Ignorance or bliss?

[OldHippieChick]

I recently met a lady who confounded me as I tried hard to be patient and understand.

She is 60-years old and recently was laid off. She says she has worked for 44 years and has never been out of work. She cannot find a job …

And yet – wait for it – she refuses to sign up for unemployment because

She’s afraid of Obama! She’s afraid he’ll take us to war. What?!

I tried to remain calm and countered her last argument first. I explained to her that it wasn’t Obama that wanted to go to war it was McCain and Graham.

Then I told her I do contract work and when a project ends I immediately apply for unemployment because I need that to stretch through until another project comes up.

She says “yeah, but that’s there for people who really need it” – Duh
So I ask “Don’t you really need it?”

I think a light bulb came on, but I’m still befuddled by her mindset and weird conclusions. Is it just ill-informed or Faux-News propaganda?

I will see this lady more in the coming months and hope to reason w/ her. But would appreciate any insight or ideas on approach.

[The_Commonist]

1. Here's my insight for you.

Something I learned many years ago:

You can't save everybody.
You can't reason with everybody.
There are, sadly, people who you just have to walk away from.
It might be worth trying, but at a certain point you may have to just let them go.

That's not necessarily the case with your new acquaintance, but you should be prepared to decide whether it's worth your time and energy to be confounded by attitudes that you will most likely never be able to change.

My 2 cents, and it's probably not even worth that much.

[pipi_k]

5. Let's make it

4 cents as I add my agreement to what you posted.

It's unfortunate, but yes...there will be people whose attitudes won't change even if a person talks himself blue in the face.

Which is something I personally need to remember, as often I find myself trying to explain something to someone and trying every means possible as I search for a way to make my point easier to understand.

Sometimes it's just an exercise in futility

[hfojvt]

2. at 60

Last edited Mon Mar 24, 2014, 01:58 PM - Edit history (1)

she's probably close to being eligible for social security.

It's sort of commendable that she WANTS to work, but OTOH, that desire seems as strange to me as anything else she said. I sure as hell don't want to be working when I am 60.

edit - okay I guess she still has two years for that.

[OldHippieChick]

3. She's at least 6 years away

from being eligible for that and by then she probably won't trust President Hillary Clinton!

I'm glad you don't want to work at 60, but many people have no choice. I doubt she has much of a pension, if any and she can't exactly sit around for 6 years waiting for that big $800 a month!

[Wounded Bear]

4. Early retirement SSI is available at 62...

at a reduced rate. It's still a ways off for that lady, and like I said, it's a reduced rate.

What baffles me is the staunch support for Republican/Supply-side/Chicago School economic policies after 30 years of inviolable proof that they don't work. Let me re-phrase that, they work fine for what they're designed to do, which is to reinforce and widen the income/wealth gap, but they don't create jobs, nor allow much to "trickle down" to anybody who isn't a winner in the genetic lottery.

How anybody over 50 could vote Republican over the last 30 years simply astounds me.

[hfojvt]

6. nonsense

I will be 52 in just four days, assuming I live that long (as he knocks on his head)

And at age 62 I can collect $656 a month (based on my 2006 earnings of $22,924 a year). At age 67 I can collect $993 a month.

Hmm, okay the age for "early" retirement is still 62. I thought it was earlier for older people.

My own calculations have shown that I am ahead of the game by collecting at 62, that you do not start losing until after age 80.

Well, dad turned 80 last December, but by then you are sorta too old for it to matter.

[OldHippieChick]

7. Part of the difference is also

that at 62, you can only earn an additional $14,000 per year or you have to pay back to SSA. After 66 (6 in your case) you can earn as much as you want over and above your SS.

I'm guessing on what she will earn, based upon what she told me she would earn from unemployment, which ain't much, but as I said to her "it's better than nothing".