People Are Explaining That What Happened To Texans Is Due To The Rich Being Greedy In 30 Posts
The massive winter storm that hit Texas and left millions without any power or heating is bringing the topic of how electricity is being regulated in the state to the forefront of the discussion. In short, the energy infrastructure in Texas isn’t made for cold snaps like the one that shook the southern US. And some people believe that capitalism exacerbated the problem, making the situation far, far worse because companies are competing for customers instead of investing in maintaining the infrastructure.
Among the other controversies, the (now former) mayor of Colorado City, Tim Boyd, has announced that he’s resigning because of a scathingly received post online. Boyd essentially left everyone to fend for themselves and stated that they can expect no help from the authorities.
Have a read through what people said about the situation in Texas online and what their opinions about the link between capitalism and the deadly outages are. Upvote the images that you agree with and be sure to share your own opinions with everyone in the comment section below, dear Readers.
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Fascinating that infrastructure affecting millions must be left alone for profit, but a private citizen's reproduction isn't left alone for any reason whatsoever, isn't it...
Texas relies on its own power grid. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, aka Ercot, manages it. A nonprofit corporation, it's still overseen by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, a state agency. Ercot decided to turn off power for millions of customers after the freezing temperatures shut down several of their power plants. It was either that or risk the collapse of the entire power grid.
Some people, from professors and experts to ordinary Americans and those directly affected by the cold, suggested that electricity deregulation is to blame for Texas’ inability to cope with the winter crisis. Meanwhile, others implied that what some Republicans warned would happen under socialism, in fact, happened under capitalism. In short, people are angry that the federal government isn’t overseeing the entire situation in Texas.
What does GOP mean? All I can come up with is Game Of Phones, so it’s probably not that.
CNN reports that dozens of people across the southern US states have died because of the weather. The number of victims is at least 21. Meanwhile, the BBC writes that over 100 million Americans are under a winter weather warning; over 71 percent of the entire US was covered by snow by Wednesday afternoon.
As of Wednesday, there have been around 2.3 million power outages all over Texas, leaving around a quarter of the state with no access to electricity or heating. The situation is so dire, Texans are bringing in farm and wild animals into their homes to keep them warm while volunteers are rescuing sea turtles by the thousands so they don’t freeze to death.
Fact: Per capita, tax dollars paid in the US federal system (federal only) are not distributed based upon contribution. At one point, a Rocky Mtn state was receiving almost two dollars in federal funding for every dollar paid in taxes. Where'd the extra dollar come from? States like Cali, Mass.,NY, etc. IF they really believed in "get out what you put in", these folks would be in a world more of hurt.
So, aside from the armed forces, what does he think our tax dollars and utility payments are for?
For-profit private prisons and ICE detention centers.
Load More Replies...As a Dane I am speech-less....for a statement like this he WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED and NEVER had any job whatsoever......I hope he bumps into one of the «lazy losers» on a dark corner..
Load More Replies...If he is in favour of anarchy, he makes a good point. He might misunderstand the eficiency of modern society, where labour is divided by specialisation, and where reliable governments provide basic services so that you do not need to care for it. With the same argument, everyone would need to keep a medical lab and become a genetical engineer in case the next pandemic comes, as, you know, even in crises people need to care for themselves. God, it is hard to comprehend how stupid some people are.
What the hell IS the government's responsibility supposed to be? Caring for their people is the most important thing they are being paid for! And the power providers? Does he think people pay the power providers for fun or out of the goodness of their hearts? OF COURSE providing stuff and keeping structures up/maintaining is their job! Honestly: people have been specializing and centralizing for thousands of years throughout societies, which is why we nowadays don't have to spend our time whittling our own spoons for soup, refining our own gas or installing our own plumbing, ffs. Expecting people in a city (small apartments, shops everywhere,...) to be prepared and store resources for a once-in-a-lifetime emergency is ridiculous
America: where we pay the rich everything to do nothing and the poor nothing to do everything.
To be fair ’The Strong will Survive the Weak shall Perish’ is a plank in the GOP platform.
It's like they're always trying to apply Darwinianism to situations like these, when most of them don't even believe in evolution.
