fat-ass-bike wrote:
There were more then 68,000,000 smokers and we had doctors, dentists and politicians endorses how great it is. The only reason we don't have a prohibition yet, is the taxes it generates and the campaign funds donated by the tobacco industry.
We all know smoking kills and causes major health issues, yet we still make it available - If cocaine could be taxed, it too would be made available. As I said governments and legislators are lobbied and 'owned' by the corporate world not the voice of the common man that voted them into office.
It would be interesting to know (FOI) how much campaign funding comes from McD's ! I guess campaign donations have more 'pulling power' then a vote!

heights wrote:
Quote:

Monroe wrote:
I must say, though, I'm disheartened when I read here about the people who can't get a leg up-and then I recall that in this terrible winter, I didn't see a single teen or young adult walking around with a shovel looking to make a buck doing a driveway, a sidewalk, clear out a car-and I'm not downtown, when I'm in JC I'm near BeLa/Greenville area.
I used to live for snowy days when I could walk around and make a buck as a teen-and I didn't start going to paying customers until after I did a few elderly neighbors that my dad MADE me do for free. That all went into my personal karma bank, I guess, although it annoyed me at the time.
So where's the work ethic? Why did three teens ask me the other day if I had any spare change?

Perhaps the today's teens are not bonded or the property owners are worried about the risk factor their liability insurance rates. Also are you sure those 3 teens weren't about to mug you ? Plus I would not give money to strangers especially children.

Monroe wrote:
I must say, though, I'm disheartened when I read here about the people who can't get a leg up-and then I recall that in this terrible winter, I didn't see a single teen or young adult walking around with a shovel looking to make a buck doing a driveway, a sidewalk, clear out a car-and I'm not downtown, when I'm in JC I'm near BeLa/Greenville area.
I used to live for snowy days when I could walk around and make a buck as a teen-and I didn't start going to paying customers until after I did a few elderly neighbors that my dad MADE me do for free. That all went into my personal karma bank, I guess, although it annoyed me at the time.
So where's the work ethic? Why did three teens ask me the other day if I had any spare change?

Monroe wrote:
If McDonalds violated laws on democracy, civil rights, labor laws, or human rights they'd be shut down.

The beauty of a democracy, which you seem blind to, is that as long as you don't violate those laws you can sell a legal product. In fact, our democracy sells products (tobacco, alcohol, and often marijuana) that cause severe damage if abused-or even casually used.

And, in a democracy, you may choose not to purchase any of these legal products and tilt at windmills on a message board.

Of course, your voice is somewhat muted by the 68,000,000 that daily visit McDonalds.

MDM wrote:
Quote:

owlie wrote:

OMG, they have decent coffee? Since when has their coffee been considered decent? Egg McMuffins are good??? How much do you weigh?

I grab a McMuffin sometime when at the NY office. We are talking about once or twice a month. I don't eat fast food every day (normally bring lunch.... I'm frugal). I always thought McDonalds coffee was decent.. I liked it better than Starbucks which IMO you pay way too much for something that tastes burnt.

However I was fat. Put on a ton of weight after breaking my shoulder. Once my arm became functional again (lots of nerve damage.. took a few years) I dropped 25 lbs: Exercise, supplements*, and diet changes. What really helped was cutting waaay back on sugar and carbs. I found out eating more protein and fat gave me more energy and I ate a whole lot less.

* off topic... but for anyone here who had elevated cholesterol or are suffering from plateauing in your exercise routine: Pantethine. it's a form of B5. Made a big difference for me.

bodhipooh wrote:
Those who claim that bootstrapping your way out of poverty is impossible nowadays are alarmists of the worst kind... you are acting as apologists for a culture of entitled, lazy individuals. How can you make such a claim, when you have millions of immigrants, many (most?) here illegally, risking life and person, to try and eke an living. And, guess what? The vast majority of them work more than one job, and they send money back to their families in their home countries, and for those who have family here, they are often instilling on their kids the importance of getting ahead and working hard. As others have pointed out, the current generation of teens simply doesn't want to work jobs, especially those they deem beneath them. That's a CHOICE.

By the way, this topic reminds me of something I saw in Germany a few years ago. While working there, I was watching a local news segment on unemployment. After talking about how so many crops were going to waste because there wasn't enough people to work the fields, the reporter asked a few unemployed Germans why they weren't taking those jobs, and their responses were: crop harvesting jobs are for Poles, and working out on a field was beneath Germans. And, besides, they could get more money from the government on unemployment benefits than working those jobs. It was a bit sad, and appalling. I think a similar dynamic is at play here: too many people find it easier to NOT work and relay on handouts.

