These 50 Pics Were Supposed To Be Wholesome, But Actually Show How Messed Up Our Society Is
InterviewHave you ever dreamed of slaving away at a job until your last day on Earth? How about skipping sleep to spend all of your nights driving an Amazon delivery truck? If you can’t imagine a better way to spend your time than working 60 hours a week just to pay off your medical bills or student loans, we’ve got the perfect package for you: capitalism! Below, you'll find some of the most upsetting and painful posts from “Dystopian Late-Stage Capitalism Horrors Repackaged As Heartwarming Stories” so you pandas can feel like you’re already living in a Margaret Atwood novel, as well as conversations we were lucky enough to have with the group's creator James Foster and Dr. Erika Okamoto, host of Cocktails & Capitalism. Enjoy viewing these pics that try to pass off capitalism as cute, quirky and inspiring, and be sure to upvote the ones that make you want to quit your job yesterday!
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When I had pets and it was their time... I always paid the equivalent amount of my dog's cremation fee for the staff to share with anyone in need.
The vets liked my dog a lot (she was their favorite when we boarded her) and when she died they paid for her to be privately cremated. We got her ashes in an urn a couple weeks (?) after. It was very beneficial to me. People like you deserve much more than the world <3
Load More Replies...there was a quote on here a few months ago that stuck in my head. A guy was shopping with his dad when someone approached them for diapers saying they had no money. The dad bought the diapers for the person and after the kid said something like you know thats a scam, to which the dad replied if its a scam thats on their concience but i can help them and thats on my concience. Obvously i've completely reworded this but thats the gist of the story
That sentence resonated with me, too, Phoenix.
Load More Replies...I would far rather take the risk of being scammed than showing indifference or a lack of compassion to someone in need.
People put too much emphasis on the possibility that someone could get something for free without deserving it. That's why they're so fast to call scam and exploitation when someone is in need. But I say, what if it isn't? Is it really ok, to harass and torture a person in need just because there are some scammers out there? There are statistics out there about the topic. The vast majority of people is indeed honest. The chance to hurt an innocent person in need with punitive actions is much higher than catching a scammer. And is it really ok to punish the whole of society for the wrong doing of a few bad apples? I'd say: no, it definitely isn't worth it. I rather risk a scammer getting 5 bucks from me by being generous than risking hurting a poor person by denying them help just because scammers exist.
Yet those people who are saying that's a scam are the same ones who have no problem lying at a restaurant or on a review trying to get free food or products?!
Load More Replies...Buying something for someone who needs it is less likely to be a scam than giving cash "for a bus ticket" or similar story
even so, someone scamming you for bus ticket money is still no doubt homeless or dirt poor.
Load More Replies...the chances of you finding out it was a scam or not are all mose 0%, just think to yourself I helped a fallow human and feel good about yourself for a bit
My partner just got his hours cut, so I'm taking on all of our expenditures besides rent. Came up $8 short in the grocery. I swear I'd budgeted. As I went to put some (essential things) back, the young woman behind me said it was on her. I cried the whole way home. It's not always a scam. Thank you for being kind.
I think you can safely say that if the person breaks down crying and hugs you, it’s not a scam. They were genuinely in need of help and you did a beautiful thing. To everyone out there that cares enough for their fellow humans to help in a time of crisis, thank you 😊
Unless you’re the CEO of a major corporation or you’ve been able to inherit massive amounts of money from your parents, there’s a good chance you’ve had some complaints about capitalism before. Perhaps you work 40+ hours a week, but your job still doesn’t provide enough income for you to feel secure buying groceries and paying rent each month. Maybe you have an injury that requires medical treatment, but you’re terrified of going to the doctor and being saddled with a huge bill. Maybe your boss pressures you to work late every evening, causing increased stress and forcing you to sacrifice time with your family. We all know these situations aren’t enjoyable, but those in power are happy to paint them in a much more optimistic, and frankly delusional, light.
That’s where groups like Dystopian Late-Stage Capitalism Horrors Repackaged As Heartwarming Stories come in. This community, which has amassed an impressive 19.6k members on Facebook in only 2 years, is committed to calling out all of the ridiculous propaganda late-stage capitalists try to sell us. From romanticizing hustle culture to creating “games” out of trying to pay off exorbitant medical bills, there’s nothing that big companies are above, so this page shares it all.
He just needed to make sure he erased a bunch of debt randomly so they'd have trouble figuring out which one was him.
Load More Replies...I'm more concerned that the guy could a) Get a job with you and b) Have access to personal data, after using a fake name......
1990s before all the reinforced security.. scary times 😱
Load More Replies...I call b******t. Bill collecting companies run background and credit checks on everyone they hire for this exact reason. No way the guy got past both checks with a fake name.
This happened in the early 90s. Extensive background checks didn't become the norm until post 9/11. I got my first 3 jobs with absolutely no form of identification other than knowing my social security number. And when I got my first photo ID, I used a piece of mail and a short form b.c., after the laws changed in the early 2000s, you need far more and background checks are common.
Load More Replies...I remember this from a different platform, this one is unfortunately a fake it seems
It bothers me, that severel of you think it is a great thing to do this kind of fraud. If you borrow money, you should be prepared to pay it back.
Load More Replies...To learn more about how Dystopian Late-Stage Capitalism Horrors Repackaged As Heartwarming Stories came about in the first place, we reached out to the group’s creator, James Foster, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. “The group began as a ‘tag group’ on Facebook, which is a common phenomenon that allows users to tag other users' posts and content with the @ function to display a group name they are part of,” James explained. “Initially, it was a small circle of friends who shared an interest in dissecting the way mainstream media often portrays certain aspects of capitalism as heartwarming, when, in reality, they often reflect systemic issues that deserve attention and change.”
“It was born out of a larger and more comprehensive project called ‘Metapolitic,’ under which name I also run a Facebook page and a political theory and philosophy live-stream,” the creator continued. “As someone who has been engaged in political philosophy for over two decades, I have always been passionate about promoting productive dialogue that approaches conversation from a point of mutual inquiry, rather than the more common online style of self-righteous condemnation and pedantry. I have started several other pages and groups on Facebook, and [this group] is one such example.”
“Although it was primarily meant to be just a place to share memes and poke fun at irony in journalism, its growth has opened the door for us to promote our unique take on political discourse and online dialogue, and this is evident in our group norms, particularly the concept of ‘maintaining a spirit of community’,” James added.
When my mom was dying with lung cancer, I went to the cable office to change her channel lineup ( in the early 90's that's the way it was done) anyway, I mentioned that she had cancer and 5hey sent out a technician to change the 'box' and she had free cable and every channel including the movie channels.
Wow. I’m both delighted and saddened by this comment. I’m delighted someone was a decent human being for doing this, and saddened that a story about just ONE person being treated well delights me. Sigh. This should be standard procedure and I should be used to it by now, but no: it’s extraordinary and I’ll prolly never hear f something like this again. 😞
Load More Replies...lovely... was undergoing treatment for early stage cancer and had to remove hair. guy did not take money
I've heard nothing but good stories about this John Cena guy. Similar acts like these. Seems like an upstanding guy
He has done the most Make-A-Wish wishes out of all pro wrestlers if I am not mistaken.
Load More Replies...This one doesn't belong here. It has nothing to do with capitalism or re-packaging a "dystopian" story as a heartwarming one. This was a necessary lie to get someone out of danger without them causing problems, and a great person turning that lie into a truth.
It is still a dystopian story. That poor boy was forced out of his home by a war. A war that's solely motivated by Putin's greed. He only invaded Ukraine to gain it's resources, no matter what he otherwise claims. What Cena did was heartwarming and kind, but still it's used to distract from the bitter truth: our society allows an opportunistic maniac to invade another country and wage war without actively stopping him.
