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Jay Socrates's avatar

when all the financial incentives are for owners to automate and now AI, send jobs overseas, pay as little as possible, while investing in real estate, meaning they can put a down payment on a building, charge as much as possible and have the tenants pay off the mortgage, who consequently will never be able to save enough money to own thenselves, then the system is the problem.

There will always be bums. There are also a large number of mentally ill people and a large number of damaged vets plus a large number of untechnical people who, if they could just make a few bucks pushing a broom or moving boxes and get a bed in a flophouse, would be still be able to maintain some semblance of a life.

Instead unrestrained capitalism with absolutely no morality has been allowed to destroy Society.

The system is the problem

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Jan Petri's avatar

Where is there unrestrained capitalism? Certainly not here in these United States. Rather, here I detect unrestrained crony-capitalism, which is the also the launching pad for fascism/socialism.

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Jay Socrates's avatar

when rents explode and wages stagnate it is the system's fault

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Patricia Walker's avatar

While you make valid points about many of the 'unhoused', look at the state policies and regulations where you live. I am not convinced it is capitalism that is the problem, but other factors. The system is at fault, but it's not the same in every state. Seems to me it's the system of regulations, taxes, policies, etc. in some states that has created and is exacerbating the problem. Ca, is the best example. I live in SC and housing is still affordable.

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Jay Socrates's avatar

The bottom line is that we accept the right of the wealthy to do whatever they want to increase their wealth regardless of the effect on everyone else. Whether it's raising drug prices out of the reach of many people, or pricing housing out of the reach of many people, or a number of other things. Using that definition of freedom, we should also allow robbery at gunpoint, since people do basically have a gun to their heads as far as needing housing and other necessities.

I am glad to hear that things are still affordable in South Carolina, and I also know that real estate investors go around the country looking for what they call "undervalued markets" and do everything they can to raise prices as high as they can.

I'm not a socialist, it has all its own problems, but at this point unrestrained greed is not working for a large number of Americans. All the financial incentives are to do the wrong thing.

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Patricia Walker's avatar

True, I have heard the same about investors: corporations, Chinese and Saudi I hear. I am a capitalist as far as economic systems go. I still think it's the best system, but what's the saying, "total power totally corrupts". Trump was right on one thing for sure, there is a deep swamp in DC. Look at the power and wealth Pelosi has amassed, or what Harry Reid amassed. Money for power. The political elite needs to be replaced. There always need to be pulls in opposing directions, a place of tension, a place where there is give and take. Balance.

Back to the 'unhoused', redefining language is not a solution and doesn't bring solutions. It's subtle subterfuge. I believe the movement behind wokeism is Marxism and the intent is to dismantle not only capitalism but America as we know it. Ca. with all it's wokeness has worse and worse problems.

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Jay Socrates's avatar

One of the key facts of wokeness is that almost always it's comfortable middle class people who have no concept of how their ideas will impact people with less money.

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el bicho palo's avatar

or themselves

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