Anyone see this Anti-OWS handwritten letter? Real or Fake?

[devilgrrl]

It sent my bullshit detector flying out the window.

[EFerrari]

1. It's fake and for an extra bonus, was not written by a college senior. n/t

[Critters2]

6. Do you have references for this? I have Facebook friends who've been

sharing this, and I would love to let them know it's bogus. Thanks in advance!

[EFerrari]

13. No, that's my evaluation.

No one supports themselves on 30 hours of minimum wage work AND saves anything. That's just baloney. And full scholarships for 3.8 is not likely when so many 4.0s go begging. I was 4.0 and was lucky to get two scholarships that partially covered my tuition.

Plus, anyone who has looked knows that the lower-cost state schools have less financial aid to give, so you apply to a higher ranked school if you need scholarships and have the grades.

And if you look at the letter itself, someone took a lot of care about the spelling and the printing but they didn't bother to paragraph. After three plus years of college, most people slip right into a three or four paragraph mode out of habit. This is a list. I don't think a student wrote this, let alone someone who has just been tested for four years.

The next time you see this "student" will be in the Penthouse forum. :)

[aikoaiko]

20. In GA right now, EVERYONE who graduates w/ a 3.0 from HS gets 90% tuition paid and some fees.

at public colleges and universities. And in some place rent and food can be had for 850 per month. A lot of things would have to go right and there would have to be sacrifices, but its possible.

The letter might be fake but it is possible under certain circumstances.

[uppityperson]

21. However, it still misses the fact that the CEO of the min wage job makes 1000 times more (# may vary

than the min wage workers do.

[aikoaiko]

23. That's true.

[EFerrari]

27. Tuition is only one expense of going to college.

What is the minimum wage in GA?

[aikoaiko]

37. 7.25 I believe. Fed rate.

Of course that goes a lot further in rural GA than other places.

Plus a second scholarship (apparently this student had a second one) and can take care of many other costs associated with college.

[EFerrari]

43. Except this "student" said both scholarships only partially cover tuition.

So, this student still has to pay some tuition, books, supplies and other fees, plus rent, food, utilities, transportation, insurance and tags if they have a car, clothes and misc. out of about $850 a month. And, they claim they are also saving some on this amount.

Sure.

[aikoaiko]

46. Most people couldn't do it.

But some people could if they were lucky.

[EFerrari]

50. Most 21 or 22 year olds don't have that kind of impulse control

let alone luck.

Another thing, a real person in this situation and at that age would probably be in a roommate situation. They wouldn't try to fudge the numbers to make the impossible look virtuous.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

70. But 30 hours a week at minimum wage is $240 at most, or $960 a month

Even with a scholarship, even in a Southern state, that's not much to go to school on.

The sign may appeal to people who went to school a long time ago. In Minnesota, for example, annual tuition for the University of Minnesota was 300 times the minimum wage in 1968 ($375 at a minimum wage of $1.25). That's right, 300 hours of work per year would pay your basic tuition. For rent, you figured $50-$75 a month per bedroom. So there's another 60 hours of work per month. Food was cheap, too.
In those days, a week's groceries for one person was $20, so there was another 16 hours per week. The hours start to add up at this point, but it was possible to work one's way through college, especially if one took fewer classes than the maximum and graduated in five years instead of four.

[Mimosa]

52. ^ Totally agree with EF's analysis ^ n/t

[Chan790]

56. Also agree with EFerrari's analysis.

That was written by a professional copywriter...the telltale marks of a professional writer with PR training are all over it from verbiage to sentence structure.

It's astroturf.

Edit: punctuation.

[EFerrari]

58. By sentence structure do you mean the "I+verb" thing?

It is punchy and totally uncharacteristic of untrained college writing. It's too clean.

[Chan790]

61. That and it's clearly professional copy.

It's very tight, there are no wasted words or thoughts. It's clearly been edited and it's polished. Exactly that, it's very clean.

Usually when you see writing by a non-professional or less-experienced writer, they tend to dwell on points needlessly or meander or repeat themselves or leave logical gaps. Even good writers do these things which is why nothing in print is nearly ever first draft. Write first, edit later, tighten it all up in the final copy as the adage goes.

[FarLeftFist]

66. FAKE!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. It could be real and written by a fool - a college kid who's been reading Ayn Rand

and thinks he can be John Galt.

[dkf]

3. That's how I did it.

My siblings all went to the state university and we all worked to pay our tuition. No student loans.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. In what years? I paid for my college too, but it was only $2600 a year.

[dkf]

26. Late 80's early 90's for me.

My sister got her bachelors/ masters all in the 90's. It's probably more significant that she didn't have any debt.

