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The Unexotic Underclass

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Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#131

Post by rdl »

dsuth wrote: post #46
dr_ wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, part of it is registering vets into the system. The other part is a combination of the enormous number of claims and enormous amount of documentation required. As a physician, I worked in C&P (compensation and pension) clinics for a number of years at the VA, as a consultant. The amount of documentation required is astronomical, likely because vets are being compensated for their injuries with taxpayer dollars.…

Another possibility would be to not screen them, provide them with a high level of free care as a reward for their service, and just make the system work efficiently. Whether the government is footing the bill, or an individual is, should make no difference at all to the timeliness or level of care they receive. If the problem is paperwork, that should be targeted first.

There is a lot of medical care available (I think "stay on Tricare", etc.) with less hassle. Most of the disability claims are for ongoing cash payments to replace job income, which is more at risk of fraud (and in some cases genuinely uncertain and requiring investigation).

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#132

Post by rdl »

michaelochurch wrote: post #91
theoppositeof wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Michaelo Church or Michael O. Church, I don't know who you are, but this is a great comment on the article. Thank you for this perspective. As someone once in VC, I laughed when you said what is true: most VCs are not actually putting their own money behind the investments. Indeed, it's only the 9-figure celebrity ones. My only quibble was your line about not making money. Your first year associates/analysts are pull…

Your first year associates/analysts are pulling in 6 figures which I think is pretty decent dough, even though it may feel like a middle class wage in the "star cities" you rightly mentioned. Rent burns it all, and VC-istan and Wall Street both have ageism problems. It's the same thing as for athletes. A typical major-league professional athlete (which means we're already in the top When you consider how tight our wi…

In addition to rent, there are high taxes on income (making $150 for 10 years means you pay higher taxes than if you made $75k for 20 years, particularly if your $150k is earned in California vs. $75k in Texas), and other high cost of living issues.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#133

Post by rdl »

arkades wrote: post #30
Cyranix wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you take this comment a step further and attempt an explanation for why a gargantuan pile of paperwork does exist despite such excellent software?

In part the problem arises from the interface between systems. If you walk into any normal hospital internal medicine floor you'll see about 5 different systems in use, with varying levels of interoperability: the VA, operating what is the largest network of healthcare centers in the country, takes that issue to the next order of magnitude. A lot of paper gets generated at these interfaces. Although the core VA EMR s…

The problem is on the medical records DOD uses AHLTA and the quality of records in AHLTA is highly variable. They focus much more on proving immediate care vs. great quality records, both due to the environment where a lot of the care happens and because they're not billing for it.

There are also about 5 levels of bureaucracy to manage a single system within DOD. VA is amazing in comparison (it was really telling talking to doctors who had civilian jobs in the VA but were military reservists and working temporarily in military hospitals...)

Medical records aren't sufficient to make a determination of disability, though, which is mainly what this is about. Having the medical records helps, having personnel records helps.

Another problem is the VA for a long time was focused on long-term care for WW2/Korea elderly vets, and various mentally/physically disabled Vietnam vets. The population of seriously injured younger vets (who could still work, and have long and otherwise productive lives ahead of them, but need specific disability care) is a pretty new thing. That, and the huge number of PTSD/TBI/psych issues.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#134

Post by shadowcats »

cbennett wrote: post #125
shadowcats wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somewhat controversial idea: a startup that focuses on cognitive enhancement (IQ, mood, impulse control, mindfulness, stuff like that). Supplements, meditation, and brain training can probably have a non-negligible impact, but I don't see the "underclass" partaking in those currently. IQ and income: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Income Victorians smarter than us: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scien…

I like this idea quite a bit, although I'm not exactly sure it would be a startup in the end because the willingness (ability?) to pay amongst the target market here must be quite low, I imagine. Just free styling here, but the way to go about it would be to bundle a sort of 'package' of tools into a couple of various tiers, from easy (low input of time/funds) to challenging (more pricey/difficult). One wrinkle is th…

I bet there is a lot of low-hanging fruit. What would happen if we just became consistent with the fish oil and n-back stuff?

Thanks for the tip, I'll watch it.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#135

Post by SnootyMonkey »

shadowcats wrote: post #76
ippisl wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First, people do talk about healthcare costs and education costs and housing costs as grand problems. And startups can do something about those. For example: 1. Co-Abode.com which connects single moms to share houses , while getting cheaper prices and better support from each other. 2. A recent YC startup , which helps people who are getting a divorce, settle without lawyers in a relatively peacefull and much cheaper…

Somewhat controversial idea: a startup that focuses on cognitive enhancement (IQ, mood, impulse control, mindfulness, stuff like that). Supplements, meditation, and brain training can probably have a non-negligible impact, but I don't see the "underclass" partaking in those currently. IQ and income: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Income Victorians smarter than us: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scien…

I'm a little confused... isn't there a whole market (many markets actually) for each of these areas you point out (IQ enhancement, mindfulness, etc.)

