Penfist, I dislike the system and it’s bend to corruption, the same as you. I’m on the universal healthcare, free education side. Because I want to live with healthy, educated people. I’m on the “things that are necessary for life” are not commodities side. Because no one asks to be born and if we value life, we don’t deprive it of what it needs to live. I’m not sure what that is, but it’s not capitalism. I hope this is resolved in your favor because you EARNED it already. This isn’t the place for my story but I will tell you, I have struggled financially. Not through careless spending, but because of the system you decry. I’ve been frugal my entire life. When my father passed, I inherited a bit. I don’t spend. A lifetime of frugality is not easy to break. But it hasn’t changed what I believe either. People aren’t a line on a business expense tally. We need to care for each other. I worry for my grandkids and I watch my own adult children struggle... this isn’t right ... for me, the worst part is the ignorance of most people... it blows my mind.
I read today that a few decades ago, "patriotism" was the #1 value of Americans, even outranking religion.
Today, it ranks in the low 30s, while "money" is the most important value to Americans.
It's a failure on every level...parental, societal, political.
What has the worship of money brought us? Massive income inequality, poor healthcare, worse education. 1 in 5 kids won't reach the age of 40 (guns, poverty, drugs, mental illness).
I also read today that wealthy parents pay up to $1M to consultants to prepare kids (from middle school) to be accepted into Ivy League schools. There's no word for this lunacy.
None of this is sustainable. If our democracy lasts through 2024, massive reforms will be required. The country can't work just for the 10%.
Your scenario sends me into a rage. There is something very wrong. Very wrong. A lot wrong. I hope you win your second big battle.
In Israel, the wanna-be dictator attempts to destroy the independence of a court and hundreds of thousands hit the streets in protest.
In France, a technocrat pushes through a "reform" that extends the retirement age by two years (with broad implications) and the people shut down Paris.
In the US, many children are in poverty and have depended on free breakfasts and lunches - the program is expiring. We hear crickets. In the US, the poor are denied healthcare and they blame the "deep state". But it's the uber rich who have written the laws that keep them locked in poverty. Do we protest? Do we fill the streets when kids are slaughtered in schools, churches and stores?
No, we watch TV or stare numbly at our phones, playing games.
There are still people in the world who know how to demonstrate their displeasure. There are still folks on the planet who know who is trying to dominate them. But they don't live in the US. Here, the uber rich have convinced the suckers that the real enemy is the kid trying to escape violence and starvation in Central America. And of course, that kid who is just struggling to survive, works for George Soros.
There was a TV series called "V". The alien leader was trying to convince Earthlings that they had arrived in peace. She could cast a spell on the whole population. It was called "bliss" Her name was Anna and she was beautiful - even as she thrust her pointy tail through your innards.
Perhaps Anna has actually arrived. Or there is something in the water, the food or the air. We have become numb little puppets. The uber rich have gained trillions and we won't feed our kids...and we don't care that they are used for target practice. There is something very wrong.
If "private enterprise" was going to be the best solution for everything, why is it taking so long? I am a retired business guy. I believe in two things. A baseline of human existence that includes potable water, shelter, adequate food, healthcare and education. All under laws that treat people equally. None of that "socialism" has to conflict with a thriving but highly regulated competitive (no monopolies) "capitalism". The Nordic countries have this figured out. They are highly taxed and they are happy. Their industries thrive and they don't celebrate excess if they are successful.
We are rich enough to provide everyone the "basics". We can have an innovative private sector. We just need to get rid of "Anna". Or purify the water. Or take to the streets?
Penfist, I dislike the system and it’s bend to corruption, the same as you. I’m on the universal healthcare, free education side. Because I want to live with healthy, educated people. I’m on the “things that are necessary for life” are not commodities side. Because no one asks to be born and if we value life, we don’t deprive it of what it needs to live. I’m not sure what that is, but it’s not capitalism. I hope this is resolved in your favor because you EARNED it already. This isn’t the place for my story but I will tell you, I have struggled financially. Not through careless spending, but because of the system you decry. I’ve been frugal my entire life. When my father passed, I inherited a bit. I don’t spend. A lifetime of frugality is not easy to break. But it hasn’t changed what I believe either. People aren’t a line on a business expense tally. We need to care for each other. I worry for my grandkids and I watch my own adult children struggle... this isn’t right ... for me, the worst part is the ignorance of most people... it blows my mind.
I read today that a few decades ago, "patriotism" was the #1 value of Americans, even outranking religion.
Today, it ranks in the low 30s, while "money" is the most important value to Americans.
It's a failure on every level...parental, societal, political.
What has the worship of money brought us? Massive income inequality, poor healthcare, worse education. 1 in 5 kids won't reach the age of 40 (guns, poverty, drugs, mental illness).
I also read today that wealthy parents pay up to $1M to consultants to prepare kids (from middle school) to be accepted into Ivy League schools. There's no word for this lunacy.
None of this is sustainable. If our democracy lasts through 2024, massive reforms will be required. The country can't work just for the 10%.
Pen,
Your scenario sends me into a rage. There is something very wrong. Very wrong. A lot wrong. I hope you win your second big battle.
In Israel, the wanna-be dictator attempts to destroy the independence of a court and hundreds of thousands hit the streets in protest.
In France, a technocrat pushes through a "reform" that extends the retirement age by two years (with broad implications) and the people shut down Paris.
In the US, many children are in poverty and have depended on free breakfasts and lunches - the program is expiring. We hear crickets. In the US, the poor are denied healthcare and they blame the "deep state". But it's the uber rich who have written the laws that keep them locked in poverty. Do we protest? Do we fill the streets when kids are slaughtered in schools, churches and stores?
No, we watch TV or stare numbly at our phones, playing games.
There are still people in the world who know how to demonstrate their displeasure. There are still folks on the planet who know who is trying to dominate them. But they don't live in the US. Here, the uber rich have convinced the suckers that the real enemy is the kid trying to escape violence and starvation in Central America. And of course, that kid who is just struggling to survive, works for George Soros.
There was a TV series called "V". The alien leader was trying to convince Earthlings that they had arrived in peace. She could cast a spell on the whole population. It was called "bliss" Her name was Anna and she was beautiful - even as she thrust her pointy tail through your innards.
Perhaps Anna has actually arrived. Or there is something in the water, the food or the air. We have become numb little puppets. The uber rich have gained trillions and we won't feed our kids...and we don't care that they are used for target practice. There is something very wrong.
If "private enterprise" was going to be the best solution for everything, why is it taking so long? I am a retired business guy. I believe in two things. A baseline of human existence that includes potable water, shelter, adequate food, healthcare and education. All under laws that treat people equally. None of that "socialism" has to conflict with a thriving but highly regulated competitive (no monopolies) "capitalism". The Nordic countries have this figured out. They are highly taxed and they are happy. Their industries thrive and they don't celebrate excess if they are successful.
We are rich enough to provide everyone the "basics". We can have an innovative private sector. We just need to get rid of "Anna". Or purify the water. Or take to the streets?