Are we flogging a dead horse?

Old Salt

Senior Member
We continue to moan about sexism. racism and homophobia and daily examples of all three can be found in the news on a regular basis! But ... affirmative action was done away with as no longer needed. If you look at Canada's Parliament (as one example) you see women in just about every position of authority. And Gay Pride parades are being held, even in small towns!

This is huge progress since the fifties, even sixties and we should be very pleased. I am willing to admit that there are holdouts who just can't let go of their ingrained prejudices, and that we should continue to fight all three, especially since they rear their ugly heads even in our own hearts now and then. But neither of the three is any longer the societal problem it once was!

It's a shame that no one has taken up the banner of social inequity, for one! No, please, I am not a Marxist-Leninist Commie but doesn't it bother you that thousands of tents are being pitched in all of our major and even minor cities while Billionaires purchase yachts by the hundreds. Those tents now also contain former lower middle class men and women who can no longer afford the outrageous rents. Steadily employed people end up sleeping in cars!

No one in their right mind believes in the trickle down effect a la Reagan any more. Don't forget most of our factories have moved to South-East Asia, all too many of our remaining jobs are now part time with no benefits, but what gets me is that I see so few parades against corporate greed! Or the billionaires who have made their money, not by building factories but by gambling on the stock market! Is it because so many of us still foolishly believe that if we work hard enough, we too can have that collection of rare cars, houses on every continent, yachts in Monaco Harbour?

Next time you come across some crusading soul, please beg them to stop protesting things they have already achieved and take up the banner against poverty and the 1%! They HAVE to start sharing. I don't want their money, I simply want them to create real, well paying jobs here, rather than in China! It would be less profitable for them but would earn them a Halo! And to be fair, Kudos to the handful who do exactly that already!

And as usual, a simplified post coming from the heart. I am simply bothered to see poverty in the richest economies on earth!
 

And it's possible that the taxes and borrowed funding that support programs and organizations such as Affirmative Action (and others) is why businesses and corporations moved off shore and took millions of jobs with them, and depleted the funds of long-established social programs that were actually impactful.

Which is pretty much a trickle-down effect, it's just not the one we were going for.
 
I have mentioned a few time that the Swiss organized about this and it's hold it has on us. This is a world problem. The Swiss organized a protest that saw 60,000 citizens hit the streets. In the USA ( cause that's where I is ), it seems like many people think that somehow trickle down of all that mega-wealth is going to bring back the good ol' days. I have a hard time imagining the coming election is going to change a thing, except for the worse.
I don't rely on politics or leaders to provide the style of life that I can be content with. I feel like why should I be frustrated and upset, when I am pretty insignificant in the grand scheme. Better for me to live simply as possible and enjoy the miracle of life.
 

And it's possible that the taxes and borrowed funding that support programs and organizations such as Affirmative Action (and others) is why businesses and corporations moved off shore and took millions of jobs with them, and depleted the funds of long-established social programs that were actually impactful.

Which is pretty much a trickle-down effect, it's just not the one we were going for.
I feel like we need a national discussion on how we have let Capitalism become the "fire breathing dragon".?
 
And it's possible that the taxes and borrowed funding that support programs and organizations such as Affirmative Action (and others) is why businesses and corporations moved off shore and took millions of jobs with them, and depleted the funds of long-established social programs that were actually impactful.

Which is pretty much a trickle-down effect, it's just not the one we were going for.
@Murrmurr I don't deny what you are saying. I never gave that aspect a thought. I still blame NAFTA as the beginning of the end. I would have gladly paid a higher price for goods if companies had stayed in Canada. But, to please their shareholders, they moved to Mexico after the treaty, and when Mexicans started to want better wages they moved to South East Asia. We get their wares cheaply now at Walmart, but even then it takes two working now when one was once enough, just to be able to afford even that!
 
oh my. Most of those folks sleeping in their cars or in tents are either drug addicts or mentally ill, and of course some are both. In most major cities, on any given night, there are more empty beds in the shelters than there are folks sleeping outside or in their cars.

We used to be able to put the mentally ill in institutions, but can't any more in the name of individual freedom. Drug addiction is another problem and is not caused by Bill Gates or Elon Musk or Warren Buffet.

BTW, I have a copy of a family picture of my grandfather's grandfather, taken about 1905, and it showed about a dozen or so of the Buckeye family standing on their "shanty boat" on a river somewhere in West Virginia. It was a rough way to live. And at about the same time, the Vanderbilt family had finished building Biltmore, their "summer home" in North Carolina. It is the largest private residence in America, with 250 rooms and about 179k square feet. I share this just to point out that there have always been massive inequities in the distribution of wealth in the US.
 
