We live in a capitalist dystopia

[wonko the sane?]

It takes less resources to make sure the benches don't get cold. The ground is tile and concrete, which sap heat.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Also they'll just get trampled.

 

[Plutoniumboss]

I suppose what I'm thinking is that the desperate will find a way around these things. Cardboard mats from discarded boxes. Finding out of the way places against the walls. I have doubts the measure will stop what it's intended to stop.

 

[wonko the sane?]

It greatly increases the opportunity costs, making most people feel like the attempt isn't worth it. It WILL work for most, but some will be undeterred.

 

[Sjogre]

As has been said before, the cruelty is the point. Being effective is a secondary concern, if at all.

 

[Rust]

The darkest part of it the money spent on being needlessly cruel to the homeless could be spent to improve their situation, thereby naturally dealing with "the problem".

But better to pour money into the needless cruelty pit then dare contemplate helping someone.

 

[Paladin]

Our culture has successfully framed homelessness as a personal failure issue when instead it is a POLICY failure.

There are far more empty homes in the country than homeless people. We have the money and resources to actually take care of everyone. We just choose not to because our system depends on the belief that some people just deserve to suffer because they are somehow "inferior."

 

[Pale Rider]

FB friend:

Capitalism is only distinct from feudalism in the same sense that a 2022 Corvette is distinct from a Model T Ford. It's a new and improved version, but it's not really different in concept.

Under feudalism, all economic and political power was concentrated in the hands of a small wealthy elite who owned all of the valuable property. If you didn't own land, then you were nobody and you didn't matter.

Under capitalism, all economic and political power is also concentrated in the hands of a small wealthy elite who own all of the valuable property. If you don't own property, then you are nobody and you don't matter.

The biggest difference is that capitalism has invented new kinds of property: intellectual property, corporate shares, etc. And property ownership has been atomized: instead of huge tracts of land being owned by feudal lords, smaller parcels of it are owned by larger numbers of citizens. But creating a class of mini-lords does not change the basic equation. The basic equation remains the same: if you don't own property, then you are nobody and you don't matter.

 

[wonko the sane?]

I mean... fucker ain't wrong.

 

[NovaSaber]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1558880509874274308

Billionaires are funding a massive treasure hunt in Greenland as ice vanishes | CNN

Some of the world's richest men are funding a massive treasure hunt in Greenland as sea and land ice melts.

www.cnn.com

 

[Pale Rider]

I mean... fucker ain't wrong.

I've actually had conservatives tell me (years before MAGA was a thing, mind you) that only property owners should be allowed to vote, and they were as serious as a heart attack when they said it. It just made perfect sense to them.

 

[Pocket]

Some of the founding fathers literally believed that! I don't remember which ones or how they got talked out of it.

 

[NovaSaber]

 

[Ironbite4]

Some of the founding fathers literally believed that! I don't remember which ones or how they got talked out of it.

Most of them were for that system. Progressives like Franklin realized where that would lead to and argued for every man 18 or older got a vote.

Ironbite-well...White Men

 

[wonko the sane?]

You didn't need to include the noun there, you already established the context of the era, and most of us already know that back then "man" meant: white, catholic, and of specifically british origin. None of that irish or scottish trash.

 

[Pale Rider]

FB friend:

We hear a lot about inflation, and recently we've been hearing about shrinkflation. But what about cheapflation? That's just a word I made up for something you all know: companies make products shittier and shitter over time because they want to cut corners on quality so they can make more profit.

I recently had to replace the batteries in my door lock, and THREE OUT OF FOOR batteries had exploded. These aren't cheap batteries either: they were Duracells. I'm sick of this jive. Battery ruptures were not this common when I was growing up.

 

[Guardian Prime]

I totally agree with FB friend. Just today I was checking on the 4 AA Duracells I use for my small trail camera. 2 of the 4 batteries had exploded/leaked. And that's not the first time it has happened.

 

[Cybersnark]

well...White Men

 

[AgentOrange]

You didn't need to include the noun there, you already established the context of the era, and most of us already know that back then "man" meant: white, catholic, and of specifically british origin. None of that irish or scottish trash.

Catholic? This is America

 

[Pocket]

Actually, since nothing in the Constitution specifically guaranteed a right to vote to anyone in particular, it was up to the states to decide whom to disenfranchise, and presumably non-property-owners were entirely on the table.