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[Lord Shonus]

If they had pushed for $15 and made it a condition of the bill, we still would not have a $15 minimum wage. That was not going to happen.

We also wouldn't have extended unemployment benefits, a second stimulus, federal support for state governments, healthcare subsidies, or any other part of the bill. All of which we desperately need.

But there's obviously no possible explanation for not sticking to the $15 other than "DEMOCRATS EVIL!". Obviously the proper thing to do would be for Biden to go Red Wedding on the Republican Senators so we could have a Blue god-emperor instead of a Red (or Orange) one.

[Bumber]

In related "cancellation" news:

EBay is banning resale of the cancelled Seuss books.

Amazon blocked a documentary on Clarence Thomas during Black History month.
(They also banned a book critical of the transgenderism movement, but Mein Kampf and others are still totally okay, it seems.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

People who voted Republican also voted for 15$ min wage (see Florida). Why would the Dems not look for a handful of votes from Rep senators? Or really try anything at all besides crumpling at the first touch of resistence.

Republicans that wanted a minimum their state might not want to force it upon others, such as mostly-rural Idaho. It's a "big government" issue.

[Lord Shonus]

Mein Kampf is still totally cool by Amazon, it seems.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Mein Kampf is the manifesto of a world leader that is responsible for a war that reshaped the course of history for the next century. It is required reading in courses on history, political science, and probably a half-dozen other fields. If it was just the shitty rant of a failed painter, they probably wouldn't sell it.

[Doomblade187]

Ah yes, the "transgenderism movement" *eye roll*

But back on topic, the holdup on the bill from the dems is heavily centered around Joe Manchin. The democrats really need to learn to whip better in the senate if they want to get anything passed. (Manchin often votes cross party lines and is currently in a position to block things based on his relatively conservative viewpoint.)

Edit: it looks like the Clarence Thomas documentary blockage may be due to the Anita Hill case. No confirmation from Amazon, presumably.

[Bumber]

Ah yes, the "transgenderism movement" *eye roll*

I haven't looked into the book, but I assume it's referring to stuff like the debate over trans women in girl's sports, etc., rather than the ability of individuals to be transgender.

Edit: Looks like the book may be about giving puberty blockers to children under 16? That's from a cursory read of articles about it. There might be more than just that.

[Doomblade187]

Ah yes, the "transgenderism movement" *eye roll*

I haven't looked into the book, but I assume it's referring to stuff like the debate over trans women in girl's sports, etc., rather than the ability of individuals to be transgender.

Edit: Looks like the book may be about giving puberty blockers to children under 16? That's from a cursory read of articles about it. There might be more than just that.

A persual of goodreads seems to show it as largely anti-transition, period. Wouldn't recommend. Definitely takes a stance against puberty blockers given the abstract, even though they're a good thing for transition and mental health.

[Vector]

*sigh*

they give puberty blockers to cis kids.

they just want 'em to be unavailable to trans kids.

[Starver]

*sigh*

they give puberty blockers to cis kids.

they just want 'em to be unavailable to trans kids.

The way I first read this was interesting, without context.

(Top of page, expunged messages from the thread breaking the (NEW) jump-link, etc. But, even after going back a page, I still had the 'old' meaning rattling round my head.)

[McTraveller]

I don't want higher minimum wage. I want people to stop paying for things that have price increases, so that benefits of technology are given to the masses instead of the corps (in the form of lower prices, not higher profits).

Consider there are two solutions to the problem of "if AI takes over the world, there will be no jobs": the first is to just make up money and give it to people; the second is to let prices drop.

No, I don't mean that I favor deflation - I favor profits being realized in the form of lower prices instead of larger bank account balances.

[Lord Shonus]

The profit margins on a lot of stuff are a lot lower than you think. Paradoxical as it might seem, there are huge sectors of consumer goods where a slight price drop would literally take the manufacturer from immense profits to oblivion because they make those profits by multiplying a tiny margin by immense volume.

[Frumple]

I mean, I want a full (40 hour/week) time (hell, most part time, too) job to provide a living wage, if we're not going to go full universal income or comprehensive welfare.

