=== ANCHOR POEM === ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: food-mentioned-politics-capitalism-mentioned │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ what if instead of spending most of our paycheck on rent we spent most of it on food so that our food could be higher quality "but then people will starve because they can't afford food" okay how about we make food free and tax it "but then people will be fed by MY tax dollars and what if I don't want to use the services that the tax dollars are paying for" oh you don't want to eat, do you? or do you just not want THEM to eat? I hope leopards eat your face ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────┘ === SIMILARITY RANKED === --- #1 messages/298 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────── When you say "we need more low income housing" they hear "I want to live near more poor people" and they think "why would I want to live near poor people? They're poor for a reason! We only need enough around to work the jobs that suck anyway." which is basically their way of justifying slavery/indentured servitude, as it's not like they'd ever offer a way to climb out of that low-income pit. And its not like they'd ever let you pay them more, so they can afford to be equals, because then they wouldn't be middle-class anymore. They'd just be mid. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────┘ --- #2 fediverse/2045 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────── what if we taxed every ounce of resource that companies wasted (maybe with a multiplier for the current relative value of the substance - diamonds are more valuable than apples per pound) ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────┘ --- #3 fediverse/1777 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────── what if we taxed land not by charging money to keep it but rather by taking some of it and giving it to the bureau of land management ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────┘ --- #4 fediverse/460 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────── I realized I don't give a fuck about capitalism. If you want to deprive me of food, shelter, or anything else... Fine. I exist at your behest. Would your really deny me from speaking the words that you disagree with? Oh, you would? Okay. Guess I'll starve. I don't mind, I just hope you'll take care of the people I have taken as my responsibility in my absence. Oh, you won't? You say that you'll destroy what I care about, in the pursuit of ever-growing power over others, which you will use to extract value and impress your desire of destruction and oppression onto the weak and powerless that you control? Then you are my enemy. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #5 fediverse/4073 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────── post until you can't anymore capitalism wants to drown your voice do not let it speak until you cannot speak then go do some pushups then find some friends then pitch a tent in the park then explain to the cops that you're not actually homeless and living there you're just trying to do this as a social statement because someone on the internet told you to then use your phone call to call your representative and complain about how much funding the police get then study law for 30 years because that's how long the government decided your life was worth by then you'll probably have figured out a better plan moving forward, so, use that one instead ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────┘ --- #6 messages/171 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────── Universal basic income AND universally distributed rations. If nobody goes hungry, then people can spend their money toward things they care about, and not things they need to live. Without the rations, UBI becomes just another tax, levied by the landlords instead of the government. With the rations, people can frolic in the street and do whatever they please. If you aren't too concerned about having enough to eat, why bother with capitalism? Why not just lie in a ditch? ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #7 fediverse/462 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────── I don't care about capitalism. You know what's more interesting than bringing value to shareholders? How I'm going to clean this floor that I drunkenly spilled beer upon with only 2 paper towels and 0.1ml of bleach. How I'm going to feed the 36 people who are coming to this social event tomorrow that I've only sorta planned for and that I have enough groceries for, but am not quite sure how to cook everything in a way that is delicious and accessible. how I'm going to climb this mountain on only 2 eggs and a tiny bowl of hashbrowns even though I promised my friend I'd be strong and that we'd reach the top because that way we'd be able to ============= stack overflow ===== ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #8 messages/364 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────── Capitalism isn't perfect but if it's capitalism or cyberpunk North Korean style dystopia, I'll pick capitalism. Can we at least make it so that the rich aren't safe financially though? Like, if you own a billion dollars it should be because you make a billion dollars per year. Anything you don't spend should be taxed away, to be used for public services and the defence of our nation. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────┘ --- #9 fediverse/2480 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────── so what if people want to sit on the couch eating cheetos? they're more than capable of something far greater, but of course they are allowed to spend as they like their life. their ONLY life. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────┘ --- #10 fediverse/138 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────────── @user-129 if you throw your plate across the room instead of eating well then it was probably an accident. if you keep doing it and are being a huge brat about it then maybe you should go in time-out until you are ready to sit at the table and eat like an adult. plates are expensive yo, and people are starving (for housing) in Africa or whatever. in related news, I heard that ~40% of homes in America are empty. I don't know if that's still true, I read it in like, 2014. I wonder if it's higher or lower now? ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #11 fediverse/2562 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: rich-apologia │ └──────────────────────┘ among all the others, I want a wonderful and fulfilling life for the socialite. they deserve light just as you and I might. "eat the rich" bruh there's like, 100 people who are running the show. everyone else is basically just a syncophant who's trying to get ahead and stay working. then there's like their families and such and like... they didn't do anything wrong, they just eat cheese and wine and laugh at memes all day with their besties. they are basically pets ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────┘ --- #12 fediverse/2844 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────── ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: re: politics-violence-mentioned │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘ @user-831 those billionaires are using their money as a weapon to "vote" toward what companies they think capitalism would most grow from. Unfortunately for us, they often aren't very efficient because they're only looking at what sells. human