Load More Replies...Vladimir Lenin said: every society is three missed meals away from chaos.
Wow, I bet a bunch of red neck texans will take him out by the end of the week then burn his body for warmth, to "take care of their family" holy s**t.
No, red neck Texans will go ask him if he has any spare boots to lick and if they could please send pictures to daddy Trump. Redneck Texans are full on republican authoritarians.
Load More Replies...he also spelled Perish incorrectly. Parish is a group of worshippers or what the State of Lousiana calls what other stares call counties Perish is a synonym for Death
Not being American I may be wrong but it sounds like he means only wealthy will survive and the poor will perish NOT the strong and weak. In a true country everyone looks after others not so fortunate, grow up America.
What a good point! I'm quite shocked, by a lot of responses concerning these sad times, in Texas. Which, btw, I'm currently having to live in. I am a republican, however, it seems I may sadly be a little ignorant, to all the suffering that has gone on, at the hands of the party, I have been a part of for so long now.
Load More Replies...I am absolutely flabbergasted at this post from Boyd. Like, just Wow. I'm speechless.
The governor sounds like the leader of a raider gang that turns on you in Nuka World in Fallout.
He *claims* he resigned a week ago, despite still continuing to go to meetings, etc. And not telling anyone.
Gosh! On the top of being nasty, he don't know how to spell... there is a lot of orthograph errors in that letter
He “resigned,” thank God: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-boyd-texas-mayor-colorado-city-resigns-power-outages/?fbclid=IwAR0M5b-POvmVjfl6tpgSrbt8jgDehRIUYS1i5cfPqYeZg_-CjYOQRPHd-oM
So we can chop down the trees in the park and have fires in our apartments rather than utility service provided worldwide? What. An. Idiot.
While I really try to avoid giving in to Grammar-Nazism, I can't help but think this person is a good reason to support public education.
Ok, stop taking and funding those organizations with our taxes then douchebucket.
If history proved anything reTHUGlican'ts love voting against their own interest as long as they can own libs and deny help to "those people".
Load More Replies...Mayors get voted in, don't they? How did he get there even before this calamity?
OMG someone hit this man over the head with a Texas-sized snow ball please!
Texans keep electing the same morons year after year, they deserve everything they have coming to them and more
I think about all the Californians who've moved to Texas, what do they think now!
This guy was (likely) making a 6 figure salary and can't even spell. WTF?
Just googled it as I couldn't believe my eyes. Thankfully he resigned and his wife got fired too. Sorry but oh well, swim baby
Many of the privileged believe the bad mayors crap. We are still a village, be it big or not we assist each other by a modern method called taxes. Unfortunately, their are some very bad people out there.
He thinks "the government" isn't just people. The government is just part of society. He seems to be thinking of it as a ruling class that owes nothing anything. Small societies don't need such a formal government. If the neighbor's wife dies, the rest of the people will just naturally help take care of the kids, bring the food she's no longer there to gather, etc. The government should just be what happens when a society gets too large for just casual neighborliness to work for everyone.
He resigned days after posting this “masterpiece of compassion and sensitivity”. (Yes, this is snark and sarcasm)
The grammar is appalling and the sentiment should lead to his immediate removal from office.
The voice of a real human servant. lol White, Republican, Texan, and an avowed Christian.
This is so wrong. It doesn't matter whether its Dem or GOPs, a leader should step up and give reassurance to his people, and help as much as they can. It's not handouts, its being humane! I am not American so I can't really understand what is in the mind of people agreeing with him... it's so bizarre and inhumane...... It's just so wrong.
If you ever wanted a concise explanation of Republican philosophy, here it is. Nice people, aren't they?
Another illiterate thatnever learned the difference between “your" and “you’re”.
What tools did God give us for dealing with freezing temperatures and no electricity? Oh, yeah - freeze to death without whining. Thanks a heap.
What an @$$hole. A CLUELESS one, at that. I guess taxpayers money is just to pay this jerkwad's salary.
Coming from someone who is probably rich and sitting very warm and comfortable in his mansion...