15$ minimum wouldn't actually do that in a lot of places stateside, but it'd damn sure help at the moment. If we unfuck things later in a way that makes dropping it reasonable, then hell, do that. Right now things are pretty fucked, though, and it's probably easier to make shit remuneration less shit than to reign in profit junk.

... not that it's easy, mind. It's too fucking obviously not easy, at the mo', despite massive public support for it.

[hector13]

I don't want higher minimum wage. I want people to stop paying for things that have price increases, so that benefits of technology are given to the masses instead of the corps (in the form of lower prices, not higher profits).

Consider there are two solutions to the problem of "if AI takes over the world, there will be no jobs": the first is to just make up money and give it to people; the second is to let prices drop.

No, I don't mean that I favor deflation - I favor profits being realized in the form of lower prices instead of larger bank account balances.

I’m an idealist and think that’s pie in the sky thinking :p

Shareholders would never accept anything that hits them in the pocketbook, certainly not willingly reducing the income of a company in which they’ve invested.

They also aren’t likely to accept increasing a significant expenditure like their wage bill, so it needs to be legislated on, I think.

[Rolan7]

I don't want higher minimum wage. I want people to stop paying for things that have price increases, so that benefits of technology are given to the masses instead of the corps (in the form of lower prices, not higher profits).

It'd be interesting if people were better informed, interested, and had the time necessary to make the best choices for their self-interest.  We're far from that ideal in my opinion, so extremely far that it's not a useful model.  People do not generally know their exact pricepoints for various goods and services.  Like a can of beans - I might compare it to other brands on the shelves, but if all the cans started at $2 instead of a bit under ~70c, that would just be my reality.  I'd end up with a lot less money on a weekly basis and I'd have no idea why, or what to do about it.

Fortunately food prices are kept artificially low by my government, because food riots are an existential threat to even the most heavily policed governments.  Unfortunately we don't extend that same concept to other necessities like housing and healthcare.  In my opinion this is just as unsustainable in the long term.  It's actually kinda like you're saying - people are realizing they're overpaying, and they're seeking to change that.  But the only way to stop overpaying for a necessity is for the government to step in.  You can't boycott it (without going homeless or uncovered), you can't meaningfully shop around (the health care "marketplace" is collusive as hell).

I guess you can just lay down and die... Ugh, I need to get coverage.

But to bring this back on point:  If the government's unwilling to lower (eventually eliminate) the price of subsistence living, then I guess guaranteeing a living wage (for those able to work...) is a practical compromise for now.  or $15 an hour I guess

Consider there are two solutions to the problem of "if AI takes over the world, there will be no jobs": the first is to just make up money and give it to people; the second is to let prices drop.

No, I don't mean that I favor deflation - I favor profits being realized in the form of lower prices instead of larger bank account balances.

I guess this makes sense, except that prices have to be dropped through widespread action.  It will not just happen naturally, even when it would be in the best interests of consumers, because consumers are underinformed and deliberately misinformed marketed to; both directly, and indirectly through culture.

Now - if we got that AI to, hm, "plan" out an economy that properly allocated the astounding surplus of resources we constantly discard?  Everything would be okay
Also yeah puberty blockers are commonly used on cis children and are essentially harmless and reversible.  Certainly harmless in comparison to the very real harm caused by denying them.  Hormones are also available in abundance, but only to cis men diagnosed with low-T or cis women with similar hormonal imbalances.  Trans people face extraordinary extra requirements to get the same substances as cis people.

(And because I sometimes get flak for this elsewhere - "cis" is not an insult, it is a useful adjective equal to and opposite "trans".  Most of my best friends are cis.  I disavow hatred of cis people and anything else ever posted on tumblr or twitter)

[McTraveller]

I almost think we need a concept like "consumer unions" to balance out labor unions, corporations, and the government.  Let people pool their resources together to give them a chance to band together and fight rent increases, etc.

This is a very nascent thought mind you...  and it's not clear how that would be any different than, say, just having all the citizens of a town form their own company that buys up all the real estate and then just divides up internally, instead of letting these external developers come in and charge all the rent.

Actually - what is to stop all the citizens of a town from doing that?

[Vector]

How did the native civilizations get pushed to the west?