Random Rants 87: 2020 Is Just Aimee's Latest Sims Run

[Takhisis]

I already know that, but then it might have to do with my regular egg consumption. If you think I'm trying to find a way to undetectably poison you, then you are correct. I mean, wrong.

 

[Synobun]

It's kind of annoying how so many job ads make it a point of telling you how stressed and rushed you'll be, but they portray this like if you aren't okay with it, you're flawed and undesirable. Constant pressure is bad for people who are fine mentally and physically, but it grows exponentially more detrimental the worse off you are. Nobody should be okay with those conditions. It's bad for everyone. And yet...

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

It's kind of annoying how so many job ads make it a point of telling you how stressed and rushed you'll be, but they portray this like if you aren't okay with it, you're flawed and undesirable. Constant pressure is bad for people who are fine mentally and physically, but it grows exponentially more detrimental the worse off you are. Nobody should be okay with those conditions. It's bad for everyone. And yet...

Universal Basic Income! Nobody will be forced into a terrible job just to avoid homelessness. It would force employers to improve their working standards if they have any hope of getting employees.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

It's kind of annoying how so many job ads make it a point of telling you how stressed and rushed you'll be, but they portray this like if you aren't okay with it, you're flawed and undesirable. Constant pressure is bad for people who are fine mentally and physically, but it grows exponentially more detrimental the worse off you are. Nobody should be okay with those conditions. It's bad for everyone. And yet...

I completely agree but at least they're being upfront about it unlike all the jobs that are advertised as, 'we're like a family', 'we work hard and play hard' and 'competitive salary'. Properly translated, those things mean: 'we expect your loyalty but do not return it', 'we will work you to death but give you pizza every once and a while' and 'borderline minimum wage'.

 

[JohannaK]

My life is empty and all I have to show for it is this lousy T-shirt site.

Yes. To you.

It happened to me too. Fortunately, I developed tolerance eventually.

 

[amadeus]

I completely agree but at least they're being upfront about it unlike all the jobs that are advertised as, 'we're like a family', 'we work hard and play hard' and 'competitive salary'. Properly translated, those things mean: 'we expect your loyalty but do not return it', 'we will work you to death but give you pizza every once and a while' and 'borderline minimum wage'.

I usually see these kinds of phrases in ads for software development, and the business itself is as shystery and buzzword-y as the people that run it.

For the longest time, I had no idea what anyone meant when they said "cloud computing." Then someone explained it to me. Oh, it's something people upload files to? Like the FTP server I ran in the 1990s when I was in junior high school? Wow! I didn't know I was 20 years ahead of the curve. Too bad I couldn't biz market ninja crypto-disrupt my dynamo paradigm shift into some meaningless gobbledygook for idiots to throw money at.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I used to have a Chrome extension that changed "the cloud" to "my butt." Made for many giggles.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Now I think its all....uh, blockchain? I don't understand it at all.

 

[amadeus]

In retrospect, the joke didn't work. It's in the memory hole now.

 

[Ajidica]

I saw the place I usually get my hair cut is back open, so I tried calling to set up an appointment but their phone kept sending me to answering machine and said the machine was not monitored. I go to their website, and they want me to download an app on to my phone to set up an appointment. Well that isn't happening. I'm not installing your terrible app just to set up a haircut.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Universal Basic Income! Nobody will be forced into a terrible job just to avoid homelessness. It would force employers to improve their working standards if they have any hope of getting employees.

And don't go with the "we can't afford it" argument. We can afford it with a few changes (cough tax the 1%). We just don't want to.

 

[Commodore]

Universal Basic Income! Nobody will be forced into a terrible job just to avoid homelessness. It would force employers to improve their working standards if they have any hope of getting employees.

My only problem with universal basic income is that it increases dependence on the state, which makes it easier for them to crush dissent. After all, how many people will be willing to speak out against the government when they can just shut off your livelihood with the snap of a finger.

And this isn't hypothetical either. We already see this happen with corporations. Employees are afraid to speak up against their boss because those bosses can just fire them and cut them off from their income. At least with corporations though, you can find another one to work for and get your income flowing again. It's not so easy to just go out and find another government to live under.

 

[Synobun]

After all, how many people will be willing to speak out against the government when they can just shut off your livelihood with the snap of a finger.

Ideally any UBI would be unconditional, and not something that can simply be yoinked out from under you.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

My only problem with universal basic income is that it increases dependence on the state, which makes it easier for them to crush dissent. After all, how many people will be willing to speak out against the government when they can just shut off your livelihood with the snap of a finger.

People who are already on income assistance already suffer this anyways.

Ideally any UBI would be unconditional, and not something that can simply be yoinked out from under you.

Yes this.

 

[Cutlass]

My only problem with universal basic income is that it increases dependence on the state, which makes it easier for them to crush dissent. After all, how many people will be willing to speak out against the government when they can just shut off your livelihood with the snap of a finger.

And this isn't hypothetical either. We already see this happen with corporations. Employees are afraid to speak up against their boss because those bosses can just fire them and cut them off from their income. At least with corporations though, you can find another one to work for and get your income flowing again. It's not so easy to just go out and find another government to live under.

UBI would actually increase people's independence. As well as how much they worked. Because of the universality of it, it provides a floor beneath which one can't fall.

The whole reason that welfare of whatever description is so hard to get, and so hard to remain on, is the authoritarian tendencies of conservatives. The demand to control others. And this always has negative consequences. Public assistance doesn't have to be universal. It probably even shouldn't be. But it does need to be unconditional, within the realm of who it serves. Any conditions on it are vastly more likely to be harmful than beneficial. So the program design should take as much discretion away from the government as possible.

This doesn't happen because of the political compromises necessary to get programs enacted in the first place. But everyone would be better off if it did.

 

[Commodore]

Ideally any UBI would be unconditional, and not something that can simply be yoinked out from under you.

Ideally, sure. But how often does the ideal scenario actually play out? I just don't have the trust or faith in politicians to not use UBI as a carrot to dangle over people's heads to keep them compliant with whatever they want to do.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Ideally, sure. But how often does the ideal scenario actually play out? I just don't have the trust or faith in politicians to not use UBI as a carrot to dangle over people's heads to keep them compliant with whatever they want to do.

That already happens for those who are on any sort of social assistance/disability program, except that nobody really cares because we're valued less than other members of society.

 

[amadeus]

I thought I was having a panic attack today, but it was just an upset stomach.

Last week I thought I had an upset stomach, but it was actually anxiety.

Somehow I always get my signals backwards. That’s annoying.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

My life is empty and all I have to show for it is this lousy T-shirt site.

You are way ahead! Most people's lives are filled with crap. If yours is empty think of all the cool stuff it has room for you to put in!

 

[JohannaK]

I hate it when an incurable optimist barges into a perfectly good rant.