Charles Pierce has a delicious takedown of Bobo’s latest, in which the amazing keyboarding cabbage tells us that the discontent in the peasant class is really about (a) Harvard grads jealous because they are not gaining in prestige as rapidly as some of their classmates; or (b) the lesser educated, who don’t appreciate the virtues of chastity and hard work.
Seriously. If Marie Antoinette had been a New York Times columnist, she might have written this.
Elsewhere — perhaps concerned that the New York Post‘s accounts of orgies and STDs in Zuccotti Park aren’t doing the job, the latest smear of OWS is that the protesters are mostly spoiled rich white kids. The Daily Caller and David Brooks must have gotten the same memo.
Among addresses for which information is available, single-family homes listed on those police intake forms have a median value of $305,000 — a far higher number than the $185,400 median value of owner-occupied housing units in the United States.
As Steve M points out, $305,000 actually is below the median home price in the New York metropolitan area. Here’s a home for sale for $305,000 in Queens. [Update: The link isn’t displaying the photo, so I’m adding it here.]
In Manhattan, $305,000 can get you a co-op in Washington Heights (see Washington Heights).
“The median monthly rent for those living in apartments whose information is readily available is $1,850.” Again, that’s way below the median. I did a bit more searching and found what looked liked habitable studio and 1 bedroom apartments at $1,800 in Manhattan, but we’re not talking luxury. The young folks tend to squeeze three or four roommates into little apartments like that and split the rent.
The protesters against the ‘protesters’ are really clueless. The more false crap they spew to discredit the ‘protesters’ the more fuel they add to the fire already in the OWS bellies. If for no other reason, the OWS movement will continue thanks to the almost daily dumpster garbage courtesy of their opponents.
I’m sure that people use that stupid show “Friends” as some sort of guage on how young people in NY City. Real NYer’s always laughed at that show.
Now, take away the make-up artists and interior decorators, the actor/model-good looks, a whole lot of income and even more space, and you might understand how they really do live – like the chickens, pigs, and young cattle we eat that people protest about being inhumanely stacked one on top of the other.
About 12 years ago, I helped a former girlfriend move from upstate to NY. Her Manhattan “2 bedroom” apartment was probably about 7-800 sq. ft, and split-up into 3 little roomette’s (including the ‘living room’) to be shared with 4 other young ladies. The young woman who signed the lease had her own bedroom – TINY! 1 bathroom! She had the upper bunk, a roommate the lower, in a room smaller than most suburban bathrooms. And this was a mid-late 20’s woman, not some teenager at a camp! And all for the then “bargain” rate of around $500-600 a month – per person.
And you’d better watch out, David – what people do with their private parts is “Mini-Bobo†Douthat’s territory!
Food-fight in the NY Times cafeteria!
It’ll be a battle between Bobo’s mashed-potato sharp wit, and Douthat’s 1-Alarm Chili spicy intellect.
It’ll be a battle for the ages!
With two boob’s, and 4 tassled man titties in a “Steel Cage Death Match!â€
Oh, the humanities (students)!
Geez, they really will say anything, won’t they? Remember when the OWSers didn’t count because they were poor, and if you’re poor it’s your own fault (unless you say it’s Obama’s)?
I’m old enough to remember that. It was way back, oh, two or three days ago.
Hi Barbara
There’s an interesting debate going on concerning Buddhism and OWS at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kagyu/ – I’d be interested to hear your take on Buddhism and activism either here or buddhism.about.com.
My daughter (age 26) sent a phone message this weekend that she had not eaten in 2 days and was waiting until her food-stamps card is recharged on the first of the month. I just paid a deposit to get the water turned on at a place she’s not going to rent after all. The gas company won’t turn on the heat because its unsafe. The water heater quit and the landlord wants my daughter to pay for the repairs. She can’t and won’t so she’s without heat (in Ohio) and without hot water.
I have been helping her…. and helping my son who’s in his mid 20s and struggling in Orlando. I’m getting angry – not for myself – but for my kids. The 1% aren’t leaving them ANYTHING – while they tighten their grip on Congress & the economy. We in the real world are not debating political ideology – were fighting to survive. Brooks has no idea what’s happening outside the bubble he lives in.
Just keep telling yourself that The New York Times is “the liberal media.” I don’t know why David Brooks wastes his time there – he’d be more at home working for The New York Post.
Of course, if you want the real scoop, nothing beats conservative blogs. Hey, I heard those OWS elitist commie “protesters” have set up an abortion tent in Zucotti Park (the cost of which is paid for by Obamacare). Most of them are prostitutes (both male and female). They’ve also been selling drugs to high school students, while trying to indoctrinate them into Islam and other Satanic cults. Half of these terrorists are illegal aliens – with trust funds and degrees in liberal arts.
This info is 100% accurate. It was published on the Internet, by bloggers using names like “Atlas-Shrugged” and “Nuke-Iran.” How could you doubt them? How could you doubt David Brooks? Or Rush? Or anyone else on the Koch Brothers’ payroll.
Very good, Candide! My first chuckle of the day:)
Ya mean there ain’t no damned single wides in NYC?
I guess THAT would explain the infrequency of them pesky rotating storms.
Doug, sorry to hear about the tough times your kids are having.
You have to drive way upstate in NY to see mobile homes at all. I never did see any in New Jersey. I assume there are local ordinances against them, although I don’t know that for a fact. Damn shame; back home a single wide is everybody’s “starter home.”
Erinyes – Ty. The only reason I cited my personal circumstances was to personally validate what we all know. Even before things tanked in ’07, our kids were facing harder times than we had when we left the nest. The lack of jobs combined with government cutbacks is borderline desparate for some.
These are all our kids. And thanks.
Ditto, Doug. I wish I could help.
I’m so thankful my parents are still alive, or I’d be under an overpass.
That’s why infrastructure repair is so important to me. Where are we all going to live if the overpasses crumble? 🙂
Just hoping to give folks a little chuckle this morning…
We have several mobile home ‘developments’ here in the Poughkeepsie area.
One across the river is for senior citizens only. My parents had gone to look at some a while back. It’s incredible how beautiful some of them were. Of course, the were double-wides, and cost a fortune! Needless to say, the only ones my parents could afford looked like run-down mobile home versions of Baba Yaga’s house – only sans chicken legs:
https://www.google.com/search?q=baba+yaga+house&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=BLx&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=jIeyTqH2LuXu0gH2oPWrBA&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=931&sei=%20lIeyTueDJYno0QHBlLXXBA
Wow – that’s the longest link I’ve ever seen!!!
What are those counter-tops made of — they look mighty shiny!
I see nothing wrong with it being mostly rich white kids. Protesting with the poor and needy, FOR the poor and needy, isn’t spoiled, it’s the exact opposite of spoiled.
(Maha, this is not directed at you but the article you site).