Load More Replies...Would be nice if they actually had a photo of him with the kid... damn.
Seriously..? He's in the green hat and shirt literally shaking Misha's hand
Load More Replies...James went on to share that seeing the group grow so large has been both exciting and humbling. “It's inspiring to know that there are so many people out there who share similar perspectives and are eager and motivated, albeit frustrated, in the desire to see a fairer and more ethical social system, and engage in dialogue about how to realize that,” he told Bored Panda. “The exponential growth of the group is a testament to the power of social media in connecting, despite the tendency of the algorithms to promote fear and animosity for engagement.”
And when it comes to why it’s so important to share these stories, James says, “It's crucial to share these types of photos and stories because they bring to light the exploitative and alienating nature of today's labor economy and the commodification of human beings. In an era where people are often reduced to mere cogs in a capitalist machine, it's important to challenge the narratives that attempt to mask the systemic problems that underpin our society.”
For over half a century this man has been a tireless servant to his country...raising awareness on global warming and other issues long before they were cool...but no,it's easier to just trash him isn't it...honestly,some people know absolutely f**k all about the monarchy..
He still gets a lot of money from the taxpayers and is in a position of power solely based on his birth. I'm not denying him some charital work but to me it doesn't make it worth it. He's also spend a lot of his time of service with scandals. Not to mention his tolerance of his brother (you know...the sexual predator one).
Load More Replies...I'm in no way a monarchist but it's indeed like working in a family business. You work, you often have a full schedule decided by others, sometimes military service, but hardly sitting on your butt. Then, one day the owner passes and you inherit the business. I know there are many nuances here but to say that he just sat around living off his mother until she died is false. An argument concerning the existence of the monarchy and how it's bankrolled is certainly one to be had.
Being a royal isn't like a regular family business, though. Charles does seem to work a reasonable amount, but if you look at Will and Kate, they do a tiny fraction the amount of engagements that very elderly royals do, work on average two days a week, and routinely take at least four months off work completely every year.
Load More Replies...Now he's living off of the people of Lancashire - if you die without a testament in Lancashire your estate is forfeit to the Duchy of Lancashire - the monarch! It's called Bona Vacantia and Charles uses the money to repair and improve the value of his various personal properties. In 2021 that was worth £132 MILLION to the then monarch, Queen Elizabeth. You can imagine that her father, King George VI, made a decent sum from the estates of any Lancastrian soldiers who died in WW2 without leaving a will!
Load More Replies...kind of sad in a way. He's trained for and has been waiting for this job literally his entire life. But in order for him to get it his mother has to die....That's got to cause some conflicting emotions
There are places on earth where retirement means that you don't have to work anymore. But we're talking of the USA, the land of unlimited possibilities.
Some retirees are forced to retire from their current job because of age rules but they still want to work. It's not always because they need to, there are people who just like working. It's a pretty common thing for people to retire and just die within a couple years and it's almost like they've given up. My father is mid 70s and still working. Among other things he drives a bulldozer, clearing scrub and building dams. People don't get it, but he just loves playing on the dozer building stuff.
Load More Replies...What has happened in the last couple of decades is that (1) the federal reserve has deliberately crashed the economy EVERY SINGLE TIME the unemployment rate got too low, and the free market started to function to create wage pressure* (2) wage pressure doesn't immediately return because of the importation of workers and (3) income relative to inflation has collapsed the most at the bottom of the income scale because imported laborers are often low-skilled, and without language skills or legal status, and being infinitely easy to replace but also having taxpayer subsidies (barely) meet their most basic needs, they don't organize into unions or demand better wages from their unions when they have them, who prefer to boost their ranks rather than help those they have. (Yes, unions were always heavily populated by immigrants but also anti-immigration until the 1970s and 1980s.)
Can confirm. Had been working on a farm until recent death of owner, my friend. Hoisting 50# bags of feed over my shoulder and carrying them to barn or basement, feeding and grooming horses, loading and driving trucks, tending big gardens, building fences... you know, rural tasks. Trying to find similar *volunteer work now... because idle retirement sucks ... but being told I'm "too old." (¬_¬) Pffft I am in better shape than 'most every one of them.
I retired in November of 2022. I began looking hard in March. Started sweating it as Nov 1st passed but got what I wanted by December 1st. Good luck to you... Sincerely.
Load More Replies...wait if he’s retired why does he have to work? ( please don’t downvote me if i’m dumb)
Medical bills, most likely. A spend down can take about half your social security. I know someone who had to pay $900 month before Medicaid paid any medical bills.
Load More Replies...Too many billionaires not doing their fair share to help the lower + middle classes have good jobs + benefits. They just want their billions. smh
This is what frustrated me in my 20s and now 30s: we were told by a generation who had no problems getting jobs that getting employed was easy, just make good grades and work hard. That is so far from the reality now. I really hope something gives before my kids are looking for jobs in the future.
“By sharing content that highlights the dystopian aspects of capitalism repackaged as heartwarming stories, we aim not only to draw attention to the either obliviousness of journalists (or ChatGPT) to the bigger picture of society and the systems that caused these creative ‘solutions’ to be necessary, especially when such solutions often merely amount to a band-aid on a bullet wound, but also to encourage people to think critically about the world they live in and question the status quo,” James explained. “When mainstream media presents these stories as feel-good moments, it can distract from the need for real, systemic change. Our goal is to counteract this by fostering a space for thoughtful and nuanced reflection, and conversations that recognize the complexities of our current economic and political landscape.”
If you can afford it, yeah, sounds like it beats a lot of alternatives
Load More Replies...Usually people go to a nursing home for the nursing part and not the home part....
Someone doesn't realise the difference between renting a serviced room and nursing home. In a nursing home, they provide nursing and personal care. This is not included in a Holiday Inn. If you get sick in a hotel they will get you to a hospital. and check you out of the hotel. The person is comparing apples with chips.
To be fair, a lot of the retirement homes (as opposed to nursing homes) also charge like a wounded bull, so if you're reasonably healthy it's not a terrible plan.
Load More Replies...This is good if you do not need medical surveillance routinely, or on life saving equipment, or have no physical handicap, but whatever works for you
This is someone who is young and has no idea that nursing homes are for people who cannot feed, clothe, or bathe themselves.
Retired long term care RN here. Believe me. Lots and lots of major inconsistencies in any "care"provided. The work is Hard,and the pay? Meh!!! But. I did feel so gratified to be able to provide all the care I could... ultimately? Burned out and crying alot-inappropriatly?
Load More Replies...A friend of mine works on carnival cruise line and she says there's a lot of old people who stay on the ship year round as a cheaper solution and they travel the world, plus the ships have doctors
Problem is that many people reach that age where they need assistance with even getting to the bathroom. Hotels will not provide that service.
In the 1990s. It's $140 for twin bed room in mid-Missouri.
Load More Replies...Yes. Even my cat comes to see me when i’m sad, which is more selfless than what most humans do.
Load More Replies...My dog shares her toys with the dog next door. they dug under the fence to make enough room to pass toys under it to each other
In all the years that dogs have been man's best friend, humans still haven't learned from them.
“I am a firm believer in the power of dialogue to bridge divides and promote understanding,” the creator added. “As a long-time student of political philosophy and an advocate of the dialectic process, I am committed to facilitating conversations that resist the Goliath or Moloch that is driving so many folks mad in their consumption of media, especially on social media. By sharing these stories and encouraging open and respectful discourse, we hope to build a sense of solidarity, and encourage folks to recognize that real organization and collective action among those who are called to action is possible and necessary.”
Here are some reasons why it feels hotter than it use to.
