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Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

cardsagainsthumanityredistributesyourwealth.com

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Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#151
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Throwaway for privacy. I've been concealing cancer symptoms for years, mostly because I can't afford to get a colonoscopy. Even the cheapest clinics run well over $1k, which is totally out of reach. The secondary reason is an unhealthy fear of needles and a desire to live without a colostomy bag. I know I need to see a psychiatrist or a therapist to help me get over these irrational fears, but you guessed it: I can't…

>I've been concealing cancer symptoms for years You want to die? Because this is how you die. Even if you can be saved, the longer you wait, the more expensive the fix. You know, ounce of prevention, pound of cure.

I don't want to die, no, but see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15889950 for my situation.

If you have ideas, I'm all ears, believe me.

Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A return to the eating habits of the 1960s is perhaps the greatest possible welfare achievement right now (in the US), with impact far larger than universal healthcare. You are comparing a concrete policy with a policy outcome for which there is no even remote concept of a policy mechanism that would achieve it. > And it doesn't need to cost anything. Massive changes to behavior are not free; the changes in eating…

Actually there are plenty of policy mechanisms to improve nutrition. First repeal subsidy programs for corn and sugar, in particular remove the U.S. import tariffs that create a market for high fructose corn syrup. Next end food stamp coverage for junk food and sugar drinks. Further, allow insurers, medicaid, etc surcharge for the obese-- make them pay for the extra costs they are imposing on the system. Consider tax…

> Actually there are plenty of policy mechanisms to improve nutrition

I didn't say there weren't.

I said that there was no policy mechanism identified to acheive the goal of returning to 1960s eating habits.

> Further, allow insurers, medicaid, etc surcharge for the obese

Especially in the case of Medicaid, which is a safety net program for the medically indigent, this is nothing short of murderous.

Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#153

It's great they are giving away money, but they are also stressing a political agenda that doesn't make any sense. First, they are advocating for a fixed tax regardless of wealth, but not taxing the poorest 7%, then giving money to the poorest 0.07%. The Republican tax plan they hate so much still severely taxes the rich, basically doesn't tax the bottom 45% at all[1], and actually gives money back to a much higher p…

I don't think they are advocating for anything in particular, except for acknowledging that the income gap is an issue. What is wrong with them giving people the opportunity to help address this gap?

Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#155

It's great they are giving away money, but they are also stressing a political agenda that doesn't make any sense. First, they are advocating for a fixed tax regardless of wealth, but not taxing the poorest 7%, then giving money to the poorest 0.07%. The Republican tax plan they hate so much still severely taxes the rich, basically doesn't tax the bottom 45% at all[1], and actually gives money back to a much higher p…

I don't think they are advocating for anything in particular, except for acknowledging that the income gap is an issue. What is wrong with them giving people the opportunity to help address this gap?

There is nothing wrong with the help they are giving people, that's great. But here are some quotes from the article:

"I’m poor and I’m mad that I didn’t get any money. Our bad. We had to guess how much money you had with limited data. The US government actually knows how much money you have and has trillions of dollars to redistribute. Why don’t you get mad at the US government?"

"Does Cards Against Humanity support the Republican tax bill that would give your company a huge tax break? No, bitch."

"What can I do to help solve wealth inequality? The most important thing you can do is support candidates who are working to fight inequality and are not turds. In the meantime, here are some organizations that are working to fix the problem from the ground up:

    MoveOn.org
    AmericanForTaxFairness.org
    StudentDebtCrisis.org"
The claim I am making is that the US government, and the Republican tax bill, is redistributing money much much more aggressively than the Cards Against Humanity program, but they are framed as being really evil. It seems like pure political nonsense. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#156
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I've been concealing cancer symptoms for years You want to die? Because this is how you die. Even if you can be saved, the longer you wait, the more expensive the fix. You know, ounce of prevention, pound of cure.

I don't want to die, no, but see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15889950 for my situation. If you have ideas, I'm all ears, believe me.

