Is theft becoming normalized in the United States?

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

Guys... We can just to socialism. It totally works

Depends on the program being discussed.

It’s not a basket you’d want to put all your eggs in.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Depends on the program being discussed.

It’s not a basket you’d want to put all your eggs in.

It will totally be different this time, I promise.

[spuds1961]

Self checkout is a great way to promote theft, I am not trained to do this job so I might not notice if an item doesn’t scan. I would imagine for every dollar they save by not hiring a cashier they lose even more due to theft.

[Blazed]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

I like where you’re headed, so let me ask if the end goal is eliminating poverty or creating equality?

Basically do you see poverty as a relatively fixed baseline where—as long as people have X amount of calories, X amount of income, and all basic needs secured—they have no justification to steal? Or is it more so the distance between families and the resources they possess?

To put my cards on the table, I’d support going to full-blown s*cialist to ensure that every American child gets the best food, education, and opportunities in the world. Conversely, I’d be in favor of making fewer excuses for adults.

Eliminate as much poverty as possible in future generations. The children should have better access to resources (food clothing education), I'd be all for that. What the parents lack shouldn't be the child's fault.

But that goes back to education, with better education we can start to break the cycle and as the new generation enters it will be needed less and less.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

It will totally be different this time, I promise.

Not a fan of group breaks, huh?

[christhecpa]

Originally Posted by spuds1961

Self checkout is a great way to promote theft, I am not trained to do this job so I might not notice if an item doesn’t scan. I would imagine for every dollar they save by not hiring a cashier they lose even more due to theft.

The Walmart Employee Discount is 10%. It is your right as a honorary Walmart employee to not ring 10% of purchases up....but more than that is embezzlement.

[spuds1961]

Originally Posted by christhecpa

The Walmart Employee Discount is 10%. It is your right as a honorary Walmart employee to not ring 10% of purchases up....but more than that is embezzlement.

Corporate greed is costing people Jobs and when those same people who are forced to ring up their own items for no pay get the job wrong who is really to blame. I don’t condone theft and I have never taken advantage of an item that didn’t scan as I just rescan it and everything is fine. When your Walmarts and Meijers think they can pay one overaged employee minimum wage to check receipts at the door something is wrong with that picture.

[Blazed]

Speaking of Walmart, Walmart workers are the biggest recipients of food stamps and Medicaid in most states. Rob Walton bought the Broncos for $4.65 billion. Capitalism at work, tax payers subsidized that team purchase.

Corporate greed is out of control. Walmart making record profits while tax payers subsidize their employees. Sounds about right in America.

This would be an example of the white collar theft that is taboo to talk about.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Not a fan of group breaks, huh?

socialism, in any form, has never and will never work. It cannot work because humans are inherently self interested and in socialism the greediest and worst are the ones who inevitably rise to the top

free market capitalism is the only fair economic system

If it's opt in, and people want to contribute to charity, fine. Otherwise, it's just theft.

edited to say: "closed loop socialism" can never work, places with socialist elements can work but only off the back of capitalism

[corndog]

Originally Posted by Blazed

Start with the obvious. Complete overhaul of the education system. Stricter standards to qualify to become a teacher.

The US is almost dead last in education and that has more to do with the teachers than the students.

If that can be fixed then we can start breaking the poverty cycle.

I would completely disagree.

The total lack of parental involvement in their childs education is a HUGE contributing factor.

Teachers have zero home support.

[jcardstore]

the main reason that socialism / communism can't scale is dunbars number. Outside of 150 connections, it gets abstract and you can't effectively manage anything without a formal state body, which then just becomes a vessel for theft and abuse

[pac213up]

Originally Posted by Blazed

Corporate greed is out of control. Walmart making record profits while tax payers subsidize their employees. Sounds about right in America.

I support individuals and businesses making lots of money and seeking profits but you are correct, it is absolutely amazing how much these companies get away with at the expense of the majority.

