51–54 of 54 posts
If it's communal, it doesn't belong to anybody, so we don't bother to take care of it. Or we trash it because 'It's not mine so who cares?'
Other countries have different cultures: If it's communal it belongs to all of us, me included, so I'll take care of it.
New York Train Station: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/F9Y3KY/new-york-city-subway-statio...
Moscow Train Station: https://media.gettyimages.com/id/616625206/photo/mayakovskay...
Americans don't realize how bad they have it, lack the courage and wisdom to organize effective protests about it, and the very rich have rigged the political and government structures to avoid investment in anything not for them. Unfortunately, this means turning America into a grossly-unequal banana republic that includes either malicious neglect or malicious disadvantaging groups without power or influence. A prop…
You can't say those words here without half of the country screeching about the evils of Communism. This country is horribly propagandized and programmed to resist anything to the left of uninhibited free market capitalism.
> led by leaders with specific, actionable demands
I'm surprised anyone would seriously suggest collective action in the US after watching the absolute popcorn fart that was Occupy Wall Street. The first thing anyone who attempted organizing anything was to compile an enormous list of grievances, and then failed to rank them or clearly and consistently articulate, as you said, "specific, actionable demands." I'm not sure most of the organizers even got around to attempting to do a second thing.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You don't know high property taxes until you live in Texas: 2%/year. Your $2m ATX pad will set you back $40k in property taxes.
NYC property taxes are extremely convoluted, but a $2M condo would probably be about $30k/year in property tax, with like $10k variance. However, a $2M apartment is only going to be like a 2 bedroom, so a Texas $2M home owner might be in the market for more of a $3M-4M apartment in NYC, even accounting for smaller square footage, etc. With the proportional increase in taxes..
There are homes near Lake Travis that go for up to ~$20M, but the mean average is ~ $1.5m.
