this post was submitted on 14 May 2024
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Real talk, you do understand that most of those places that have cheaper housing will pay me significantly less? I actually took the time to look at NJ (where the average cost of housing in Teaneck NJ is $830k for the same single family 3br home my folks have). A job in Teaneck NJ which is literally what I do pays $65k a year. A mortgage for $830k right now is about $7k a month with current rates, but with the equity I have in my home would probably be around the same $5k a month I’m paying. But I’d be earning almost half my salary. You’re taking this idealized view “oh just move, you’re being selfish if you stay in a HCOL area,” but you aren’t realizing that EVERYONE has been affected. House prices in the suburbs have shot up. Which is okay if wages kept pace, right? But they haven’t.
Edit: I’m also not old, I’m not even 28
Since you and your family are owners, the housing prices going up at worst is a wash, and at best you make a profit.
You and your family made many choices to benefit an enrich yourselves, all I'm saying is you dont get to then complain you were forced into your position. You aren't the abused people in this scenario, you are benefitting from it. See the point about someone owning an asset complaining its gained tremendous value year over year.
Edit to clarify: I'm actually advocating for far more than "just move", I'm saying people need to be ready to change and learn everything, even if it came down to a new city, field of study, field of work, or even language (although right now there is no place in the US that would require this leap).
We both bought during COVID, and only because the rates were so low. Our home prices have gone up, but not crazy (we had to pay extra for property taxes due to the appraised home value though), but I didn't mean to come off as abused. I'm doing well, and knock on wood whenever I get the chance [edited, spelling incorrect], but I also know I'm on a thin fucking tightrope - due to what I'm about to bring up next.
However, and this is what caused our discourse, I don't believe it's right for jobs like my father's to just vanish to the other end of the world. That has real life implications for everyone, someone's family, their mental health; it just messed him up for a while dude. To go back to the main topic of the thread, "Migrants aren't pushing down wages, its your boss," while you believe that we may not be promised anything in life (and this is true), what's the point of upholding this social contract, going to work and producing towards a GDP, towards a country, and doing your fair share; when you can't even be promised your end of the social contract, the American Dream? At that point, I'm sure my dad would have just made the decision to stay in India instead of coming to the US in 1996.
In one of my other comments, I talk about how my middle school janitor came to this country (back in like the 70's or the 80's), and purchased a house on a Janitor salary. Dude was unionized and was based af. From my experiences today, the American Dream is dying and not the same as what it once was. Whether it be Migrants, companies, the policies that allow for labor to be off-shored; it's infected and (in my honest opinion), not worth chasing atm. We aren't a third world country, but we're not a country that can provide that social contract for its youth. The youth works to enrich the old and rich, kept oppressed by low wages and replaceability (the off-shoring of work), no longer do the youth work to enrich themselves.
"what's the point of upholding this social contract, going to work and producing towards a GDP, towards a country, and doing your fair share; when you can't even be promised your end of the social contract, the American Dream?"
I agree completely (despite everyone having their own version of "the american dream"), I just think we have different ideas of how to get there. I dont know all the answers but I do know going back to any place we have already been is just worse with corruption, accountability, abuse, and disparity in quality of living.
I think the main difference now is that groups that were originally on the side that generally benefitted from all of this abuse, are now being targeted for wealth extraction themselves and they can no longer live happy middle-income lives. Everyone besides the wealthy are being pushed downwards.
I'd also argue that what you mentioned your father going through is a mental health issue, and it would benefit us all if we acknowledged the need to help people transition to new skills or ways of life that fit the new reality.
If we focus on moving backwards the world will leave us behind and we will suffer for it. Looking forward means embracing change, and those who are good at changing quickly will have the advantage.