[christhecpa]

Is it billionaire submarine season yet? I'm ready for another implosion.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

the main reason that socialism / communism can't scale is dunbars number. Outside of 150 connections, it gets abstract and you can't effectively manage anything without a formal state body, which then just becomes a vessel for theft and abuse

If it’s helpful—I don’t think anyone other than Chris is advocating for anything radical other than maybe me saying that being an American should mean something and we should collectively invest in our kids.

Communism is only great if you need help losing weight.

[Blazed]

Originally Posted by corndog

I would completely disagree.

The total lack of parental involvement in their childs education is a HUGE contributing factor.

Teachers have zero home support.

How do you suppose that changes when you have parents working 2 or 3 jobs and there's no "family time" anymore?

Unfortunately, the school system is raising most children and that's why we need an overhaul and better qualified teachers.

You can defend the teachers all you want. I have 2 kids and their teachers through the years haven't been very impressive. There have been a few that really know the material and those I applaud.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

If it’s helpful—I don’t think anyone other than Chris is advocating for anything radical other than maybe me saying that being an American should mean something and we should collectively invest in our kids.

Communism is only great if you need help losing weight.

yea I think collectivism sounds great in theory and really sucks in reality outside of dunbars number.

I mean sure, we should all be collectively invested in each others kids to be the best america we can be but that's just not possible in practice

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by Blazed

How do you suppose that changes when you have parents working 2 or 3 jobs and there's no "family time" anymore?

Unfortunately, the school system is raising most children and that's why we need an overhaul and better qualified teachers.

You can defend the teachers all you want. I have 2 kids and their teachers through the years haven't been very impressive. There have been a few that really know the material and those I applaud.

It sucks for kids who don’t have parents who can work with them or go to bat for them.

I spent an hour with the principal talking pedagogy and suddenly my kid started receiving better instruction and testing. (Actual phonics and not just sight words. He can count up through the hundreds at home but his teacher kept marking him as “can count to 12”—now his report cards are accurate.)

[JeremyNick]

If people were programmable robots, you could solve poverty with education.

We aren’t and it won’t fix the problem of autonomy.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by JeremyNick

it won’t fix the problem of autonomy.

Or addiction.

[Blazed]

Originally Posted by JeremyNick

If people were programmable robots, you could solve poverty with education.

We aren’t and it won’t fix the problem of autonomy.

I disagree. Plenty of programmed robots out there doing what society says they should do, i.e., work hard, go to school, get a job... programmed.

It starts with education at a young age and build off that.

[Blazed]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

It sucks for kids who don’t have parents who can work with them or go to bat for them.

I spent an hour with the principal talking pedagogy and suddenly my kid started receiving better instruction and testing. (Actual phonics and not just sight words. He can count up through the hundreds at home but his teacher kept marking him as “can count to 12”—now his report cards are accurate.)

Exactly why we need better qualified and quality teachers.

[JeremyNick]

Originally Posted by jcardstore

socialism, in any form, has never and will never work. It cannot work because humans are inherently self interested and in socialism the greediest and worst are the ones who inevitably rise to the top

free market capitalism is the only fair economic system

If it's opt in, and people want to contribute to charity, fine. Otherwise, it's just theft.

edited to say: "closed loop socialism" can never work, places with socialist elements can work but only off the back of capitalism

Isn’t the issue with socialism the same as free market capitalism. It’s great on paper but becomes completely unmanageable beyond a certain point?

I mean these are all just ideals that aren’t translatable to scale.

[JeremyNick]

Originally Posted by Blazed

I disagree. Plenty of programmed robots out there doing what society says they should do, i.e., work hard, go to school, get a job... programmed.

It starts with education at a young age and build off that.

That’s the weirdest response I’ve read in a while.

[jcardstore]

Originally Posted by JeremyNick

Isn’t the issue with socialism the same as free market capitalism. It’s great on paper but becomes completely unmanageable beyond a certain point?

I mean these are all just ideals that aren’t translatable to scale.

capitalism is the only economic system that can scale because humans are self interested. mutual cooperation through the lens of self interest

America isn't really capitalist anyways

[jcardstore]

America gave up the ideals of capitalism as soon as it went off the gold standard.

Now it’s just some distorted version of crony capitalism / corporatism that only benefits the elite (the closest to the printer)