I have mentioned a few time that the Swiss organized about this and it's hold it has on us. This is a world problem. The Swiss organized a protest that saw 60,000 citizens hit the streets. In the USA ( cause that's where I is ), it seems like many people think that somehow trickle down of all that mega-wealth is going to bring back the good ol' days. I have a hard time imagining the coming election is going to change a thing, except for the worse.
I don't rely on politics or leaders to provide the style of life that I can be content with. I feel like why should I be frustrated and upset, when I am pretty insignificant in the grand scheme. Better for me to live simply as possible and enjoy the miracle of life.
What can I say? I live simply, require very little and am basically content with my life, excepting health problems, but I see red when I come across gross injustices in the news. The tents are not a one time sensation that is being exaggerated by our news. They are starting to look pretty permanent. I was being set off because I watched a YouTube video about all the yachts tied up in Monaco Harbour, with one gentleman having a yacht built that will cost in excess of ONE BILLION DOLLARS!
 
oh my. Most of those folks sleeping in their cars or in tents are either drug addicts or mentally ill, and of course some are both. In most major cities, on any given night, there are more empty beds in the shelters than there are folks sleeping outside or in their cars.

We used to be able to put the mentally ill in institutions, but can't any more in the name of individual freedom. Drug addiction is another problem and is not caused by Bill Gates or Elon Musk or Warren Buffet.

BTW, I have a copy of a family picture of my grandfather's grandfather, taken about 1905, and it showed about a dozen or so of the Buckeye family standing on their "shanty boat" on a river somewhere in West Virginia. It was a rough way to live. And at about the same time, the Vanderbilt family had finished building Biltmore, their "summer home" in North Carolina. It is the largest private residence in America, with 250 rooms and about 179k square feet. I share this just to point out that there have always been massive inequities in the distribution of wealth in the US.
Sadly enough, you are right re. drug addicts, but you cannot deny that they have been joined by an alarming number of those who can no longer afford the inflated rents in our bigger cities? And yes, we always had the rich and the poor living side by side. But this is MY age and in MY age I get upset about inequities. They are not all caused by laziness on the part of the poor! And let me hasten to add that you didn't imply that!
 
Sadly enough, you are right re. drug addicts, but you cannot deny that they have been joined by an alarming number of those who can no longer afford the inflated rents in our bigger cities? And yes, we always had the rich and the poor living side by side. But this is MY age and in MY age I get upset about inequities. They are not all caused by laziness on the part of the poor! And let me hasten to add that you didn't imply that!
Well, it is clear that we will never agree on this.

Have a great day!
 
This post will have more than one paragraph. :D

I think society as a whole is in a quandary. I think the purpose of a society is to provide a good place where its citizens can flourish and be cared for. Probably the same model used by neanderthals all those thousand of years ago. The society exists for the protection and care of its citizens, imo. Today it seems some believe society exists to generate riches. That money and wealth are the key purposes. At least it seems to me it's this way. Not many out there seem to have a goal of simply providing for their loved ones, it's a rush for more and more money and influence. We've lost something along the way, I think.

Which is why the poor are so denigrated. How many times have you read comments such as, "those people living on the streets get what they deserve. They should get a job." Or in low paying jobs, "they should get educated and get a better job". It's as though the path to support yourself is a one lane highway, and everyone must qualify by working every hour God sends for whatever pittance your master feels like giving you. In fact, I'm not totally convinced some people think business has any need to cater to the betterment of society as a whole, and they can do whatever they please because - MONEY. Which is why deregulation isn't always a good thing.

On the social issues front..... things are far better today than they've ever been on some fronts, for sure. There's still work to be done, but much has been achieved. That said, it sometimes feels as though new injustices are invented every day. But the biggest problem seems to be that we can't erase, say, racism. And while it may seem shocking, I'm not even sure we should, even if we could.

What I mean is, as a society we can set rules and standards, but individuals should be free to believe as they please. If your next door neighbor is a racist, he shouldn't be allowed to attack others, or to insult you every time he see's you. But, he can think whatever he pleases. Sometimes it seems some want to wipe the memories of others and force them to think as the best of us do, and that just causes friction and in unrealistic

Society will also always have rich and poor people. There are millions of reasons why this might be. Today we've not got the balance right, mostly because both greed and avarice are worshiped and thought of as the natural way we should all be. That there's nothing wrong with greed. That if a person can make a billion off the backs of 100 other people who do the actual work, that's great! It's that old empathy thing again, or lack thereof.

