'Biden's inflation crisis is here': Inflation jumps to 5%

[Dolphster]

Adam Smith’s model has a few basic assumptions that are absolutely essential for capitalism to work fairly that have not been incorporated into our current system.  Chief among them is transparency and equality of information. Others include a prevention of monopolies or near monopolies and equal access to resources.

I mostly agree with you.  And the reason that those basic assumptions have not been incorporated is the same reason that no other economic system, political system, religion, etc. etc have ever been fully successfully implemented into any system.  Those in power in each of those systems all possess the same unfortunate and destructive trait.  Power corrupts.  And every system (theory) will always be doomed (to an extent) due to simple human greed and self serving tendencies.  That is why true capitalism, socialism, communism and every other "ism" will only exist in theory.  In any economic system, there will always be the haves and the have nots.  In every "equal society" there will be some who are "more equal" than others.  In every religion there will also be winners and losers.  Essentially, every good idea is susceptible to corruption by the inevitable ruin of the self serving nature of humans.  

[Spider-Dan]

Why can't we choose any health insurance company in any state?

Because health insurance companies don't want to offer different products that meet each individual state's laws.  In other words, there's nothing preventing an insurance company based in TN from offering a plan for customers in IL... they simply choose not to because that plan would have to comply with IL law (not TN law).

When people ask for health insurance to be able to be sold "across state lines," what they are asking for is the insurance regulations of the least restrictive state to be the law in all states (i.e. a race to the bottom).

Why can't we choose which company we want for cable/internet?

Cable companies specifically choose not to compete with each other because "it would be too expensive."

[Fau Teixeira]

I am actually in favor of municipal or a county based high speed internet coop.

It's a good solution to the cable monopolies

[CF DolFan]

You guys are speaking out of both sides of your face? Don't you even realize that ?

They did. People decided when they got shit-canned by fast food places or restaurants, that they'd look at other employment and they got better jobs.

So now shit companies are complaining there aren't enough people wanting to work for shit pay under shit conditions.

So which is it? The workers left for greener pastures like you tell them to do, and now it's a problem?

Or are you all believing the right wing "welfare queen" fantasy that all these employees magically just decided to not work at all because they're getting $300 more a week?

So now what happens when these unemployment benefits expire and McDonalds or chipotle suddenly don't get the raft of candidates? What's the excuse going to be then ? Maybe a push to do away with medicaid? How much do you want to punish poor people until they're no better than indentured servants to taco bell?

It's not fantasy. Unemployment stats vs the huge number of places looking for workers prove it. Yesterday I saw a healthy guy with a homelessness sign in front of a McDonalds that has several signs hiring for $11 an hour. It's comical how obvious it is.

[Spider-Dan]

Unemployment stats vs the huge number of places looking for workers prove it. Yesterday I saw a healthy guy with a homelessness sign in front of a McDonalds that has several signs hiring for $11 an hour. It's comical how obvious it is.

So you believe that this guy with the homeless sign:

1) is currently on unemployment
2) would be working without the extra $300/week from the feds

That... doesn't seem likely.  (And I don't know if you're qualified to determine someone's health status by briefly looking at them.)

In any case, we won't have to guess about this much longer.  FL is ending participation in the federal unemployment benefits at the end of next week, at which point all of these tedious low-paying jobs should have applicants out the door, right...?

[pondwater]

ok great .. we agree

So you're not arguing to raise minimum wage to $15?

Yes, everyone would get UBI equally.

You get the money the same way you get money in government. Taxes. Maybe a wealth tax, or a higher corporate income tax. Maybe a corporate tax based on the delta between CEO and lowest worker pay. I'm sure we can figure out a way to make it work.

So you're going to give everyone $2000 a month in UBI and then tax everyone $2000 a month to pay for it? Or you're going to take money from certain people that have it and give it to certain people who don't?

[CF DolFan]

So you believe that this guy with the homeless sign:

1) is currently on unemployment
2) would be working without the extra $300/week from the feds

That... doesn't seem likely.  (And I don't know if you're qualified to determine someone's health status by briefly looking at them.)

In any case, we won't have to guess about this much longer.  FL is ending participation in the federal unemployment benefits at the end of next week, at which point all of these tedious low-paying jobs should have applicants out the door, right...?

hahahaha ... Doesn't matter if you know that I'm qualified because it's my judgemet that helps me to mke decisions based on the information that I am aware of. Local sheriffs have stated NOT to give to anyone on the side of the road but to instead give to homeless and women's' shelters etc. They have shown pics of panhandlers they arrested with hundreds and sometimes thousands in their pockets. It's a racket either way. Local homeless hippie camps use one car to disperse people to beg for money and then swap out people throughout the day.

[Spider-Dan]

I doubt that $300/week in extra unemployment has anything at all to do with the existence of panhandlers.  They existed before Biden and they will exist after.

And again, "He looked healthy to me" is not a particularly useful statement.  The fact that you didn't see a wheelchair or a prosthetic leg does not mean he is therefore in fine health.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Getting a part time job for $11 dollars per hour won't allow someone who is homeless to cease being homeless.

[Spider-Dan]

Or you're going to take money from certain people that have it and give it to certain people who don't?

Ideally.

That's how the rest of this country works.  They take money from me and use it to pay some farming conglomerate NOT to plant crops, or use it to buy another armored carrier for the police department (not the military, but the "police").  This country is all about taking money from some people to give it to others... but when it's for unemployment benefits, or healthcare, suddenly we're supposed to be outraged about Socialism.

[Sunstroke]

Essentially, every good idea is susceptible to corruption by the inevitable ruin of the self serving nature of humans. 

Equal parts true and depressing...

[dolphins4life]

Ideally.

That's how the rest of this country works.  They take money from me and use it to pay some farming conglomerate NOT to plant crops, or use it to buy another armored carrier for the police department (not the military, but the "police").  This country is all about taking money from some people to give it to others... but when it's for unemployment benefits, or healthcare, suddenly we're supposed to be outraged about Socialism.

I got an unexpected check from the government today.  It was my money because I had overpaid my taxes.   I wish I could have the joy of getting somebody’s money for doing nothing.   

[pondwater]

Ideally.

That's how the rest of this country works.  They take money from me and use it to pay some farming conglomerate NOT to plant crops, or use it to buy another armored carrier for the police department (not the military, but the "police").  This country is all about taking money from some people to give it to others... but when it's for unemployment benefits, or healthcare, suddenly we're supposed to be outraged about Socialism.

Most people don't want to pay more taxes. If you're going to give all the population $2000 a month, you're going to have to tax 75% of the population more than $2000 a month. Good luck with that. The The Declaration of Independence says life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Not "we're going to take care of you". Plenty of full on socialist countries to pick from if that's your thing.

[Dolphster]

Equal parts true and depressing...

Indeed.  Just one more reason why I try to occupy my mind thinking about football and weightlifting rather than contemplating the world we live in. 

[Spider-Dan]

I got an unexpected check from the government today.  It was my money because I had overpaid my taxes.   I wish I could have the joy of getting somebody’s money for doing nothing.

If you attended public school, you have already experienced this joy.
Same goes for if you have used a public library, or driven on an interstate highway.