I’ve been following Scott Handelman on and off for about 25 years. An extremely intelligent programmer, a vibrant and engaging presenter, a community leader, and a general do-gooder in the best possible way.
I recently came across his post on LinkedIn concerning the eventual passage of that bill (I refuse to use the name the President uses), and I can’t help but post all of it here. I really hope you don’t mind, Scott.
It’s so frustrating that there is this illusion that we are all 49%/49% right now. Us versus them, good versus bad, and it’s all because of the BS that is the electoral system. It’s very likely 70% versus 30% and we’re just not seeing representative government. There’s just no common sense right now
This bill is insane trash and will make everyone’s life worse except mine. And I don’t want the tax break. I want to pay for kids meals and Headstart with my taxes.
I think the first two years of college should be free, student loans should be at 0% interest and available to anyone who needs one, we should take care of our veterans, we should have free public transportation, the post office is not a business and should not be run like one, healthcare is a right
This just should not be controversial. In just a few short years suddenly vaccines and programs like USAID that have saved hundreds of millions of people’s lives are now controversial. There is no controversy, there are only assholes that have too much money.
And now we are getting close to having the world‘s first trillionaire. That’s just nuts. Good for you, you won capitalism.
The number of people with $100 in the bank and a secured credit card defending someone with hundreds of billions of dollars is indefensible. You’re buying your furniture rent to own and you honestly think someone with a private jet cares about you. They do not.
Do not trust people with money unless they remember what it was like to miss a meal. Unless they have princess Diana levels of empathy. I am not religious, but I tell my children “there but for the grace of God go we” as anyone could be a paycheck away from losing their house.
Other people don’t have to lose in order for you to win. It’s not us versus them. There is no difference between me and a South American migrant worker other than where I was born. We both have the right to a happy life and healthy children. If we can’t agree on such basic things then I am at a loss.
Luck is opportunity plus being prepared. Me acknowledging the luck in the virtue of my birth and where I am today is not taking away from my hard work. Acknowledging my privilege and lucky opportunities isn’t a nullification of my existence nor does it disparage your lived experience.
We can create luck for people by acknowledging that they didn’t have all the opportunities that we had. We can create those opportunities with a social safety net. This is coming down to a fundamental disagreement that everyone has the right to exist, and that no one person is better than another.
I don’t understand why 60 or 70% of humans need to suffer so that 0.1% of people can be held up as capitalist heroes. You’re not a hero for standing on the back of the workers driving the taco drones and delivering Chinese widgets to me in the middle of the night.
Star Trek economics only work because of universal basic income and removing food and healthcare and shelter from the equation.
Excellent write-up, Scott. And I wish these were universal truths:
I think the first two years of college should be free, student loans should be at 0% interest and available to anyone who needs one, we should take care of our veterans, we should have free public transportation, the post office is not a business and should not be run like one, healthcare is a right.
I am going to do the school lunch balance thing. I have to do something.
