Social WR Lounge 326: where are we at?

[EL CORINTHIAN]

Don't know how to approach this next question I have for you guys, but I'll just lay it on thick.

Did anyone else not know that, we as a society, know the Mona Lisa's identity? I just learned this like 10 minutes ago and my mind is blown.

I can't be the only one who thought she was still some mystery girl that no one knew.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Well yeah, everyone knows having paid time off and good health insurance is the modern day version of a steaming Greek bath house .

I think its preferable that the government establishes the floor for working conditions and firms compete for workers with added compensation.

One thing that I suspect distinguishes my position from more rightwards critics of unions is that I believe in robust cash transfers, for example I believe we should have a fully refundable Child Tax Credit(CTC) with no earned income threshold and ditto for the Child and Dependent Caregiver Credit(CDCC)

The idea being that instead of allowing specific constituents to engage in rent-seeking through mechanisms like unions you offer broad redistribution in the hopes that it strengthens the bargaining position of workers generally who then compete in the free market for jobs. More specifically, redistributing income through cash transfers like CTC and CDCC reduces poverty rates among parents and other caretakers of dependents who are disproportionately poor due to having to commit to the unpaid labor of caretaking.

Well, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the absence of my union would mean no health insurance for a whole hell of a lot of people lol

In a perfect world the government would take care of that which then gives workers more flexibility to switch jobs and not worry about losing coverage.

The social contract I'm envisioning here is based on free markets, robust public goods, and income redistribution. You get stuff like education, healthcare, and public transit paid by the government as well as some cash, from there you figure it out on your own. Rent-seeking by actors like unions and landlords should be discouraged.

 

[Limbo Pete]

I think its preferable that the government establishes the floor for working conditions and firms compete for workers with added compensation.

One thing that I suspect distinguishes my position from more rightwards critics of unions is that I believe in robust cash transfers, for example I believe we should have a fully refundable Child Tax Credit(CTC) with no earned income threshold and ditto for the Child and Dependent Caregiver Credit(CDCC)

The idea being that instead of allowing specific constituents to engage in rent-seeking through mechanisms like unions you offer broad redistribution in the hopes that it strengthens the bargaining position of workers generally who then compete in the free market for jobs. More specifically, redistributing income through cash transfers like CTC and CDCC reduces poverty rates among parents and other caretakers of dependents who are disproportionately poor due to having to commit to the unpaid labor of caretaking.

In a perfect world the government would take care of that which then gives workers more flexibility to switch jobs and not worry about losing coverage.

The social contract I'm envisioning here is based on free markets, robust public goods, and income redistribution. You get stuff like education, healthcare, and public transit paid by the government as well as some cash, from there you figure it out on your own. Rent-seeking by actors like unions and landlords should be discouraged.

Well we definitely don't live in a perfect world, but I don't think it's fair to call my union rent seeking

 

[Islam Imamate]

Well we definitely don't live in a perfect world, but I don't think it's fair to call my union rent seeking

By their nature that's what unions do though right? They secure higher compensation than otherwise possible on the market through a form of collusion(i.e. collective bargaining).

 

[The Diplomat]

By their nature that's what unions do though right? They secure higher compensation than otherwise possible on the market through a form of collusion(i.e. collective bargaining).

The Wire season 2 taught us all that labor unions are tough and corrupt, but always end with the good guys changing things.

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[The Diplomat]

I never denied that they exist, just that I never bought the idea that you're one.

Wait a minute, didn't you used to make fun of me for being a centrist?

Now we find you're an actual centrist, and I was doing it ironically.

The fuck, my Muslim bro? Only some vajeens are meant to be ruined at birth? That hijab, not that one? Saudi Arabia is only the mecca "half" the time?

 

[Islam Imamate]

Wait a minute, didn't you used to make fun of me for being a centrist?

Now we find you're an actual centrist, and I was doing it ironically.

The fuck, my Muslim bro?

I made fun of "Enlightened Centrists" who smuggle in right wing takes under the guise of "common sense" when it's anything but.

