Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

Tbh, I think the poor and middle class in our country have the same problem with greed that the super-rich have, it just isn't as obvious to them because the scale isn't blown up to larger than life size.

Case-in-point. Have you ever taken a ride into a Section 8 neighborhood and noticed how nice everyone's car is?

[Taskmage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

No, but I've seen people checking out in front of me at the supermarket who just got their nails "did" with all kinds of jewelry and paying with food stamps.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

I drive through 2 "low income property/poverty-section8" neighborhoods on my way to work and have occasionally stopped into a corner store or 2 to pick up cigarettes. More than once I've watched the guy in front of me wearing an Armani shirt and Oakley Sunglasses pay with foodstamps and walk outside to get into his 2012 Dodge Charger and drive off.

Meanwhile, I pay with REAL MONEY THAT I EARNED AND AM NOT SPONGING FROM THE STATE and putter off in my uniform and 98' Ford POS.

Makes me want to slash the fucker's tires. But I don't... because the rational and ever-optimist in me believes that he might be picking it up for his sick aunt so she doesn't have to get out of bed and walk 2 miles to get it herself.

99% of me knows that this guy is the one the stamps belong to... but I'm held back by the moral compass that reminds me of the other 1%.

[Taskmage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

Also possible he bought said food stamps from some other guy who needed cash instead to pay for drugs or alcohol. That's a lot harder to do now that cards are more widely used, but I've still had people try. All of which highlights an often mentioned practical problem with social welfare programs, but I'm not concerned with that until I can get past my philosophical objection.

Full disclosure: I'm going to school on a Pell grant, which I recognize is hypocritical. I rationalize it by telling myself I'll use the education to pay society back for its investment in me. This situation might also be giving me a bias towards seeing education as a public good.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

Full disclosure: I'm going to school on a Pell grant, which I recognize is hypocritical. I rationalize it by telling myself I'll use the education to pay society back for its investment in me.

Well, I mean, duh. That's kind of the whole purpose of the grant.

[Taskmage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

It's harder to object to Pell grants than food stamps. Also harder to fence your education for drug money. Unless you're studying chemistry, I guess.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

This situation might also be giving me a bias towards seeing education as a public good.

Isn't this pretty much all but fact at this point?

[Taskmage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

Isn't this pretty much all but fact at this point?

That education is a public good? Well, I would start by saying that a vocal subset of Republicans believe it should be privatized, but then facts aren't really their strong suit.

Yes, I would say that it is, and most of the world would probably agree, but it's still true that I have a bias since I'm currently benefiting from the idea.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

but then facts aren't really their strong suit.

Bazing.

[Malacite]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

it is partly a cultural thing, but I'd also like to point out that the U.S. ranks 11th about of the 20 happiest nations in the world (Canada is 9th) and IIRC, the top 3 are all Scandinavian countries.

And if you need more evidence that shit isn't right:


U.S. Income Inequality: It's Worse Today Than It Was in 1774 - Jordan Weissmann - The Atlantic


It's all well and good to learn how to make due with what you have - it's something that got drilled into me from a very young age. But that doesn't make things OK either. The rich have too much of the money, period. And if nobody takes a stand, it won't be long before they have all of it.

- - - Updated - - -

it is partly a cultural thing, but I'd also like to point out that the U.S. ranks 11th about of the 20 happiest nations in the world (Canada is 9th) and IIRC, the top 3 are all Scandinavian countries.

And if you need more evidence that shit isn't right:


http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/09/us-income-inequality-its-worse-today-than-it-was-in-1774/262537/


It's all well and good to learn how to make due with what you have - it's something that got drilled into me from a very young age. But that doesn't make things OK either. The rich have too much of the money, period. And if nobody takes a stand, it won't be long before they have all of it.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

The rich have too much of the money, period. And if nobody takes a stand, it won't be long before they have all of it.

So I take it you were in one of the occupy movements, right? I mean you feel so strongly about all this that you must have been... right?

[Taskmage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

Well, let me ask this then. Of the countries with the lowest Gini coefficients, what measures have those governments taken to support greater income equality?

[Taskmage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

Ok wait, I suddenly got lost in my own reasoning. Maybe this is a stupid question but, if the US is still the 11th happiest nation in the world, 4th in standard of living, 7th in GDP per capita ... it seems like we've got a pretty happy, affluent, and productive population as a whole. Why then are we so concerned that a small percentage of us are making retarded amounts of money? I mean if we're already so well off then what's the big deal?

[Malacite]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

Just watch this and see if it doesn't change your tune a bit...


Moyers & Company Show 136: The One-Percent Court - Blogs - Volconvo Debate and Talk Forums


I also highly recommend Sachs' book, "The Price of Civilization". Seriously, don't pay all the hippies who don't know wtf they're talking about (sadly they seem to get a lot of air time, just as the more extreme morons on right do - I don't entirely disagree with conservative philosophy, just all you see on TV from the right these days are the extremist assholes who force everyone in their party to tow the line.).


It's about establishing a basic sense of fairness and giving everyone a shot to do well if they've got the drive to do it - there's no reason for western nations like the U.S. & Canada (it's pretty bad up here too, anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. Canada is a fucking country club if I ever saw one - and a dull one at that.) who have so much wealth, to not spread it out more evenly. It's utterly ridiculous that of a 16 trillion annual GDP, the top 1% control over 1/3 of that - some sources saying it's closer to 42%, and the Republicans are hell bent on widening that gap. Meanwhile, in 2007, the bottom 80% only control 15% of that. Do you realize what evening that out by even just 5% would do? How much more money that would be in the hands of the average household? And this isn't even taking into account all the money that's held overseas and in offshore bank accounts - last I checked the estimates were well over 30 trillion in assets... it's insanity.

THERE IS NO REASON FOR THERE TO BE STARVING CHILDREN, TENT-CITIES, AND OTHER HORRIFYING STATISTICS IN DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES WITH THIS KIND OF WEALTH!!!



https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat.../2091rank.html

[Taskmage]

Re: Melody's Melodramatic Meltdown on Mitt Romney (Tounge Twister?)

I don't always post Daily Show clips, but when I do, uh ... I guess I post this one:

I promise I'll get back to this income inequality thing later.