So having no electricity and no water means im lazy dont work and if i got off my butt this wouldnt be an issue. Vote this guy out. Im retired so are my are my parents. (Me mid 60s parents mid 80s). But we are lazy for not working and thats why we have no water or electricity. Well that sucks for my neighbors who are working but have no electric or water. Are they lazy. Nobody is causing this no matter whether they work or not. My bro and sil were without electriciry and water because their city turned it off. They are still working. When the city finally turned both back on everybody in their neighborhood has busted pipes including them. But laziness caused this, no the electric grid that texas is on caused it. It is due to the fact texas doesnt get this kind of weather. This mayor is absolute idiot. Probably a conspiracy nut. You cant help other people who are affected if you cant drive on the roads. Food trucks for the grocery stores cant deliver i guess were too lazy for that too
Tbats so suppose to be you cant help people who are affected if you cant drive on the roads. Grocery stores are bare! Food delivery for groceries storeas cant deliver. Live in a small town with mostly retirees who only get money at the first of the month. So imagine not having but a little money and no groceries at the stores. My apt complex frienss and neighbors are tryint to help each other out. But what happens when we cant. And cant get more.
Load More Replies...haha...parish. perish, the other spelling is for a governmental area or another way to refer to a church congregation
Holy everything! Did he not understand that as mayor, he was beholden to the citizens?
The good news is, yes, this idiot resigned and hopefully will never be in politics ever again. I think that it's sad that there are people like this that represent politics in Texas.
*you're. Why is it that every time I see that spelling mistake it's in the middle of another one of these hypocritical rants?
The part that got me upset is " The City and county, along with power providers or any other service owes you nothing". What exactly are they paying for then? These people are PAYING for power and services so YES they owe them something. When you pay taxes to your city and county THEY owe you something.
Load More Replies...The argument, as some experts put it, is simple: even though winter snaps like this one are rare, the power infrastructure in Texas needs to be overhauled, improved, and upgraded to ensure that it functions in times of crisis. What’s more, there are calls for more regulation of the electricity market so that the infrastructure is properly maintained.
As Rebecca Goetz, an associate professor of history at NYU puts it, deregulation might lead to lower prices for the consumers (i.e. us because we’re choosing the suppliers ourselves, thus making everyone compete for our attention by lowering their prices), but it also leads to confusion. Your electricity supplier might not be the company that fixes your grid when something happens to it. Furthermore, maintenance fees aren’t enough to maintain the infrastructure. Or, in other words, you get what you pay for.
It's so cold out that the food wasn't going to spoil *outside*, that's for sure. I wish the market had done what ours did when we had a huge power outage a few years ago: Just gave it away as people asked for it. Corporate insurance covered the loss. Why not let the food go as needed, not to waste/ *sigh*
As a resident of the North Atlantic Canada, where there is a large windfarm....i CAN CONFIRM THAT WINDMILLS CAN WORK IN THE FREEZING RAIN.
Remembering all the US jokes about people in socialist countries waiting in line for their daily bread....
According to history expert Goetz, Texans prefer cheap electricity to a reliable infrastructure that’s able to efficiently tough out heat spikes, as well as cold snaps. And before you ask, the technology for making tech (including renewable tech like wind turbines, as well as traditional energy sources like natural gas) resistant to the cold does exist. It’s all a question of how much companies want to invest into upgrading the current infrastructure and what the cost of that would be.
Stop calling them windmills. They are wind turbines. Windmills are the things that Don Quixote fought.
I genuinely cannot understand how people think it is OK for corporations to have that kind of power. What’s the difference from authoritarians governments? The corporation’s have often more power than a country leader. Why do people don’t think about making the power of corporations democratic? Allowing them to do as they please with people lives is not democracy.
The situation in Texas isn’t black-and-white. Everyone’s looking for someone to blame, but the situation is raising a lot of vital questions that might affect Texas and the rest of the US in the future, not just in the context of winter storms.
Let me play devil’s advocate for a moment here. Spending more money on upgrading the state’s power infrastructure is a good idea because it ensures that people have heating and electricity in times of crisis like during this rare cold snap. However, there are practical considerations to take into account. You might cold-proof your infrastructure, but where do we draw the line? Do we need to ensure it’s protected from every possible and rare eventuality?
What do you mean "every ten years?" It's literally a daily occurrence, ffs.
