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If you are brilliant, cultured, and educated, chances are you aren't struggling to pay rent. If you are, then you aren't brilliant or intelligent. I'm not stru

If you are brilliant, cultured, and educated, chances are you aren't struggling to pay rent. If you are, then you aren't brilliant or intelligent. I'm not struggling, but I know smart people who are. Startup founders and people trying to make it in the arts come to mind. Not everyone smart immediately becomes rich, you know. I know you don't understand this, but that's how it is for the other 99% of us. I also would like to hear your definition of "cultured". Those who have the appropriate sense of historical perspective, appreciation for the arts and aesthetics, sense of social justice, and depth of knowledge necessary to be an adequate leader (in business, politics, the arts, etc.) By contrast, we have a world run by snake-oil salesmen and bullshitting rainmakers, while culture is utterly devalued. Hence we have graduates of great colleges busing tables in cafes while mouth-breathing trash-fuckers make big decisions that affect their lives. You really think this is why we don't have universal healthcare? I really don't want to debate healthcare here, but I have seen it first-hand, and I don't ever want it here in the US. Let me guess. You got really sick outside of the US and experienced another country's health system. You chalked your negative experience up to that country's health payment system rather than, I don't know, maybe the fact that getting sick really, really sucks no matter where you are? I have seen US healthcare as well. Poor delivery, long wait times, bad service and high error rates. We have the same problems and potentially life-wrecking bills.

rick888 17y ago
"I'm not struggling, but I know smart people who are. Startup founders and people trying to make it in the arts come to mind. Not everyone smart immediately becomes rich, you know. I know you don't understand this, but that's how it is for the other 99% of us." Art and startups are a huge risk. Many smart people have dumb ideas that will never make money. Art generally doesn't make you money (even some of the most famous artists were poor their entire lives). If those people just got a regular job, they would not be struggling to pay the rent. I'm not saying they should do this, I just think you should stop bitching about it. The world doesn't owe anyone a living. "By contrast, we have a world run by snake-oil salesmen and bullshitting rainmakers, while culture is utterly devalued. Hence we have graduates of great colleges busing tables in cafes while mouth-breathing trash-fuckers make big decisions that affect their lives." They don't need to be. If you are intelligent, you will find a way to be successful. Any great college graduates that are stuck waiting tables have other issues. I read a great article on how today's youth refuse to take jobs because many expect a $70,000 entry-level jobs and when they realize that they won't get paid this much, they decide to move back in with mommy and daddy. It's this sense of entitlement that is ruining the US, not a devalued culture. "Let me guess. You got really sick outside of the US and experienced another country's health system. You chalked your negative experience up to that country's health payment system rather than, I don't know, maybe the fact that getting sick really, really sucks no matter where you are?" Universal health care waters down the entire system for everyone. I would rather have the choice of a good system than be forced into a mediocre one. Pretty much all of the people I know from Canada have come over here for any major surgery. If the universal health care is so much better, why would this happen? "We have the same problems and potentially life-wrecking bills." Universal health care isn't free. It comes out of our taxes. It's also just not a good system. If I saw some form of proof that universal health care will work better for the US than our current system, I will be for it.
- pw0ncakes 17y ago
  Art and startups are a huge risk. Many smart people have dumb ideas that will never make money. Art generally doesn't make you money (even some of the most famous artists were poor their entire lives). If those people just got a regular job, they would not be struggling to pay the rent. I'm not saying they should do this, I just think you should stop bitching about it. The world doesn't owe anyone a living. You must be a troll. People shouldn't have to struggle to pay rent because they decide to pursue high-risk careers like the arts. Deciding between pursuing a dream vs. eating in fancy restaurants is one thing; having to choose between the dream vs. paying rent is another. I read a great article on how today's youth refuse to take jobs because many expect a $70,000 entry-level jobs and when they realize that they won't get paid this much, they decide to move back in with mommy and daddy. It's this sense of entitlement that is ruining the US, not a devalued culture. Good for them! $70,000 is aiming a bit high, especially for a non-science major, but if people who can't get good terms opt out of the work force (and maybe take classes in the mean time) the terms will get better for everyone else who is in the job market. This prevents the race-to-the-bottom dynamic. Universal health care waters down the entire system for everyone. I would rather have the choice of a good system than be forced into a mediocre one. We have a mediocre system, and it would get better with universal healthcare. People would get preventative care while their problems are cheap to treat, rather than coming in a complete mess and being more expensive to treat. Those uninsured people often still get treated; they just don't pay the medical bills because they can't. So, the system is already "diluted" in the way you describe. Pretty much all of the people I know from Canada have come over here for any major surgery. If the universal health care is so much better, why would this happen? Misconception. Absolutely no one comes to the US for healthcare because of the American medical system. Not even millionaires. People who come to the US for medical care are doing so to get a specific individual doctor who is nationally renowned or who invented a cutting-edge procedure. If said doctor were in France instead, the billionaire would go to France. The fact that we have talented and innovative doctors has nothing to do with our health insurance/billing system. We would still have great doctors if we cleaned up our payment system.

