Yeah, and I have no real answers. We've tried for over 50 years to go after the supply side. Doesn't work. Never will. When there's a demand for a product, and a huge profit margin, people will line up to fill that demand as quickly as you can put them in prison.
Countries which have the death penalty for those who import/manufacture/distribute/sell drugs have very low drug usage rates. Those people don't re-offend. For anyone who thinks this is harsh, look at what happens to the drug users, especially with the potency of today's drugs.
Now for the drug users. I don't think a criminal record of drug
use should follow someone who managed to get clean and stay sober. I know people who did drugs in their college years only and are in their 60s and still have the felony drug charges on their records despite not touching drugs in 40 years.
For the users, I'd like to see mandatory treatment and monitoring, along with plenty of support. Not the profit-motivated spa-like faux rehabs which are out there, but actual results-based treatment programs. Or for those who do re-offend, there's always Singapore/Malaysia style rules on drugs, which are
highly effective.
Here's the big problem with welfare. The system is set up to keep you on it, mostly to benefit the legions of public service union workers in the welfare bureaucracy
Absolutely 100% correct. Those who rob Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Peter.
I've said many times if you want to help poor people just give them money with no strings attached. Replace all safety net programs with universal basic income which every citizen 18 or over will get. This will provide a safety net. More importantly there will be no reductions in benefits if you work. You'll always be better off working with UBI, so most will work at least part-time. When you work, you have to keep yourself at least somewhat away from drugs to remain employable. You can't be comatose 24/7/365.
UBI doesn't work. Go to Alaska and watch it in action. Take a look at the 'homeless' who are passed out on the sidewalks and city parks. The vast majority of them are Natives. Natives who received dividend funds from their local Native Corporations. UBI. No need to work. No purpose in life. Many rural villages are dry/drug-free, so when their monthly checks come in, they head to Anchorage and spend their UBI checks on drink and drugs.
I hesitate to ask why you needed that level of protection but it's good to have regardless.
Work. If you get deep enough into forensic accounting, you end up encountering people of questionable ethics. Arms dealers, human / sex / drug traffickers, shady arms dealers, murderers, psychopaths, sociopaths, mob leaders, organised crime, etc. They're none too happy about losing their cash cows, or worse, freedom.
I need to find some author who writes biographies or similar. The stories my dad and I could tell. All true and verifiable.
Open gangway trains are the standard worldwide. You get in about 10% more passengers for starters. Plus it creates a much more friendly, open environment.
The deviants/animals who inhabit NYC are NOT the standard worldwide. Other transit systems are clean, quiet, comfortable, on-time. London's still uses cloth seats. Those would be destroyed in a week in NYC.
The caveat here is if a person opts for less hurricane protection then the government shouldn't bail them out if their house gets destroyed. I think one big reason for the plethora of new regulations is the fact insurance companies are pulling out of Florida. The only real answer then is to make sure the homes survive even a Cat 5.
I fully agree. People should be able to build whatever they want (within reason). It's a free market. Let people and insurers figure out what makes sense, not government.
As far as government bailouts for natural disasters, the Oklahoma City area's been hit by 28 EF3+ tornadoes....yet no one complains when they get government bailouts, even though new homes
still don't have basements or storm shelters or building codes to prevent deaths in such storms.
Totally agree about unions. If you're the least bit ambitious unions are like a ball and chain. No real way to advance except through seniority. Doesn't matter how well and quickly you work. You only get paid more when you put in the time.
You should have seen the meal requirements for one of the unions I was a member of. Overnight shift. 11pm-7am. We had a mid-shift breakfast, catered, by waiters wearing suits and ties. While we're all dressed in black shorts and black t-shirts, reasonably grubby from work. Paid for by the client.
Honestly I didn't know about any of this. Score another one for private equity firms gutting American businesses. Can't they be stopped? And holy cow, leasing an AC system????? That's something I would never do in a million years. I like to own everything.
It's happening in every field. Even eye doctors are now being bought up by private equity.