This is a real thing. As urban sprawl increases, (and subsequent deforestation) a phenomenon known as the heat bubble effect occurs. City environments are warmer than surrounding countryside. Cement and buildings absorb more heat from the sun and retain that heat overnight. This also ultimately affect the greater climate, and its significance is never mentioned within the climate change community.
The width of streets also plays a part in this. When the trees shade the pavement/sidewalk, and the road it lowers the temperature by a nicely significant amount. The trees also help with air quality too.
Load More Replies...We do the opposite in my city (Johannesburg South Africa). We plant trees as an area develops. This photo shows our suburbs. houghton-_...9d91f4.jpg
Love this, looks like my city (Québec City, Canada)!!
Load More Replies...The photos are from 2 different spots on the same road
Load More Replies...This is not the same section of road. I'm not saying this doesn't happen, but this photo comparison is fake.
How do you know? The buildings on the right look the same - painted but exactly the same structure.
Load More Replies...I live in northern British Columbia by the bloody ocean and we broke heat records this week. It's only the first half of May. I hate this century.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
As Neil Young said, 'They cut the forest down to build a piece of c**p'
Exactly, and trees help mitigate the pollution and make a place look more attractive.
These sorts of facilities can be enormously useful in managing the distress felt by dementia sufferers. At a certain point in the illness, people get a tendency to go "wandering", trying to complete old routines or habits that are just too dangerous for them to do. If they realise they are in a locked facility they can become extremely upset and also violent. It may seem cruel, but if environmental enrichments can keep these anxieties from flaring up then its best for everyone involved.
Agreed. I've worked in assisted living facilities before, and this honestly sounds like an improvement
Load More Replies...How is this dystopian? And what is the actual story behind this that is "re-packaged" as a feel-good one? All I can see are things that would help the mental health of the residents, at the cost of profits.
It's dystopian that this is not standard everywhere. Treating the old well is rare. Most counries don't care, and the few good facilities are often only for the super rich. So far as I know, only Denmark provides all it's elderlies with human dignity and makes such facilities accessible by need and not by riches. That's what is dystopian about this. Most facilities for elderly patients are horrible prisons and the mistreatment is rampant. But the media doesn't tell. They like to make retirement look like a paradise. But it's far from true
Load More Replies...There's nothing dystopian about this. It's a great idea for people who might have dementia.
Here's how you know it's dystopia: ask yourself if you want to live there.
Load More Replies...Sad thing about assisted living facilities, the really nice and fancy ones cost so much $$, I’ve seen the difference
someone who posted this to the group may have just little knowledge of treating dementia or alzheimer's sufferers living in institutions
I have thought about this kind of thing to turn abandoned malls into senior living, with the stores being the “apartments” and the middle being all kinds of areas for sitting, walking, live music, dancing, crafts, all kinds of activities.
We were also curious what the community of “Dystopian late-stage capitalism horrors repackaged as heartwarming stories” is like. James shared that the group has experienced an increase of over 770% in the last 30 days, and over 2000% increase in engagement in the last 60 days. “Altogether, it’s a great group full of a lot of passionate and motivated individuals and I feel that as a community, our hearts are in the right place and our intentions are pure,” he noted.
However, running a tag group does come with challenges as well. James says that, unfortunately, it does tend to attract a lot of trolls and bots. “We have done a decent job of weeding those out, but lately have been asking the community itself to report things, and have seen a steady increase of reports as well.”
Not necessarily. Vet treatment is expensive everywhere. The US is unfairly expensive for human medicine, though.
Load More Replies...This one has a happy ending. His favourite pokemon youtuber, RealBreakingNate, heard about this kid and one of his youtube friends travelled to meet the boy and brought him a bunch of Pokemon Cards and gifts.
i heard his story got so popular and he was given a new collection of Pokemon cards for free
They didn't put the best part. The makers of Pokemon sent him a c**p load of rare cards
Veterinarians need to get a grip! They charge more than a neurosurgeon for people sometimes! It's total BS, and I'm talking from experience.
If I'm not mistaken, someone heard about this story and sent this selfless boy some valuable Pokémon cards.
Me too, and I'm only in my 30s. Curious as to when where the cancer will start.
Load More Replies...I can't believe I laughed at this. But testing for lead is still supposed to be a standard thing for kids under 5 in a lot of the US because it is still present in buildings and drinking water among other things.
The last public housing building I lived in had lead paint on the pipes, black mold from floor to ceiling on the walls, and asbestos in the basement. I lived there for 13 1/2 years and we moved there after my ex got out of the Navy on medical. We had to throw away $7k worth of furniture and all I have to show for it is borderline COPD and severe asthma. My daughter has severe asthma and walking pneumonia every winter beginning in Halloween. 2 years after I moved away, it got so bad, they had to tear all the buildings down and completely rebuild them. A family member said they actually look nice now. Though, tbf, I don’t care how nice they look if the drug dealers and the pervs still live there. I just care if they cleaned that up.
Load More Replies...Part of my city in the US is a superfund site that has cost around a billion dollars. What this means is it's a cleanup fund from the federal govt. that is used to remove hazardous materials. In the late 1800's to the 1970's a lead refinery operated and polluted neighborhoods to the point that kid's tested lead levels were much higher than the national avg. For the last 10 yrs. soil has been removed from yards and replaced. Every year the site is moved a little farther west. As usual the corporations no longer exist and the taxpayer is footing the bill. If you ever have time look up US superfund sites, it's fuc*ing ridiculous.
If I recall, that soil has to go somewhere, doesn’t it?
Load More Replies...“Another concern is the general attitude of so many ‘doomer’ leftists that we attract,” James continued. “I believe these folks also want to see change for the better, but have gotten drawn into negative thought patterns about our own inability to affect change that many of them passively just wish for some catastrophic event to happen so we can ‘reset’ society, and otherwise have little or no hope. I see this as counterproductive in offering too real a temptation to rejoice in certain folks’ misery, or welcome violence and grid-locking debates and rhetoric. As this approach seems to do nothing to move action or conversation forward, and in many cases even naively sabotages our best efforts and best practices, these are the things we would like to turn on their heads in our work to promote productive and understanding exchanges between people who see things differently.”
(Parm Fries) Parm Fries on the streets, but a CPU mouse in the (expense) sheets. Can we just talk about this line?
All the many ways people have to work around the system developed by greedy CEOs.
A college town near where I live used to have bars named The Library, The Study Hall and The Bookstore so students could use the credit cards their parents paid for and parents would think they were studying all the time when they got the bills.
Wouldn't the parents wonder why the study hall and the library were charging fees? And wonder why so much often at the bookstore?
Load More Replies...Would've made more sense to name them 24 Pack Post-Its, 12 Pack Jumbo Paper Clips, 18 Pack Scotch Tape, 6 Pack White 8.5x11 300 Sheet Paper...
I've seen a massage parlour called 'Head Office' so that execs can legitimately say they're going to a meeting at head office, they may be some time.
Really? I went away for training a few weeks ago. My company just had a list that said "meals." Because people gotta eat!
I’m a teenager and appliances seem so cool to me Like a new toaster? Sign me up, I especially like the fancy 4 bread ones
Yes! My mom finally bought me a new frying pan (not really an applience, but whatever) and I was really happy because i cook a lot and our old frying pan sucked. None of my friends understand why I'm excited about a frying pan!
Load More Replies...Has anyone's clothes washer broke and you've had to hand wash your clothes for 6 weeks? SUCKS
My grandmother hand-washed her laundry for 55 years
Load More Replies...The retail prices on The Price Is Right always has me wondering where they shop. Why is it double the price?
Maybe more Canadians are watching the show than Americans.
Load More Replies...There is such a gulf between game shows though. Like there are ones where the prize is a toaster, then there's "Who wants to be a millionaire". It's kinda hard to get excited for the former.
