• Dagwood222 ( Dagwood222@lemm.ee ) 
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    1 year ago

    Look up the book “Hell’s Angel’s” by Hunter Thompson.

    There’s a section in the book where he writes about the economics of being a hippie/biker/artist circa 1970.

    A biker could work for six months as a Union stevedore and save up enough money to go on the road for two years. A part time waitress could support herself and her musician boyfreind.

  • SabinStargem ( SabinStargem@lemmy.today ) 
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    1 year ago

    I would prefer to work a job than to grind in a videogame. Unfortunately, Americans live in a nation where bad working conditions, low pay, heavy competition, instability, and ghost jobs makes job seeking unpalatable.

    American capitalism is a cancer.

      • SabinStargem ( SabinStargem@lemmy.today ) 
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        1 year ago

        True. Even the Nordic Model nations are backsliding from what I hear. It is why I think that we need to try an wholly artificial economic system, with rules and principles. Similar to a Constitution’s framework, but focused on providing for the wellbeing of all citizens.

        • Tiger666 ( Tiger666@lemmy.ca ) 
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          1 year ago

          Yes socialism will work with another name attached to it.

          The only social system that can work is if democracy comes into the workplace, and that is what socialism is. When workers unite and control the means of production, then we will all truly be free. This is what Marx meant by saying: “Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains.”

          The only problem is the name. Some have called it democracy at work, but I feel that is not snappy enough.

          • SabinStargem ( SabinStargem@lemmy.today ) 
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            1 year ago

            My homebrew is Universal Ranked Income, or URI. There are at least two jokes in that shorthand.

            Anyhow, the premise is that everyone gets a Rank 0 income with universal benefits by default. $10k is given to every citizen each year, money being solely used for lifestyle rather than necessity. Higher ranks replace the income of lower ones. Schooling is a job with an income based on grades, $12k-$20k range of income. Rank 2 is jobs like being a waitress or clerk, giving $40k. Astronauts fall into the highest category of R5, thus they get $100k. All jobs are ranked according to objective Effort, Risk, and Knowledge metrics. Employers can’t pay more or less than the income rank, nor offer benefits to select employees.

            Essentially, there are absolute floors and ceilings on income and wealth. Everyone also gets issued standard items like food, clothing, cars, and so forth, but these are very generic - you spend money to get clothes with interesting patterns, varied food, bigger cars, larger shelter, and so forth. Capitalism is reserved for things that need to be attractive, while socialism is used to ensure survival and wellbeing.

  • Young men who are capable of playing video games all day are likely depressed, and have a clinical problem. Our volition to be productive was demonstrated during the 2020 lockdown and the great resignation of 2021-22, in which young men (as with all other working demographics) learned:

    • They felt better in a non-toxic work environment
    • They couldn’t couch potato for more than a week without getting fierce cabin fever, and
    • They got highly skilled when they were doing a thing they liked.

    The ones who resigned from old jobs were the ones who were able to monetize their hobby enough to quit. Many more got productive, but didn’t find something in their craft for which there was a ready market.

    Speaker Johnson is a fierce MAGA and conforms to the common fascist trope of never speaking in good faith. See Sartre’s antisemite quote.

    With several perspectives including that crunch remains a thing in AAA game development, our ownership class and CEOs are less concerned about maximizing profits than they are being lords with a feif and peons (compulsory servitude).

    Oh and death to all monarchists. Disney deaths preferred.

  • spooky2092 ( spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) 
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    1 year ago

    "No one has talked about cutting one benefit in Medicaid to anyone who’s duly owed—what we’ve talked about is returning work requirements, so, for example, you don’t have able-bodied young men on a program that’s designed for single mothers and the elderly and disabled. They’re draining resources from people,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson last week.

    ‘Get fucked poors, sucks to suck when working full time still keeps you below the poverty line. Can’t afford to pay for you lazy fucks to see a doctor when we’ve got rich people who need the money more’

  • SpaceScotsman ( SpaceScotsman@startrek.website ) 
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    1 year ago
    • No job, grind away the entire waking day with a low paying zero hours contract while filing job applications, No videogames, no relaxation, more stress, costs healthcare providers more

    • No job, spend some of the day working while filing job applications, Yes Videogames, relaxation, lower stress, costs healthcare providers less

    Yet another case where if the politician seriously thought about the issue for just half a minute they’d realise their attitude makes no sense.

    • BurningRiver ( BurningRiver@beehaw.org ) 
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      1 year ago

      Oh, he knows he’s completely full of shit. If you keep that in mind, his attitude makes perfect sense. Make up whatever bullshit he can to fake a justification to enrich his wealthy daddies.

  • OBJECTION! ( Objection@lemmy.ml ) 
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    1 year ago

    Putting aside the, “Everyone but an idiot knows the poor must be kept poor, or they will never be productive” logic, it’s also just dumb as shit to claim that “able-bodied young men” are going to be super motivated to get off the couch for the sake of health insurance - not even real healthcare, we’re talking about paying hundreds of dollars a month so that if you get sick you can “only” be saddled with a very high deductible.

    I fucking hate these people’s guts. Something something Luigi’s Mansion.