Homelessness is tragic. I know there are now people who work full time, but have to live in their cars. But let's take the worst of them - someone who chose one day to try weed, which led to coke, and on to heroin, etc. There they are, curled up in the street, unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed. Well, I see a lot of people online with an attitude of "well, that's their fault, shouldn't have taken drugs. They should stop the drugs and get a job, or just die already."

Should we care for these people, or not? After all, many of them are committing crimes to get their drugs. Of course, at this point, these people really don't have a choice. It's not how addiction works. They don't choose to be addicts. They became an addict. No-one aspires to become addicted and to sleep on the street. And yes, they got there through bad choices. But surely a human life shouldn't be written off so easily?

Why should society help them? Because we can. No other reason. Just because we can. Just because a life matters. Instead, they're let down time and time again. I'm thinking of, say, Methadone clinics in the US. The vast majority are for profit, and they therefore don't have any incentive to get people off the methadone itself. They charge money for the Methadone, which is sometimes enough to buy the actual drugs they're supposed to replace. It's horrible.

One other point. The number one cause of personal bankruptcies in the US is medical costs. Think about that for a moment. An injury, an illness, causes 66% of personal bankruptcies. Families implode. Some never recover. But suggest a more robust social care system be put in place, and you're accused of being a commie or socialist scum. But it's not that - families are being destroyed. To quote a study: "According to Bankrate data from January 2022, 56% of Americans would be unable to cover an unexpected $1,000 bill with savings."

I worked with a small company in Texas, just 25 employees. The receptionist had a heart attack one day, and had to go through that. Tragic for her, right? Well, it was also tragic for the rest of the employees - their healthcare costs doubled, because there was a claim on their plan. It wasn't any better when they tried to change plans, because they had to disclose the recent heart attack. Is that fair?

Finally, I lived in the US for a good amount of time. I absolutely LOVE the US. I loved my time there. I subscribe to much of what it stands for. But there were some things I just couldn't get my head around. Healthcare was one. And a couple other things. My view was always that the US is the greatest nation on earth. It's the richest. It's wonderfully dynamic and inventive. Yet for all that, the very thought of a healthcare system for all is either too expensive, a plain stupid idea, or as I say, commie nonsense. This isn't the case.

The US doesn't have good healthcare for all because it chooses not to. It's literally a choice. I never could understand, and still don't. A country that sends missions to Mars, has a war or two, let's individuals "earn" billions and billions for themselves. Yet it apparently can't afford social healthcare. No, it's simply not the case. They don't want it. Simple. Simple but shocking for someone like myself.
 
The same problems are evident in London and have got worse in the last couple of years.
I have seen the increase in tents on the streets during my regular trips to hospital.

I don't subscribe to the view that the people in these tents are drug addicts or mentally ill.
"There but for fortune, go you and I"
 
The same problems are evident in London and have got worse in the last couple of years.
I have seen the increase in tents on the streets during my regular trips to hospital.

I don't subscribe to the view that the people in these tents are drug addicts or mentally ill.
"There but for fortune, go you and I"

The BBC recently reported that there are 25 viewers for every flat going for rent in London.

We're in a housing crisis. No-one cared when rising house prices in a few areas made them wealthier, but it's lead us to a time where basic housing for the poorer are no longer available almost anywhere. And guess what, it's going to get worse. I think we're only at the beginning of this.
 
This post will have more than one paragraph. :D

I think society as a whole is in a quandary. I think the purpose of a society is to provide a good place where its citizens can flourish and be cared for. Probably the same model used by neanderthals all those thousand of years ago. The society exists for the protection and care of its citizens, imo. Today it seems some believe society exists to generate riches. That money and wealth are the key purposes. At least it seems to me it's this way. Not many out there seem to have a goal of simply providing for their loved ones, it's a rush for more and more money and influence. We've lost something along the way, I think.

Which is why the poor are so denigrated. How many times have you read comments such as, "those people living on the streets get what they deserve. They should get a job." Or in low paying jobs, "they should get educated and get a better job". It's as though the path to support yourself is a one lane highway, and everyone must qualify by working every hour God sends for whatever pittance your master feels like giving you. In fact, I'm not totally convinced some people think business has any need to cater to the betterment of society as a whole, and they can do whatever they please because - MONEY. Which is why deregulation isn't always a good thing.

