Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor • Hacker News Board

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#51

Post by ryanwaggoner » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:35 PM UTC

zzt wrote: post #49

subsubsub wrote: post #29

These sort of photos, while interesting visually, prove nothing and say even less. Except that rich people and poor people exist and that if you're a developer you should be careful where you build lest your new development appear in a moralizing photographic exhibition. To be clear, I am not saying inequality does not exist or that there aren't real problems of disparity of wealth, just that drawing very wide conclu…

These photos are powerful, and say a lot about inequality in just a handful of scenes. The ideal situation would be for everyone to live in functionally identical dwellings that provide their every need. Somewhat like the world described by E. M. Forster in The Machine Stops, except without the dystopian aspect of fully enclosed spaces and unmaintained infrastructure. Until we reach that pinnacle of human existence,…

This doesn’t sound like the “ideal situation”, it sounds like a dystopian nightmare. One that will literally never, ever happen, but that doesn’t stop people from trying, no matter how many hundreds of millions suffer and die in the process.

Edit: I’ll also point out the irony that nothing has impoverished and starved as many people as your vision of utopia, and nothing has pulled as many people OUT of abject poverty like the inequality that you’re railing against. You can’t have markets without some degree of inequality, and billions of people TODAY are not starving to death because of market capitalism. And yet you continue to blindly suggest we kill the proverbial goose. I don’t understand.

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#52

Post by AckSyn » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:36 PM UTC

zzt wrote: post #49

subsubsub wrote: post #29

These sort of photos, while interesting visually, prove nothing and say even less. Except that rich people and poor people exist and that if you're a developer you should be careful where you build lest your new development appear in a moralizing photographic exhibition. To be clear, I am not saying inequality does not exist or that there aren't real problems of disparity of wealth, just that drawing very wide conclu…

These photos are powerful, and say a lot about inequality in just a handful of scenes. The ideal situation would be for everyone to live in functionally identical dwellings that provide their every need. Somewhat like the world described by E. M. Forster in The Machine Stops, except without the dystopian aspect of fully enclosed spaces and unmaintained infrastructure. Until we reach that pinnacle of human existence,…

[dead]

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#53

Post by DoreenMichele » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:37 PM UTC

zzt wrote: post #49

subsubsub wrote: post #29

These sort of photos, while interesting visually, prove nothing and say even less. Except that rich people and poor people exist and that if you're a developer you should be careful where you build lest your new development appear in a moralizing photographic exhibition. To be clear, I am not saying inequality does not exist or that there aren't real problems of disparity of wealth, just that drawing very wide conclu…

These photos are powerful, and say a lot about inequality in just a handful of scenes. The ideal situation would be for everyone to live in functionally identical dwellings that provide their every need. Somewhat like the world described by E. M. Forster in The Machine Stops, except without the dystopian aspect of fully enclosed spaces and unmaintained infrastructure. Until we reach that pinnacle of human existence,…

I assure you, my needs are not the same as yours. With 7 billion people, one-size-fits-all simply doesn't.

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#54

Post by zzt » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:38 PM UTC

billybolton wrote: post #37

harshulpandav wrote: post #3

This exists probably in all countries. I also don't quite get the message out of these pictures. Or if it is even a matter which needs to be solved. If it is, redistribution of wealth is not practical IMO.

What's wrong with just killing them, and taking their land? Obviously the rich don't give a shit about the poor. They'd rather hold on to their wealth, wall themselves into a gated community, than help their fellow citizens who are in poverty. The problem is people with wealth are too selfish to do anything. I'm all for having an involuntary euthanasia program for the poor and unfortunate.

Murder is absolutely not the answer here, and it is thoroughly dishonourable that you could wish to take the life of another. Their crimes of selfishness do not deserve the death penalty.

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#55

Post by zzt » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:41 PM UTC

DoreenMichele wrote: post #53

zzt wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These photos are powerful, and say a lot about inequality in just a handful of scenes. The ideal situation would be for everyone to live in functionally identical dwellings that provide their every need. Somewhat like the world described by E. M. Forster in The Machine Stops, except without the dystopian aspect of fully enclosed spaces and unmaintained infrastructure. Until we reach that pinnacle of human existence,…

I assure you, my needs are not the same as yours. With 7 billion people, one-size-fits-all simply doesn't.

I did not claim that the needs of everyone are identical, only that they should be met without favouring one individual over another.

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#56

Post by jchrisa » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:41 PM UTC

whataboutism wrote: post #42

fipple wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Mountain View Whole Foods and Walmart are across the street from each other (along with Target and Trader Joe’s).

If you aren't familiar with this neighborhood, it is incredibly pedestrian friendly, not only can you walk to all of those stores, it is located next to a Caltrain station.

Pedestrian friendly _for the Bay Area_. It's still a car-strewn wasteland by most civilized standards. I used to walk to lunch there multiple times a week, and bike to work a few times a week also. I do not care much for the Bay Area's suburban form.

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#57

Post by briandear » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:42 PM UTC

billybolton wrote: post #44

UpshotKnothole wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m almost totally sure that we’re discouraged from endorsing mass murder on this forum, at least, that’s how I read the guidelines when I signed up. It doesn’t seem like the start of a good conversation, just hatred and spite looking for an outlet. Please stop.

[flagged]

Now you are being racist. Pretty sure that’s against HN guidelines.

As far as wealth inequality, it’s far more extreme in “non-white” countries than in majority white countries. (Whatever “white” means.)

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#58

Post by ryanwaggoner » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:43 PM UTC

prolikewh0a wrote: post #14

harshulpandav wrote: post #3

This exists probably in all countries. I also don't quite get the message out of these pictures. Or if it is even a matter which needs to be solved. If it is, redistribution of wealth is not practical IMO.

>redistribution of wealth is not practical IMO. Why not? We essentially distributed it up, why can't it come back down?

No we didn’t. There isn’t a fixed amount of wealth that we just need to divvy up fairly. Wealth can be created and destroyed. It’s not a zero sum game.

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#59

Post by DoreenMichele » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:46 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #8

I'm always confused by these kind of pictures. The 'developed' spaces have apartment towers and dense construction - many more people appear to live there per acre. If land is at such a premium (and the towers seem to indicate this) then how on earth does the shack-dweller afford so much land (relatively) for their very-much-lower density housing? Sure maybe 20 people live in a shack, I understand that, but in the sa…

What am I missing?

The article starts out talking about the airport being surrounded by shacks. Airports cause tremendous air pollution and noise pollution.

The shacks are likely concentrated in areas that wealthier people generally wouldn't want to live as those areas tend to take a toll on health no matter how nice the building.

There is plenty of evidence that poor people generally live in places with serious environmental issues which negatively impact their health. This just compounds their poverty by adding medical expenses and reducing productivity.

I think we need to rewrite budding codes to say, in essence, that you can live in a small space, but it needs to be one that doesn't harm your health. This would eliminate one of the mist profound differences between rich and poor, a difference that helps keep poverty entrenched.

Re: Aerial photos reveal the stark divide between rich and poor

#60

Post by whataboutism » Tue, Aug 21, 2018, 11:48 PM UTC

jchrisa wrote: post #56

whataboutism wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you aren't familiar with this neighborhood, it is incredibly pedestrian friendly, not only can you walk to all of those stores, it is located next to a Caltrain station.

Pedestrian friendly _for the Bay Area_. It's still a car-strewn wasteland by most civilized standards. I used to walk to lunch there multiple times a week, and bike to work a few times a week also. I do not care much for the Bay Area's suburban form.

I worked at your old company :-)