I don't get the role of a startup here.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#136

Post by lilsunnybee »

shadowcats wrote: post #76
ippisl wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First, people do talk about healthcare costs and education costs and housing costs as grand problems. And startups can do something about those. For example: 1. Co-Abode.com which connects single moms to share houses , while getting cheaper prices and better support from each other. 2. A recent YC startup , which helps people who are getting a divorce, settle without lawyers in a relatively peacefull and much cheaper…

Somewhat controversial idea: a startup that focuses on cognitive enhancement (IQ, mood, impulse control, mindfulness, stuff like that). Supplements, meditation, and brain training can probably have a non-negligible impact, but I don't see the "underclass" partaking in those currently. IQ and income: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Income Victorians smarter than us: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scien…

Your assumption that poor people are dumb and don't know how to help themselves is insulting. I'm a part of the unexotic underclass; I was doing pretty good in my life till serious health problems started in college. Being transgender played a large role too. I've been homeless, broke, been a housemaid and a sex worker, exchanged sex for housing. Before that I was top of my International Baccalaureate program class, and a National Merit scholar. I attended a well ranked state school. I just didn't have any golden parachutes when I had health problems.

From being poor though what I've ended up discovering is just how hard it is to come up from being homeless and broke, or not being from money and having serious health problems, or being black and getting a felony record from an asshole cop. There are a lot of decent poor people, that just can't come up in the world anymore. Their jobs work them like dogs, the world treats them like shit, and their spare energy left at the end of the day is zip. There's nothing left to better yourself with because everyone takes and takes from you and gives back nothing but disrespect.

Sure there are people that are just lazy too. But even among those people there's only a small number that are purposely taking advantage. The silent majority have either disabilities holding them back, or trauma from their life (PTSD). Or the simple lack of anyone parenting them properly and encouraging them to explore their dreams and interests.

Drugs, alcohol, junk food, tv and other vices are a coping mechanism for a shitty life. Make people's lives the least bit better in substantial ways, and those people will start to flower and bloom into more capable and wonderful people.

The disrespect, patronizing, and superior attitudes of the privileged upper class are a huge part of the problem.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#137

Post by lilsunnybee »

cbennett wrote: post #125
shadowcats wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somewhat controversial idea: a startup that focuses on cognitive enhancement (IQ, mood, impulse control, mindfulness, stuff like that). Supplements, meditation, and brain training can probably have a non-negligible impact, but I don't see the "underclass" partaking in those currently. IQ and income: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Income Victorians smarter than us: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scien…

I like this idea quite a bit, although I'm not exactly sure it would be a startup in the end because the willingness (ability?) to pay amongst the target market here must be quite low, I imagine. Just free styling here, but the way to go about it would be to bundle a sort of 'package' of tools into a couple of various tiers, from easy (low input of time/funds) to challenging (more pricey/difficult). One wrinkle is th…

How about show your fellow human beings a modicum of respect. They aren't your lab rats. Maybe if your upper-class, power-heavy minority would reevaluate all the patronizing aspects of their philanthropic efforts, poor folks wouldn't have learned helplessness from the futility of their situation, and would actually have the energy to lift themselves up.

Drug dealing, crime, and prostitution are sometimes seemingly the only way to actually move up in the world anymore.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#138

Post by lilsunnybee »

VLM wrote: post #87
shadowcats wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somewhat controversial idea: a startup that focuses on cognitive enhancement (IQ, mood, impulse control, mindfulness, stuff like that). Supplements, meditation, and brain training can probably have a non-negligible impact, but I don't see the "underclass" partaking in those currently. IQ and income: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Income Victorians smarter than us: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scien…

To quote the article: "a cultural disregard for intelligence, empathy and respect" Not to say its impossible. Its just going to have to be very covert. Part of a game of some sort, but not K-12 ridiculously blatant educational game like space invaders where you have to solve an addition problem to fire the anti-missile missile (I think I actually had to play that one in school...) (Edited to add EVE Online is basical…

Acting even more patronizing towards the poor is not the answer.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#139

Post by lilsunnybee »

SnootyMonkey wrote: post #135
shadowcats wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somewhat controversial idea: a startup that focuses on cognitive enhancement (IQ, mood, impulse control, mindfulness, stuff like that). Supplements, meditation, and brain training can probably have a non-negligible impact, but I don't see the "underclass" partaking in those currently. IQ and income: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Income Victorians smarter than us: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scien…

I'm a little confused... isn't there a whole market (many markets actually) for each of these areas you point out (IQ enhancement, mindfulness, etc.) I don't get the role of a startup here.

You're 100% correct. He was really just pondering ways to put self-help books into a more patronizing form, for all the poor dummies out there.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#140

Post by lilsunnybee »

ebiester wrote: post #102
jasey wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100% this. As per the laws of free market capitalism if a niche in the market is underserved the market will step up and supply to the markets demand. On Wall st where the author has worked, any market inefficiency is arbitraged away. Where there is profits to be made the market will find them. I just don't think there's any big viable markets there, it would be nice if the author could identify at least 1 product id…

There are ways, of course. As one example, find more inexpensive ways to make goods already marketed to a higher segment. For example, 300 dollar laptops that look better, especially if you can get a few reality TV stars using them and bravo pimping it. Start a brand that is perceived as high end by the middle class, show it to them in conspicuous consumption avenues, and then tread downmarket. You can only do this s…

The poor already have a more effective, less wasteful way of acquiring these goods. It's called buying used and old, either at a thrift shop or on ebay. Used old laptops are already abundant.
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