On the social issues front..... things are far better today than they've ever been on some fronts, for sure. There's still work to be done, but much has been achieved. That said, it sometimes feels as though new injustices are invented every day. But the biggest problem seems to be that we can't erase, say, racism. And while it may seem shocking, I'm not even sure we should, even if we could.

What I mean is, as a society we can set rules and standards, but individuals should be free to believe as they please. If your next door neighbor is a racist, he shouldn't be allowed to attack others, or to insult you every time he see's you. But, he can think whatever he pleases. Sometimes it seems some want to wipe the memories of others and force them to think as the best of us do, and that just causes friction and in unrealistic

Society will also always have rich and poor people. There are millions of reasons why this might be. Today we've not got the balance right, mostly because both greed and avarice are worshiped and thought of as the natural way we should all be. That there's nothing wrong with greed. That if a person can make a billion off the backs of 100 other people who do the actual work, that's great! It's that old empathy thing again, or lack thereof.

Homelessness is tragic. I know there are now people who work full time, but have to live in their cars. But let's take the worst of them - someone who chose one day to try weed, which led to coke, and on to heroin, etc. There they are, curled up in the street, unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed. Well, I see a lot of people online with an attitude of "well, that's their fault, shouldn't have taken drugs. They should stop the drugs and get a job, or just die already."

Should we care for these people, or not? After all, many of them are committing crimes to get their drugs. Of course, at this point, these people really don't have a choice. It's not how addiction works. They don't choose to be addicts. They became an addict. No-one aspires to become addicted and to sleep on the street. And yes, they got there through bad choices. But surely a human life shouldn't be written off so easily?

Why should society help them? Because we can. No other reason. Just because we can. Just because a life matters. Instead, they're let down time and time again. I'm thinking of, say, Methadone clinics in the US. The vast majority are for profit, and they therefore don't have any incentive to get people off the methadone itself. They charge money for the Methadone, which is sometimes enough to buy the actual drugs they're supposed to replace. It's horrible.

One other point. The number one cause of personal bankruptcies in the US is medical costs. Think about that for a moment. An injury, an illness, causes 66% of personal bankruptcies. Families implode. Some never recover. But suggest a more robust social care system be put in place, and you're accused of being a commie or socialist scum. But it's not that - families are being destroyed. To quote a study: "According to Bankrate data from January 2022, 56% of Americans would be unable to cover an unexpected $1,000 bill with savings."

I worked with a small company in Texas, just 25 employees. The receptionist had a heart attack one day, and had to go through that. Tragic for her, right? Well, it was also tragic for the rest of the employees - their healthcare costs doubled, because there was a claim on their plan. It wasn't any better when they tried to change plans, because they had to disclose the recent heart attack. Is that fair?

Finally, I lived in the US for a good amount of time. I absolutely LOVE the US. I loved my time there. I subscribe to much of what it stands for. But there were some things I just couldn't get my head around. Healthcare was one. And a couple other things. My view was always that the US is the greatest nation on earth. It's the richest. It's wonderfully dynamic and inventive. Yet for all that, the very thought of a healthcare system for all is either too expensive, a plain stupid idea, or as I say, commie nonsense. This isn't the case.

The US doesn't have good healthcare for all because it chooses not to. It's literally a choice. I never could understand, and still don't. A country that sends missions to Mars, has a war or two, let's individuals "earn" billions and billions for themselves. Yet it apparently can't afford social healthcare. No, it's simply not the case. They don't want it. Simple. Simple but shocking for someone like myself.
Thank you, @VaughanJB! You spoke straight from my heart.
 
This post will have more than one paragraph. :D
Indeed, Vaughan, and I would like to add my thoughts to several of them.
I think society as a whole is in a quandary. I think the purpose of a society is to provide a good place where its citizens can flourish and be cared for. Probably the same model used by neanderthals all those thousand of years ago. The society exists for the protection and care of its citizens, imo. Today it seems some believe society exists to generate riches. That money and wealth are the key purposes. At least it seems to me it's this way. Not many out there seem to have a goal of simply providing for their loved ones, it's a rush for more and more money and influence. We've lost something along the way, I think.
Neanderthals probably worshipped deities associated with nature. Today, in a spiritual vacuum a lot of people make gods of money and power, and themselves.
Which is why the poor are so denigrated. How many times have you read comments such as, "those people living on the streets get what they deserve. They should get a job." Or in low paying jobs, "they should get educated and get a better job". It's as though the path to support yourself is a one lane highway, and everyone must qualify by working every hour God sends for whatever pittance your master feels like giving you. In fact, I'm not totally convinced some people think business has any need to cater to the betterment of society as a whole, and they can do whatever they please because - MONEY. Which is why deregulation isn't always a good thing.
Regulation to some degree is a necessary thing, otherwise children would still be working in coal mines and sweat shops.
On the social issues front..... things are far better today than they've ever been on some fronts, for sure. There's still work to be done, but much has been achieved. That said, it sometimes feels as though new injustices are invented every day. But the biggest problem seems to be that we can't erase, say, racism. And while it may seem shocking, I'm not even sure we should, even if we could.