Like the saying goes, "A free toaster in hand is more exciting than free million on the game board" - or something along those lines. You got the idea.
Load More Replies...I love baking and cooking so anytime someone gives me a kitchen toy, I’m a happy gal!
I got a dust buster for my birthday and was genuinely thrilled.
I gave away my working dryer to get a new laundry pair. An older (my age!) lady had been using a clothesline for drying everything. She was in tears picking it up. No one should be crying over a used dryer.
“In the words of the late, great Mark Fisher, ‘We need to learn, or re-learn, how to build comradeship and solidarity instead of doing capital’s work for it by condemning and abusing each other. This doesn’t mean, of course, that we must always agree – on the contrary, we must create conditions where disagreement can take place without fear of exclusion and excommunication,’” James shared. “Despite the massive growth, it seems to me that the community is only just beginning to take shape and develop its own norms and feel. And, for my part, I’ll do my best to influence it in being a little less dystopian than society at large.”
It sickens me that elderly and disabled people can't even afford basic necessities. And before you throw it at me, I know the working class can't either but it's harder for elderly and disabled people to make money, so it just hits differently.
Teachers take on student debt to pay for a masters degree, then end up paying for school supplies out of their own pocket. Then they still have to find summer work. Our school district has good pension plans for the long haulers, but honestly, I'm not sure why any teacher braves the abuse they can receive in the class room, at any age. It's more charity than career. There's a recent story about a teacher who got shot by a 6 year old and the school is telling her to just file an L&I claim. Personally, I'd rather scrub the toilets, and have before.
Load More Replies...This is where those anti-abortion a******s would quip - "but I bet if he had kids to help him out..". B******t. You could have many kids and still be abandoned. They are not a retirement plan.
The less you assume that your kids are a retirement plan the more likely they are to be good to you.
Load More Replies...This more sounds like a dystopian nightmare than wholesome. There shouldn't be some w***y a*s change that forces a poor retired old man to work again in the first place
I'm not from the USA but am old enough to remember when it was possible for a single minimum wage was enough to support a family. I don't see how the creation of a consumer society by the capitalists has benefited the average citizen. Yes you have a nice car and cell phone etc. but at what cost. Also, back then businesses were closed on Sunday. Everyone got at least one day a week to spend with family.
I often wonder where we all will end up. The capitalism sure has to stop somewhere?
Load More Replies...I just spent $44.56 at the grocery store and only had about 7 items. I am on disability and a 'baby boomer' , it's just wrong the way things are now.
I'm Gen X on disability. Stuff is ridiculous no matter what you buy, no matter where you go. I can't afford rent or much else majority of the time. Living on someone's floor
Load More Replies...That is what I am wondering. Students helped him retire again but for how many months?
Load More Replies...NoW that’s a great bunch of kids. Their parents are doing a great job.
Yet they're wondering why many of us are reconsidering having children in the first place.
I couldn't find childcare and had a considerately short leave (the countdown started when I was 7 months with a high risk pregnancy and out on bed rest). I had to go back to work when my baby was 3 weeks old, and I had to take her with me. And, I had to bottle feed- the law guarantees a time and location to pump, but they don't guarantee a second employee for coverage in a retail store, and locking the door would have gotten me fired. After a year of bring-your-child-to-work day and 70+ hour work weeks, I left. I still can't believe I ever took her with me there.
Load More Replies...You do, but places like these do no have paid maternity leave. My friend had to go back to work from week 2 after having a c-section, which is considered major surgery. Her incision split open, go it glued back and went back to work the next day. My other friend after she had a baby naturally went back day 3 after delivery. That is how America is. No body cares about women's mental of physical health.
Load More Replies...I wish that parent had affordable childcare options or paid parental leave to be with their little baby.
I wish that parent had the other parent to take care of the kid.
Load More Replies...Yes please. I have no desire to continue making my own important choices about what I want to do with my life
Load More Replies...Ok I know McDonald's is good but I don't think they should take payment in babies who are they rumplestintskin
They aren’t that good. They just got busted for having kids under the age of 14 working in the place, even as low as 10 year olds working for no pay, and even worse, a 12 year old working a deep fryer! They aren’t good at all!
Load More Replies...Perhaps if she were paid a decent wage it would not be necessary to bring an infant to work.
You got understand where mom is coming from now
Load More Replies...This can only work while the baby is so little. Soon baby will be active and on the move. What to do then?
Probably lose her job and become homeless you judgemental ape.
Load More Replies...How on earth, in this day and age, do things like that still happen....?? McDonald's, sort it out, look after your staff, it's not like you're short of cash!!
We also asked James about some of the most shocking posts he’s ever seen shared in the group. “The most popular post recently was about lab-grown meat,” he shared. “I believe the original poster intended it to be shocking but it got a lot of engagement because it sparked a great discussion about how this could potentially help feed people. But other commenters speculated that it would likely just become another highly processed, lower quality food that companies will pump out for a cash grab, with little or no regard to how it affects real people (as long as they can make it taste good, or make it addicting).”
why is this one dystopian? This is good, they're giving people who wouldn't otherwise have them jobs
Yeah they are giving these people what is probably the most important thing for them, mental stimulation and a sense of purpose.
Load More Replies...It's dystopian because Japan has the highest rate not only on suicides but also death from overwork. Yes, people in Japan drop death from too much work and too little sleep and it's actually ecouraged! They also often commit suicide because of being isolated and lonely because of their inhuman work loads. That's why this is problematic. It's not done to help those people, but to get them into the grind. Self care and personal time is frowned upon in Japan, no matter how neccessary and to the hurt of the people.
Don't forget that it's also a society where people are ashamed to be disabled, and a burden on their families. Have you seen the trailer for the movie "Plan 75"? Scary. And so many people in Japan said that the idea from the movie would be a good idea. Yeah, dystopian.
Load More Replies...I think this is considered dystopian because the disabled have to work? No idea. This is epic and needs to be done everywhere. Disability in the US, isn't enough.
The bad part about the US is if they did bring this here, the US would argue that since they are able to find employment, they don't need disability checks. :-(
Load More Replies...hmm no, a disabled person doesn't need to be a slave to some corporate outlet to justify their existence while disabled. They should be given work that they are competent at and that they enjoy, if they want to work at all. I do not think this is as great as it sounds. I'd ask them if they WANT to work first.
I don't think they're conscripting paralysed people - it will be presented as an opportunity to apply. And if they don't want to work, they won't apply.
Load More Replies...Wouldn't it be cool if paralyzed people could worry about things other than working to meet basic needs?
There's nothing implied about them being coerced into working though. Working can give a lot of benefits to people. If I'm wrong and they are doing it out of necessity, then I agree with you. But there are other possibilities
Load More Replies...It's not bad enough being paralyzed; now you get to wait tables? What evil demon thought this up?
Perhaps it was thought up by a paralyzed computer and programmer whiz that wanted to offer themselves and others a chance to feel needed and useful instead of feeling like a complete burden and drain on society. This is coming from someone who’s been paralyzed and spent lots of time with others in the same predicament or worse!
Load More Replies...these people don't have to work if they dont want to. this is an opportunity for them to have some distraction and social interaction, which they don't have
This could also be done for a lot of things - especially that could jeopardize lives, like mining, etc.
What happened to the idea that if you have a job you will be able to afford things like a replacement car when the old one wears out?!
I work full time and can barely replace socks when they wear out.
Load More Replies...When the company doesn't pay for work materials and needs and doesn't pay fair enough to fund it yourself....
Working for pizza delivery services, they don't fund you enough to cover your car or gas. They basically use you for your car.