It's the exact same shortsightedness that makes fossil fuel companies want to drill and destroy in National Parks - land that should be free for all to enjoy. The fossil fuels will run out in a matter of decades at best, but the ecosystems and landscapes will have been wrecked for centuries and some species driven to extinction, so the land can never be returned to its natural state. All destroyed so the rich people who own the fossil fuel companies and the politicains who take their money and sign the leases, can make more money.
I’m all for spending more to stay safe and have a reliable system. It’s vital to do. But at some point, ordinary Texans will be asking whether money’s being flushed down the drain by investing in upgrades that might be ‘useless.’ People tend to invest in what they think is likely to happen and that’s a very human thing to do. How much is too much? Where do we draw the line?
Don’t forget that the companies will have to heavily invest in maintaining the new infrastructure. And though that will ensure that some people will have steady work, it would mean that electricity costs would increase for the average citizen. Is everyone prepared to pay more? Some, of course. Especially in the interests of a reliable system. But not everyone. How do you get a consensus when people feel very passionately about their opinions that don't mesh well together?
Vulnerable people will have died because they can’t keep warm. It’s corporate man slaughter at best.
There’s another issue here as well. Greater influence of the federal government could help maintain the infrastructure and ensure that what we’re seeing in Texas right now doesn’t happen again. But here’s the rub: Americans venerate self-reliance and independence. Being overly reliant on the federal government (as opposed to the state government) isn’t something that comes naturally to a lot of Americans, especially Texans who have a long and proud history.
Texas ignored the '89 report that they need to winterize... they ignored it and 2010 hit... another report saying they need to do something... they ignored it and 2021 happened. There are times I really hate our government. Republicans have been in charge for 26 years and it's way past time to vote them out.
In the short term? Absolutely, Texas needs help from the government: people need quick and decisive action. However, the government isn’t always quick to respond in times of crisis (remember the response to Hurricane Katrina?). What’s more, if you move power away from local governments and communities, you might find (emphasis on might) that the people closest to you and most capable of lending a hand are no longer in the position to do so. Just some food for thought.
This can be said of the whole US power grid, really. Even tho' it's not privatized, it's being ignored so we can... uh... yeah, I got nothing.
Do you think that capitalism is to blame for the situation in Texas, dear Readers? If not, do you think that the deregulation of the electricity market made the situation worse? How do you think the system should be reformed? Do you think that relying on the government more is a good idea in the long-term? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. And those of you currently affected by the cold—stay warm, you have our support.
uh yeah. Capitalism is about screwing the working class to increase profits for the wealthy, so of course it worked as designed
And to think, he could've been a hero if he just said nothing, rolled up his sleeves, and simply helped some of his constituents. You know, think outside the box.
Well he wasn't a scholar or particularly good at much but sound bites.. It isn't a philosophy my dear, it is a failure of education - and ignorance is desirable because it is exploitable.
Breaking News!!! CEO lies to board of directors about his incompetence.
Has anyone noticed that Biden did NOT tell Texans they can't have federal aid because they didn't vote for him? Unlike Trump when California was on fire...
Yes. We have all noticed that. But he won't get credit or respect for behaving like a decent human being from these people. They will still hate him.
Load More Replies...I'm sorry that this is happening in the US. I live in East Europe and when covid started, all utilities companies didn't shut anyone off for not paying bills, bills were delayed for months, they worked non stop so that we could have everything and not pay... and we weren't freezing or anything like that. Banks delayed all payments for mortgages and stuff for the year, so people would have money to eat and not lose their homes/cars. I cannot understand why the US thinks it's such a great country, when so many people are suffering and are being denied basic needs.
I'm in the UK and the energy company I was on at the time let people reduce their direct debits to a much lower amount than they would normally allow. One time I couldn't pay my water bill on time. The water company was very understanding and said not to worry, pay it when I could (within reason) and they would not cut me off.
Load More Replies...Chance of this being a wake up call : 0. As soon as the cold is gone everything will be back to normal. Nothing will change because the capitalists running this shyteshow are sitting warm and dry in some other part of the country. They are enjoying the rising prices of electricity. They are making huge profits now, underlining once more that winterizing their power plants is costly and contra-productive.
