Economic inequality is what ails us

Quote from Mav88:

Forced equality of economic outcomes has been tried, it's called communism and it doesn't make people very happy.

It's amazing that so-called social scientists get paid. No attempts at sorting out the other infinite set of variables which influence incomes and something called happiness which can't be measured really- organize some stats to support your pre-determined conclusions (and yes that's obvious here) and punch out a paper.

I can do the same thing: Swedish suicide rates are higher than the US, Swedes are less happy, socialist redistribution depresses happiness.

I can tell Ricter isn't a trader. Real traders want opportunity, not equality. Equality isn't even a desireable outcome.

Opinionated sociologists (I'm not thinking of the more objectively scientific, such as the authors of this book who offer no solutions) do not want equality of outcome, they want fairness of outcome, and you're highly unlikely to get it if stratification has reached a point where you have masses of people born in shacks competing with those born in suburbs with every advantage. Who finishes ahead, on average, if both "work hard", our dismissive mantra?

I can tell Mav would suck at poker, since he doesn't understand the differential odds of starting with pocket aces vs. starting with junk.
 
Quote from Ricter:

Opinionated sociologists (I'm not thinking of the more objectively scientific, such as the authors of this book who offer no solutions) do not want equality of outcome, they want fairness of outcome, and you're highly unlikely to get it if stratification has reached a point where you have masses of people born in shacks competing with those born in suburbs with every advantage. Who finishes ahead, on average, if both "work hard", our dismissive mantra?

I can tell Mav would suck at poker, since he doesn't understand the differential odds of starting with pocket aces vs. starting with junk.

They've got a predigested answer for that too. As if Steve Forbes "worked" for every penny he has.
 
Quote from vhehn:

"a stark, unflattering graph shows the USA topping the charts among developed countries for some social ailment: drug use, obesity, violence, mental illness, teenage pregnancy, illiteracy."

also one of the most religious countries with 70% claiming to be christian. i wonder.


yeah I can imagine it now. Some obese, pregnant teenage girl is sitting in church with a bible she cant read, talking with other parishioners about what gang they should join and who they should bust a cap in before they go do a few lines of coke.

Sounds just like Christianity. You really are not that bright, are you vhehn?
 
Opinionated sociologists (I'm not thinking of the more objectively scientific, such as the authors of this book who offer no solutions) do not want equality of outcome, they want fairness of outcome, and you're highly unlikely to get it if stratification has reached a point where you have masses of people born in shacks competing with those born in suburbs with every advantage. Who finishes ahead, on average, if both "work hard", our dismissive mantra?

I can tell Mav would suck at poker, since he doesn't understand the differential odds of starting with pocket aces vs. starting with junk.

I started with junk, I knew better than to play poker with folks with Aces. It's not where you start, it's where you end up which is largely driven by character. Ellison's story is more the rule than the exception.

The majority of adults in 'shacks' don't work hard, that's why they are in shacks. I used to live by them.

I have never seen a kid who doesn't work hard at school, and get good grades, not get a break. In fact, poor and minority kids have so many affirmative action type scholarship opportunities the education playing field for them is actually better than for the white kid from a home with average income.

I think your model is the standard leftist textbook bilge. The people you empathize with are largely lazy and/or stupid, in my observations to a large degree character+intelligence = destiny. There are ALWAYS anecdotal exceptions to any point of view and in any event we all know it isn't about simply working hard = success. The world wants smart workers not always hard workers.
 
Quote from peilthetraveler:

yeah I can imagine it now. Some obese, pregnant teenage girl is sitting in church with a bible she cant read, talking with other parishioners about what gang they should join and who they should bust a cap in before they go do a few lines of coke.

Sounds just like Christianity. You really are not that bright, are you vhehn?

With all due respect, what he is saying is "the church is failing in its mission to help those people, instead choosing to be preoccupied with influence and political stands.

I don't agree with Vhehn's philosophy, but I wonder the same thing, US rapidly becoming "white-washed graves" and "dead-men's bones".
 
The majority of adults in 'shacks' don't work hard, that's why they are in shacks. I used to live by them.

Some do work hard yet make poor choices adding to their diilema.

One example, a hard working shack guy messed up at work and had his hours cut for a couple weeks. One of those "informal" punitive cutbacks but not directly said to be directed at his actions.

Then this guy was aked to work some overtiime, which I thought was a nice gesture on the part of the company to make amends and not hurt the guy too bad.

You know what he said? "No". You know why? Because he wanted to teach the company a lesson, "oh now you need me, so fuck off". He soon after lost his job. What a friggin dope.
 
Back
Top