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Our Chess Champion Has a Home

nytimes.com

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Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#11

Post by tuesdayrain »

crushcrashcrush wrote: post #8
moomin wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And if he had a cold the day of the competition, came second, didn’t become the subject of a news article and remained homeless? The article itself points out this exact problem. We’ve replaced the American Dream with the American Lottery, where only the truly lucky get to change their circumstance. Otherwise, any study will tell you American has way lower levels of social mobility than Europe. If you want talent to…

Great point. This is also the reason we can't pass meaningful taxes on the wealthy - including cap gains. Because everyone in the US believes they'll one day be a millionaire.

I don't find that to be true from my conversations about this topic. The people I've talked to are afraid of increasing taxes on the wealthy because they're afraid that the wealthy will just choose to relocate to another country, potentially even taking businesses with them.

Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#12

Post by gothroach »

cyberferret wrote: post #10

The takeaway from this story for me is the amazing loyalty of the family. To turn down scholarships at other 'better' schools and stick with the one that gave Tani free membership to the chess club and where the teacher that taught him how to play works. Plus the fact that they are donating the entire GoFundMe (which I donated a tiny amount to last week) to helping other kids from Africa to migrate to the US. That is…

That struck me - they're promising to form a small foundation to help other immigrants with the all the cash they're receiving (minus ten percent going to the church that helped them when they were homeless), and have only really accepted material necessities instead. A year paid for in a new apartment, furnishings, books, a car, other necessities that would improve their life by a huge margin.

They seem like a family who appreciates hard work, and this way they can become self-sufficient again far easier and without most of the temptations that come with receiving huge lump sumps of money suddenly.

I'm happy that people have rallied to help them, and even happier that they're already wanting to help others in their former situation.

Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#13

Post by DFHippie »

moomin wrote: post #3
syntaxing wrote: post #2

Say what you want about our country's current state but stories like this is what makes America great (minus the fact the kid and his family was homeless to begin with). It's not who you know but your talent (and some luck) that get's you recognized and can change your life. Sure, this sounds naive and a lot times, this doesn't play out. But these stories are still aspiring and reminds me of the American dream we onc…

And if he had a cold the day of the competition, came second, didn’t become the subject of a news article and remained homeless? The article itself points out this exact problem. We’ve replaced the American Dream with the American Lottery, where only the truly lucky get to change their circumstance. Otherwise, any study will tell you American has way lower levels of social mobility than Europe. If you want talent to…

typo: s/very/every/

Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#14

Post by modriano »

eastendguy wrote: post #4
syntaxing wrote: post #2

Say what you want about our country's current state but stories like this is what makes America great (minus the fact the kid and his family was homeless to begin with). It's not who you know but your talent (and some luck) that get's you recognized and can change your life. Sure, this sounds naive and a lot times, this doesn't play out. But these stories are still aspiring and reminds me of the American dream we onc…

I guess in pretty much every country on earth you will get an apartment and more if you are a chess champion .

> if you are a chess champion.

who also gets written about in that nation's premier newspaper, and that story inspires a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#15

Post by joe_the_user »

cyberferret wrote: post #10

The takeaway from this story for me is the amazing loyalty of the family. To turn down scholarships at other 'better' schools and stick with the one that gave Tani free membership to the chess club and where the teacher that taught him how to play works. Plus the fact that they are donating the entire GoFundMe (which I donated a tiny amount to last week) to helping other kids from Africa to migrate to the US. That is…

Staying close to the kid's current school seems like good sense. They have media attention and donations now but the chances are that will dry up after some fairly short period. Using that money to put themselves in a sustainable position can be better than trying to leverage it into the most prestigious position.

There's a long history of child actors, homeless who do heroic deeds and similar media-darlings later being dropped by the media and the public and winding up in terrible situations (especially given that "people are people" and media attention may one minute show a person's awesome side and the next minute show their despicable side).

Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#17

Post by Pharmakon »

Hydraulix989 wrote: post #9
moomin wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And if he had a cold the day of the competition, came second, didn’t become the subject of a news article and remained homeless? The article itself points out this exact problem. We’ve replaced the American Dream with the American Lottery, where only the truly lucky get to change their circumstance. Otherwise, any study will tell you American has way lower levels of social mobility than Europe. If you want talent to…

Or if he wasn't picked up (or should I say, editorialized) by the New York Times? Or if how we treat our "refugees" that are homeless vs. our own citizens who are also homeless wasn't a highly-politicized issue du jour? GoFundMe isn't a social safety net. Overly wealthy donors dolling out six-figure handouts and spare prime-Manhattan bedrooms as pocket change at their own discretion to this kid isn't scalable either.…

South Korea, as of last count, has 11,400 homeless people.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_homeles...

It is a tiny fraction of the total population, and an achievement, so why bullshit about it? As for “our own kind” I’m not going to touch that for love or money.

Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#18

Post by spectramax »

fcarraldo wrote: post #5
syntaxing wrote: post #2

Say what you want about our country's current state but stories like this is what makes America great (minus the fact the kid and his family was homeless to begin with). It's not who you know but your talent (and some luck) that get's you recognized and can change your life. Sure, this sounds naive and a lot times, this doesn't play out. But these stories are still aspiring and reminds me of the American dream we onc…

In what Western democracies are the right combinations of luck and talent not potentially life changing? The only uniquely American part of this story is that the boy was homeless in the first place.

I think the GP should have left luck out of the question.

Real question to ask is: In which countries can you succeed with talent, hard work and perseverance without luck?

Meritocracy is strong in USA just as it is in a lot of western democracies.

I have friends that grew up in India, Italy, Mexico, China - where meritocracy takes a backseat.

Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#19

Post by syntaxing »

netsharc wrote: post #6
syntaxing wrote: post #2

Say what you want about our country's current state but stories like this is what makes America great (minus the fact the kid and his family was homeless to begin with). It's not who you know but your talent (and some luck) that get's you recognized and can change your life. Sure, this sounds naive and a lot times, this doesn't play out. But these stories are still aspiring and reminds me of the American dream we onc…

To join the other repliers crapping on you, what about the other homeless kids who aren't chess champions? A greater country wouldn't even have homeless kids, because they'd be taking care of them regardless of whether they have talent or not, because they're human beings, goddamnit.

This country spends a lot helping people, particularly kids in general. This might be NY state laws but we provide shelter, food, and subsidized utility for family with kids in poverty. I have friends who grew up in high risk area and poverty and they were provided with catered education and free college for upward mobility, Though to be honest I am not entirely sure what this family's situation was given the fact they were refugees and been here for a year and I am not sure what the US provide for social assistance.

Re: Our Chess Champion Has a Home

#20

Post by syntaxing »

eastendguy wrote: post #4
syntaxing wrote: post #2

Say what you want about our country's current state but stories like this is what makes America great (minus the fact the kid and his family was homeless to begin with). It's not who you know but your talent (and some luck) that get's you recognized and can change your life. Sure, this sounds naive and a lot times, this doesn't play out. But these stories are still aspiring and reminds me of the American dream we onc…

I guess in pretty much every country on earth you will get an apartment and more if you are a chess champion .

What about the countries where kids aren't even given the opportunity to compete?
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