H2O Man Survey #39

[shraby]

6. I'll give it a go. There is a high level of stress in this country right from

the young to the very old people.
The young are inundated with unnecessary testing in the schools instead of having comprehensive lessons that cover the subjects they need to know before they advance to the next grade level. At graduation, there are if's and's and but's as to whether they will receive their diploma like they should if they have completed the courses.

In college the costs involved make advanced learning unattainable for many and a heavy debt for those who go.

The ones who don't go to college find few jobs that pay enough to branch out on their own without working 2 jobs to pay rent, food, health care, transportation, etc.

Middle age presents new problems, high mortgage/housing costs, not much savings, 401K's decimated periodically with stock market downturns so it doesn't grow much. Pensions being cut back if there are any at all, threats from the government constantly that retirement age is going to go up, or social security cut back or eliminated, medicare same story. Medicaid threatened with cut backs and putting restrictions on what food stamps can buy for those receiving them (these are programs for those on the rock bottom).

Old age is being constantly threatened by the government with cutbacks to their social security and medicare and threatened by laws to eliminate both which causes anxiety among the very old. Pensions also being eliminated and cut. Those are pensions that were being counted on to help live a decent life in their retirement because we all know Social Security isn't enough to live on.

Stress throughout life causes a lot of the problems we have in this country. The very government we count on can't be counted on to do what's right, and no matter what elections bring they haven't helped one iota.