Interesting, I did not take any of that (about social security and retirement age) from this story. Certainly I didn't read any of these retirees complaining or ever mentioning social security. They seem determined to make the most of a tough situation.
Well, I think it's sad to see elderly people working such jobs. But what's the solution? More social security? More welfare? Maybe. There was a common theme in that article that many lost their nest egg in the '08 crash. If we actually put bankers in jail for financial crimes, and there were plenty in '08,maybe we can prevent this from happening to the next generation. I can't imagine boomers having the same pick yourself up by the boostraps mentality as the silent generation.
I agree, but I think it's instructive that they do not find their situation "sad." No where in this article do I get the sense they are asking for help.
One thing I appreciated most about this article is that the author did not appear to be "sending a message."
I don't know if you've watched the movie "Nomadland" based on a book by this same author, but it's the same. It shows the challenges and victories of those who have lost everything, but purposely avoids the "and that's why we need to do this!" kind of journalism I find so exhausting.
I think we have reached a point where it is hard to simply admit someone is suffering because we feel like that means we must agree to a predetermined prescription. I think empathy has value and people know a con when you constantly tell them stories while shaking a collection plate at them.
I also find the people I want to help most are the people who ask for help least. I real a lot of heartbreak stories and simply shrug. This story touched me because it asked nothing of me. I find myself asking what we could do to make their life better.
Well, according to the author the people he interviewed seem to not mind working. But the representation we received may or may not have been accurate. And even if it was accurate, there is not reason to believe that the handful of subjects he interview are representative of the working elderly as a whole. The stores certainly make me feel very sympathetic, and like you I wish we as a society could do something to help them. But whenever someone starts jerking my emotional strings, I also have a voice in the back of my head asking who they are and what's their goal. There are far more Rachael Maddows and Bill O'Reillies out there than Upton Sinclairs.
Interesting, I did not take any of that (about social security and retirement age) from this story. Certainly I didn't read any of these retirees complaining or ever mentioning social security. They seem determined to make the most of a tough situation.
Well, I think it's sad to see elderly people working such jobs. But what's the solution? More social security? More welfare? Maybe. There was a common theme in that article that many lost their nest egg in the '08 crash. If we actually put bankers in jail for financial crimes, and there were plenty in '08,maybe we can prevent this from happening to the next generation. I can't imagine boomers having the same pick yourself up by the boostraps mentality as the silent generation.
I agree, but I think it's instructive that they do not find their situation "sad." No where in this article do I get the sense they are asking for help.
One thing I appreciated most about this article is that the author did not appear to be "sending a message."
I don't know if you've watched the movie "Nomadland" based on a book by this same author, but it's the same. It shows the challenges and victories of those who have lost everything, but purposely avoids the "and that's why we need to do this!" kind of journalism I find so exhausting.
I think we have reached a point where it is hard to simply admit someone is suffering because we feel like that means we must agree to a predetermined prescription. I think empathy has value and people know a con when you constantly tell them stories while shaking a collection plate at them.
I also find the people I want to help most are the people who ask for help least. I real a lot of heartbreak stories and simply shrug. This story touched me because it asked nothing of me. I find myself asking what we could do to make their life better.
Well, according to the author the people he interviewed seem to not mind working. But the representation we received may or may not have been accurate. And even if it was accurate, there is not reason to believe that the handful of subjects he interview are representative of the working elderly as a whole. The stores certainly make me feel very sympathetic, and like you I wish we as a society could do something to help them. But whenever someone starts jerking my emotional strings, I also have a voice in the back of my head asking who they are and what's their goal. There are far more Rachael Maddows and Bill O'Reillies out there than Upton Sinclairs.
Oy vey, sorry for all the typos. Hit post too early.