My dad (silent generation): Back in my day, a guy could get a job at a gas station and be able to own a house and support a stay-at-home wife and kids. I dunno how you kids make it.

Me (gen X): Back in my day, a guy could get a job at a gas station and afford rent and food. I dunno how you kids make it.

I'm not sure when the guy in the comic was born. Medieval times maybe? Because economic conditions for working class folks have been getting steadily worse for the entire lifespan of everyone alive today, at least in the US.

[–] shadowSprite@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My mom, older genX, was a stay at home mom with a very part time job my whole childhood. She always complained that my dad didn't do enough to get us more money, but refused to work because she was the woman.

She also complained to me after I got married that she thought my husband and I would be fun loving people who did fun things, but apparently we had given up just like all the young people. She said it seemed no one young wanted to do anything with our lives anymore, we just worked and stayed at home and were boring people wasting our lives. She said she thought we'd be better but she guessed she was wrong. At the time there were 3 days total a month where my husband and I both had off work, every other day one or both of us were working. We literally didn't have time to go on vacation or go out to do fun things, we were always working or trying to catch up on errands. Bitch, I have rent to pay, unless you are going to chip in, fuck off, because if you think this is the life I chose think again.

[–] eslaf@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, all of them are so delusional living their lifes 40 years in the past and can't imagine that the world changed for the worse.

[–] RQG@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)

My father in law recently asked where all the depressed, burned out people who need to work from home or part time were on his day.

I didn't want to ruin the mood and say it but They probably killed themselves.

[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

You should have said it, some old farts need a reality check.

[–] UltimateBlackComrade@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You should tell him this!

[–] RQG@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm certain it won't change his mind one bit while making future family gatherings a whole lot more awkward.

[–] UltimateBlackComrade@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 1 year ago

You should tell it as a joke then. At least it will stay in the back of his mind.

[–] SwampYankee@mander.xyz 3 points 1 year ago

If not, their families probably institutionalized them.

[–] casmael@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Love how yer man’s just standing there in the last panel like ‘well this is unhelpful and now I’m upset’ so real

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 1 points 1 year ago

Too tired to do a webcomic "I am the smart one here, look look" kubrick-stare face.

[–] onlooker@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 year ago

Hell yes, I'm lazy. And proud of it. I went to school, I finished college, I tried to work hard and all I got in return was middling pay and more work. So of course I stopped working my ass off and started prioritizing my free time and well-being instead. In this day and age, laziness is a virtue.

[+] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world -20 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

At the same time, there are a lot of people, especially in my line of work as a mechanic, where they somehow expect to be able to sit around and not do much actual work and still collect a paycheck at double minimum wage.

Like yes, workers should be paid fairly for their time. But also, workers should be trying to do a good job. Employment is a give and take, and its really hard to find that balance. Working for yourself is a good solution, but you have to deal with a lot more such as taxes and marketing your business and such. Being hired at a bigger business takes all that pressure away to let you just focus on your job.

There is no perfect system, because it relies on both the employer and the employee to not be greedy.

[–] ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

One of those two people is already being greedy so yeah I'm not gonna say a fuckin word about that employee deciding they've had enough exploitation and choosing to do nothing.

This is coming from someone who's worked in food service his whole life. I've seen employees of literally all kinds. Yeah having people who want to work is great. Makes the day much smoother. But I'll never give someone shit for wanting to sit around or do the bare minimum because I would if I could.

[–] UltimateBlackComrade@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sounds like socialism will be a good solution for this since workers won't have to work so many hours to get their surplus value extracted to make a business profitable. Therefore, with socialism, people will be incentivized to work better since they will work fewer hours. 😊

[–] DessertStorms@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sounds like communism will be even better since no one would need money to survive and therefore "profit" wouldn't even be a consideration.

[–] UltimateBlackComrade@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah! Communism is the best economic system!

[–] Fraylor@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Double minimum wage? So like what, bust their ass for 14.50? All to make you feel good about your perception of their work? Blow it out your ass.

[–] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

No, in my area double minimum wage is $30/hr.

[–] BolexForSoup@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Double the minimum wage isn’t really that great in a lot of the US (assuming US here). $15/hr is ok. That’s less than $30k a year before taxes.

[–] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In California, double minimum wage is $30/hr, not $15.

[–] BolexForSoup@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Over 90% of america doesn’t live in California and most people mean the federal minimum wage unless otherwise stated.

$30/hr also means very different things in different cities in California.

[–] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

My point still remains, for $30/hr especially (which is a legal minimum here for mechanics with their own tools), an employee definitely should be showing up to work ready to actually do work and not sit around and collect a paycheck for doing nothing.

[–] eslaf@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If they can do this management is purely stupid or incompetent

[–] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Common problem in autoshops, actually.

[–] BolexForSoup@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Well you’re not who I was talking to so let’s find out what their hourly is as well as average rent in the area if you want to compare I guess? You’re talking about your own issues with your coworkers apparently doing nothing, but I wasn’t talking you and have no context.

[–] riodoro1@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You’re so concerned about other peoples work, are you their manager?

[–] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

No, I only manage myself. I am not concerned with other people having nearly non-existent work ethics, I am just disappointed.

[–] AllonzeeLV@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

If my paycheck makes me go 'meh' why in the hell should my work not say the same?

You'll find no shortage of people willing to take it up the ass with a smile every single day for 100k a year.

Capitalist's malfunction is that they want it both ways though. No money, only work!