3 ms·

Too focused on relative income distribution, not enough on standards of living. Americans live in bigger houses with fewer people living in them, they own smar

by jonfw 6y ago

Too focused on relative income distribution, not enough on standards of living. Americans live in bigger houses with fewer people living in them, they own smart phones, cars, huge TVs, appliances, HVAC, video games, plenty of clothes. They get their goods delivered straight to their door, they have their food grown and prepared for them. This is an accurate description of lower class Americans. While income inequality is real and worsening, I'm still not seeing evidence that this leads to bad outcomes.

jtxxwl2 6y ago
So, lots of bread and circuses. Are they healthy? Are their grandchildren and great-grandchildren going to inherit a civilization that they would want to be born in to?
- jonfw 6y ago
  If a dog is fat it's somebody else's fault, if a person is fat it's their fault. > Are their grandchildren and great-grandchildren going to inherit a civilization that they would want to be born in to? How should I know how people's unborn children feel about a society which doesn't exist yet?
  - jtxxwl2 6y ago
    >If a dog is fat it's somebody else's fault, if a person is fat it's their fault. I don't really care whom you blame, I care about the results. Our society could do much more to stop people from being fat and unhealthy, yet 70% of the country is overweight, and more people have chronic health problems than don't. >How should I know how people's unborn children feel about a society which doesn't exist yet? I'm not asking how the unborn children feel, I'm asking whether the existing people would want to be born into the civilization which they expect that their grandchildren and great-grandchildren will inherit.
    - jonfw 6y ago
      > don't really care whom you blame, I care about the results. Our society could do much more to stop people from being fat and unhealthy, yet 70% of the country is overweight, and more people have chronic health problems than don't. Unless you want members of society to walk around smacking soda and fried potato products out of people's hands, I'm not sure that I agree. If we want to pool our resources as a people to solve problems for others, let's start with water scarcity, unstable/oppressive governments, and renewable energy. Please don't sign me up for forcing people onto weight watchers plans.
      - jtxxwl2 6y ago
        How about locking the soda and sugary snacks away with the cigarettes, instead of having them in your face (and your children's faces) in the checkout aisle? How about putting warning labels on them like cigarette cartons instead of cartoon pictures designed to get the attention of children? How about devoting multiple hours of every school day in high school to getting students into great shape, so they don't start off their adult lives overweight? There are many, many things we could easily do, but the people who run our civilization do not want them to be done. Those same people are the ones that are gaining more and more power over the people, by the way, as a consequence of the concentration of wealth. What water scarcity problem is currently causing problems for 70% of the country?
        jonfw 6y ago
        The root of the problem is a lack of self control, and putting things in scarier packaging will not solve that problem. It's sort of like distributing tissues as a solution to the COVID pandemic, it's just addressing a symptom. Why would we restrict our charity to this country? Let's solve real problems, which mostly exist in other countries. Unrestricted access to soda and Twinkies is not a real problem. In addition, prohibition does not work. It doesn't work with alcohol, it doesn't work with drugs, it doesn't work with gambling, and it won't work with cake.
        jtxxwl2 6y ago

by jonfw 6y ago

jtxxwl2 6y ago

So, lots of bread and circuses. Are they healthy? Are their grandchildren and great-grandchildren going to inherit a civilization that they would want to be born in to?

jonfw 6y ago
If a dog is fat it's somebody else's fault, if a person is fat it's their fault. > Are their grandchildren and great-grandchildren going to inherit a civilization that they would want to be born in to? How should I know how people's unborn children feel about a society which doesn't exist yet?
- jtxxwl2 6y ago
  >If a dog is fat it's somebody else's fault, if a person is fat it's their fault. I don't really care whom you blame, I care about the results. Our society could do much more to stop people from being fat and unhealthy, yet 70% of the country is overweight, and more people have chronic health problems than don't. >How should I know how people's unborn children feel about a society which doesn't exist yet? I'm not asking how the unborn children feel, I'm asking whether the existing people would want to be born into the civilization which they expect that their grandchildren and great-grandchildren will inherit.
  - jonfw 6y ago
    > don't really care whom you blame, I care about the results. Our society could do much more to stop people from being fat and unhealthy, yet 70% of the country is overweight, and more people have chronic health problems than don't. Unless you want members of society to walk around smacking soda and fried potato products out of people's hands, I'm not sure that I agree. If we want to pool our resources as a people to solve problems for others, let's start with water scarcity, unstable/oppressive governments, and renewable energy. Please don't sign me up for forcing people onto weight watchers plans.
    - jtxxwl2 6y ago
      How about locking the soda and sugary snacks away with the cigarettes, instead of having them in your face (and your children's faces) in the checkout aisle? How about putting warning labels on them like cigarette cartons instead of cartoon pictures designed to get the attention of children? How about devoting multiple hours of every school day in high school to getting students into great shape, so they don't start off their adult lives overweight? There are many, many things we could easily do, but the people who run our civilization do not want them to be done. Those same people are the ones that are gaining more and more power over the people, by the way, as a consequence of the concentration of wealth. What water scarcity problem is currently causing problems for 70% of the country?
      - jonfw 6y ago
        The root of the problem is a lack of self control, and putting things in scarier packaging will not solve that problem. It's sort of like distributing tissues as a solution to the COVID pandemic, it's just addressing a symptom. Why would we restrict our charity to this country? Let's solve real problems, which mostly exist in other countries. Unrestricted access to soda and Twinkies is not a real problem. In addition, prohibition does not work. It doesn't work with alcohol, it doesn't work with drugs, it doesn't work with gambling, and it won't work with cake.
        jtxxwl2 6y ago