EmilyEdith · 56-60, F
I Agree that the solution isn't bandaids of housing assistance and food stamps. Does anyone else see how we are normalizing that it's not affordable to LIVE. IN AMERICA?? Im not referring to disabled, ,unemployed, or other financial hardships. I'm referring to working people, or families with 2 incomes who cant honestly make ends meet and are DIRECTED to get government assistance to make it. We are encouraged to get in that line where we can stay controlled. I hate that .
The economy is broken if you can't work and pay your bills without government assistance, even if you want to..
We need to quit normalizing that.
The economy is broken if you can't work and pay your bills without government assistance, even if you want to..
We need to quit normalizing that.
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
@EmilyEdith The opening part of your statement I agree with completely. However, I think we differ in where America is living beyond its means. If a couple wish to both work hard and acquire a better living standard I am all in favour of that. My own son and his wife were never the kid raising type, and made the conscious choice to work, save and buy properties. And they have been very successful at that. But these properties are all income earners for them. Not debt. So my question is. Just how many supercarriers and nuclear submarines does America really need? And does it have any business dealing with regime change in countries across the world??😷
PatientlyWaiting25 · 46-50, F
None of this is rocket science really. The wealthy elite know it too but ignore it because it costs money. Ignorant uneducated people are more easy to manipulate. You can see this in Britain too with the effect that Brexit has had and now the gaining popularity of Reform. I wish religion wouldn't be brought into politics though. Politics is a completely different thing. You can be a socialist Christian and if you really read your Bible, you'll see how socialist Jesus was.
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
JimboSaturn · 56-60, M
JollyRoger · 70-79, M
@JimboSaturn Thanks for pointing that out Jim. Yes, and the Scandanavian countries operate on a Democratic Socialism system - better managed than what we have in Canada, but basically it's the same system.
If you give people a "HAND UP" (not a 'hand out'), and an opportunity to use their talents instead of pidgeon-holing them as 'losers' just because they are forced to live in a state of generational poverty - then poor people can move up into the middle class and they do begin to contribute back to society. Unfortunately there are some countries where who your parents are is who you will be - an attitude where Hopelessness begets an "I have nothing to lose" attitude and "IF I'm expected to be a criminal then I may as well be a successful criminal". Too bad because the cost to middle class society is SO immense: We lose some of our own children into that realm; we pay for policing to hold the lid on it; we pay politicians who play both sides of the fence through bribery to perpetuate it. IT'S NO WIN and the reason it goes on is because SOME PEOPLE are stuck on the idea that SOCIALISM is a loss of freedom - it's NOT. I'm Canadian, through my taxes I support people who need support as well as many who are 'playing the system' BUT, the ones I help are more numerous than the greedy/lazy ones. And: I still am able to live comfortably in my own social range, knowing that I have medical care when I need it; I (and everybody) have a Federal pension plan at age 60 or 65 or 70 (my choice) as well as supplemental plans if I'm too poor to subsist on that. Even if I lose all of my savings and home tomorrow - my Canadian government will still provide me with a DECENT standard of living and care.
I don't NEED to prove my wealth to be recognized as a Canadian citizen who is just as worthy as one with millions (or billions) of dollars. I can and do visit my Member of Parliament, my Mayor, my Provincial Member of Legislature; I write them giving them suggestions to fix problems; they recognize me on the street.... AND - I'm nobody special - I'm just a citizen as are they, but they choose to help me by standing for elected office and they have my respect for that. And they appreciate my involvement in my community.
In the USA - do the politicians mingle with their constituents - their every day working class constituents?
If you give people a "HAND UP" (not a 'hand out'), and an opportunity to use their talents instead of pidgeon-holing them as 'losers' just because they are forced to live in a state of generational poverty - then poor people can move up into the middle class and they do begin to contribute back to society. Unfortunately there are some countries where who your parents are is who you will be - an attitude where Hopelessness begets an "I have nothing to lose" attitude and "IF I'm expected to be a criminal then I may as well be a successful criminal". Too bad because the cost to middle class society is SO immense: We lose some of our own children into that realm; we pay for policing to hold the lid on it; we pay politicians who play both sides of the fence through bribery to perpetuate it. IT'S NO WIN and the reason it goes on is because SOME PEOPLE are stuck on the idea that SOCIALISM is a loss of freedom - it's NOT. I'm Canadian, through my taxes I support people who need support as well as many who are 'playing the system' BUT, the ones I help are more numerous than the greedy/lazy ones. And: I still am able to live comfortably in my own social range, knowing that I have medical care when I need it; I (and everybody) have a Federal pension plan at age 60 or 65 or 70 (my choice) as well as supplemental plans if I'm too poor to subsist on that. Even if I lose all of my savings and home tomorrow - my Canadian government will still provide me with a DECENT standard of living and care.
I don't NEED to prove my wealth to be recognized as a Canadian citizen who is just as worthy as one with millions (or billions) of dollars. I can and do visit my Member of Parliament, my Mayor, my Provincial Member of Legislature; I write them giving them suggestions to fix problems; they recognize me on the street.... AND - I'm nobody special - I'm just a citizen as are they, but they choose to help me by standing for elected office and they have my respect for that. And they appreciate my involvement in my community.
In the USA - do the politicians mingle with their constituents - their every day working class constituents?
CynicalSpaceMan · 26-30, M
The thing that makes socialism go bad is the same thing that makes any economic system go bad: centralized and hierarchical government.
Socialism done directly by common people, for common people, and without direct government involvement, is more like what we need.
Socialism done directly by common people, for common people, and without direct government involvement, is more like what we need.
JollyRoger · 70-79, M
@CynicalSpaceMan I just replied to @JimboSaturn and tagged the message to you.
Yes, the people we 'elect' in Canada are people who volunteer to be elected and (yes are paid) to represent us folk from their community. They are 'common' people who talk to us and who make time to attend public functions so they can be talked to. We call our system a Parliamentary Democracy and it's model is a Social Democratic one (as I explained in my note to Jim). So: YES that is what you need and that is what we Canadians have.
Yes, the people we 'elect' in Canada are people who volunteer to be elected and (yes are paid) to represent us folk from their community. They are 'common' people who talk to us and who make time to attend public functions so they can be talked to. We call our system a Parliamentary Democracy and it's model is a Social Democratic one (as I explained in my note to Jim). So: YES that is what you need and that is what we Canadians have.
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It works usually in the worst possible way
FoxyGoddess · 51-55, F
@pituitarypendulum How so?
ThirstenHowl · M
@pituitarypendulum what do you mean?