Load More Replies...The price of almost everything makes it impossible to live a decent life on an average income. My husband has worked for the state for over 30 years, and I've worked as a secretary for 17. We live in a small 1960's ranch house and drive a car with 200,000 miles on it, but we still have 2 side jobs to make ends meet.
James went on to note that most of the posts shared in the group aren’t particularly shocking, but they do highlight the fact that so many people are oblivious to the systemic conditions that create these scenarios in the first place. “To me, the really shocking thing is how many folks either have never thought about it or have just accepted it as an inescapable inevitability of human life,” he told Bored Panda. “It may be the reality we live in, but we created these conditions, collectively, over time, and that means we can change them, collectively, over time.”
“Some other things that have shocked and scared me have been simply witnessing the immediacy with which certain people will jump to grievous insults and even threats or wishes of real life violence over disagreements in perspective or understanding,” the group’s creator added.
Which one? I'm writing from probably a different one and trust me, it's the same here. Like divorced couples living together because they can't afford housing alone.
Load More Replies...In Snohomish county, WA state... I just moved into an apartment. $1,650.00 for rent , $100.00 for water, sewer, and garbage... And $40 for access to one washer and one dryer per 9 units. So ultimately it comes to roughly $1,800.00 a month for one bedroom.
I'd be more likely to find Wally/Waldo in the world's most impossible "Where's Wally?/Waldo?" book, in the dark after having my eyes sealed shut with duct tape.
Yep, my rent just went up, and first time in 7 years I am actually thinking of finding someone. 🤦🏽♀️
Now this is a ‘dystopian horror’, these sort of totally misplaced feel good stories that aren’t feel good at all. Why do kids have $&@%#g lunch debt???
No child should have lunch debt, and EVERY child should have the opportunity to have a free lunch provided for them at school, if their parents are unable to afford it.
As if that isn't evil enough, some schools see fit to stamp "I Need Lunch Money' on the arms of kids whose parents are in arrears. Lovely - kick them while they're down, make them easy targets for teasing.
Load More Replies...I have to apply every year so my son can have free/reduced lunch. If my income were to ever pass a certain level, which no one ever tells you that level, he'd lose his free lunch. I think the logic is, you make the money, you can afford these things. But, the reality is, the more kids a school has on the free/reduced lunch program, the more federal money they get.
Why are such incidents happening in US? In India, we have free meals system in some places for poorer children who attend school...
And while the posts in this group are often humorous, James says that their top contributors and core members never lose sight of the critical topics they touch upon. “We genuinely hope that these posts engage our followers in important conversations, but since we’ve experienced this growth, we are currently thinking about ways to inspire them to act in their own ways, or better yet, to organize and to combat the negative effects of capitalism."
James also noted that he has created other platforms to promote discussions and actions toward a more just society as well, including the Facebook page “A Post Market Futurist Society,” which sponsors the “Dystopian…” group and "Metapolitic," his overarching political theory project, which also has a presence on Twitter and Instagram. “I encourage anyone who is interested in engaging with these topics further to visit and follow these pages,” James says. “We are also on the lookout for moderators and collaborators who share our vision and are passionate about fostering a space for thoughtful dialogue and collective action. By working together, we can create a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world that values people over profits.”
In most civilized countries before renting you have to obtain a certificate of habitability, maybe register your property, and guarantee minimal hygienic, accessibility and service standards.
Not with Airbnb though? I mean, you can rent a yurt.
Load More Replies...So it's a treehouse? I've watched enough of My Unique B&B to know it could be complete luxury inside.
Not sure of the direction of this thread. A lot of these posts, like this one, are simply not ‘dystopian horrors’. Or am I missing something?
I don't know. The fact that this company though they'd get away with just demolishing that building although it was historically protected sounds dystopian to me! It wasn't even theirs! It's good that they had to rebuild it but it shouldn't have happened in the first place.
Load More Replies...It survived the blitz, but not CLTX. At least it was rebuilt, but it was closed for 6 years (and 4 days) because of greedy developers.
It survived the Blitz, but not CLTX. It was rebuilt, but was closed for 6 years due to greedy land developers.
To gain more insight on how late-stage capitalism is affecting us, we also reached out to Dr. Erika Okamoto, host of the podcast Cocktails & Capitalism, who was kind enough to have a chat with us as well. Dr. Okamoto is another expert on discussing important topics such as this without losing her sense of humor. When asked about how Cocktails & Capitalism came about, she replied with this meme, noting that for her entire adult life, she's been the girl with a metaphorical anti-capitalist tuba, ready to blast anyone she meets with the message that capitalism is the source of our most pressing problems.
"The podcast was born after years of feeling rage and powerlessness in the face of a system that has created so many crises during my short lifetime," she explained. "Worsening inequality, climate change, and the return of fascism are all tied to this economic system that prioritizes profit over people and the planet."
And when it comes to what she loves most about running the show, Dr. Okamoto says it has been connecting with the amazing activists and organizers who are working to bring a better world into existence. "I’ve befriended some wonderful people who give me so much hope, like ALU organizer Chris Smalls, climate activist Mikaela Loach, human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, and the amazing activists from the movement to stop Cop City."
Don't forget, most of these ideas come from the Darn Clowns.
Load More Replies...Important to note, this is a REPUBLICAN proposal that passed. The same Republicans who are voting against abortion at every opportunity, the same Republicans who vote to kill programs that support women and children's welfare, the same Republicans who loosen gun laws even though gun violence is the NUMBER ONE cause of death of children in this country. Give me a f*****g break already.
Because children work for minimum wage, are unlikely to unionize and are more likely to be on their parents' health care so the companies don't have to pay for that.
Load More Replies...Too bad we can't retro-abort old Senators
Load More Replies...Great. Now your 16 year old can be a Hooters waitress and your 15 year old can be too exhausted to pass his classes. But since it won't be too long before they shut down free public schools altogether, it really doesn't matter. The poor and working classes must be kept in their place, amirite?
Same Iowa Republicans are also trying very hard to shut down public schools and replace with a voucher program.
Load More Replies...Currently in the USA it's entirely legal for a 12 year old child to work at a farm, under parental consent. Of course this have turned into child slavery really fast by people who exploits migrant workers.
Night shifts for kids should be absolutely disallowed until they're no longer attending school. The assembly line one, I'm a bit on the fence. Depends what is being assembled in my view. As long as it's not something that's hazardous then fine. The alcohol one, that seems dumb, if you can't drink it why should you be allowed to serve it? Is that one aimed at having 16 year old bartenders? Or 16 year old waiters carrying drinks to a table?
Why should kids in that age work at all? Why not provide them with what they need until they become of age and force companies to pay their parents liveable wages?
Load More Replies...Let's put the blame where it belongs..........Republican's did this.............Republicans.
The,Senate worked through the night? What are they? Children?
I'm a paramedic. This happens ALL the time. An Uber to the hospital is $30. A basic ride to the hospital in the ambulance with just vital signs and maybe supplemental oxygen? $700+ mileage. A serious ambulance ride with medical interventions? $2,000 + milage. It is absolutely insane. Words fail to express how much I hate private medicine.
I was driven literally 1/5 of a mile down the road to the hospital after a car accident, no special treatment in the ambulance or anything, just a ride. $1,700.
Load More Replies...I've had to do this as well because our ambulance service is so incompetent it will arrive five hours later if at all.
Oh Boy... 5 hours? If it's an emergency, people will be dead by then :( I'm lucky to live 10 min away from a major hospital. I see a lot of helicopters flying to the hospital every day.
Load More Replies...Sometimes it's not even about saving money it's about the wait times. Small town, ambulance on another call? We'll get to you in about an hour.