A lot of places have community clinics that offer income based prices for medical services. The three places I've lived (mind you, it's not a very geographically diverse three places) have had clinics of this sort, so there may be one where you live as well. They may or may not be able to perform it, but if they can't, there is a good chance they can point you in the right direction to get it done with your income level.

If you haven't already, I highly suggest you look into these clinics.

Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#157

"The US government actually knows how much money you have and has trillions of dollars to redistribute. Why don’t you get mad at the US government?" A lot of hardworking people don't want handouts from the government. Though some do, but I believe they are a minority. I generally hate the mindset of wanting money from the government. I want off of the government if I can help it. The fact is that most Americans pay v…

[deleted]

Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#158
post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment actually got me thinking... By what metric have you decided that a country is overpopulated? Using the absolute population size? If so, is America far more "overpopulated" compared to every other developed nation? If China were to split up into 20 sovereign nations, would it suddenly stop being overpopulated? Or perhaps you're using population density? If so, Taiwan, South-Korea and Netherlands must be a…

Alright, maybe you're right about that. But, what about the rest of it? Do you agree that people breed themselves to the natural edge of starvation? Would it be better to give them the means to have even more kids, perpetuating the cycle, or let them be?

It sounds like you're describing a malthusian trap, where providing people with resources would simply lead to higher population and a return to the baseline quality of life? If that were true, we would expect to see poverty and malnutrition remain relatively constant over the past decades. Instead, what we've seen is a dramatic reduction in both poverty and malnutrition, all over the world. At the rate we're going, extreme poverty and malnutrition will both be eradicated within our lifetimes.

Nicholas Kristof actually had a great article on this very topic, which will restore your faith in humanity: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/01/opinion/sunday/good-news-...

Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi, Doctor here. Go to a doctor immediately. There is no way that old blood mixed with stool is from a stomach ulcer. In fact, that’s not how it works anyway (upper gastrointestinal bleeds are modified by stomach acid and enzymes and have a characteristic effect on stool that we call Malena). You may have one of many different things, the most serious of which is, as you fear, a cancer, but the differentials run thro…

You have no idea how much I want to, but $1k for a colonoscopy is wildly optimistic. It's probably going to be $3k or $4k minimum. I make $750 bimonthly, which barely pays the rent. My roommate pays the rest of our living expenses. There's $1,800 in the bank. What do I do? Show up and say "There's no way I can ever pay for this, but see me anyway"? I literally have no idea, and I'd feel like a complete scumbag for do…

If you are in the US you should call an organization that does healthcare enrollment. If you have no dependents you probably aren’t Medicaid eligible, but probably are subsidy eligible.

If you cannot find someone, Talk to a social worker at your local hospital.

Re: Cards Against Humanity Redistributes Your Wealth

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When everything is going to shit, people are in the hospital and you barely have enough food stamps to feed your kids ... You can go to a movie. Are you going to really fault someone for that, or taking their partner to a restaurant, using what little they have, to just try and forget how bad things are for a few hours?! It's not like they can just stop being poor.

I don't begrudge anybody their small pleasures in life. I also think they can do what they want with their money. But, when the topic of wealth redistribution comes up I do start to have a lot more questions about what people want to do with the money. After all, it's not their money. They didn't earn it. Somebody else did. I think it's pretty fair to at least have the conversation. I absolutely hate the "helpless po…

> They didn't earn it.

And what exactly does Zuckerburge do earn the millions he makes every year? Personally, nothing. Everything him and Gates et. al. did was leverage the capital of people they convinced to work for them.

When I worked in an office in Seattle where a 1/bdr was $1800/month, I would watch a janitor come around each day and empty my trash can. I'm sure he made a fraction of what I did, but honestly, I'm sure he did more work .. or at least the same amount. What I do is more difficult, and I was lucky to be raised in a family that had the means to send me to college and I was lucky to pick a career field that earned me that money.

So much of what we have isn't earned. It's more by chance. The major determining factor in your succeeding (school, career, etc.) is determined before you are born. If you're born into poverty, it is very very difficult to get out.

To quote George Carlin, it's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe in it.

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