“We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There is no permanent class of hired laborers amongst us. Twenty-five years ago, I was a hired laborer. The hired laborer of yesterday, labors on his own account today; and will hire others to labor for him tomorrow.” KnowsMenYearsLittlesTodaySpeakClassFiveTomorrowYears AgoLaborAccountsTwentiesSlaveYesterdayPermanentFive YearsSouthernBetter OffTwenty FiveLaborers Book:Lincoln on Democracy Source: Lincoln on Democracy
“After Mitt Romney said it would be naive to go into Pakistan to pursue the terrorists, it took President Obama, against the advice of many, to give that order and finally rid this earth of Osama bin Laden. Ask Osama bin Laden is he is better off now than he was four years ago.” IfsGivingYearsSaidWould BeEarthOrderAsksPresidentFourAdviceYears AgoTerroristPursuePresident ObamaFour YearsPakistanNaiveBetter OffRomneyBin LadenOsama Bin Laden Author:John F. Kerry
“I stopped buying Sunday papers about 15 years ago, because you'd buy handfuls of them, and what you got, because the hard news comes from so many other channels, was opinion pieces. You're better off spending the money on a good novel.” YearsHardOpinionNovelPiecesPaperNewsYears AgoSpendingBuyingSundayPapersBetter OffHandful Author:Gerry Adams
“President Bush says he has just one question for the American voters, 'Is the rich person you're working for better off now than they were four years ago?'” YearsPersonsPresidentRichFourYears AgoJust OneVotersFour YearsBetter OffPresident BushAmerican VotersRich Person Author:Jay Leno
“Everybody would be better off if they could buy housing for only, let's say, a carrying charge of one-quarter of their income. That used to be the case 50 years ago. Buyers had to save up and make a higher down payment, giving them more equity - perhaps 25 or 30 percent. But today, banks are creating enough credit to bid up housing prices again.” IfsGivingYearsEnoughWould BeTodayUsedCasesHigherCreatingPercentYears AgoCreditIncomeUsed To BeQuartersBetter OffEquityHousingPaymentBuyers Author:Michael Hudson
“Poverty assumes so many aspects here in India. There aren't only the poor that you see in the cities, there are the poor among the tribes, the poor who live in the forest, the poor who live on the mountains. Should we ignore them as long as the poor in the cities are better off? And better off with reference to what? To what people wanted ten years ago? Then it seemed like so much. Today it's no longer so much.” PeopleShouldYearsLongTodayWantedPoorCitiesPovertyTenMountainAspectYears AgoIndiaAssumingForestsTribesBetter Off Author:Indira Gandhi
“I think there are many people in the working class who say, you know what? Yes, maybe we are better off than we were eight years ago, but I am still working two or three jobs, my kid can't afford to go to college, I can't afford child care, my real wages have been going down for 40 years. The middle class is shrinking. Who's standing up for me?” PeopleThinkingKnowsYearsChildrenHas BeensStillsI CanTwoRealCareKidsJobsThreeClassMiddleCollegeYears AgoStandingEightMiddle ClassWorking ClassWagesBetter OffShrinkingChild Care Author:Bernie Sanders
“President Obama's version of America is a divided one - pitting us against each other based on our income level, gender, and social status. His policies have failed! We are not better off than we were 4 years ago, and no rhetoric, bumper sticker, or campaign ad can change that.” YearsAmericaSocialPresidentLevelsPolicyYears AgoGenderCampaignsIncomeVersionsDividedPresident ObamaAdsRhetoricBetter OffBumperStickerBumper StickerSocial StatusCampaign Ads Author:Mia Love
“[...] and as I walked, I tried to see the funny side. It wasn't easy, and I'm still not sure that I managed it properly, but it's just something I like to do when things aren't going well. Because what does it mean, to say that things aren't going well? Compared to what? You can say: compared to how things were going a couple of hours ago, or a couple of years ago. But that's not the point. If two cars are speeding towards a brick wall with no brakes, and one car hits the wall moments before the other, you can't spend those moments saying that the second car is much better off than the first.” IfsYearsFirstsWellsMeanDoeStillsTwoMomentsEasySidesHoursCarWallCoupleYears AgoNot SureBetter OffBricksBrakeSpeedingBrick Wall Author:Hugh Laurie
“Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” YearsPoliticsFourYears AgoFour YearsBetter Off Author:Ronald Reagan