What I mean is, as a society we can set rules and standards, but individuals should be free to believe as they please. If your next door neighbor is a racist, he shouldn't be allowed to attack others, or to insult you every time he see's you. But, he can think whatever he pleases. Sometimes it seems some want to wipe the memories of others and force them to think as the best of us do, and that just causes friction and in unrealistic

Society will also always have rich and poor people. There are millions of reasons why this might be. Today we've not got the balance right, mostly because both greed and avarice are worshiped and thought of as the natural way we should all be. That there's nothing wrong with greed. That if a person can make a billion off the backs of 100 other people who do the actual work, that's great! It's that old empathy thing again, or lack thereof.
Very true
Homelessness is tragic. I know there are now people who work full time, but have to live in their cars. But let's take the worst of them - someone who chose one day to try weed, which led to coke, and on to heroin, etc. There they are, curled up in the street, unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed. Well, I see a lot of people online with an attitude of "well, that's their fault, shouldn't have taken drugs. They should stop the drugs and get a job, or just die already."

Should we care for these people, or not? After all, many of them are committing crimes to get their drugs. Of course, at this point, these people really don't have a choice. It's not how addiction works. They don't choose to be addicts. They became an addict. No-one aspires to become addicted and to sleep on the street. And yes, they got there through bad choices. But surely a human life shouldn't be written off so easily?

Why should society help them? Because we can. No other reason. Just because we can. Just because a life matters. Instead, they're let down time and time again. I'm thinking of, say, Methadone clinics in the US. The vast majority are for profit, and they therefore don't have any incentive to get people off the methadone itself. They charge money for the Methadone, which is sometimes enough to buy the actual drugs they're supposed to replace. It's horrible.
That sounds shocking. Some things should not be run as for profit enterprises - safe injecting rooms in Sydney have saved many lives. Addicts are no longer dying on the street in the inner city and many have found a way to get off the heroin and return to a normal life. Services like this need government support which means taxpayer funding. The public investment is well worth it in the long run.
One other point. The number one cause of personal bankruptcies in the US is medical costs. Think about that for a moment. An injury, an illness, causes 66% of personal bankruptcies. Families implode. Some never recover. But suggest a more robust social care system be put in place, and you're accused of being a commie or socialist scum. But it's not that - families are being destroyed. To quote a study: "According to Bankrate data from January 2022, 56% of Americans would be unable to cover an unexpected $1,000 bill with savings."
A national approach to health where the costs to individuals are subsidised is the way to go. No-one in Australia is bankrupted by the cost of medicine and pharmaceuticals. Everyone benefits - children, students, low wage earners, the disabled and the elderly. It is paid for by a small levy (2% I think) on taxable income.
I worked with a small company in Texas, just 25 employees. The receptionist had a heart attack one day, and had to go through that. Tragic for her, right? Well, it was also tragic for the rest of the employees - their healthcare costs doubled, because there was a claim on their plan. It wasn't any better when they tried to change plans, because they had to disclose the recent heart attack. Is that fair?
No, it is not. It would not happen if the costs were spread across everyone in the nation.
Finally, I lived in the US for a good amount of time. I absolutely LOVE the US. I loved my time there. I subscribe to much of what it stands for. But there were some things I just couldn't get my head around. Healthcare was one. And a couple other things. My view was always that the US is the greatest nation on earth. It's the richest. It's wonderfully dynamic and inventive. Yet for all that, the very thought of a healthcare system for all is either too expensive, a plain stupid idea, or as I say, commie nonsense. This isn't the case.
No. It is not. (y)

The US doesn't have good healthcare for all because it chooses not to. It's literally a choice. I never could understand, and still don't. A country that sends missions to Mars, has a war or two, let's individuals "earn" billions and billions for themselves. Yet it apparently can't afford social healthcare. No, it's simply not the case. They don't want it. Simple. Simple but shocking for someone like myself.
I don't see America as a single country. To me it is an association of separate states, loosely aligned and often divided. In the same way, I don't see a people working together for the good of all. Americans work for themselves and their family and class. It's as if the Americal motto is "Every man for himself and the Devil take the hindmost."I know that is a harsh generalisation but it is not without some validity.
 
