First there was the story about Dollar Tree no longer accepting SNAP cards because the city of Minneapolis now requires stores that sell food to sell some healthful foods. (Have I said before how much I hate dollar stores and their business model of exploitation?)
Then there was the story about how new rules that require home-care workers to be paid overtime and have their travel costs covered (which we all probably thought was already the law, but no) has dangerously decreased the supply of home care workers to people with disabilities.
And then there was Chris Farrell, MPR’s economics specialist, explaining how South Dakota is a place where billions of dollars in wealth is being hidden in plain sight by rich people, given the state’s loose banking and regulatory structure. (No link to this one, because it wasn't the main topic they were discussing and I can't remember what show it was on yesterday, May 13.)
What is wrong with these owning-class people and the structures that encourage them to cause these negative outcomes? How can we create a society where the easiest thing to do is the right thing, rather than the wrong thing that makes you more money?
As one Star Tribune letter writer put it in response to the Dollar Tree story, "When free enterprise results in our community members being undernourished and underserviced, we regulate businesses.... You aren't going to prison if there are regulations. We won't become a communist Soviet Union, either. We'll just become a better place to live."
Saturday, May 14, 2016
All for Rich Me, None for Thee
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"How can we create a society where the easiest thing to do is the right thing, rather than the wrong thing that makes you more money?"
That is the most important question, in my opinion, that we should be addressing right now. But we bring up our children to believe and revere Capitalism which is another version of survival of the fittest but this time financial fittest. Capitalism needs to stop being our moral and ethical compass, and no, I don't much trust religions anymore to help. How do we bring up our kids to think first of their fellow humans rather than money? That's important.
This is in line with my thinking that money needs to be abolished. It would take a very long time, require a total mindset change, and huge changes in commerce, business, and trade, but I think it can be done. Humans invented it. Humans can decide to rise above money as a tool of exchange (and influence, and power), and realize that the incentive to do anything is to contribute something to one's life on this planet. It would need to be done in very small steps. For example, maybe legislate that toilet paper will be a commodity that is free to all, and then follow that back on the production chain so that all involved would not be hurt by that. Although, I think initially there'd probably be some very difficult times, and the Rich would not want to give up their money, influence and power.
I'll shut up now.
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