Texas is a head up the ass kind of state, I lived there for 4 years.
Load More Replies...I live in a country in Europe that used to be communist (literally part of the Eastern block). Let me tell you: communism suck in so many ways. I was lucky I was born after the revolution, but I know many people (including my parents) that lived in communism and it sucked. Some people suffered terribly. BUT these things that Republicans claim will take you into communism will NOT cause that. Government regulations of important industry sectors and free health care and similar things work for many countries in Europe. Even the ones that were never communist to begin with. Our country still has all of it and it works great for us. I am very thankful to live in my country that is safe, gives me free healthcare and education and I am more than ready to pay my taxes and contribute after I finish school. (Disclaimer: It's not like we have no problems at all, but I think it's still great we don't have to worry about these things.)
Yep,communism suck but many people in the USA don't realize that.
Load More Replies...This makes me remember the Australian wildfire back in early 2020. I'm starting to see a pattern here. After the whole thing in the Capital a month ago comes this disaster, I think we are officially in an upgrade version of 2020. The upside of it? Now no one can argue climate change is a hoax anymore (or can they?)
Oh they still are, and I honestly don't think anything will ever convince them, unfortunately. Their heads are either too far up the climate deniers asses, or buried too deep in the sand to acknowledge the truth. Plus, it would seem, most would rather watch the world burn, then admit they were wrong.
Load More Replies...So let me see if I've got this right...a solidly red state, that's been run by Republican politicians since, well since forever really, is blaming Democrats, The Green New Deal, and socialism for the problems they created?!?! Boy, for the so called "party of personal responsibility", they sure seem to never take any.
More like: The Party of "it's your personal responsibility for my own faults, because I hate you and I'm a greedy A-hole".
Load More Replies...I imagine they’ll be filing bankruptcy before the end of the month. The amount of lawsuits in response to this are going to be insane. Wrong death, negligence to name a few
Quick side note. If you do not have electricity due to a power outtage, call your company and demand reparations for the damages ensued. They made a business deal with you and are responsible for their failure to uphold their part of the deal. Yes, they do owe you. They went into a business contract with you.
The issue is not so much capitalism as much as it is neoliberalism, a kind of radical capitalism where everything is about money. Reagan introduced and starting imposing neoliberal ideology onto the US, i.e a system that proposed small government and where money is the only thing that matters. Neoliberalism favour the rich and believes that rich people are better human being than middle class and poor people and with neoliberalism, a swim or sink mentality is prevalent. Neoliberalism is a policy model that encompasses both politics and economics and seeks to transfer the control of economic factors from the public sector to the private sector. Many neoliberalism policies enhance the workings of free market capitalism and attempt to place limits on government spending, government regulation, and public ownership
i am in a rich family from texas in the middle of the storm we couldnt leave stop using our suffering as a way to say capitalism doesnt work...
I have no idea why every single major event in the US right now has to have some kind of political theme or message. In case you are completely stupid, ALL politicians are lying, self-serving mother f*&^%s who are completely full of themselves. Even those who start out in politics with the idea of helping people get corrupted eventually. It doesn't matter which party either. Biden has been too busy opening up the borders to care about Texas.
I don't know a lot about Texas but I have friends who live in San Antonio and Austin and they suffered like every one else and my heart goes out to everyone. But most of the Republicans would rather bite off their tongue rather than acknowledge that President Biden will not hesitate to help or bargain in a crisis to help the state of Texas.
There are ways to model both simple and complex systems so that people can make better, informed decisions about things like how much to spend on infrastructure or how much regulation is needed. This includes modeling power systems. Over time the models improve as more information is incorporated into the models. Unfortunately this would require people valuing reasoning and rational thinking over personal gain, ideology, and power mongering. Ergo we are doomed.
