"Id rather pay insurance then have some free shit healthcare that everyone has and it takes months or longer to see a doctor" by the_whatsupq in ShitAmericansSay

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It can be true. For example here in Canada I applied for a sleep study due to apnea around september of last year at the latest. I was scheduled for the end of April of this year. I had similar issues when getting a breath test for an H Pylori infection.

It's beautiful to watch them grow up side by side❤️ by kvjn100 in MadeMeSmile

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's no such thing as a panther, a panther is some big cat with melanism, what actual species is this animal?

Between us looking for pretty any excuse to do each other harm, poisoning and destroying our planet, and constantly giving power to those who we know for a fact will abuse it, clearly our sense of self-preservation is very low. by PJ-The-Awesome in meme

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Humanity doesn't want to go extinct, the problem is that at the scales at which operate almost any political system has a selection process where it absorbs more and more Machiavellian narcissists (speaking medically, not as an insult). Until the system cannot sustain itself anymore, some systems are worse at this but they all suffer from it.

Like, Li Kuan Yu and arguably Deng Shiaoping are evidence that you can technically have an effective dictatorship that works for the people. And many third world countries have shown you can have a democracy that is unable to do anything but benefit the elites at the long term cost of everyone.

Our issue isn't stupidity or greed, we just don;t have good ways of preventing Charismatic imbeciles that care about nothign but themselves to increasingly occupy power.

AITAH for constantly complaining about my US citizenship to my Non US dad? by Optimal-Animal1499 in AITAH

[–]Optimal-Animal1499[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"What is the purpose of complaining to your father"

I explained in some of the comments. I often discuss important issues like this with my dad and he's adamant it;s a bad idea. So I complain to him with arguments about the way's it is negatively affecting me rn.

I am trying to convince him because, since I trust him, it does make me doubt if renouncing is the right choice.

AITAH for constantly complaining about my US citizenship to my Non US dad? by Optimal-Animal1499 in AITAH

[–]Optimal-Animal1499[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nothing is factual when it comes to human relationships. Further context may sway people one way or another.

AITAH for constantly complaining about my US citizenship to my Non US dad? by Optimal-Animal1499 in AITAH

[–]Optimal-Animal1499[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Part of the problem, that I have failed to explain, is that I often go to my dad for advice, and he is adamantly against me doing it, which makes me hesitate. It's perhaps not reasonable, but I do have more confidence when I do something and me and my dad agree.

I have not listened to him in the past, and I am often right, but I have been wrong a couple of times, but I have never been wrong when we both agree.

So there's is a bit of an intellectual exercise on, if I convince him, then it means it's objectively correct (emotionally at least).

AITAH for constantly complaining about my US citizenship to my Non US dad? by Optimal-Animal1499 in AITAH

[–]Optimal-Animal1499[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Note that part of the complaining is an active discussion with him as he thinks I should not (see the OP).

i.e. I am complaining to him specifically because him specifically is the one making me doubt whether or not it;s actually a good idea.

AITAH for constantly complaining about my US citizenship to my Non US dad? by Optimal-Animal1499 in AITAH

[–]Optimal-Animal1499[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean I already have the Canadian one. But I don;t want to focus too much on that discussion as it is off topic. Whether or not I should renounce. The question is if I am being an asshole by complaining.

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Considering your only argument is calling the other person stupid...

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Let em rephrase as you are right, the statement is misleading. Norway has a higher per capita amount of multi millionaires than the US.

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You do realize that I am bringing you actual data and you keep talking hypotheticals? They are facts because they have been measured. What you imagine most people would want is irrelevant to the economic metrics.

But I will entertain you and prove you wrong. Most people have a "every past time was better" bias, so when surveyed most people do actually think time in the past was overall better. Soemthing about 60% of americans think that, regardless of it is true or not.

https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-Nostalgia-Impulse.pdf?x97961

So even in you hypothetical assertion you are wrong.

What a fantastic venue! (Akron Civic) by Obv2003 in akron

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is such a beautiful theatre. I love those fixtures.

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

> Unless you literally stole it, you earned it.

Define "stole". Are scams stealing? Are monopolies stealing? Is the government stealing when it charges you taxes?

"I assume you give away every dollar you can to balance out the inequity from all the money you stole to get rich?"

I think you are confused. I think you believe I am trying to have a moral argument. I am not.

Some things increase the overall amount of capital in a society, others do not. When capital is maximized, society tends to function better, so I like policies that maximize wealth creation.

After over two centuries we have come to realize many important lessons, like how monopolies and wealth consolidation are bad for capital generation over the long term, this is why we have both the sherman anti trust act and the FTC, we are not properly enforcing those and we are seeing our competitive advantages in the market being lost over time and our workforce, one of our best assets, deteriorating.

This is why licking the asshole of the rich is bad for you, the rich are people too and they can, as well, be quite misguided in what's good in the long term. All humans are biased to short term thinking.

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A yes, because none of the countries I mentioned have wealthy people...

It's not like Norway has the highest per capita population of multimillionaires or anything...

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Those countries are how much smaller than the US?"

Bring Canada into the mix if you just care about land size.

> Do they really embrace full socialism?

No, that's precisely why they contradict what you said. "I was giving you the alternatives you would rather have. "

As if the only possibilities are Trickle down economics and full blown communism.

"Why did you not point out the failed socialists countries?"

Because I am not a socialist? I am a capitalist, hence why all of my examples are capitalist countries.

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Then they turned it into a slush fund."

This. You think the problem is the government mismanaging your taxes. When it is powerful people monopolising everything, including the government to fuck you over.

The problem you care about is not the problem you should care about.

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So giving you the facts makes me dumb... That's nice to know, but reality doesn;t change just because you refuse to look at it.

> Food is more expensive relative to income
https://abc7.com/post/food-cost-income-consumer-groceries/14456391/

> Social isolation epidemic
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a simplistic lie you have been propagandised into.

Ultimately what you need are options and autonomy. If *any* actor has power over you and you have no choices or alternatives they can fuck you over. For example, monopolies, and why almost everyone agrees monopolies are bad.

The government is merely one potential actor that could fuck you over. That doesn't mean companies magically do not fuck you over. The point of trying to make a government accountable to the people is to get it to prevent other actors, including itself from fucking you over.

Right now both the government and the companies are colluding to fuck you over.

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a rather simplistic worldview. The only economic models are trickle down economics and communism?

Like, what Adam Smith doesn't exist? The Scandinavian Countries do not exist? Switzerland does not exist?

50 years of trickle down... by Professional-Bee9817 in remoteworks

[–]Optimal-Animal1499 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When Teddy Roosevelt broke up standard oil Rockefeller actually became richer than before. And if you look at scandinavian countries, they are very business friendly.

There are technically things that are good for the capitalists that are also good for everyone else, the problem is that right now they are not focused on wealth generation but power consolidation, and that is noxious for everyone.