FYI if you’re here reading this, YOU are the POOR PEOPLE.
Unionize.
Thats the least you can do for a future. The bare minimum (starting there is good, though!)
How long till they abolish libraries and parks?
Don’t think the Republicans haven’t been trying…
That is the one thing I don’t miss about 'Murica. Here in my country, we don’t have loitering laws, we have plenty of plazas to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather with our fellow countryfolk, and we can sit outside our homes on the sidewalk by pulling out a lawn chair. Hell, I can legally have public sex and the police can’t do shit if nobody complains. THIS is what freedom looks like, and yes, it looks uncouth next to those perfectly cut evergreen lawns.
I love this, writing from shit-ass perversion of the idea of freedom America.
Lol! Yes, you got it. When people say “land of the free” I’m like, ok, but can you smoke weed on the street? Can you fuck out in the open? Can you plop your ass down where you damn please? Can you live your life without worrying about your next ticket over some bullshit?
And not to give anybody wild ideas about how we live, because we usually don’t do this stuff. But you could and that makes all the difference.
Okay but if you dobt have slaves, and cant force them to fight to the death for your amusement, is it even freedom?
Frankly, I’m free-sprited enough to have evoked literally every example you put forth. I’ve zipped along at more than 200kph on empty roads, fucked in parks and hiking trails, explored and photographed unauthorized areas…
But none of it was allowed. I just know how to bend rules, and how to fight the legal charges I occasionally get.
That reminds me of the time where some young adults broke into an abandoned building downtown and were so unbothered to hide themselves drinking out on the broken window sills with their legs out. Like, ok, I guess at least you’re not drinking in public which is illegal? xD
Haha, one time during some celebrations over here I saw a guy on the 2nd floor of his apartment getting fellated, one leg out the window. No awning, nothing.
Just human hubris, and I was joyous for all of it.
Nothing can replace my joy at seeing people live on their terms, as long as they’re not hurting anyone. Nonconsensually, to be specific 😉
You forgot about Linux, Libraries and local communities.
The people at the top never provided for us. We have to provide for each other and in doing so, we break the foundational assumptions of capitalism and when enough people do that, capitalism ends and library socialism begins.
“You forgot about Linux” is probably the most Lemmy response to this possible ( i approve)
Mutual aid is the way forward.
As a techno anarchist, I support this message
Almost.
The expectation is to work as many hours as you can, buy the cheapest groceries, bring them home to the cheapest apartment you can find, and just sit there until you die.
Correct. The current administration wants to hurry up the dying bit.
Only if you’re not white or unproductive… otherwise you can live until you can’t.
It turns out that their Great Replacement conspiracy theory was projection - they insisted that there was some sort of conspiracy to eliminate whites because they were working on their own conspiracy to eliminate minorities.
It’s simple really - eliminate DEI and, more to the point, put a chill on hiring minorities generally, then cut Medicaid (and if possible, institute work requirements for the little bit that’s left) so that people without jobs have no healthcare and monorities are more likely to be without jobs. Then just sit back and smile as millions of people, with minorities overrepresented, die.
That’s exactly what they’re very deliberstely doing, right now.
Wait, the fascists were projecting!?
the fact that right-wingers don’t emit a loud filmreel sound at all times is truly a testament to technological advances
‘Just sit there’?? That means you have time for a fourth job! Get off your lazy ass and pull yourself up by your bootstraps!
/s obviously
Sack up with friends or even randoms and find ways to enjoy life.
Visit a national park.
Edit: i don’t mean to be invalidating. My intent is thay you must find ways to enjoy life at any cost.
I know this is a meme, but is this what people think of poor people? Its a little insulting, at least from my perspective.
It’s what the ruling class thinks poor people should do, that’s the basis of the entire meme
No? Listen to anything the ruling class is saying so you can effectively argue against it.
The ruling class thinks poor people work less hours for better food, shelter, and amenities than any time in human history except for maybe compared to a decade ago for some cases(in America ofc). They think that poor people should be grateful for this and spend their time praising capitalism while enjoying the extra free hours they get using their cell phones and fridges while they engage with their local community. Most of the rich genuinely think this.
None of this is strictly wrong, but it blatantly ignores the fact that even based on their own interpretation of capitalism and the economy the amount of excess wealth we produce should have exalted the poor classes to magnitudes better life than they currently enjoy (even setting aside much more egalitarian views of how the economy should work). Instead, as a consequence of their greed and corruption we have generations of people recognizing that asking us to be grateful that most of our productivity gets siphoned away by the laziest of society is twisted and cruel.
