Lots of shootings...

[Randy]

Of course, homelessness not being a sort of static thing - there are degrees of homelessness, and 1001 ways to get there. My brother either is or isn't homeless depending on different definitions of "homeless", and on different days. But he technically owns a PS4 and a VR headset, on the occasions that he has access to the room his stuff is kept in. I know people with 2 good incomes and a bigger TV than I have who still occasionally have to rely on soup kitchens and such.

Right and I think both would qualify under the modern interpretation of what homelessness is. If you go back to previous generations, you don't work and you don't eat and you don't own anything. At this time in most developed countries, you're only living on the street if you either choose to or you're mentally ill enough that you won't accept the help.

But to your point, yes, you can be homeless in 2024 and still have a PS4 and VR headset. Under Drew's outlined quality of life gains you've got a high quality of life. I personally think defining quality of life simply as not dying from 19th century diseases and owning a television as being lagging way behind reality.

 

[TedEH]

I think both would qualify under the modern interpretation of what homelessness is

I wouldn't call the second homeless - they have a home, it's just a struggle on occasion to pay for everything when there's upwards of 7 people in the house - because sometimes they're helping the actual homeless one, plus kids, etc.

Which loops back around to a thing I said before: if you were to ask her, person #2, she'd call herself middle class - because they have a home, a dog, two cars, kids, a giant TV, two incomes, etc etc. so they're "doing all the right things" and "succeeding at them", but of course they still on the odd occasion have to dip into soup kitchens to hold it together.

I think there's no middle class anymore by virtue of it being so fuzzy a term that anyone can make up any justification for a new definition of it. It's not useful as a term if we're not all talking about the same thing. I honestly believe that "middle class" has transformed into "whatever definition I need it to be to make my point" and occasionally "whatever definition I need in order to include myself so I don't have to admit I'm poor".

 

[DarkstarII]

Hai guys, this is a fascinating debate, but dis hur is da shootings thread, ya? Chiefs parade was good ‘ol gang violence, apparently (wacko left source for you prima donna’s): https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/02/15/kansas-city-shooting-super-bowl-rally/

oh, and nobody’s been charged… wtf?

 

[Randy]

I wouldn't call the second homeless - they have a home, it's just a struggle on occasion to pay for everything when there's upwards of 7 people in the house - because sometimes they're helping the actual homeless one, plus kids, etc.

Which loops back around to a thing I said before: if you were to ask her, person #2, she'd call herself middle class - because they have a home, a dog, two cars, kids, a giant TV, two incomes, etc etc. so they're "doing all the right things" and "succeeding at them", but of course they still on the odd occasion have to dip into soup kitchens to hold it together.

I think there's no middle class anymore by virtue of it being so fuzzy a term that anyone can make up any justification for a new definition of it. It's not useful as a term if we're not all talking about the same thing. I honestly believe that "middle class" has transformed into "whatever definition I need it to be to make my point" and occasionally "whatever definition I need in order to include myself so I don't have to admit I'm poor".

I agree to an extent, but the term is Middle for a reason. A middle almost certainly has to exist. The problem, I think, is that there are too many income ranges which overlap with each other without significant gains in indicators of financial stability or success.

That was kind of my point in that second post. The reason a middle class doesn't exist is because most of the things which would have defined financial stability simply don't exist anymore. There are a number of things in modern society which, if they were to happen to you instantly cripple you financially and affect your stability or mobility.

Last year, without any warning, I had a catastrophic event with my dog. In just about three visits to the vet's office I ended up with nearly $8,000 of debt. One event. For other people that might be a family illness, an injury, a leaky roof, a knocking engine, etc.

And to be fair, big surprise bills were always a concern but you likely had more buying power with the money you were making or a significant enough savings to take out the dent.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

Hai guys, this is a fascinating debate, but dis hur is da shootings thread, ya? Chiefs parade was good ‘ol gang violence, apparently (wacko left source for you prima donna’s): https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/02/15/kansas-city-shooting-super-bowl-rally/

oh, and nobody’s been charged… wtf?

