Well, you're wrong about the "drone" part, I was hourly my entire life. But, I knew from the start Social Security would not be enough, so I didn't buy myself a bunch of expensive toys like boats along the way, instead I saved up. I knew Large Caps would explode under O'Bastard (at the expense of the Smalls), and I profited from that good guess. My options were not available to everybody.
@Cyber Liberty Good for you!
The problem is not everyone is as "gifted" with foresight as you were,and even some of the people that were had the skids knocked out from under them due to circumstances beyond their control when they were in their 20's or 30's. I was out of my career in the army at age 25 due to Agent Orange exposure in VN,and had no civilian job skills. Not only that,but at the time of my discharge NOBODY wanted to hire VN vets because were were "ALL psycho killers".
Yeah,I got several good jobs when I was able to work,mostly because I was willing to take minimum wage if I had to,with the hope that my attitude and dedication would help me get raises. Never happened. Somebody's neighbor or child got any of the "good jobs" that came open.
After all,what incinitive did the bosses have to promote me when they they knew they would have a hard time hiring anyone to replace me that would show up sober and work hard to do his best every day?
I got out of the army after almost 7 years with a 10 percent disability rating for back injuries I suffered on a parachute accident on Okinawa. That hurt me more than it helped me because NOBODY wanted to hire someone with a bad back. In fact,USPS turned me down twice because of it. Ironically enough,they finally had to hire me because once I got Agent Orange Disability,the weasel docs at the VA were so pissed at me and others getting it that in the same letter they gave me 30 percent disability for Agent Orange,they took away the 10 percent disability by claiming my back injury had cured itself.
BTW,I wasn't even eligible for unemployment after getting out out of the army because I was considered to be "handicapped". The $67 a month I was getting from the VA completely cut me off from receiving unemployment pay.
I was one of the lucky ones. I wasn't as sick or injured as some,and I didn't have children to support. Because of this I was able to take minimum wage jobs and live in the back of a panel truck. Most of the jobs I got were seasonal,and ended when cold weather came,so I just did whatever came along during the winters.
I would have probably turned to crime if Agent Orange hadn't became a public issue,and I hadn't read an article about it while living in Denver,and immediately going to the VA hospital there and filing an Agent Orange claim. It was after getting approved on that claim and the Denver VA docs having a hissy-fit and pulling my back injury disability to prevent me from getting 50 percent disability that I was able to get the post office job. I worked as a letter carrier for 5 years without losing any time before the Agent Orange came back,and after a few months of not being able to work and them not being able to fire me because the time I was missing was due to illness,they were forced to retire me on medical disability.
And I am one of the lucky ones. There are many,many others,who through no real fault of their own other than not being related to or connected to the "right" people,ended up working menial jobs their whole working lives.
