Can't pay people unemployment if they throw their hands up halfway through because you need a lawyer present to make sense of what it's asking [taps side of forehead].

        • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
          hexagon
          ·
          4 years ago

          Ah got ya. Yeah this is what makes it so hard to convince people about socialism, it's like yeah the government will still be there but it will actually work for you, and not against you. But good luck trying to tell that to a country that loves it's libertarianism.

          • ferristriangle [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            I usually point people to the fact that this government was never meant to work for us, and was only meant to work for the wealthy.

            You can't get much more blatant than writing a constitution that only allowed white land owning men with at least 40 acres of land the right to vote and participate in government.

        • JoesFrackinJack [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          It leads to the slippery slope in thinking that because this government is so bad, all governments then have to be bad. I totally get what you're saying on this

            • JoesFrackinJack [he/him]
              ·
              4 years ago

              The must asinine thing about means testing in the US is how a rabid, vocal portion of people who support it don't actually care about the ~90% of the people who benefit from the policy. And it's that 10% that don't need it are the real problem, like it matters more if no one gets it if it means that 10% benefited in the slightest. It's just the worst type of reasoning and it's liberalism in a nutshell thinking that is the real problem, not that that the 90% are shit out of luck because the bill wont be passed because of the means testing.

                • JoesFrackinJack [he/him]
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 years ago

                  Just look at what they did to folks who earned over whatever arbitrary number they chose for the stimulus checks. Using two year old salaries, that they may or may not have anymore. Plenty of people out of a job but made over the cap got screwed so hard. And did they fix this? Nope, they don't actually care who really needs it, it's those that may have earned enough money are the problem lol. just so insane

                    • JoesFrackinJack [he/him]
                      ·
                      edit-2
                      4 years ago

                      It's definitely shit like that makes average, apolitical or indifferent folks look at the dems and come to their own conclusion that they are both elitist and and self-serving and don't really care about less well off people, but they do care to virtue signal to their diehard fans that they absolutely cannot stand for groups they deem unworthy to benefit in anyway at all. It just seems so needlessly spiteful and it hurts their image more than it helps. Those well off libs who were posting Pelosi clapping gifs when some politician says, "i don't want trump's kids to benefit from student loan forgiveness because they don't deserve it" (when we all know they don't have any unpaid student loans lol)

                        • JoesFrackinJack [he/him]
                          ·
                          4 years ago

                          It's kinda tough for me right now since I'm doing gig work since the pandemic hit and I have no real way to personally connect with similar people, but I am closely following a group called Gig Workers Rising which aims to unionize the industry. But if I end up getting my old job back, there is 5-6 people who I work alongside that I can help unionize in a non-gig working job. I already sorta had a game plan for this but it took awhile to really understand how to do it and how to prepare for all the bullshit that aims to stop it. Thank you though, I definitely agree

  • SteamedHamberder [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    There’s a bit in “Bullshit Jobs” about this. The bullshit jobs in non-profits are all about making rich people feel good about themselves, and the bullshit jobs in government are all about making poor people feel bad about themselves.

    • foxodroid [she/her]
      ·
      edit-2
      4 years ago

      the bullshit jobs in non-profits are all about making rich people feel good about themselves

      ooooh boy, you don't wanna hear how western non-profits in Africa and MENA are like then. Most of the budget is spend on stupid ass "workshops", conferences (full of ridiculous and patronizing lib talk) and rent..and they pay white people 3 times as much as a local, 4x if you count "hardship" benefits. They're so shameless about it too, they know they will get absolutely no repercussions.

      I don't think any of the white bullshit job people even get within 30 meters of a poor person.

  • Mrtryfe [none/use name]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Always said that the best way to make people reactionary against the government is by spending the mandatory 2-3 hours down at the local DMV, DHS, SSA building.

    And if you want to really disillusion people, apply for Section 8. Wait several years to get approved, and then wait another few years to climb the waiting list for any given building. I know people that have waited up to 14 years. My own family had to wait 11 years from an open waiting list to getting an apartment in a public housing building.

    • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      I know people that have waited up to 14 years. My own family had to wait 11 years from an open waiting list to getting an apartment in a public housing building.

      Just needless suffering.

  • Koa_lala [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    "So you want to get assistance because of your disability, but you're also in college? Ha! That's not possible, if you're enrolled that clearly means you can work for it"

    • JackDecker [comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Also:

      "We'll give you $800 in disability assistance even though rent in your city is $1500. Also, if you get a job to pay your rent, we will take away your disability assistance even though minimum wage will not cover your $1500 rent."

  • quartz242 [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    This is why means testing and a bureaucratic approach to addressing material conditions is a cooptation of any societal agitation.

  • JoesFrackinJack [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    4 years ago

    Also in a similar fashion, ex-felons who try to pay their fines so they don't get arrested again can't even find out exactly how much they owe because the various state's systems are archaic and disorganized, some even using note cards to organize it. But in the same way the IRS knows how much you owe the government—when the time comes, the government knows exactly how much you owe to "clear your debts to society." https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1310357340344942599

    • Poison_Ivy [comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      some even using note cards to organize it.

      So you're saying one well lit match and we can free a bunch of people from these fines..

    • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      edit-2
      4 years ago

      It’s very overwhelming for people dealing with mental illness.

      Yup. Concentrating can be difficult some days with some of the meds that I'm on. Or when they aren't working and I'm so anxious I want to rip my skin off.

  • ekjp [any]
    ·
    edit-2
    2 years ago

    deleted by creator

  • ZangiefMain [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    It also lets liberal governments point at all these programs they have and claim help people while not having to actually fund them because so few people can actually acquire them.

    • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      I've met only a handful of people in my life who've actually got welfare and it was paltry at best. The idea of the welfare queen is still alive and strong though.

  • The_word_of_dog [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    4 years ago

    Lol the state I'm in has made their website so fucking hard to deal with and have added two factor verification on top of it recently for no apparent reason. The site goes down at random and they will randomly change the questions up to be very vague so it's difficult to figure out what they are asking you.

    They've also made it impossible to file via phone call, so if you dont have a computer or smartphone then go fuck yourself I guess

    • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      They’ve also made it impossible to file via phone call, so if you dont have a computer or smartphone then go fuck yourself I guess

      This is how you further hurt the poor, obviously.

      • The_word_of_dog [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Right, and the changing of the wording at random times effects those that are ESL or have literacy problems.

  • JackDecker [comrade/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    disability is like this too where im from. you need a shitload of paperwork from your doctor, gov't is known to reject first applications and force appeals to discourage people, you need to redo the whole process every few years, etc. and it doesn't even fully cover costs of living

  • emizeko [they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Amber has a good rant about this but I can't remember which episode