What's a Communist's Take on This Piece?

[Phased Out]

Rule #1. Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase "it's not fair" 8.6 times a day. You got it from your parents, who said it so often you decided they must be the most idealistic generation ever. When they started hearing it from their own kids, they realized Rule #1.

Rule #2. The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as your school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it's not fair. (See Rule No. 1)

Rule #3. Sorry, you won't make $50,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.

Rule #4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he is not going ask you how feel about it.

Rule #5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren't embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.

Rule #6. It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me," and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it's on your dime. Don't whine about it or you'll sound like a baby boomer.

Rule #7. Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation try delousing the closet in your bedroom.

Rule #8. Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Nor even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on.

Rule #9. Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be perky or as polite as Jennifer Aniston.

Rule #10. Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.

Rule #11. Enjoy this while you can. Sure, parents are a pain, school's a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you'll realize how wonderful it was to be kid. Maybe you should start now.

I think that #5 and $10 are the most misunderstood perceptions of our society.

Number 5 is practically suicide for a young teen looking to build up their transcripts for college. Instead of participating in leadership activities or academic one, you'll go and flip burgers, earn minimum wage and probably spend it on mindless crap.

Number 10: Nerds don't end up in management. They usually end up in cubicle positions like programmers or engineers and work under someone who doesn't know anything about programming or engineering. (Project Managers is what they're called). There's a reason that former IT guy went nuts and flew a plane into an IRS building.

Number 9 is absolutely spot on. Although there are a lot of people who actually don't have to leave the coffee shop and don't have to work at a job. I actually pity them.

What's a communist's take on this sort of cliche ridden list? It's obviously a product of class society with reactionary undertones. It's as if nothing will ever change and this is what life will be like 100 years from now.

[#FF0000]

It's some dumb "get off my lawn wah wah wah" nonsense written by an old person who is bitter and jealous of young people because they still have full control over their bowels.

[Phased Out]

It's some dumb "get off my lawn wah wah wah" nonsense written by an old person who is bitter and jealous of young people because they still have full control over their bowels.

Actually, it wasn't. It was written by some super nerdy white guy who's in his late 40's now. Do you have a more in depth analysis of it?

http://www.the50rules.com/

[danyboy27]

the typical ''submit to authoritah!'' catchphrases meant to be used to accept or even rejoice over the horrible things our society create on a daily basis.

[#FF0000]

Actually, it wasn't. It was written by some super nerdy white guy who's in his late 40's now. Do you have a more in depth analysis of it?

http://www.the50rules.com/

He sounds like a happy and mentally healthy individual.

But, yeah, I just can't take this seriously because it make so many assumptions based on cliches and stereotypes about young people.

[Kotze]

Rule #1. Life is not fair. Get used to it.This stands in stark contrast to the philosophy of socialists who claim that the current society is fair. :rolleyes:
The average teenager uses the phrase "it's not fair" 8.6 times a day.Why can't the conservative pundits we have endured over the last 30 years write an article without making shit up? What happened to the tradition of leaving out crucial information without lying?
Rule #2. The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as your school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.Unless you are born into a rich family.
Rule #3. Sorry, you won't make $50,000 a year right out of high school.See above.
And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either.I take it that essay isn't from today.

I think you deserve to hear a joke from this list of crappy jokes RED DAVE linked to (http://www.nyu.edu/projects/ollman/docs/jokes.php):
Boss to employee: "Young man, you have risen very fast in this company. Two years ago, you began as an office boy. In a couple of months, you were a clerk. Then, you became a salesman, after that assistant manager, then manager. Now you are the vice president of the company. What have you to say about all this?"

Employee: "Thanks, Dad."
Rule #4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he is not going ask you how feel about it.So I take it the moral of the story is that under capitalism even your boss has a shit life, and people would be nicer to each other if there was a bigger public sector with pretty secure jobs?
Rule #5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity.I'm sure my grandparents call burger flipping "burger flipping" (they are still alive, grandparents being alive is a common occurence in satanogaysocialist Europe :P).
Rule #6. It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible.That settles the ancient question whose fault it is when you get paid less for being black on the job. It is not your parents' fault. It is your fault (proof: Michael Jackson).
Rule #7. Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation try delousing the closet in your bedroom.You don't need to have empathy with animals to care about nature, it's in humanity's long-term self-interest. Environmentalist issues have been around for generations now, it always has been an issue for my parents and grandparents. The author is dodging the question who really fucks the environment — it's a class issue.
Rule #8. Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Nor even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on.Who is "they" — again the author dodges the class issue. Does technology get less and less efficient? No. If technological development outpaces depletion of natural ressources why shouldn't we expect to have more and more leisure time? The answer is simple: It is because the means of production aren't under collective control.
Rule #9. Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom.Against whom is the author arguing here? Where are the legions of librul or lefty pundits who claim TV is realistic? :rolleyes:
Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be perky or as polite as Jennifer Aniston.No, but under socialism there won't be commercial breaks when you are ogling sexy people on TV. :cool:
Rule #10. Be nice to nerds.HOLY SHIT! A SENTENCE I CAN AGREE WITH!
You may end up working for them.So that's the reason, otherwise it's of course okay to bully them. :cursing:
Rule #11. Enjoy this while you can.I wonder if that guy wrote a list like that in another life.
Negroes! Enjoy slavery while it lasts!