I just don't see why McD's should be expected to pay $15/hr. If you need more money, get a better job, or get a second job.

owlie wrote:

OMG, they have decent coffee? Since when has their coffee been considered decent? Egg McMuffins are good??? How much do you weigh?

MDM wrote:
Quote:

owlie wrote:
I think all McDonalds franchises should be shut down. It's a bad product. It hurts people.

They have decent coffee and the egg McMuffins are good.

SRhia wrote:
I could be wrong, but I see that the newer generation nowadays are so "entitled"!

owlie wrote:
I think all McDonalds franchises should be shut down. It's a bad product. It hurts people.

fat-ass-bike wrote:
Quote:

Monroe wrote:
Don't like capitalism? Row a boat over to Cuba, where EVERYONE HAS A LOUSY QUALITY OF LIFE EXCEPT THE POLITICIANS.

Because that's where Marxist economics leads you. Want to pay someone $15/hour to flip burgers?

Open up your own burger shop and do it! Just do it! Don't whine about what other people should do with their money.

God, what a bunch of silly, entitled whiner/losers with no solutions other than to reach into other peoples pockets.

Luckily I can afford to be amused by the bleating.

Knuckle-head ... You obviously live in a bubble with no social conscience where you believe its ok to prey on others ... There is good capitalism and bad ... McDonalds and Walmart are clear examples of bad.

You need to change your avatar name to "bubble-boy"

Monroe wrote:
I'm quite charitable, especially to disabled veterans and recovering substance abusers specifically, along with donations to my church.

I must say, though, I'm disheartened when I read here about the people who can't get a leg up-and then I recall that in this terrible winter, I didn't see a single teen or young adult walking around with a shovel looking to make a buck doing a driveway, a sidewalk, clear out a car-and I'm not downtown, when I'm in JC I'm near BeLa/Greenville area.

I used to live for snowy days when I could walk around and make a buck as a teen-and I didn't start going to paying customers until after I did a few elderly neighbors that my dad MADE me do for free. That all went into my personal karma bank, I guess, although it annoyed me at the time.

So where's the work ethic? Why did three teens ask me the other day if I had any spare change?

score09 wrote:

Lol, we see this argument all the time and it is in my opinion just ludicrous. It is so goody two shoes, make me want to puke!

First, our people need JOBS and our country's civic duty is to take of the citizenry, not the corporate elite.

Second, this corporation's stock price has QUINTUPLED since 2003. Who here among us here is seeing any profit from that?

Third, this corporation IS BEING SUBSIDIZED BY TAXPAYERS since so many of its employees are forced to apply for governmental benefits.

Lastly, this argument assumes the fallacy that one can simply bootstrap their way to a better life, which has already been debunked by many pundits many times over. There is a transaction earlier in this thread that has already addressed and debunked this tired, old argument.

Please.

Monroe wrote:
Don't like capitalism? Row a boat over to Cuba, where EVERYONE HAS A LOUSY QUALITY OF LIFE EXCEPT THE POLITICIANS.

Because that's where Marxist economics leads you. Want to pay someone $15/hour to flip burgers?

Open up your own burger shop and do it! Just do it! Don't whine about what other people should do with their money.

God, what a bunch of silly, entitled whiner/losers with no solutions other than to reach into other peoples pockets.

Luckily I can afford to be amused by the bleating.

score09 wrote:
Second, this corporation's stock price has QUINTUPLED since 2003. Who here among us here is seeing any profit from that?

Third, this corporation IS BEING SUBSIDIZED BY TAXPAYERS since so many of its employees are forced to apply for governmental benefits.
Please.

score09 wrote:
Very true FAB!

Not only is it listed on the New York Stock Exchange, it is a DOW component (meaning, it is one of the 30 most capitalized corporations in the land.) So, of course, their obligation is to the SHAREHOLDER and not the employee.

It is a disgusting, repulsive and repugnant symbol of capitalism, and by extension, America, land of the "free," lol.

SRhia wrote:
I think people should realize that working at McD (and any fast food place, coffee place, etc) are NOT full time jobs - well, at least they are NOT suppose to be.

I believe those places are meant to be part time jobs where people (like students) want to make some extra spending money.

Therefore, of course they don't pay a "living wage".

if people want "living wages", then they should get proper full time jobs (and perhaps start with a proper education first, too).