 

[Limbo Pete]

By their nature that's what unions do though right? They secure higher compensation than otherwise possible on the market through a form of collusion(i.e. collective bargaining).

Well collusion doesn't seem terribly correct, first of all. Mu union is made mostly of employees who have a stake in everything going on, and make decisions with approval of the entire employee pool. I mean, if one person arguing for better wages is the heart of capitalism, why does adding more employees to the room carry such a negative implication.

 

[The Diplomat]

I made fun of "Enlightened Centrists" who smuggle in right wing takes under the guise of "common sense" when it's anything but.

I think you were focusing on the wrong centrist.

 

[lsa]

There is no free speech here though. We aren't as restrictive as say Reddit but if the site owners don't want something discussed, we'll enforce it.

You are a dago
yes that right... the D word is not banned.

 

[lsa]

I think you were focusing on the wrong centrist.

When I see centrist I always for some reason start thinking about " Stuck in the middle with you".

 

[The Diplomat]

When I see centrist I always for some reason start thinking about " Stuck in the middle with you".

Stealers Wheel and Reservoir Dogs should both be iconic centrist pieces of art, so that tracks.

 

[Islam Imamate]

I mean, if one person arguing for better wages is the heart of capitalism, why does adding more employees to the room carry such a negative implication.

Apply the thinking at the level of a firm and I think the priblem becomes apparent.

One firm setting its own prices through market forces is capitalism, all or most firms in an industry collectively setting their prices for their benefit at the consumer's expense is price-fixing. That's what unions do.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Stealers Wheel and Reservoir Dogs should both be iconic centrist pieces of art, so that tracks.

Quentin Tarantino is overrated and Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood was great.

 

[The Diplomat]

Quentin Tarantino is overrated and Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood was great.

I'll be honest. That one hurt lol.

I've never been a Woody Allen guy. Chinatowns amazing, but otherwise I can't get into Polanski. Same with Luc Besson - Fifth Element rules, but he's a . Always been easy to differentiate the art and artist there.

Not with Tarantino. Always knew he was a creepy film nerd who loved feet and saying the N word. That's part of his charm. And he's one of the best.

But you talk shit about Brian Wilson and SLC Punk? Clearly there was some weird personal thing going on. Lillard and Dano probably turned him down, and he took it personally.

Now his stream of consciousness will come back to bite him.

Unless it's some weird and predictably meta thing where they're both in his next movie. That'd be even lamer. Kayfabe would be too obvious.

 

[Limbo Pete]

Apply the thinking at the level of a firm and I think the priblem becomes apparent.

One firm setting its own prices through market forces is capitalism, all or most firms in an industry collectively setting their prices for their benefit at the consumer's expense is price-fixing. That's what unions do.

Collective bargaining for higher wages is price fixing?

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

I don’t think so. You mean things like opposing private property rights and wanting property rights to be collective, or have everything owned by the government, or things like that? Nah, that’s not my style I like private ownership.

I always viewed you as center left

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

Mods are actually great here on this site. It’s literally the last bastion of free speech on the net. Except we can’t say the G word for something.

There is no free speech here though. We aren't as restrictive as say Reddit but if the site owners don't want something discussed, we'll enforce it.

I think we allow as much as we possibly can though. This is the one site I’ve seen where mods try to create as much room as possible until hard boundaries outside their control are set. Where as a lot of modern platforms go out of their way to create a more stringent set of standards because of what they view as “right” or “wrong”. There’s a lot of posters I view as flat out wrong or morally unsound, but we still create space for them when we can.

 

[Slobodan]

I think we allow as much as we possibly can though. This is the one site I’ve seen where mods try to create as much room as possible until hard boundaries outside their control are set. Where as a lot of modern platforms go out of their way to create a more stringent set of standards because of what they view as “right” or “wrong”. There’s a lot of posters I view as flat out wrong or morally unsound, but we still create space for them when we can.

Yeah I just don't want people to think that anything is fair game, there are limits and some posters push it. P-word accusations for example and over the top flaming will get you carded or banned(the former). Not to mention slurs.

 

[Slobodan]

You are a dago
yes that right... the D word is not banned.

You're a dogo.