7 ms·

Is there any calamity that affects the young and the rich the most?

by jdsully 7y ago

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
pkaye 7y ago
Some diseases can be worse for the young because their immune system is more active. As for the rich, affluenza.
vikramkr 7y ago
The 1920 flu pandemic?
- roywiggins 7y ago
  Young, yes. Being rich definitely didn't help very much but I don't think it hurt you either.
  - vikramkr 7y ago
    Diabetes was historically a rich person disease
    - chewz 7y ago
      Also gout and constipation. But it is the other way around now.
benjohnson 7y ago
Not having to strive - there's plenty of people who inherit money and have great educations that never amount to anything and live lonely lives without a family.
- pojzon 7y ago
  Still better to cry in Lamborgini than in a VW Polo. Being sad because you are lonely and being devastated because you cannot feed your children because you are too poor, watching them die on your arms. Those are two different spectrums of being sad. Anyone can say what he wants, but having enough money in current world can ammas to 99% of everything that matters to be happy in life.
tempsy 7y ago
Yep - existential crises (e.g. a lot of Silicon Valley right now)
- dictum 7y ago
  Poor people experience even deeper existential crises, but they usually don't get to write novels or essays in influential publications. If given the opportunity to do so, the words and metaphors they'd choose would be alien to most people who aren't in poverty. Metaphors are the easiest, quickest way to evoke empathy, but when you're poor, your daily life is significantly different, and finding shared metaphors to convey your feelings is harder. Then there's the language barrier (style, spelling, vocabulary, grammar). Speaking of the US alone: most born again Christians emerge from some kind of existential crisis. I don't believe the underlying crisis ever goes away, but it's turned into some kind of tool/resource.
closeparen 7y ago
Cuts to higher education. Rent control. Contraction of high-paid knowledge work labor markets like tech and finance.
- thrden 7y ago
  Rent Control in NYC actually disproportionately benefits wealthier New Yorkers.[1] https://ny.curbed.com/2019/6/12/18662844/rent-regulation-study-manhattan https://ny.curbed.com/2019/6/12/18662844/rent-regulation-stu...
fitzroy 7y ago
Private plane crashes, risky Instagram selfies in exotic locations, populist coups, malfunctioning automated systems in Bond-villain-style underground lairs.
Someone 7y ago
I’m not sure whether they fall under ‘calamity’, but: breaking your neck playing polo? Dying in a helicopter crash? Car accidents at over 300 km/hour? Inheritable diseases that richer families can survive easier, making them more prevalent in richer families, such as Haemophilia may be better examples.

Is there any calamity that affects the young and the rich the most?

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

pkaye 7y ago

Some diseases can be worse for the young because their immune system is more active. As for the rich, affluenza.

vikramkr 7y ago

The 1920 flu pandemic?

roywiggins 7y ago
Young, yes. Being rich definitely didn't help very much but I don't think it hurt you either.
- vikramkr 7y ago
  Diabetes was historically a rich person disease
  - chewz 7y ago
    Also gout and constipation. But it is the other way around now.

benjohnson 7y ago

Not having to strive - there's plenty of people who inherit money and have great educations that never amount to anything and live lonely lives without a family.

pojzon 7y ago
Still better to cry in Lamborgini than in a VW Polo. Being sad because you are lonely and being devastated because you cannot feed your children because you are too poor, watching them die on your arms. Those are two different spectrums of being sad. Anyone can say what he wants, but having enough money in current world can ammas to 99% of everything that matters to be happy in life.

tempsy 7y ago

Yep - existential crises (e.g. a lot of Silicon Valley right now)

dictum 7y ago
Poor people experience even deeper existential crises, but they usually don't get to write novels or essays in influential publications. If given the opportunity to do so, the words and metaphors they'd choose would be alien to most people who aren't in poverty. Metaphors are the easiest, quickest way to evoke empathy, but when you're poor, your daily life is significantly different, and finding shared metaphors to convey your feelings is harder. Then there's the language barrier (style, spelling, vocabulary, grammar). Speaking of the US alone: most born again Christians emerge from some kind of existential crisis. I don't believe the underlying crisis ever goes away, but it's turned into some kind of tool/resource.

closeparen 7y ago

Cuts to higher education. Rent control. Contraction of high-paid knowledge work labor markets like tech and finance.

thrden 7y ago
Rent Control in NYC actually disproportionately benefits wealthier New Yorkers.[1] https://ny.curbed.com/2019/6/12/18662844/rent-regulation-study-manhattan https://ny.curbed.com/2019/6/12/18662844/rent-regulation-stu...

fitzroy 7y ago

Private plane crashes, risky Instagram selfies in exotic locations, populist coups, malfunctioning automated systems in Bond-villain-style underground lairs.

Someone 7y ago

I’m not sure whether they fall under ‘calamity’, but: breaking your neck playing polo? Dying in a helicopter crash? Car accidents at over 300 km/hour? Inheritable diseases that richer families can survive easier, making them more prevalent in richer families, such as Haemophilia may be better examples.