Ok
It doesnt come off to me like that. To me it comes off as the person posting the meme telling poor people that there is nothing for them in society and that is offensive. I know the person is not Rich because rich people dont think about what poor people do outside of work, they just dont care or they’re so out of touch they think poor people are doing fine and just wasting the excess money.
The people who have the expectation of poor life in the meme are middle class people. But they’re wrong, there is plenty of life to live if you’re poor. I grew up poor and I bet my family was far happier than most middle class families. When you’re poor you dont just work extra hours for no reason, its always done for something. That may be to fix a broken car or to pay rent on a place you can barely afford so your kids can have a better life or it may be just to get something nice for a loved one. When I ask my Dad why he did backbreaking work for 12-16 hours a day he will say it was worth it to give my sister and I a better life.
If the person making this tweet was right then poor people should leave the US. But I dont think they should as a decent life can still be had here even if you are in the bottom 50% of income.
There is life to live if you’re poor, but you’re not supposed to, society will try to stop it, and most of the best stuff is illegal.
You can no longer give your kids a better life with hard work.
should leave the country
You dont seem to understand how difficult that is and i don’t think you’ve ever been really poor.
Ok
This was a very heartfelt post, thank you for writing it up. I see a lot of parallels here in the way my parents thought about me and my siblings growing up.
I think the issue though is one of trajectory. It seems like more and more people are struggling to make it. The thought of working extra to pay for something nice is fading somewhat as working “extra” becomes a necessity just to afford food and housing. There’s a huge upsurge of people going into debt currently via financing their groceries for example.
We should develop robust safety nets to prevent this. We have the resources to make decent groceries and shelter available to everyone. We need to push back hard against every attempt to resist making it actually happen
We should develop robust safety nets to prevent this. We have the resources to make decent groceries and shelter available to everyone. We need to push back hard against every attempt to resist making it actually happen
Yeah I think we mostly agree on this and what needs to be done economically since we’re on lemmy. I also want to point out that bottom 50% of income is a big range of incomes from all over the country and there is plenty of people living comfortably in that range.
Middle class people will look out the weekly costs and say “how can they survive” and somedays I honestly dont but i know people will always be poor and I was just trying to make the point that poor doesnt mean lifes over it means lifes harder.
The following is not my opinion.
People think poor people are lazy. If they were to work hard, they’d be better off. Also, they are impetuous. They have enough money, but they waste it on unnecessary luxuries like an iPhone. Then, when they don’t have enough money for food or housing, they ask the government for money. They wouldn’t have to if they were frugal and worked hard… Like me and the other successful people. And all those government handouts have to be paid from somewhere. The government taxes me so they can be lazy. Hell… Its so bad that it’s more profitable to not work and get money from the government than it is to work. Don’t these people have any self respect? So… You may be insulted by this, but if you had some self respect, you’d be insulted by it and do something about it. (If you’re a Democrat): I don’t mind helping, but you’ve got to help yourself first.
That’s my best shot at it. Most Americans think poverty is contagious and try to stay far away from the poor. Its shitty because it’s not like there aren’t some people who live this, but the overwhelming majority want to work hard in a place that gives them some belong to earn them enough money to give the people they love the security from poverty.
They forgot, you are to be fucking grateful for the little we give.
just sit there
Hobbies, dating, partner, family…
You’re right. They’re expected to have lots of kids who grow up in the same inescapeable situation.
How else would the machine keep going.
I was just thinking something more pleasant if not meaningful to use the little time you have. Unless just sitting there is what one wants to do.
How do you afford any of that in America?
First three won’t necessary cost anything or can cost very little. But I wouldn’t really know, I’m not American
First three won’t necessary cost anything
Doing anything other than boning or vegging on the sofa with your partner will cost you money.
Dating very much will cost you money (not that it isn’t worth it if you have it).
Also I can’t imagine what sort of hobby costs very little money.
Not it doesn’t. You can take a walk. You can visit places that are free. Borrow a boardgame from a library and play that. There’s a bazillion things to do without paying a cent or paying very little.
For hobbies: Reading (libraries), using any of the stuff libraries offer to loan these days really, geocaching, exercising by walking, running etc. Even stuff like learning a language or playing games can be free unless you don’t already even have a phone etc.
There’s tons of free stuff to do
take a walk where? spend money on gas to go to a nature area, or do 5 laps around the neighbourhood?
huge swaths of suburban america are literally not possible to leave by footlibraries are similarily shitty in large parts of the US, that is if one even exists anywhere near you.
take a walk where?
Any place you’d want to visit by foot in your area. Goddamn dude do you want me to make an itinerary for you to accept that there is stuff to do for free lol
libraries are similarily shitty in large parts of the US
They don’t have books in them?