Where are you reading that it's "gang violence?" All the sources I can find say "personal dispute," which could be a lot of things. Nobody has been charged because it's an "ongoing investigation."

Also, WaPo is owned by one of the richest people in the world whose company is notorious for its union-busting and labor violations. It might not be fox, but "left" source is a stretch.

 

[DarkstarII]

2 dudes, under 18, open fire? Spray and pray over a disagreement? Practically gang violence. WaPo = liberal news for liberals like foxy fox is for conservatives.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

In other words, you don't actually know. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[narad]

People eager to write it up as gang violence (and bring up all the baggage that goes with it) are hoping to pass it off as an "argument between the sole members of two rival gangs"

 

[philkilla]

2 dudes, under 18, open fire? Spray and pray over a disagreement? Practically gang violence. WaPo = liberal news for liberals like foxy fox is for conservatives.

It wasn't someone with MAGA written on the weapon, so back to the boomer debates.

 

[TedEH]

It wasn't someone with MAGA written on the weapon, so back to the boomer debates.

"Well, there's nobody specific I can demonize or throw under the buss, so back to not caring."

 

[TheBlackBard]

It wasn't someone with MAGA written on the weapon, so back to the boomer debates.

The same way you and him pick on trans people here, right making facetious claims about how they identify and intentionally misgendering trans people for the sake of cruel jokes?

 

[Xetplion]

A humbling experience is to go on Google maps street view and follow the roads out of Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

We are largely a culture at this point of delusional, spoiled, asshole teenagers complaining that daddy only got us a 2024 BMW 3 series for our sweet 16. Fuck you dad! I wanted at least a 5 series, not this piece of shit!

I'm not sure how much of the middle-class "American Dream" wasn't just smoke and mirrors anyway. A car in every driveway, a chicken in every pot, two and a half kids and a white picket fence, and a pension when you retire... but that pension bankrupted a lot of companies, and a lot of the rest depended on a post war population boom, massive deficit spending to fund the cold war and social programs, and artificially low interest rates and we all know what that did to inflation in the 70s.

 

[StevenC]

It wasn't someone with MAGA written on the weapon, so back to the boomer debates.

Man arrested after allegedly decapitating his father, displaying his head on YouTube

In the video, which has been removed, Justin Mohn says his father was a federal employee and refers to him as a traitor while voicing right-wing conspiracy theories.

www.nbcnews.com

Reality is so good at contradicting you

 

[Randy]

 

[philkilla]

The same way you and him pick on trans people here, right making facetious claims about how they identify and intentionally misgendering trans people for the sake of cruel jokes?

All the nasty shit people say to each other on here, and this is where you place your pitchfork??

 

[TheBlackBard]

All the nasty shit people say to each other on here, and this is where you place your pitchfork??

Considering that the nastiest has been coming from a couple of people who couldn't give a fuck about trans people or the troubles they face, absolutely. Wouldn't expect a person with zero empathy to acknowledge that, though.

 

[philkilla]

Considering that the nastiest has been coming from a couple of people who couldn't give a fuck about trans people or the troubles they face, absolutely. Wouldn't expect a person with zero empathy to acknowledge that, though.

Wow, you've really got me figured out to a T.

 

[TedEH]

All the nasty shit people say to each other on here, and this is where you place your pitchfork??

He can have my pitchfork while he's at it.
People can say all the nasty shit they want, we're still going to judge you for taking unwarranted shots at minorities.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Wouldn't expect a person with zero empathy to acknowledge that, though.

Don't be hyperbolic, they care very much about the feelings and well-being of guns.

 

[philkilla]

He can have my pitchfork while he's at it.
People can say all the nasty shit they want, we're still going to judge you for taking unwarranted shots at minorities.

I'd expect nothing less from hypocrites that spent the last three pages making fun of boomers .