interest is not the only factor to optimize for, and yet that's the only one they're incentivized to. kinda makes me think that the only reason to replace them would be to institute something that could not be incentivized because it was more objective or decentralized. (the only reason they'd accept) ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────┘ --- #13 fediverse/2286 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────────┐ │ CW: uspol-food-mentioned │ └──────────────────────────┘ ... dangit, these sandwiches are getting kinda gross. Guess I'm gonna have to eat them myself, which, uh... idk what I expected xD sometimes you just have all this energy, right? and you don't know what to do with it, so... sandwiches. And hey, sandwiches are cool, they're a pretty neat anti-hunger tool! but uhhhh idk if I really want to eat six whole sandwiches myself. I'm gonna do it though hehe wish me luck [ding] ah nuts my rice and beans are done, hang on lemme eat those first [passes out from exhaustion] exhaustion can be cured with a nap exertion can be cured with water and a few rest days trauma can be allayed for at least a few days with soul food and compassion. maybe laughter too, depending on the mood. fear can be bolstered with a smile, a wink, and a courageous act, and loss is just change you didn't consent to. they won't consent too, so let's give them some change to tolerate. [internally salivating over all the piles of weaponry that I envision them surrendering] ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────┘ --- #14 fediverse/549 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: pol-socialism │ └──────────────────────┘ ngl I kinda want to see what conservatives would riot over in a socialist system. Like "oh no we have healthcare! that sucks, so I'm going to burn down a police station" like bro what your basic needs are met and you're encouraged and enabled to pursue your passions and personal desires, are you still hung up on that old capitalist stuff? get a life my guy that's soOoOoOo 21st century of you ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #15 fediverse/374 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────── @user-278 kinda makes me think it'd be nice if we had some way to quantify the amount that employers taxed their employees? If people saw 50-70% of their paycheck going straight toward executive bonuses and stock buybacks or whatever... maybe then we'd fix things ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #16 messages/1048 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────── What does "fiscal conservative" even mean? It means you want to save money. Specifically government money. Tax dollars. Don't spend them, instead try and build wealth. Okay, but, government spending is spent to address needs. Of the people. Ideally, of ALL people with that need. So if you aren't spending to resolve needs, the need still remains. When needs exist, and government does not resolve them, who steps in but private enterprise? Charity is a feeling, charity is a virtue, but charity is not resolution. The need remains, we just feel better about it. Sometimes it's okay to have open needs, they give us the opportunity to feel virtuous in the same way that low level monsters let adventurers level up. But when a government could, but doesn't, address a need, then private enterprise steps in. And private enterprise does not, as a rule, step in if there is no profit to be made. So they tune their approach such that profit is extracted, thus levying their tax upon those they serve. As soon as they are able, they cut the service down and they supply a worse and worse product and they starve their workers and they export our wealth to be used to enslave the afar and import their toil. What do we get from it? Is the world better for it? Why not just resolve the need by empowering those who can feed, and thus we are assured [in our needless / in our need] ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────┘ --- #17 fediverse/4349 --- ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────┐ ║ ┌──────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: re: uspol │ │ ║ └──────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ @user-883 │ ║ │ ║ best case scenario, we elect a lawyer working for capitalism, the kind of │ ║ society we live under. │ ║ │ ║ having money is the same as having resources. And resources allow you to apply │ ║ yourself to a goal. The more you have, the better, but they each bear a heavy │ ║ load. │ ║ │ ║ Do you sacrifice your labor? your dignity, your honor? what do you burn on the │ ║ fire of wasteful expenditures, just for the power to rent? │ ║ │ ║ I'm saying that if you don't have money, you need to think about what you can │ ║ do with what you got, because that's how you pay for things, at least until we │ ║ decide that we'd rather help each other than work on capital's games. │ ║ │ ║ you have a house though, right? a place to live until it gets hot? that's good │ ║ enough for right now. Stay where you're at, do what you can to help. Get in │ ║ the habit of it. Think about how someone will complete their task, and then │ ║ think about stuff two or three steps down the road - what tools will they │ ║ need? what are they working on next? Can make any of those availble? │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────┴──────────┘ --- #18 fediverse/4853 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────── ┌────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: cursed-scary-mentioned │ └────────────────────────────┘ wanna know how to go underground? just... don't leave your apartment. let your roommates take out your trash and buy your groceries. don't open your windows and do nothing for as long as possible. hope you got lots of edibles... get in shape, will ya? don't waste the paper in your journals. not that I intend to do that or anything, but um. for the red states maybe? use your best judgement yeah haha ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────┘ --- #19 fediverse/4528 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: re: uspol │ └──────────────────────┘ @user-1695 never accept your own death fight for every second of life, something something do not go quietly into that grim dark what the fuck are you supposed to do? Reading what you said got me pretty fucking pissed - keep talking for a start, it helps, people need to be pissed. I'm also broke as shit, don't know how I'm going to pay rent and eat, but it'll get done. Where do you live? Can other people help you? Medications are an organizational problem, not an insurmountable barrier. We'll make it work. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────┘ --- #20 fediverse/1688 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: re: violence │ └──────────────────────┘ @user-898 true, but building a house will never cost 100$. Maybe 100,000$, and at that point you could build but a few. Meanwhile, they're throwing around millions of dollars. we're not measured on the same scale as they are, and if we ever dip our toes into their end they will bite them off. If supply and demand were real laws that guided our economy, then wages would have gone up after COVID, because so many people died. Housing would have gotten cheaper, because fewer people were living in them. Food would have gotten less expensive, because people were growing their own vegetables and baking their own bread while they spent months isolating themselves. But alas. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────┘ |