[devilgrrl]

8. When did you go to college? The early 70's?

:popcorn:

[Critters2]

11. I did it in the late 70's. Between my folks' savings, and several jobs, I got my BA without debt.

Not so with graduate school, for which I did need loans. But I realize I was lucky, and probably couldn't do the same today.

And I would never gloat about my good fortune the way this jerk is doing.

[devilgrrl]

14. It was easier to accomplish that back then.

And I totally agree with your comment regarding the previous poster.

:puke:

[SlimJimmy]

45. Same here. It's tough, but it can be done.

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Yes, posted multiple times yesterday. It's just Herman Cain saying again,

"If you're unemployed or not rich, it's your fault."

[deaniac21]

5. It sent my who gives a shit detector into orbit.

[SpiralHawk]

9. Republicon puppetmasters paid for this black-ops disinformation

The Republicon fatcats shot a big wad of money paying some occult PR mindf*ck specialist to create this false propaganda. I heard.

[AleksS]

10. There's website replying to this meme that's

There's website replying to this meme that's both funny and sad.

Worth taking a look:

http://actuallyyourethe47percent.tumblr.com/

[jmowreader]

74. The best one is the waitress/freelance cartoonist/data entry clerk

She claims she doesn't care what the 1 percent pay in taxes because "it's what's left that allows them to eat out, hire employees and buy freelance cartoons."

Uhh...check again, dear; hiring employees and buying freelance cartoons come out of CORPORATE income, not PERSONAL income--and those are ordinary and necessary business expenses, hence TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

Maybe if you trolls didn't hate taxes so much, you might bother to learn how they work.

[Bonhomme Richard]

12. Two scholarships that cover 90% of tuition for a kid with.....

"decent grades"? Not top of the class with a football/sports background? I don't think so.

[EFerrari]

17. At a state school? Nope. n/t

[aikoaiko]

22. You may be surprised to learn that in GA, every HS grad with a 3.0 gets 90% of their

public college/university tuition paid and some fees paid. Another second scholarship and you could get all fees and books paid easily.

[Critters2]

25. If that's how this kid did it, he should stop boasting about having done it himself.

The people of Georgia paid for his education.

[aikoaiko]

28. Its called the HOPE scholarship in GA and yes all the Lotto and Megamillions players paid fund it

Someone else always pays for the scholarship.

[a simple pattern]

31. That sounds pretty progressive.

That sounds like something that should happen everywhere!

[aikoaiko]

38. It should and it can.

[gratuitous]

40. And if our budding young scholar got this tuition assistance

How was that funded (taxpayers), and in what universe would it be considered not "handed" to him? Seems there's one standard for assistance when it's doled out others, and quite another standard when our anonymous scrivener is the beneficiary.

[aikoaiko]

44. In GA we call it the HOPE scholarship and its earned the same way as most others.

This particular scholarship is funded through lottery profits.

I too think scholarship receivers would think of themselves of fortunate beneficiaries of generosity.

My only point was to dispel the myth that scholarships at state schools do not pay for 90% of tuition.

[gratuitous]

47. Not at all

I don't doubt that some states do indeed help students with college tuition, and nothing but good on them. But for the fellow writing his little rugged individual manifesto, it seems highly disingenuous to claim that nothing has been "handed" to him if he was indeed the beneficiary of the HOPE scholarship program. There may be a little myopia in his utopia.

[EFerrari]

54. It doesn't look like the Hope Scholarship because that pays all

of tuition, not 90%. On the other hand, since it was projected to go broke next year, it looks like there is now an income cap for families' incomes, caps for tuition costs, and stipulations like you can't use these funds to pay for remedial courses and more that hasn't been announced yet.

And I'm not sure what myth you're talking about but state colleges have less financial aid to give away in the first place. You might get your tuition paid if you qualify and apply in time but there's not much else there to apply for.

[aikoaiko]

60. The HOPE scholarship changed this year. It used to pay all for HS GPAs >3.0

now it pays 90% for GPAs > 3.O and 100% for GPAs > 3.7. That was to solution for more kids being eligible for HOPE than lottery profits could fund.

They talked about family incomes as criteria, but the HOPE was sold as a pure merit scholarship and not a need based scholarship.

Regarding the myth, its apparent to some people in this thread that there arent' scholarship at low cost state universities up to the level of 90% and my point is that there are.

[murielm99]

15. This is BS, and anyone who had children who graduated

from college within the last ten years, or has done so themselves, knows it.

My two older kids went to private universities because they had great scholarships. It ended up costing about the same as a public school.

My youngest went to a public school. She had scholarships too, and was in the honors program.