This article should be titled " 30 people who displayed their ignorance online". 🙄
In Africa, starving children are raising money from charity events to help out America. Afghanistan has organized aid by arranging ambassadors to visit and teach them about the real meaning of democracy. Kim Jong-Un is celebrating his new American friends as they become an extension of North Korea. The Muslim extremists sit back and watch Americas own overzealous religious despots do more damage than they ever could. The rest of the world shake their head as Americans are tricked into thinking socialism is a swear word, capitalism is god and the government is doing everything in the best interests of the people and not the politicians pockets. Breaks my heart to see a country in so much s**t
Texas!! What happened??? I lived there most of my life, loved the place, but I moved out in 2008 and I only visit in memories. EVERYTHING was was great has been replaced by bad voter selections. I'm sure there are some very fine people still in the state, but you're not electing them to public office, and you sure as hell are not listening to anyone with an educated opinion. I'd love to see a change, but voter memory is short. Winter comes every year, same with long hot Summers. You gotta think ahead and do something NOW! If you ever get someone who does something positive voted into government, I'll think about coming back. Otherwise, you're just a location in a movie . . .
I'm so happy not to be born in that third world country! Good luck to them! Maybe soon they'll start a "adopt an American for 1$/day" campaign!
I think it's prudent to remember capitalism is not the enemy of socialism, nor is socialism to capitalism. History has proved that neither extremes do not work. There needs to be a middle ground.
It is not capitalism that is the problem, it is neoliberalism, a concept that has been kept out of the media by all big corporations and the media because how this ideology is all about money and nothing else.
Load More Replies...I strongly feel that Americans are due for another civil war and numerous secessions.
Can we all just admit everything in politics and economy are not perfect. Something bad happens with capitalism, bad, something considered socialism goes wrong, socialism bad. Also, remember when the whole eastern US and Canada lost power for 3 days?
Many U.S. citizens who decry 'socialism' actually depend quite heavily on socialist programs. For starters: farm subsidies, public schools, social security, medicare, medicaid, police and fire departments, the judicial system (prosecutors, public defenders, judges, prisons), special education, social security disability, benefits for government employees, parks and recreation (national, state and local parks, sports arenas, athletic fields and courts), child protective services, foster care, community and state colleges/universities, health care for the uninsured at ER's, storm water runoff/drainage systems, interstate highways, roads, bridges, traffic lights and signs,.... I'm sure y'all can add to the list!
I am not for Socialism The US is a democracy. If you want socialism, go where it is offered. Many people have fought and died for democracy. It is crazy how people in this country are just willing to throw away freedom. Freedom has consequences and a price. So does socialism. When I weigh out the 2, I vastly prefer democracy.
You don't have to sacrifice democracy to be able to create a society that looks after it's citizens.
Load More Replies...Some of us have been warning of the evils of capitalism & here it is! Welcome to the richest country in the world.
It's like someone in Texas government watched every Ferengi episode of Star Trek and wrote a play-by-play book of how to run things based on the Rules of Acquisition. So glad I don't live there.
This power outage problem hasn't happened before in living memory, and it's not likely to happen again in another hundred years, and people blame it on capitalism. Socialist countries have chronic shortages in the markets and chronic power problems every day due to socialism. There is no comparison between the two.
You don't understand capitalism and socialism at all.Most countries in the world are leaning more towards capitalism (some of them have very good social politics included).This is a problem with your country and not a #socialismgood #capitalismbad thing.But yeah,what else could you expect from buzzf... i mean boredpanda.
I live among the Alps. A regular winter here means temperatures well below freezing point for 3-4 months straight. Actually my town has seen several days of temperatures close to -20C (about -5 C) and I live at a pretty low altitude compared to other friends and relatives. We DO have wind turbines and they work just fine. In fact, since our main power source is hydroelectric (which doesn't work well with iced rivers), during winters we must rely MORE than usual on wind turbines. Please check your maths.
Load More Replies...Has anyone noticed that Biden did NOT tell Texans they can't have federal aid because they didn't vote for him? Unlike Trump when California was on fire...
Yes. We have all noticed that. But he won't get credit or respect for behaving like a decent human being from these people. They will still hate him.
Load More Replies...I'm sorry that this is happening in the US. I live in East Europe and when covid started, all utilities companies didn't shut anyone off for not paying bills, bills were delayed for months, they worked non stop so that we could have everything and not pay... and we weren't freezing or anything like that. Banks delayed all payments for mortgages and stuff for the year, so people would have money to eat and not lose their homes/cars. I cannot understand why the US thinks it's such a great country, when so many people are suffering and are being denied basic needs.