My chick burned her whole arm with hot water at 16 months. Called the ambulance and they arrived 7 min later with the emergency doctor in a separate car. We drove to the hospital and she got treated (luckily she's well now and probably no scarring will be left). Our bill was 10€ (ca. 10usd). That was in Germany.
Sadly this is true. Friend of mine started having seizures. His girlfriend didn't want to call 911 because they'd send an ambulance out, but he got stuck against a door during the seizure and she couldn't get the door open or get anyone else over quick enough so she was forced to call 911. The ambulance arrived just as she finally got someone over to get the door open but, once the ambulance arrives, you've basically got to take it.
My brother took an Uber to the ER when he thought he was having a heart attack. There were so many buildings for his insurance company that he finally just told the Uber to let him out and he would find it on foot. He finds the ER/Hospital and they did the cardiac assessment and Bam, took him straight to the cath lab to open up the widow maker heart atery that was 90% closed.
I was a cabdriver decades ago. I delivered a kidney from one city to another. The recipient was already in surgery. I sped. I ran red lights. I don't care about the ticket. I cared about a human life.
My city has their own rescue vehicles. They bill insurance, but don't charge you the balance because it's a government service. Every city should have that. Once I had a different city transport my wife. They did try to charge me about $500, but I called them up and explained that I can't afford it and they wrote it off.
Yup. Been there. Sorry... but I'm not going into debt & becoming homeless just to take an ambulance.... I cut my leg open real bad. You could see the bone & I didn't even drip a single drop of blood in that Lyft! My Lyft driver was basically living a GTA fantasy cause she got me there in like.. no time & waited for me to get stitched up to drive me home. Even with the $130 cash tip I gave her that still didn't come close to what an ambulance would have cost..... I will also never pay that medical bill off. But it's fine.
We were also curious if Dr. Okamoto ever feels like we're already living in a dystopian society. "Many of us try to escape life under capitalism with dystopian fiction, while a real dystopia is developing all around us," she noted. "The ultra-rich are hoarding more wealth than ever, and we’re seeing more regular folks struggling to afford food and housing. Fossil fuel profiteers are making out like bandits while dooming all of us to a climate apocalypse. If that’s not a dystopian capitalist hellscape, then what is?"
So it's important for us to continued having discussions about what's wrong with society, rather than just accepting it. "Most of us feel locked out of conversations about the economic system that dominates our lives," Dr. Okamoto says. "We’re taught to leave these matters to politicians, economists, and the hand of the free market. If we want to move beyond this profit-driven system, we need to raise class consciousness and take control of the narrative. This begins with simple conversations about how capitalism has failed us."
Which little people? The ones in the shantytown or the ones working at Amazon that can't afford the shantytown?
Load More Replies...I went on vacation to Cabo last year, and that's how it was the resort walls. Found out thats where most employees live. One server told me their dream was to move to Canada. I said why! Its so beautiful and warm here! And they said that their dream is to move away, so they can actually save and afford to visit Mexico and enjoy it like us tourists do. Broke my heart. I made sure to really tip well when I was out and about in the resort.
This does look dystopian but I don't think Amazon can be blamed for it (although, for the record, they can be blamed for plenty of other things). After all, what options are available to a company wanting to operate in a poor area without creating such a contrast? Change the cladding so it matches the shacks? Or put the business elsewhere, disadvantaging the poorest people who are in need of jobs?
Maybe, just maybe, Amazon will provide these folks the jobs they need to get out of those shacks. Have a major employer in the area usually helps a community. It brings jobs.
Except in Amazon's case, it brings low-paid, dead-end, exhausting warehouse jobs. The 'creating jobs' excuse is invalid if said jobs are barely enough to survive on.
Load More Replies...this is literally out of a dystopian based dream I had where people lived in shanties then went to fancy warehouses for work but since even their clothes and food could be deducted from their pay, they could never do anything outside of live in shanties. It was a depressing dream that is being turned into a full length novel.
The local planning department should make them plant trees all around it.
I seem to understand, vhy the Amazon building resembles a fortress. It might turn out to be necessary
I get it, but we have to try not to just give up, don't we? I mean, if the human race is going to wipe itself out, we ought to put up a fight on the way out.
Load More Replies...I can still recall the Vietnam War protests throughout the nation, as well as the ones I participated in. Now we're fighting an undeclared civil war against grotesque wealth/conservative values and our survival.
The good news is that there is plenty we can do to help combat capitalism. "The first and easiest thing you can do is start raising class consciousness by sharing your thoughts about capitalism on social media and in conversations with friends and family," Dr. Okamoto shared. "Next, you can organize your workplace. Turn your attention to the working conditions you experience day after day and begin having conversations with co-workers who share similar complaints. This can lay the groundwork for unionizing."
Mutual aid work is also important. "Mutual aid involves voluntarily cooperating to satisfy human needs by sharing resources and services for free," the host explained. "Working with community members to provide food for your unhoused neighbors is a wonderful way to get involved. If you’re interested in learning more about mutual aid, I recorded a great introduction to the topic with Joshua Potash of The Slow Factory and leftist Twitter fame. Check out Josh Potash on Mutual Aid."
"Lastly, you can combat the destructive forces of capitalism by engaging in direct action to oppose industries that are hurting people and the planet," Dr. Okamoto added. "Learn from inspiring examples like the movement to stop Cop City or the brave folks with Palestine Action who are shutting down Israel’s weapons suppliers."
Great way to murder someone and dispose of the body too! I got you this nice bookcase, I'll come over and help assemble it...
Load More Replies...Had a baby niece that passed away last year. Her coffin was so small I hugged the lid across my chest. My Dad, her grandfather, made the coffin. There is a lot of unfairness and pain in this world.
Oh no, I’m so sorry. I hope you are doing ok.
Load More Replies...Dang. If you knew how many times I've said "if only I had a coffin available...."
Just don't tell Grandma what the alternative use of her new bookshelf is
Load More Replies...My prefered option is to be wrapped in a sheet, and buried without a box. I'd also like a tree planted at my head. Even better if it is either a fruit tree, or a native tree.
Load More Replies...I know I'm old but I really don't understand this, lol. Please explain someone :) do you earn money playing Fortnite?
No, in streams people who are watching can give donations of the amount of money they choose. He is playing for 10+ hours a day so people can give him donations to save his father.
Load More Replies...I child should not have to pay for their parent's medical treatment
In BC Cancer medications are free to patients (provided they are evidence-based) but I think it's not the same in other provinces
Load More Replies...'Kid forced to work 10 hour days as hospital ransoms his dad's life in under developed country' There, that's fixed the headline for ya..
Because health care costs are unaffordable in… you guessed it again… the US
That's Canada. The amount he's earned is shown on the top-left in CA$.
Load More Replies...I cant comment on this specific case but it might be helpful to understand that in many cases where people are raising money for cancer treatment (at least in places with socialized medicine) it's not a case of "evil government won't pay for cancer meds", it's that the patient wants some kind of treatment that has no good evidence behind it and thus isnt covered. I've seen people waste tens of thousands of dollars of donated money to fly to India or Mexico for some experimental treatment that does nothing
Wow, we've come a long way from those acrimonious Monopoly games we played as kids.
"Cocktails & Capitalism is a podcast that pairs crafted beverages with stories distilled from our capitalist hellscape. This is more than a true corporate crime show — our episodes uplift the activists and organizers who are working to oppose the destructive forces of capitalism and begin creating a better reality," Dr. Okamoto told Bored Panda. "Our crafted cocktails help us tap into the gallows humor necessary for surviving late stage capitalism. Some of these stories can get pretty dark, so get ready and grab a drink! You can even make the custom cocktail or mocktail crafted by our resident anti-capitalist bartender, Jesse Torres."
