"I'm so sick of people complaining about gas prices!"

[VolcanoJen]

"Gas costs what it costs. Same with heating your house this winter. It's not like you can do anything about it, so stop whining and pay your bills."

One of my more freepy coworkers was blasting a whole group of us last night with this speech of hers.

Just after Hurricane Katrina, when a few of us were pretty-well horrified by watching the unfolding events on television, she chirped up by saying,

"Why do you guys watch that stuff? It's so depressing."

When a few of us start talking about the war in Iraq, she says,

"I talk to plenty of soldiers, and the Iraqi people need them there. The soldiers want to be there, so why don't you stay out of it and let them do their job?"

How on earth am I supposed to respond to someone with such absolute conclusions as this woman? You just can't argue with her, because absolutely nothing going on in the world bothers her.

Any suggestions, outside of ignoring/avoiding her entirely? :-)

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Put your arm around her every time she goes off

and say "I love talking to you. I love knowing some things never change" and then give her a great big caramel candy bar so she has to keep her mouth closed.

[AirmensMom]

2. She clearly has no compassion.

For what it's worth, my daughter does not want to go to Iraq.

:shrug:

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. That person will be singing a different tune about all this

if Dems reclaim power. The bitching will be non-stop.

[Mikimouse]

4. Find some real pity in your heart for her...

Anything else is a waste of time and effort.

[whatever4]

5. One thing

Ask her what if means to her, our nation, and the world, if she, and so many others like her, are wrong?

What if your side, my side, the opposition, is right, and we are being lied to in many very terrible ways, what would it mean...and might it explain why so many of us are so very upset??

Remind her, like with Vietnam, sometimes the screaming meemies tree-hugging liberals are right. It's why we keep them around, right? We're the canary in the coal mine, and we're dropping like flies. She might want to consider what it means if her convictions are based on lies.

What the price if you are wrong, oh freeper heads everywhere, what if you're flat wrong??

[unpossibles]

6. just ignore her

Some people seriously cannot empathize or relate to someone who has trouble making ends meet or buying gas. Sometime down the road, she may have some catastrophe happen to her and understand, but maybe not.

To these people, it is impossible to explain that "survival of the fittest" is not always correct, that luck and being in the right place at the right time are factors, as well as being born in the "right" place or family. You could try, but she's obviously drank too much Kool-Aid.

[RethugAssKicker]

Outside of ignoring/avoiding her...

No. Is it worth it to you to try and change her opinions.

Somethings are just too hard, and not worth it!

[Gruenemann]

7. Dealing with Freepers

Reminds me of an old saying--don't try to teach pigs to sing. You won't succeed, and it will annoy the pig.

Sounds like she's totally brainwashed. Sorry you have to be around her.

[SharonAnn]

21. Also, "Don't wrestle with a pig. You'll get muddy and the pig enjoys it."

[McKenzie]

8. if, like me, you believe in giving to the poor

just smile sweetly and agree. It'll wipe out some of your kharmic debt through an act of kindness.

Seriously, the comments made by that person are far from untypical, as you undoubtedly know. It's largely for that reason we have difficulty making headway on anything that requires anything more than the attention span of a goldfish. At the risk of sounding like a boring old fart her attitude is the corollary to our shallow society.

"And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
They keep you doped with sex, religion and TV"

I must be wide awake if Lennon's acerbic comments have any truth in them.

regards from Scotia

[VolcanoJen]

13. I think of that song constantly

"Working Class Hero" hums along unconsciously in my brain whenever freepy-types start in on this "Fuck the Poor" mantra of theirs.

Great suggestions, everyone in this thread. Just had to vent, you know... but I do like the idea about the caramel chocolate bar. ;-)

[IdaBriggs]

9. Hand her a coloring book and some crayons so the grown ups

can talk undisturbed. :)

[electropop]

18. That's perfect!

:evilgrin:

[melissinha]

10. tell her to "get over it"

when she starts to complain "wah, wah wah" tell her that she can complain just so long as you can complain about the stolen election, pathetic Katrina relief, the environment..

same culprits: turnabout is fair play.

IF she doesn't take it, tell her "its awefully selfish of you to only care about the things that affect you."

[Tyler Durden]

Jen the world is chock full of nutcases.

