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Private equity turned vulnerable elderly people into human ATMs

theguardian.com

141–143 of 143 posts

Re: Private equity turned vulnerable elderly people into human ATMs

#141
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We each have power, influence, and responsibility. You're spending yours on cleverness, and wasting others by shifting the focus and undermining their efforts. Cleverness, in the end, doesn't matter. > Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclair didn't waste it.

i certainly don't want to use my cleverness for power or influence, no thank you.

I'm not talking about being power hungry, but pulling our weights in the world.

Re: Private equity turned vulnerable elderly people into human ATMs

#142
post #127
post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You say all it takes is for the legislature to pass the laws and seem to assume our government is functioning as expected without any bugs. And yet we’re talking about an extremely well-connected and powerful industry in PE. Do you really think they won’t lobby intensely against legislation that would cripple their profits? Are the majority of our legislators really immune from considering corporate interests?

That's always been true, bugs and lobbyists, and yet our predecessors have gotten a lot done. People get things done now (including people you don't agree with). It's not a fairy tale; it is hard; and yet our predecessors moved mountains.

It's the same as it's always been and yet it's different.

The political environment we live in today is not what it was even a few years ago let alone decades.

Re: Private equity turned vulnerable elderly people into human ATMs

#143
post #142
post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's always been true, bugs and lobbyists, and yet our predecessors have gotten a lot done. People get things done now (including people you don't agree with). It's not a fairy tale; it is hard; and yet our predecessors moved mountains.

It's the same as it's always been and yet it's different. The political environment we live in today is not what it was even a few years ago let alone decades.

It is what we make it. The problem is a victim mentality - giving others the power (for example, to define the political environment), which also absolves the 'victim' of responsibility: they're powerless!
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