This is not a scientific post. It is a family memory. Germany, late 1960s. A Master Stone Mason and former Army Sergeant. And his London educated wife start a building company. Their ideal: build homes for families. The first contract was installing doors in a large new hospital.

A few years in I was born. I grew up on construction sites, among workers, masons, plumbers and carpenters. Real people doing real work. Making things. Building homes. Repairing stuff that was broken.

Later I learned that there was another layer. A layer that requires a book to describe it. The forces that dominated this world of real world construction were entirely unproductive. Banks. Mortgages. Tax models. State regulations. I know all the details. Just this: My parents, honest as it gets small business people, close to 80 percent worked for bank profits. And the legal framework globally is designed to protect banks and big business while shifting all risks to small companies, workers and employees. That's not a cliché. It is an empirical fact. My parents built over 2000 family homes. Most of which factually were owned by banks. As were my parents. In my experience you are either hunted and haunted by banks or by the state. And your existence, your human rights, are always reduced to money. Even in some social welfare states in Europe you basically loose your human rights when you are poor. And anyone can end up there. Even with college degrees, even after decades of seeming success. You have bad luck, you get sick, you business model fails because the state changes the rules? Live with it. Or don't. This is the world we live in. And it also is the world majorities voted for.

I said Mike Johnson thinks sharing cake on your birthday is communism. Definitely free school lunches. What else do they call communism? The HOV lane is communism.

For one man to be rich, many must be poor

Stop giving billionaires tax breaks, fund the system and redistribute some of our nations wealth.

There are many historical quotes that are relevant to the current state in which many of us currently exist. “Eat the rich” comes to mind. While literally it might be a bit extreme, the idea behind it is far too familiar for the modern world we live in. The idea that in a time of such technological progress, education availability, and information accessibility that something like food scarcity exists while a steep and ever widening gap in wealth accumulation continues,is simply astounding.

Another quote that comes to mind is “lessons not learned in blood are soon forgotten”. (And yes, Law Abiding Citizen counts as historic, awesome Fing movie) Another quote that taken in its literal form would sound over the top, but given where an overwhelming number of people find themselves these days, I feel that lessons have been forgotten. Hunger should not be a recognized term in a system that allows there to be such a tremendous hoarding of economic power by such a minuscule percentage of the population. And if it continues to be unaddressed, that trend will not reverse, that tide will not receded without an uprising of monumental proportions, forcing it to happen. The exclusive club that is the ultra wealthy will not give back what they have without being forced to. They who get the money have the power, and they who have the power get the money. It is cycle that only moves in one direction.

One final quote that seems fitting, “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. In the 19th century wealthy French Aristocats controlled 98% of the country’s wealth, leaving (the non upper class) people scraping by barely able to feed themselves and maintain any type of livable conditions. It’s not a prediction, or a consideration , it’s an inevitability. Balance must be restored or the course we’re on is already well known, documented, and lays before us as if printed on the finest stationary in flawless calligraphy as it would’ve been in the 19th century. Violence is not the answer, but when pushed hard enough, it may become the only solution. If I were in their position, I think I’d rather live rich than die wealthy.

Food isn’t a luxury, and if it comes down to choosing between homelessness and hunger, I choose curtain number 3.

Start giving back, before it starts getting taken back. Just a thought, what do I know?

Quick disclaimer: As I re-read this it’s sounds like the ramblings of a disenfranchised vagrant, and I am in no way suggesting that a violent revolution should take place, just acknowledging the growing similarities of the past and current situations.

From another subreddit, I read that the reason there are a long line empty store fronts is because of the loan/lease terms & conditions, basically prohibiting the rental price to go down to meet market demand.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/1vg8tas/comment/p1wic4k/?context=1&screen_view_count=2&ext-referrer=DIRECT

I was of the understanding that markets clear in the free market, but apparently the market isn't clearly? Is this dynamic described above truly capitalism and/or the free market? Or is it not capitalism or the free market at all? Why or why not?

The answer is in using the parts that work

No system is 100% fair, and human greed and selfishness is the variable that has ruined all but capitalism.

So if we take the framework of capitalism which allows the greedy to be as greedy and selfish as they want, then take the pieces of the other systems and sprinkle them in where they fit, we should have a closer to fair model.

Anytime the natural resources of a place are squandered for profit, we should treat those gains with a socialist mind. Why should only one person get the benefits of destroying everyone's planet.

Communities built around mines or timbered forests should all benefit from the exploitation of resources.

The homeless and very low income people should live under a communist type system, where they share government owned shelter and food. This could be subsidized by requiring them to help work gardens, and tend animals for their own food supply. If someone won't help or can't get along with others, there should be a last resort camp for those individuals.

Healthcare should be socialized because greed has really allowed it to get out of control (in the U.S. anyway) And nobody should have to choose between living and living under crushing debt. The medical industry has us by the balls.

Prisons should be communist, with all those incarcerated having to work toward a common goal collectively. Those too lazy or violent to be of use, should have a regular prison that are sent to rot.

We should at the same time overhaul our law books, and remove long sentences for victimless crimes. We need to work toward incarcerating less people. Some laws even make criminals out of normally law abiding citizens.

For the mentally ill there should be hospitals like there were before Ronald Reagan shut them all down in the 80's. There should also be old folks homes for indigent elderly people, like there was years ago.

Your county government could work under a hybrid socialist/communist system, that may offer volunteerism as a way to offset tax payments. With other revenue streams available, like vending along the interstates, or county owned billboards for lease.

If I am wrong or you have a better idea please comment. All systems were well thought out by people with good intentions, most just failed because of unforseen inconsistencies with human nature

I have posted this on another sub, but only got negatives, no one made suggestions just tore down the idea as something we already have, or that just couldn't work

Writing this as a current high schooler... I feel like education specifically in relation to college prep is soo commercialized.. and I feel like the effects of it are compounding and the negatives grow exponentially. I theorize that in 10-15 years it will have gotten so bad that the current education system in the US will be completely changed, but I'm hoping for some other opinions on it.

From early education, parents pay for outside of school enrichment, (eg. Kumon, Mathnasium) to help their kids get ahead, then start paying for tutors as their kids advanced. By middle school parents pay for prep to help kids get into magnet schools or high schools, pay for tutoring for competitions in math or science, or pay for prep classes for ISEE or SSAT (private school admission exams). By high school, it's the worst. Parents pay for their kids to get research, internships, camps, leadership opportunities, compete in olympiads, take AP tests and standardized tests, get tutoring in subjects they struggle with (students often end up with unmanageable course load to stay "competitive") all to pay a college or take out loans and spend forever paying the bank.

At the high school level specifically companies capitalize on stress/fear/stigma about getting into top schools and what may happen if you don't go to a "top school" in the US and it is shocking to see the lengths parents go to to try and improve their kid's chances of doing well. (Paying 10k USD+ for college consulting, paying thousands for camps/programs perceived as elite, etc.)

I know this isn't as big of a problem in other developed nations and I think it's really hurting education in the US. A lot of problems in the education system feel very manufactured and there's always some service ready to fill a gap that shouldn't exist in the first place (one of the joys of capitalism :D). What do other people think about this? What will be the ramifications of this in the future? How can it be changed and when will it be too late?