They all lived cheaply and we helped as much as we could. They still have debt, despite their frugality.

I hated seeing them give up so much, but they had to if they wanted a future.

Screw this b.s. I have seen my own family, and others make real sacrifices and still end up with debt, unemployment or Wal-Mart level jobs.

This type of b.s. is exactly why we are angry. Shove that missive up your ass, lying scum.

[uppityperson]

16. If "started saving money for school at 17", how much can you earn in 1 yr while

going to highschool? Otherwise, congratulations on your getting a college degree without debt. Good luck finding a job that pays you enough to afford an apartment that is not subsidized by socialistic scholarships or pell grants.

[Roselma]

18. Probably b.s., but it misses the point altogether. OWS is NOT

ASKING for a handout from government or charity. It is a straw man argument to suggest that they are by posting crap like the note in the photo. Is the idea to suggest that OWS is about sucking off the government teat and that this fine person isn't sucking? If so, it means n.o.t.h.i.n.g. OWS is NOT about wanting handouts from the government. It is about income inequality and about the fact that the high rollers on Wall Street destroyed our economy.

[uppityperson]

19. Do you feel the CEO of the company should make 1000 times more than you?

Why?

I'd like to see the answers that person gives as they miss the point.

[Johonny]

24. People in the 99 % are not there by doing something wrong

like the example in the picture, you can do everything you consider "right" yet you still end up in the 99 %. Upward mobility, salaries, interest rates are all down. There is no indication that Americans have suddenly become lazy. In today's America you can do everything right and still find yourself falling behind, in debt, in poverty. The sign does nothing to address this problem or indicate the writer even understands the problems associated with the 99 %.

[GrantDem]

51. +1

[canoeist52]

29. "I wanted to respond to you as a liberal."

"Because, although I think you’ve made yourself clear and I think I understand you, you don’t seem to understand me at all. I hope you will read this and understand me better, and maybe understand the Occupy Wall Street movement better."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/12/1025555/-Open-Letter-to-that-53-Guy?via=search

Best response yet

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

30. Sees himself as a John Galt encountering an Ayn Rand sighing "take me!" at his desk on Wall Street.

[Warpy]

32. Fe fi fo fum I smell a big, stinking pile of bullshit

That scenario might have been possible until the early 70s when minimum wage was enough that you could live on it (usually with roommates) working 30 hours a week. It's been total bullshit since then.

Whoever wrote this is older than god or an idiot or both.

[kctim]

33. Real or fake?

Apparently, it depends if you support the view or not.

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RoccoR5955]

34. FAKE as ever!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

35. Who cares.....they are STILL in the 99%

For all that fancy college education, they are too stupid to realize it.

[agent46]

36. It's a slave manifesto

Poor corporatized thing.

[Motown_Johnny]

39. So how was the tuition payed for?

It says only that he/she pays for living expenses and is debt free.

Daddy picking up that check?

[Frustratedlady]

41. It's Cain's "economist" and that's why he doesn't show his face.

If he is so proud of his accomplishments, step forth and identify yourself. Nothing to be ashamed of, right?

[Rex]

42. Even if it is real...who cares...the author clearly is stupid

and doesn't even realize they are making strong points FOR -OWS-, not against!

A fool with a 3.8gpa. :rofl:

[Kat45]

48. He does not understand what the 99% is/means.

It is everyone who is not in the top 1% financially, which means almost everyone. It is not a person's decision to be part of that group; it's just the way it is for almost all people. Though he may misunderstand the movement, look down on it and choose not to be part of it, he IS part of the 99%.

[Aerows]

49. FAKE

Full of crap.

[krispos42]

53. "moderately-priced, in-state public university"

In other words, taxpayer-supported and artificially cheap.

Doubtless he or she uses the taxpayer-subsidized library computers and internet access in lieu of owning his/her own computer/smartphone/tablet with his/her own internet account.

Decent grades in high school... would that be a taxpayer-funded high school? Most likely.

"Started saving for school at age 19". We don't know how old this student it. He/she could be 30, which means he/she had to put off school for over a decade doing a job for which a higher-education was not needed, in order to attend this taxpayer-subsidized cheap university. So because he/she didn't want to take student loans at a high, for-profit APR, he/she loses a decade of well-paying, college-educated, career employment (and the attendant retirement and SSI benefits) at the modest price of a low-percentage college loan, replacing it instead with a decade of low-wage work.

Yeah, that's the GOP plan in action... :sarcasm:


And what if this oh-so-hard student got his girlfriend/wife pregnant (male) or got pregnant (female)? Well, abortion is now outlawed, so guess what? You have to make a choice... kid or college?