I'm in the UK and the energy company I was on at the time let people reduce their direct debits to a much lower amount than they would normally allow. One time I couldn't pay my water bill on time. The water company was very understanding and said not to worry, pay it when I could (within reason) and they would not cut me off.
Load More Replies...Chance of this being a wake up call : 0. As soon as the cold is gone everything will be back to normal. Nothing will change because the capitalists running this shyteshow are sitting warm and dry in some other part of the country. They are enjoying the rising prices of electricity. They are making huge profits now, underlining once more that winterizing their power plants is costly and contra-productive.
Texas is a head up the ass kind of state, I lived there for 4 years.
Load More Replies...I live in a country in Europe that used to be communist (literally part of the Eastern block). Let me tell you: communism suck in so many ways. I was lucky I was born after the revolution, but I know many people (including my parents) that lived in communism and it sucked. Some people suffered terribly. BUT these things that Republicans claim will take you into communism will NOT cause that. Government regulations of important industry sectors and free health care and similar things work for many countries in Europe. Even the ones that were never communist to begin with. Our country still has all of it and it works great for us. I am very thankful to live in my country that is safe, gives me free healthcare and education and I am more than ready to pay my taxes and contribute after I finish school. (Disclaimer: It's not like we have no problems at all, but I think it's still great we don't have to worry about these things.)
Yep,communism suck but many people in the USA don't realize that.
Load More Replies...This makes me remember the Australian wildfire back in early 2020. I'm starting to see a pattern here. After the whole thing in the Capital a month ago comes this disaster, I think we are officially in an upgrade version of 2020. The upside of it? Now no one can argue climate change is a hoax anymore (or can they?)
Oh they still are, and I honestly don't think anything will ever convince them, unfortunately. Their heads are either too far up the climate deniers asses, or buried too deep in the sand to acknowledge the truth. Plus, it would seem, most would rather watch the world burn, then admit they were wrong.
Load More Replies...So let me see if I've got this right...a solidly red state, that's been run by Republican politicians since, well since forever really, is blaming Democrats, The Green New Deal, and socialism for the problems they created?!?! Boy, for the so called "party of personal responsibility", they sure seem to never take any.
More like: The Party of "it's your personal responsibility for my own faults, because I hate you and I'm a greedy A-hole".
Load More Replies...I imagine they’ll be filing bankruptcy before the end of the month. The amount of lawsuits in response to this are going to be insane. Wrong death, negligence to name a few
Quick side note. If you do not have electricity due to a power outtage, call your company and demand reparations for the damages ensued. They made a business deal with you and are responsible for their failure to uphold their part of the deal. Yes, they do owe you. They went into a business contract with you.
The issue is not so much capitalism as much as it is neoliberalism, a kind of radical capitalism where everything is about money. Reagan introduced and starting imposing neoliberal ideology onto the US, i.e a system that proposed small government and where money is the only thing that matters. Neoliberalism favour the rich and believes that rich people are better human being than middle class and poor people and with neoliberalism, a swim or sink mentality is prevalent. Neoliberalism is a policy model that encompasses both politics and economics and seeks to transfer the control of economic factors from the public sector to the private sector. Many neoliberalism policies enhance the workings of free market capitalism and attempt to place limits on government spending, government regulation, and public ownership
i am in a rich family from texas in the middle of the storm we couldnt leave stop using our suffering as a way to say capitalism doesnt work...
I have no idea why every single major event in the US right now has to have some kind of political theme or message. In case you are completely stupid, ALL politicians are lying, self-serving mother f*&^%s who are completely full of themselves. Even those who start out in politics with the idea of helping people get corrupted eventually. It doesn't matter which party either. Biden has been too busy opening up the borders to care about Texas.
I don't know a lot about Texas but I have friends who live in San Antonio and Austin and they suffered like every one else and my heart goes out to everyone. But most of the Republicans would rather bite off their tongue rather than acknowledge that President Biden will not hesitate to help or bargain in a crisis to help the state of Texas.