The BBC recently reported that there are 25 viewers for every flat going for rent in London.

We're in a housing crisis. No-one cared when rising house prices in a few areas made them wealthier, but it's lead us to a time where basic housing for the poorer are no longer available almost anywhere. And guess what, it's going to get worse. I think we're only at the beginning of this.
Same thing is happening in Australia. Our national government is looking to address it but it won't be a quick or easy fix. They are not going to touch negative gearing on investment housing because it is political death to do so. The Murdoch press would crucify them.

However, something does need to be done quickly because we need more immigrants to fill gaps in quite a lot of industries. They will all need to be housed. Air BnB housing is taking over and tying up a lot of housing. This is making it difficult to recruit teachers, doctors and nurses to rural towns. Not an easy problem to solve without throwing mountains of money at it. What government wants to do that when the national debt is already huge?
 
There are way too many factors competing here.
Government has never been the answer... period... there is NO one size fits all - period

Comparing life today with cell phones and internet access and gadgets......... all with $$$ going out for what used to be extras now are looked at like necessities ....... that even the 80's never considered etc is not that same as "happy days" TV show where only dad worked.
Even those women who want to work and have a career......... day care makes their take home pay about the same if not less then if they worked a PT job at minimum wage opposite hours of the spouse. BUT the prestige of a office job creates respect while retail is a sad sack job ...... that is a choice.... my daughter and SIL work opposite shifts and have money in jobs that media would tell you will NEVER pay enough.

We say people can make their own choices and it is none of our business......... but when people make bad choice after bad choice and end up in dire straights .... it is someone else's fault not the person making the poor choice. This applies to money / health and basic life choices like drugs/ alcohol etc

For the rich .... we know they can only live in one house at a time....yet collections of houses is not frowned upon.... how much property compounds do these folks need..... no one is ranting about how many houses a person owns unless they are deemed the enemy in thought or politics....
Salary for a CEO should be more then a janitor....... they have more responsibility and skill but how much more ... maybe we need to work on maximum compensation .. Instead of falsely thinking upping minimum helps all prices go up MATH shows no gain by those who are making minimum ....
Call people out for their indulgences instead of making it seem that is the goal ......
 
Poverty is a business and it is growing ...
think of layers of "help" creating more jobs in social work and charity situations and government programs or programs seeking grants ... if those remember a thread on a charity helping fire victims on Maui had 20 + executives making over 6 figures per year the top one ...... over a half million a year.... to help the needy .... come on

Think of all the programs and layers of administration of said programs..... if you know the system.... you can do well if you play the game.... because we do not anticipate someone exploiting loopholes .... people are told to let it go ........they are poor .....
we want to monitor middle class about banking and money........ but no new regulations on payday loans/ check cashing which are legalized loansharking .... because we pretend they are helping the poor.
WHERE is the personal finance education.... ?

Millions or billions thrown out to anyone with no safeguards, standards with no accountability in any crisis. we work on the honor system yet then are amazed or baffled by fraud..... give me a break...

We cannot collect what is owed in taxes because we do not have money for collection practices but ... IF we collected we would have the money.
 
"We continue to moan about sexism. racism and homophobia and daily examples of all three can be found in the news on a regular basis! But ... affirmative action was done away with as no longer needed. If you look at Canada's Parliament (as one example) you see women in just about every position of authority. And Gay Pride parades are being held, even in small towns!"

These are continuing problems. They have not been resolved. Oklahoma has more women per capita in prison than anywhere in the world. Not just the US - in the world! Why do you think that is? Just a bunch of crazy women in Oklahoma? Something that infuriates me is trying to sweep these issues under the rug.

I have heard people say Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization. That is absurd. It is also sad that "black lives matter" is a statement that needs to be made.

Homophobia? Look at the churches that condemn this as a sin. Look at recent stories in the news about businesses refusing to serve. We made a token effort and pat ourselves on the back. Not good enough.

Greed controls our country. That is why you are seeing strikes and people going refusing to go back to work. I think we are going to see more of this pushback. I hope so.
 


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