Here is your motherfucking in-depth analysis.

[#FF0000]

This really isn't targeted against people of any political persuasion. It's targeted towards imaginary teenagers who don't work and mooch off their parents forever.

You know. Rich kids.

[Ele'ill]

Can someone suggest which ones for me to reply to- I don't feel like doing the entire list

[Ele'ill]

The entire list sounds like someone who is in a place of privilege and got there on the backs of other people- and continues to maintain wealth privilege through exploitation.

Why should someone WANT to "just suck it up and walk through the giant flowing knee deep river of shit"

HE wants them to because it serves HIS best interest.


This is how it starts. This is not a reality.

[BuddhaInBabylon]

this is some hokey ass shit.

Life is the ultimate variable and no subjective analysis or broad generalizations about the vaguest of possible common experiences can possibly begin to speak any sort of truth. F this.

[Decolonize The Left]

Rule #1. Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase "it's not fair" 8.6 times a day. You got it from your parents, who said it so often you decided they must be the most idealistic generation ever. When they started hearing it from their own kids, they realized Rule #1.

Rule #2. The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as your school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it's not fair. (See Rule No. 1)

Rule #3. Sorry, you won't make $50,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.

Rule #4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he is not going ask you how feel about it.

Rule #5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren't embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.

Rule #6. It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me," and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it's on your dime. Don't whine about it or you'll sound like a baby boomer.

Rule #7. Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation try delousing the closet in your bedroom.

Rule #8. Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Nor even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on.

Rule #9. Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be perky or as polite as Jennifer Aniston.

Rule #10. Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.

Rule #11. Enjoy this while you can. Sure, parents are a pain, school's a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you'll realize how wonderful it was to be kid. Maybe you should start now.

Rule #1: Life's not fair. Not only is fairness an illusion, but the notion that life should be one way or the other is a method of subordination. You know how your life is, and you know how you want it to be. Make it happen. Don't read the rest of these rules.

Rule #2: There is no such thing as 'the real world.' Anyone who tells you they know about 'the real world' is either on drugs and referring to the TV show or completely full of shit and trying to get something out of you. Perhaps some sense of self-satisfaction. You know about the real world because you are real and are living in the world.

Rule #3: Within the capitalist economic system you are inevitably going to find yourself being exploited. This is an ongoing and pervasive phenomenon with root causes which can be traced through history. Do your research and understand what's happening to you. Then do what you will with this information.

Rule #4: In regards to rule #3, you will find yourself being exploited and then forced into a choice between exploitation and poverty/humiliation. This will come at the hands of someone referred to as a 'boss,' and if this individual fails the police will tidy up where s/he left off. Be prepared and know your rights.

Rule #5: You know what you need to do to survive. Don't listen to some prick writing rules on the internet.

Rule #6: While you are responsible for your own actions, there is no such thing as free choice which exists within a vacuum of possibilities. This is a myth perpetuated to keep you in a condition of guilt and blame. Do not accept responsibility for a system which oppresses you - fight it.

Rule #7: Respect is something which is earned. You don't have to respect your parents because they birthed you, but you should provide them the respect they've earned through their actions and treatment of you as a child and adult.

Rule #8: Life is not divided at all - it is a continuum of experience which our conscious mind labels and divides in order to make sense of everything. Despite this, you are going to be forced to work as much as possible for as little pay of possible. The 'boss' will attempt to categorize and divide your time into segments and then pay you less due to certain classifications s/he decides upon.

Rule #9: TV is a useless waste of time. Ignore it and make music, write, watch a film, go outside, learn and educate yourself, fight for yourself.

Rule #10: Be nice to people who deserve your kindness. Stand up to those who don't.

Rule #11: If you took the OP's advice you wouldn't have read the rules in the first place as the OP's rules are certainly not the first time you've heard someone tell you to enjoy life while you can. The point is not to enjoy life but to make something of it. What that is and how it's done is up to you.

- August

[Scary Monster]

I second the post above. Now the weird dude who wrote the "rules" the OP posted knows jack-shit about life, as evident by how he just repeats, with no social analysis, word-for-word all the idiotic cliches weve all been hearing since we could remember.

[ComradeMan]

It reminds me of the BORG

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! SUBMIT TO OUR WILL!

[Revolution starts with U]

Sounds like jealousy to me :D (the guy who wrote the rules)