There are ways to model both simple and complex systems so that people can make better, informed decisions about things like how much to spend on infrastructure or how much regulation is needed. This includes modeling power systems. Over time the models improve as more information is incorporated into the models. Unfortunately this would require people valuing reasoning and rational thinking over personal gain, ideology, and power mongering. Ergo we are doomed.
This article should be titled " 30 people who displayed their ignorance online". 🙄
In Africa, starving children are raising money from charity events to help out America. Afghanistan has organized aid by arranging ambassadors to visit and teach them about the real meaning of democracy. Kim Jong-Un is celebrating his new American friends as they become an extension of North Korea. The Muslim extremists sit back and watch Americas own overzealous religious despots do more damage than they ever could. The rest of the world shake their head as Americans are tricked into thinking socialism is a swear word, capitalism is god and the government is doing everything in the best interests of the people and not the politicians pockets. Breaks my heart to see a country in so much s**t
Texas!! What happened??? I lived there most of my life, loved the place, but I moved out in 2008 and I only visit in memories. EVERYTHING was was great has been replaced by bad voter selections. I'm sure there are some very fine people still in the state, but you're not electing them to public office, and you sure as hell are not listening to anyone with an educated opinion. I'd love to see a change, but voter memory is short. Winter comes every year, same with long hot Summers. You gotta think ahead and do something NOW! If you ever get someone who does something positive voted into government, I'll think about coming back. Otherwise, you're just a location in a movie . . .
I'm so happy not to be born in that third world country! Good luck to them! Maybe soon they'll start a "adopt an American for 1$/day" campaign!
I think it's prudent to remember capitalism is not the enemy of socialism, nor is socialism to capitalism. History has proved that neither extremes do not work. There needs to be a middle ground.
It is not capitalism that is the problem, it is neoliberalism, a concept that has been kept out of the media by all big corporations and the media because how this ideology is all about money and nothing else.
Load More Replies...I strongly feel that Americans are due for another civil war and numerous secessions.
Can we all just admit everything in politics and economy are not perfect. Something bad happens with capitalism, bad, something considered socialism goes wrong, socialism bad. Also, remember when the whole eastern US and Canada lost power for 3 days?
Many U.S. citizens who decry 'socialism' actually depend quite heavily on socialist programs. For starters: farm subsidies, public schools, social security, medicare, medicaid, police and fire departments, the judicial system (prosecutors, public defenders, judges, prisons), special education, social security disability, benefits for government employees, parks and recreation (national, state and local parks, sports arenas, athletic fields and courts), child protective services, foster care, community and state colleges/universities, health care for the uninsured at ER's, storm water runoff/drainage systems, interstate highways, roads, bridges, traffic lights and signs,.... I'm sure y'all can add to the list!
I am not for Socialism The US is a democracy. If you want socialism, go where it is offered. Many people have fought and died for democracy. It is crazy how people in this country are just willing to throw away freedom. Freedom has consequences and a price. So does socialism. When I weigh out the 2, I vastly prefer democracy.
You don't have to sacrifice democracy to be able to create a society that looks after it's citizens.
Load More Replies...Some of us have been warning of the evils of capitalism & here it is! Welcome to the richest country in the world.
It's like someone in Texas government watched every Ferengi episode of Star Trek and wrote a play-by-play book of how to run things based on the Rules of Acquisition. So glad I don't live there.
This power outage problem hasn't happened before in living memory, and it's not likely to happen again in another hundred years, and people blame it on capitalism. Socialist countries have chronic shortages in the markets and chronic power problems every day due to socialism. There is no comparison between the two.
You don't understand capitalism and socialism at all.Most countries in the world are leaning more towards capitalism (some of them have very good social politics included).This is a problem with your country and not a #socialismgood #capitalismbad thing.But yeah,what else could you expect from buzzf... i mean boredpanda.
I live among the Alps. A regular winter here means temperatures well below freezing point for 3-4 months straight. Actually my town has seen several days of temperatures close to -20C (about -5 C) and I live at a pretty low altitude compared to other friends and relatives. We DO have wind turbines and they work just fine. In fact, since our main power source is hydroelectric (which doesn't work well with iced rivers), during winters we must rely MORE than usual on wind turbines. Please check your maths.
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