to prevent a pregnancy will most likely expand due to wage level kickers and Darden type moves with employees. More women will enter this class through the cram down nature of employment and the govt income level rules. It’s increasing a dependent class. At least they’ll have health coverage, so the Democrat dream of freedom, “Government will take care of the big stuff, you go have as much fun as possible”, is one step closer.
The goal of nearly every human being regardless of race is to advance their social status. Asians live in predominately liberal areas (big coastal cities) and in industries that are either liberal or libertarian (silicon valley, academia). And from my experience libertarianism only seems to have any hold whatsoever for white people, so that means they mostly become liberal (they may act conservative, but they identify as liberal).
There is also a coolness angle. Liberalism is hip, conservatism is not. Who doesn’t want to be hip and fit in.
The question of “Who gets what?” from Obamacare is easy.
Old white people will be denied services (aka “death panels”) so more money is available for blacks, browns and yellows, and the millions more that will trundle in over the next years (the next massive immigration wave is from Africa, just wait).
ASDF is right about Asians and social status. Asians are natural trend followers — not “natural Republicans” ha ha ha! — and they can sniff out social status cues as well as anybody. And every social status cue in America — every single one — screams “Republicans are disgusting racist losers, don’t be one.”
It’s over kids. Welcome to Blade Runner World.
“problem areas” like Information Technology
AKA “areas where white men can independently earn a decent living”
Yglesias knows that Murray is actually married to an Asian woman, has half-Asian children, and lived in Thailand? Yes, what a yaaacist!!
young,
I don’t think Murray is married to an Asian woman anymore. He was, but he is now married to an American. I might be wrong but I remember reading something about this.
Asians are natural trend followers — not “natural Republicans” ha ha ha! — and they can sniff out social status cues as well as anybody. And every social status cue in America — every single one — screams “Republicans are disgusting racist losers, don’t be one.”
Nail, head. Until the republicans can figure out how to counter this prevailing meme
RE Yglesias tweet, typical for him really, pretty pathetic how much he is paid to simply say “that’s racist” no matter what
You are probably thinking of Derbyshire who is married to an asian IIRC
I’m curious if East Asian fathers mind their daughters dating/marrying white men, or if normal anti-miscegenation instincts are strong in this case too.
You and the bartender are taking flak as a result of where you work (the Olive Garden and the local dive-bar), not what you do. I really doubt that the staff at high-end establishments get these sort of questions.
@peterike- The African immigration wave is already here sir. Half of all “Blk scholarships” etc , go to African immigrants.
Since people like you tend to see all Blacks in America as one mono ethnic group, you miss what is right below your eyes.
C.R – some Asians are Americans. Ain’t that right P .A .
You finally spelled it out instead of writing “blk.”
hahaha,
On the bartender thing, a guy told me his brother works as one and makes close to 6 figures…
He said I should look into it as I had complained about my job and, he added, it is a great way to meet women….
albert magnus,
I’m pretty sure I would have earned the scorn of all my friends and family, but I’m pretty sure I would have made more money and had more fun.
In terms of ease of getting women, a computer professional is one of the worst jobs and a bartender is one of the very best.
The African immigration wave is already here sir. Half of all “Blk scholarships” etc , go to African immigrants.
The immigration program we really need is to pay African countries to take in two shiftless American blacks in exchange for one African willing to work and actually raise their children.
I believe the dating blogger “Tyler D” actually recommended to white-collar types who work around a lot of provider betas and older people that they should moonlight as a waiter/bartender in order to have coworkers who could be natural wingmen and pivots. If you can work a day job, then moonlight as a waiter, and still have enough energy left to chug a Red Bull and party, then more power to you…
Service jobs in America are a two-sided coin. The money is ok but they are generally low status. Not enough traditional respectable status jobs for people with college degrees; the shrinking of the middle class.
But the best trend is in old school values, and for men that means killing. Or tool making, or just going somewhere fast. Women can aspire to that too. It does not require upper body strength or even an analytical bent, but rather a motivation that is generally that there is no alternative but such recklessness.
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Yes there is some ham up there but the point is on the topic that is raised by the “real job” question. Money is money but everything is up in the air and no one knows where anything is going. And has it always been that way probably but on the other hand the social forms in America and the rest used to go one way and now they do not.
The E-Mail of Doom from the Royal Navy man to his children, is rather quaint.
The grim old man is lambasting his children for not making responsible life choices and not being able to support their children, and he is disappointed in them. The plain language is very striking, is that a British thing? It is all reserve but then when it finally falls off it is the devastating cutting to the bone.
It is the same theme as with the bartender, being heckled by patrons for her life choices leading her behind the bar rather than to a used car lot sales office or the HR department somewhere respectable.
The point that it draws for me, is the old one about the lacklusterness of the liferoles in this play called life in the modern world. Man that is pretty deep, could be like a course about theatre for old community theatre hacks. Obviously (“Like, obviously, Man”) the existentialists would start the show. Where is Godot, did he ever show up or was he going somewhere, the other way maybe.
oh, another thing….
in big cities like LA and New York-it would make sense to ask someone what their “real” career is as they are likely trying to become artists/actors/musicians/screenwriters etc. and are doing time waiting to become famous….
Murray’s first wife was a one-handed Thai woman, with whom he has two daughters. They divorced and he then remarried a white American woman, with whom he has two more. The urge to posture is strong in Barrio Matty.
@PA – haha don’t act as if you didn’t miss the idiosyncrasies of Chic Noir.
Assuming all your financial needs and at least some of your wants are met, “real job” – tends to be judged on how much autonomy it provides.
The key question is: do 1) managers and 2) customers have the ability to turn your day upside down?
A. Experienced UAW guy or tenured prof: “1) No, and 2) no.”
B. Small-business owner: “1) No – I’m my own boss, and 2) yes.” – Frequently complains to Instapundit about not being as lucky as (A).
C. Office worker: “1) Yes, and 2) no – I don’t interact with them.” – Feels safer than (B) and wouldn’t trade places yet envies his alpha self-confidence.
D. Service industry: “1) Yes, and 2) yes.” The pinnacle of having your day controlled by others + strangers.
Chuck, take it as a compliment when they ask you what you want to do with your life. It means they perceive that you’re an intelligent young guy.