COVID-19 Discussion

[PityOnU]

Keep your mask handy...it's going to be a while...

Aw, man. That sucks My coworkers were chatting the other day (8 months at my job and it was the first time I interacted with them in person) and the consensus seemed to be that 2021 will end up being much like 2020. I sure hope that's not the case. I don't mind wearing a mask, but having another year of having nothing to do would really suck.

[Dirk Diggler]

Yes, those are indeed very large numbers. The United States is actually one of the richest countries in the world. It's federal budget is also small relative to its GDP when compared to some other advanced nations. India does seem to have much more efficient government spending than us, though.

Everyday man on the block - quick maths:

Federal budget toward safety net programs: $387B
United States Population: 328M
Poverty Rate in the United States: 10.5%

So, if the government was distributing all safety net funding to the lazy poor as cash handouts, each dirty peasant would receive $936 per month. Minimum wage in the United States (define that how you will) equates to $1256 per month. So, there seems to remain a significant motivator to get a job. From the statistics collected here, you can also see that neither of these numbers cover even rent (on average).

Those are the facts, here is my one opinion:

Arguing over hypothetical strawmen potentially exploiting the system and unjustly receiving benefits from 0.64% of my income is a mountainous waste of everyone's time. There are other far more significant issues that much more directly impact me (and Joe Everyman) that would much more benefit from time in the public discourse. If you are the type of person to be paranoid about the government controlling you, throwing out the "red herring" of helping the poor is a very cheap way for them to easily distract the populous into biting off each others fingers arguing while they (the gubmint) actually push through impactful, sweeping changes behind the scenes.




Lol, yeah, my bad, everyone. Poked the bear a little too much, it seems. Sorry for the derail.

In any case, seems like those vaccines are finally rolling out. Very much looking forward to things getting back to normal. It will be an uphill battle to relearn how to do office small talk, but it is a challenge I am eager to rise to!

Not at all brother, there's all kinds of insightful knowledge from both sides. Appreciate the funny memes from everyone too.

[Dirk Diggler]

I feel everything and every emotion. I'm so emotional. I feel that EVERYTHING should be free. Our government should provide EVERYTHING for us citizens for free. We should lay around in our own filth and have trucks come by every day. And a gobment volunteer can push a cart to my door and give me toilet paper, crack cocaine, meth, heroin, a steak, a hooker selection, and a stack of cash. Whatever I want. There's no need for me or anyone to work or pay for anything. That's just life necessities and our gobment owes it to us.

If anything needs to be paid for, we can just nuke some place and threaten that country with more nukes unless they give us everything. Why should we work? That's 3rd world thinking.

Will you come speak at the Atlanta Chairman Mao Appreciation ceremony this spring brother? I'm feeling your stream of consciousness lol. Maybe you could do the re-education camp commencement speech in our communal gulag? Haha I'd buy that for dollar.

[Cobrajet]

Yes, those are indeed very large numbers. The United States is actually one of the richest countries in the world. It's federal budget is also small relative to its GDP when compared to some other advanced nations. India does seem to have much more efficient government spending than us, though.

Everyday man on the block - quick maths:

Federal budget toward safety net programs: $387B
United States Population: 328M
Poverty Rate in the United States: 10.5%

So, if the government was distributing all safety net funding to the lazy poor as cash handouts, each dirty peasant would receive $936 per month. Minimum wage in the United States (define that how you will) equates to $1256 per month. So, there seems to remain a significant motivator to get a job. From the statistics collected here, you can also see that neither of these numbers cover even rent (on average).

Those are the facts, here is my one opinion:

Arguing over hypothetical strawmen potentially exploiting the system and unjustly receiving benefits from 0.64% of my income is a mountainous waste of everyone's time. There are other far more significant issues that much more directly impact me (and Joe Everyman) that would much more benefit from time in the public discourse. If you are the type of person to be paranoid about the government controlling you, throwing out the "red herring" of helping the poor is a very cheap way for them to easily distract the populous into biting off each others fingers arguing while they (the gubmint) actually push through impactful, sweeping changes behind the scenes.

“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

--Benjamin Franklin

[PityOnU]

“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

--Benjamin Franklin

Haha, yeah, I suppose it would. I'd vote for that for a dollar!

Honestly, though, at this point you aren't actually looking to talk about any programs or platforms, specifically, but rather the fundamental role of a government in a modern society, as well as the basic, underlying nature of human beings as a whole.

And with that, I fold, good sir. Far too philosophical for me. Also very unlikely to change (both our respective views and the pragmatic realities of the world).

I wish you luck in your good fight!

[Cobrajet]

Haha, yeah, I suppose it would. I'd vote for that for a dollar!

Honestly, though, at this point you aren't actually looking to talk about any programs or platforms, specifically, but rather the fundamental role of a government in a modern society, as well as the basic, underlying nature of human beings as a whole.

And with that, I fold, good sir. Far too philosophical for me. Also very unlikely to change (both our respective views and the pragmatic realities of the world).

I wish you luck in your good fight!

Don't get me wrong. I agree with you in the sense that this country is wealthy enough to take care of it's needy. But I see young, male, able-bodied "needy" people in line at the grocery store all the time. They reek of weed, have $200 shoes, designer clothes, a nicer smart phone than I have, and are paying for their food with an EBT card. It's not all women 'n weans, which is what I have a problem with. Our social safety net shouldn't be used as a hammock, and a lot of people are doing just that. I saw a lot of this pre-COVID.

If given a choice between working for food and voting for food, many people are going to choose to vote for food. And housing. And health care. And free college. And a free cellphone. And free... And free... And free...

Franklin recognized this as America's ticking time bomb, and we need to remember it. One political party in this country sells nothing but victimhood and dependency, so I fear the situation will get far worse before it gets better.

[MetroMPG]

Remember the good ol' days when all our threads stayed on topic?

[Fummins]

So how about those impeachments? Just kidding! Politics bad, covid good.

Active numbers keep dropping around here. There's "only" 131 cases in my hamlet of 70,000 people. It was closer to 400 a few weeks ago iirc? My kids are back at school again as of yesterday so Yay!

I saw a news clip last night that said there were gonna be tighter restrictions coming in Ontario soon. That sucks! Hopefully things turn around out that way soon.

This pandemic thing doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. I figured people would have become bored of it by now.

[MetroMPG]

Yeah, they're going to tighten things up in Ontario. We're lucky - ony 10 active cases in my tiny city (20k).

My brother's workplace had a confirmed case last week, but it's a factory where most people work solo at their workstations with tons of room around them. So not much risk of spread. (The employee got it from his wife, at home.)

They're saying Ontario won't get a curfew like they put in place in Quebec.

Funniest thing today: a husband and wife in Quebec tried to skirt the 8 PM curfew bercause she was "walking him" on a leash. Walking a pet is permitted under the curfew. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55631198

[7milesout]

Will you come speak at the Atlanta Chairman Mao Appreciation ceremony this spring brother? I'm feeling your stream of consciousness lol. Maybe you could do the re-education camp commencement speech in our communal gulag? Haha I'd buy that for dollar.

If I had to speak in public, I'd be like Jackie Gleason on the Honeymooners, when he was put in front of a television camera. "A huminuh huminah ... free this ... huminah huminah free that, etc."