And of course your 30-hour-a-week minimum wage job has no benefits, you can't afford private insurance, and Medicare has just been privatized. What do you do, hot shot?

Prayer that the kid's born healthy and you/your wife/your girlfriend don't rip themselves apart or DIE in the birthing process?




What a crock of shit.



Thom Hartmann was able to do this in the pre-Reagan era. I doubt it's happening now.


And if it is.... then this person ISN'T part of the 99%. Somehow, through some fluke of statistics, this person has resisted the rampant commercial message (making him a terrorist supporter, remember) and avoided catastrophic job loss, predatory lending, etc., to triumph.

[slackmaster]

55. It's on the Internet, so it has to be real

:dunce:

[krispos42]

62. ...

[greendog]

57. Strathmore Series 300 Drawing Paper

14"x 17". $15.75 for a pad of 50 sheets. Really nice hand printing.

This probably came from the Art Dept. of some right wing think tank. The kid who did this was probably paid 10 bucks an hour and has $60,000 in Art School debt.

[Bigmack]

59. I posted this on three different posts of this POS...

(I stole at least part of it from somebody on DU.. Thanks, whoever!)

That's nice, kid. Get back to me in 20 years' time when you no longer have access to cheap student accommodation, your savings have been wiped out by an illness or other catastrophic event, and you're still working in those three minimum wage jobs because all the good jobs have been outsourced to India by that same 1% whose culpability you doggedly refuse to acknowledge. As for making it through college on two scholarships that paid for 90% of your tuition, that is about about as rare as unicorn sightings. You are correct about one thing, you are not the 99%. Everyone else is up to their eyes in debt paying for college. I am going to assume you are part of some organization that is footing their bills because I can't imagine someone getting a 3.8 is getting a free ride.... with your "decent" grades in High School. See how much you will enjoy being laid off while in your mid forties or fifties, and how your various meds cost more than you make. Oh.. don't get sick or hurt.
You obviously didn't take Economics, or you'd realize Wall Street's bad decisions and frauds are costing us all and there's more cost to come. Grow up and look around at what's happening. You are being screwed and you don't seem to even know it. Oh... and another thing, kid. You're not debt free. The clowns in both parties who run this country spent $2 Trillion on wars of choice. Your share of that is about $7K. Today's Wall Street Journal will tell you that wages are down in this country and won't rise for at least 10 years. There are 5 unemployed for every job opening. Median household income fell 23% between 2007 and 2009, and half of American workers now make $500 a week or less. The US has the 2nd lowest economic mobility in the developed world. So... considering your war debt and stagnant wages and the unemployment picture and the fact that you won't be buying a house anytime soon.... I have one question: Why aren't you in the streets?

[Quantess]

63. Only if s/he also sells drugs or is a hooker.

There's just no way.

[flvegan]

65. FAIL. Regardless of any (albeit bouncy) success you're still one of us.

You won't be in the 1%...ever, I'm guessing. This is too stupid to even deal with, why do folks give it legs?

Enjoy the job market. Bouncy bouncy bouncy picture poster. LOL!

[alcibiades_mystery]

68. Doesn't show his face. Therefore, fake

It's pretty simple. If the letter was true, we'd see the writer's face. The genre includes the portrait. The only reason to hide the face is because revealing it would disprove the letter, when people who see you and know you dispute it. There's no legitimate reason to hide your face in these things. Unless the letter is bullshit.

End of analysis, and end of fucking story.

[Fearless]

76. +1

[gkhouston]

69. Is it handwritten? Looks more like some artsy font. n/t

[eridani]

71. Surely we have some handwriting analysts here?

That sign is way too big to have come from a real steno pad. It would be great if someone with serious expertise did an analysis of all the fake signs and clustered them in groups probably written by the same person. Seems the assholes have learned about how easily photoshopping can be traced via the internets tubes, and aren't using faces as much.

[coalition_unwilling]

72. RW agitprop that mixes the vaguely personal with the overtly

ideological.

Here's the real question: why is this person unwilling to show his (I'm guessing his b/c of the diction) or her face?????? You would think, from the smug and arrogant tone of the poster, that he or she is proud of his or her accomplishments.

My guess is that the person hodling this sign is a known RW shill and would be recognized as such.

Most, if not all, OWS protesters are not afraid to be seen and photographed with their signs (at least at Occupy Los Angeles).

[AsherWI]

73. 100% fake

Another lovely photoshop job done by the RNC.

[Fearless]

75. Nice cable tv cord in the background... I call fake for the "thrifty college student".

Also Mr./Ms. "I expect nothing given to me" gets scholarships and goes to a public university. Oops.