rick888 17y ago

"I'm not struggling, but I know smart people who are. Startup founders and people trying to make it in the arts come to mind. Not everyone smart immediately becomes rich, you know. I know you don't understand this, but that's how it is for the other 99% of us." Art and startups are a huge risk. Many smart people have dumb ideas that will never make money. Art generally doesn't make you money (even some of the most famous artists were poor their entire lives). If those people just got a regular job, they would not be struggling to pay the rent. I'm not saying they should do this, I just think you should stop bitching about it. The world doesn't owe anyone a living. "By contrast, we have a world run by snake-oil salesmen and bullshitting rainmakers, while culture is utterly devalued. Hence we have graduates of great colleges busing tables in cafes while mouth-breathing trash-fuckers make big decisions that affect their lives." They don't need to be. If you are intelligent, you will find a way to be successful. Any great college graduates that are stuck waiting tables have other issues. I read a great article on how today's youth refuse to take jobs because many expect a $70,000 entry-level jobs and when they realize that they won't get paid this much, they decide to move back in with mommy and daddy. It's this sense of entitlement that is ruining the US, not a devalued culture. "Let me guess. You got really sick outside of the US and experienced another country's health system. You chalked your negative experience up to that country's health payment system rather than, I don't know, maybe the fact that getting sick really, really sucks no matter where you are?" Universal health care waters down the entire system for everyone. I would rather have the choice of a good system than be forced into a mediocre one. Pretty much all of the people I know from Canada have come over here for any major surgery. If the universal health care is so much better, why would this happen? "We have the same problems and potentially life-wrecking bills." Universal health care isn't free. It comes out of our taxes. It's also just not a good system. If I saw some form of proof that universal health care will work better for the US than our current system, I will be for it.

pw0ncakes 17y ago
Art and startups are a huge risk. Many smart people have dumb ideas that will never make money. Art generally doesn't make you money (even some of the most famous artists were poor their entire lives). If those people just got a regular job, they would not be struggling to pay the rent. I'm not saying they should do this, I just think you should stop bitching about it. The world doesn't owe anyone a living. You must be a troll. People shouldn't have to struggle to pay rent because they decide to pursue high-risk careers like the arts. Deciding between pursuing a dream vs. eating in fancy restaurants is one thing; having to choose between the dream vs. paying rent is another. I read a great article on how today's youth refuse to take jobs because many expect a $70,000 entry-level jobs and when they realize that they won't get paid this much, they decide to move back in with mommy and daddy. It's this sense of entitlement that is ruining the US, not a devalued culture. Good for them! $70,000 is aiming a bit high, especially for a non-science major, but if people who can't get good terms opt out of the work force (and maybe take classes in the mean time) the terms will get better for everyone else who is in the job market. This prevents the race-to-the-bottom dynamic. Universal health care waters down the entire system for everyone. I would rather have the choice of a good system than be forced into a mediocre one. We have a mediocre system, and it would get better with universal healthcare. People would get preventative care while their problems are cheap to treat, rather than coming in a complete mess and being more expensive to treat. Those uninsured people often still get treated; they just don't pay the medical bills because they can't. So, the system is already "diluted" in the way you describe. Pretty much all of the people I know from Canada have come over here for any major surgery. If the universal health care is so much better, why would this happen? Misconception. Absolutely no one comes to the US for healthcare because of the American medical system. Not even millionaires. People who come to the US for medical care are doing so to get a specific individual doctor who is nationally renowned or who invented a cutting-edge procedure. If said doctor were in France instead, the billionaire would go to France. The fact that we have talented and innovative doctors has nothing to do with our health insurance/billing system. We would still have great doctors if we cleaned up our payment system.