I look at it this way:

1 out of 5 people I know is 1 sandwich shy of a picnic.
1 out of those 5 is in need of meds. NOW.
1 out of those 5 should be locked up for safe keeping.

That's one out of a hundred are walking cracker barrels, leaving a trail of crumbs.

500 people work where I do, so that's 100 not with the program and 20 not taking their thorazine.

Is it surprising that we run into as many whackos as we do?

[VolcanoJen]

20. You're scaring me!

That's so true, Tyler... but the way you break it down is a little scary. :-) :-) :-)

[bigscott]

11. I am convinced

this is a coping mechanism used by many people who cannot handle reality. If they were forced to look at the problems around them they would be completely incapable of coping. This is the only way they can function. Maybe HER gas/heating oil bills are affordable, maybe HER children have not been sent to die for a lie in Iraq, maybe HER house was not washed away due to government lack of investing in infrastructure. 'Til now she has been lucky - when something actually affects HER - she will be looking for support-- from a bottle, from medication, or from you - the same coworkers/friends she is so critical of now.

[cally]

12. Ask her why she thinks it OK to

belittle what the others want to talk about. Say that we want to talk about this and would appreciate her silence if she doesn't. I just don't have much patience for these types.

[VolcanoJen]

16. Well, we usually just stare at her silently for a few moments...

... and someone finally says, "OK. So, seriously, why did gas go up ten cents in just a few hours yesterday?"

And we just keep talking. She eats her dinner and huffs and puffs in silent.

It's got to drive her batty... but I can't help but wish for some way that I could reach her, you know?

[Mabus]

14. Find out what's she's taking

absolutely nothing going on in the world bothers her.

I could use some of it.

[garybeck]

15. personally I don't mind high gas prices

I can't afford it any more than the next guy but it causes people to be more conscious about waste and it's a proven fact that as prices go up, people drive (and pollute) less.

[melissinha]

17. VERY good point

a cookie for YOU!

people can't afford it so much that they drive less, polluting less..... muah ha ha ha!

At least I own a car, not an SUV.

[converted_democrat]

19. Living in a red area, I find this to work the best..

Let them say their piece, and then start laughing your ass off. I mean laugh like you've never laughed before. They ALWAYS take the bait, and have to ask "What are you laughing at?" Then I say, I just had no idea that someone could be so ill informed. - or - Where do you get your information? Then laugh some more. Usually they say- What do you mean, or what are you talking about? Then it gives you an opportunity to say your piece, or tell them where to get good info. They hate being laughed at more than anything else, and it almost always works for me.

[alarimer]

22. Tell her to shut the hell up??

Other than that I have no advice.

People are complaining about gas prices because it hurts them. Their income is not keeping pace. The costof everything is going up. I noticed that at the grocery store the other day. My electric bill (on a one-bedroom, ground floor apartment in TExas) was $173 this month. I shudder the think what the next one will be, since it has been over 90 degrees every single day. Now CPL (one of the electric providers) is asking for a 30% rate hike. CPL is not my provider but mine will follow suit I am sure. My $100 monthly pay raise this month is swallowed up by the increase.

[VolcanoJen]

23. At least you got a raise!

I'm pretty terrified about heating bills this winter... and my income keeps going down.

Why? I'm a bartender, and as gas and heating costs go up, frivolous purchases (like fine dining and drinking) go down.

:-( :-( :-(

Funny, that my freepy chef co-worker doesn't even realize that her own comfort is in jeopardy. Maybe that's what it will take... ?

[Kukesa]

25. It always surprises me

that freepy types vote against their economic interests.

Go figure.

I know lots of people like that, Jen -- ignore them as much as you can and move on.

[alarimer]

27. It has to be personal before they take an interest

Sort of "I got mine, who cares about anyone else" approach.

[derby378]

24. Tell her, "The American people don't want them there"

And find a way to question her patriotism, too. Put her on the defensive.

[NoPasaran]

26. Just wait for the day she runs out of gas and is eaten by wolves

Then chuckle quietly.

[Zomby Woof]

28. George Carlin's solution works for me

Legal murder once a month.

Put her on the list for this month!

[SeattleRob]

29. Talk to them about price gouging

Don't forget Exxon recently had the highest quarterly profit recorded by an American Corporation - ever.