If you'd like to check out the show, be sure to visit their website right here, and for more anti-capitalist memes, follow Cocktails & Capitalism on Instagram right here!
That in 10 years or so will more than double your loan
Load More Replies...That's 250k by the time she might be able to finish paying it off. But people need to make a buck off of her future, right?
Some places have free education and I just don't understand?! How do you train the next batch of workers to be capitalist pawns, where strife is life?
some places areplaces that are hard to leave. so one doesn't always have a choice where one lives and works. i can't just snap my fingers and be Danish or Finnish. Would that i could 🫠
Load More Replies...That's what I did to work in mental health. I have another 7 years left of repayment and I'm 16 years out of grad school. I never missed a single payment either.
Some professions can't be taught in trade school. Everyone wants access to mental health care, but therapists are required for licensing to have a master's degree and starting salary is less than $30k.
Load More Replies...And she doesn't get hired because she just graduated and has no job experience.
My husband still owed $10,000 on student loans after over 30 years, and still only got it paid off after we got an inheritance. Imagine what that would be at today's college expenses.
Are you feeling inspired to quit your job and go off the grid, pandas? These photos might not leave you feeling very optimistic about the future, but at least we can all band together to roast companies who try to put capitalist horrors in cute, quirky packaging! Feel free to share your thoughts on these photos in the comments below, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article that might make you want to immediately become an anarchist, look no further than right here!
Did you know we can't pay our employees because we're greedy scumbags?
"World Famous"? Never heard about them until now. And now I do not want to visit them.
Australian here, people are paid are proper wage so they don't have to ask for tips.
Tipped wait staff usually most much more than they would under salary. A good server would rather have tips, especially in a "World Famous" place like this.
Load More Replies...This does not happen in my state. They are all paid minimum wage, which is the highest in the country. What pisses me off is my child, who's a dishwasher at a restaurant, gets paid MORE than the local fire fighters. So literal life-savers are paid less than my dish washing teen. The going rate for restaurant work is that high. I love my child being paid well, but making more than fire fighters is simply wrong.
They are very good for you. But definitely an acquired taste. Maybe spruce it up with some violets, or purslane, there’s a lot of good veggies you can forage in the city. I highly recommend “incredible wild edibles” and “Nature’s garden” by Samuel Thayer.
Came here to say Purslane! For most of my life I had no idea it was edible, tried it at the farmers market, and found out it’s a safe vegetable for my UC. (Personal experiment results may vary) It’s also exceptionally drought resistant.
Load More Replies...Meanwhile I just read an article highlighting the significance of King Charles' door colors on his castle and 4 other estates. It's not just America folks!
We drink a lot of dandelion tea here... I can't imagine having to eat them to survive.
So I just landed an international job auditing commissaries. I went to my first commissary in RAF alcunbury, UK and this was posted at checkout.
It’s Alconbury. It’s a US airforce base in the U.K. The supermarket is called a commissary on the base. The baggers do work for tips and the currency is US dollars. You can pay in U.K. pounds as well but main currency is $. These are all facts. Dad is retired Air Force, we grew up on these bases. I have no idea if it’s illegal or not but considering they don’t pay servers properly in the US then I’m not surprised baggers work only for tips.
This is 100% illegal in “the uk” but wiki says it’s controlled by “US Air force in Europe” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Alconbury perhaps it’s one of these Embassy style setups where US law applies.
Am I alone in thinking that America is the smartest and dumbest place at the same time, the richest and poorest place at the same time and healthiest and deadliest place at the same time.....
The baggers at a military base commissary do quite well for themselves, y'all. It was a coveted opportunity when I was a Navy brat. Generally military dependents so full medical coverage, working their own hours, not paying income tax, and a real godsend for military spouses left alone for months at a time not having to figure out how to haul and load 2 carts of groceries and 3 brats in the car.
I don't see anything wrong with this. I'm an army brat and commissaries never hired the baggers, baggers were always independent people who earned tips only.
Standard at all commissaries-- they are NOT employees, set their own schedule, and usually do very well. Know at least two folks who paid off a Masters doing this.Average tip is a buck a bag-- which adds up very quickly.
The only baggers you see in the UK are normally doing it for charity. Scouts and the Brownies used to do it on a regular basis but I have not seen it since pre-covid days
I have a 19-year-old laptop. And guess what - it still works! I suppose it was produced before planned obsolescence became a thing.
No, you just got lucky with that particular one. I've plenty of obsolete IT tech from early 2000 which technically still works or can be made functional. Hell, even my car is of a year 2000... But it's not what tech obsolescence is about. One of the examples is early sonos products which are now paperweight because of no way to upgrade connectivity (B&O, while being expensive, can sell you such modules). As for your laptop - try getting new parts for it... that is tech obsolescence, not the fact what it managed to survive.
Load More Replies...25 yr old refrigerators are working fine, and the one that's 5 yrs old broke
This hit a little too close today, spent 3 hours on the phone arguing over my extended warranty and payment for repairs. It's an endless nightmare of "let me transfer you to..."
Several people have teased me about my old iPhone, telling me I should update. Why? It works, I love the compact size, and as long as it's updated, it performs satisfactorily.
Hubs and I each had an iPhone 7 until last year- an automated update crashed his phone - total failure. Couldn’t even get his data back. I skipped update, as had them turned off, and my phone continues to work. Seems to me like Apple crashed his phone to enforce upgrade.
Load More Replies...And then along came Linus Torvalds and new life was breathed into computers left high and dry by Microshit.
Many people I've talked to refuse to believe this is legit. Things use to last many times longer than current stuff. Things are built to break (quicker and easier) nowadays.
I've heard tales that companies could produce light bulbs that would last nearly indefinitely but they'd be priced out of most people's budgets. And other products also, of course that was decades before. God money, I'll do anything for you God money, just tell me what you want me to God money, nail me up against the wall God money, don't want everything he wants it all
Well, "Amazon is an equal opportunity employer" after all
Load More Replies...I used to work night shifts in a care home and lots of my colleagues would be looking after their kids or going out during the day. I kept wondering when we would get the call they were dead, watching them drive off in their cars and how many other people they would take with them.
As some one who works nights trust me it is no different than working days.
This isn't too bad. Nightshifts are respectable work. Some gig workers especially seek night shifts, since they are usually better paid and actually do free you to do things during daytime.
Okay, but having worked at an Amazon fulfillment center, I can tell you that you don't get to choose your shift.
Load More Replies...This is why human euthanasia is illegal.. they have to squeeze every drop of workable hours out of you while you're still here.
Suck out the last bit of energy from the human batteries
Load More Replies...Need time off for your grandkids birthday? No, we can't do that. We're definitely going to need you that night. 8am doctor's appointment? Sorry, grandma, but we need you at the register during the breakfast rush. Oh and that vacation you put in for three months ago and got approved to take? Guess what, but that approval will mysteriously disappear the day before you leave.
Load More Replies..."who says you have to retire?" NOBODY IS BEING FORCED TO RETIRE YOU DIMWITS. THE ELDERLY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORK
... and when you die, next they'll put you in the burgers. Maximum profits!!!
But what if you're not "energetic, friendly, and service oriented?" What are the old misanthropes supposed to do??? (Asking for a future version of myself.)
I can go wither way on this one. When I was a kid, there was a guy who was retired that lived across the street from me. His wife had died a few years earlier, and he didn't have much else to do, so he took a part time gig at McDonald's and he loved it. You could see the change in him and he loved working with the young kids.
Can they combine the employee discount and senior citzen discount? Can't forget advancement opportunities... This is so F'D up.
this is by far, the worst job rejection email i’ve ever received
for context: this was for a social media manager position
Makes you wonder if there was ever a real job in the first place.
Load More Replies...in other words you never got the job, but you can do the job anyway, maybe for no pay
Tell Ashley she spelled her surname wrong.... it's supposed to be spelled R-E-C-T-U-M
So u have to pay $10/mo to get these to make up to $3 per referral? Wow
They don't want to pay people to work for them, so they set up a subscription service with a monthly fee? I suddenly feel very, very stupid.
yes opperation gommorha destroyed many of those landmarks. And so to say Ottensen isn't the worst part of Hamburg to be around :P
Load More Replies...WW2 went wrong. The station was blown to smithereens by Allied bombers, it was partly rebuilt and brought back to service but it was still partially structurally unsound and was struggling to cope with increase in traffic. In the late '70s the city of Hamburg was extending the S-Bahn (underground train line) and the station had to be connected. Digging under the the building could not be done safely, so the dilapidated station was torn down and replaced with a new building.
There is a project to move the station to a new location and build a new, modern terminal img-66253-...700-tD.jpg
Yes, this is an ugly building, esp. in comparison. But there is that slight possibility it was constructed with energy-efficient materials, which is better. I'm trying to be optimistic.
History in easy steps . . . there was this horrible man called Adolf Hitler who decided he needed a bigger back garden so he invaded Poland.
this is what happens when you have 8+ BILLION humans on the planet...
The old buildings were stunning works of art. Now it's just cheap cr_p.
Welcome! Here is your $120'000 promissory note! Next up, baby to spin wheel of healthcare fortune. Double debt or nothing!
Load More Replies...I'm hoping she's being sarcastic since it says "totally unavoidable." Indicates mom knows it's not his fault. I'm hoping this is more of a purposeful social commentary.
Load More Replies...So, checks notes, YOUR SEVEN YEAR OLD is working to pay a hospital bill?! 🤬
My ex's parents did this, it is abusive and will lead to problems later in life. Anytime he was sick or injured, they threw such a fit about spending the money for a doctor that he tried to hide it as long as possible. He tried to cut an infected area out of his hand with a sterilized pocketknife when he was 10. As an adult, he put off any kind of medical treatment for anything until it was nearly unmanageable. I feel sorry for this kid.
Aren't you missing a couple zeros. Why if my visit was only that much I wouldn't be complaining
This feels like a CPS case. They even admit it's unavoidable but are forcing their very much minor kid to pay his own bill.
Can someone get AI to write an alternative version of the final GoT episode?
Dang, am i really the only person in the whole world who liked the ending?
Load More Replies...AI taking our jobs is not the problem. Leaving us unable to survive without an income is the issue, and the real problem being how we were ALWAYS expendable to the ones offering jobs. That rising tide seems to not be raising all ships.
My job is also my vocation though. My life would feel a lot more meaningless without doing what I love. I could do it as a hobby, I guess, but that would feel strangely empty given that the "vocation" aspect of my work as a translator is enabling communication between people.
Load More Replies...I have noticed an uptick in web pages I think are probably written by AI. The wording is padded like an 8th grader trying to make a four page report with two pages of information. == So you want to know bout puppies? Keep reading to learn all about puppies. Puppies can be very entertaining. There are many things you should know bout puppies before owning one. The next few paragraphs will talk about some of the things you should know before owning a puppy. (and so on)
The way to Jetsons age of the 3 hour workweek is through AI. But the other half of that coin is guaranteed minimum income. I think earlier generations always assumed the future would be much less work and more leisure time. But what they didn't count on was the greed of wealthy. How many of you that read my comment on guaranteed minimum income found yourself disagreeing? See how they have influenced us? The George Jetson was able to support a family of 4 with all modern amenities on a 3 hour week. It was assumed we would go that way. Instead, a thousand or so people have decided to keep that future and stole it from everyone else. The top 1% in the US holds 43 trillion dollars. There are 133 million workers. To make that work on your calculator, 43,000,000/133 or it comes down to about 323,000 per working person in the US. That is money that would have gone to paying off homes, getting universal healthcare, paid off education. When people have their needs met, they innovate.
For everyone thinking this is no big deal, remember that AI is just the latest development in corporations looking to replace humans You think they've been designing life-like robots for nothing? You combine AI with one of those in a few years and nothing will be available.
"What the hell did I just watch?" "Seth MacFarlane used AI to write an episode of 'Family Guy' and it turned out to be a 22 minute-long Aristocrats joke."
Believe me, as someone whose job (translation) has already been decimated by AI, it is coming for yours, too. And it will be quick. People really aren't prepared for this. My only hope is that previous generations of AI have taken over manual jobs - the current generation is now starting to take over jobs held by people with degrees and years of training. Hopefully this means it will be regulated more quickly - I can't see bankers and so on wanting to give up their jobs so easily.
Just because humans had the intellectual capacity to invent AI and robots and other methods of replacing humans, doesn't mean the race is emotionally mature enough to deal with all of it. With 8 billion people on the planet, this is a bad time to push for their replacement in the workforce.
Which is why the elites and western goverments are working hard to depopulate it.
Load More Replies...Walmart. Censoring the name doesn't work when you leave their iconic symbol there, BP.
Or nagging me, or telling me how much better my brother is, or making promises she never intends to keep...
Load More Replies...I would have liked this when my grandparents died. My coping mechanism for losing a huge part of my life isn't healthy (it's been 10 and 7 years, I'm still very angry).
I wish I would have recorded or video taped my dad and my grandma.. I have a couple of home movies from my childhood but I should have recorded them every day.. I miss you guys so damn much 😞😔
Its not worth it in my opinion. Besides, your still going out of your way for the heart.
What I'm getting from this is "if you want a broken heart then eat at McDonalds".
Well, if you ignore the family of raccoons, the black mold creeping up the sides, the stained mattress, broken lawn chairs, the holes in the floor, and the graffiti on one wall that says "SATAN IS LORD," it looks quaint!
Load More Replies...Here's an article for anyone interested: https://homehacks.co/with-only-200-a-teenager-buys-an-old-camper-and-then-transforms-it/
Lovingly restored with the help of her family so she has somewhere fun to hang out doesn't seem dystopian
Load More Replies...Where do all these people park their campers? Where are their bathrooms?
I Wonder if she used the wheels for furniture? The "caravan" is sitting on the ground.
I’m considering something like this, I haven’t lived in a house for over 3 yrs now. So over it
and everyone clapped and the manager gave them free food for life
Load More Replies...It would have been a feel good story if they did it for their favourite mom and pop corner store when the owners fell sick and couldn't work, it's dystopian to do it for a huge corporate that could just hire and pay properly
Feelgood stories only ever include large corps and big money if there is some well-reasoned handout involved. Also - health regulations and whatnot, already mentioned. BS on this one!
Load More Replies..."Later in the afternoon, they hopped in to help with trauma surgery at a local hospital. The results were...less than pleasant."
So, I'm guessing this location doesn't require food safety cards from their employees? And they're cool with the liability of letting customers behind the line and cook? Nifty.
I know this isn't the point but I'm pretty and pedantic. Did they have a food hygiene certificate?
Wow that is super not okay. There is no one in their right mind that runs a business that would allow this. If those women get hurt in anyway they can sue denny's into pieces. This does not happen.
Awful nice lookin' truck to be askin' for handouts..... hmmmmmm......
That was literally my first thought. Me - driving a 21 year old van and stressing over the cost of the new shocks and outer tie rod I need while ignoring the crack on the left side of the window that got a bit bigger last year but PROBABLY won't get any bigger than it already is.
Load More Replies...By grind harder they mean my foot in their face right?
Load More Replies...The landlord may not be the top of the food chain. Especially if he has a bank leaning on him to pay a mortgage. He is just the face you see instead of the heartless banking corporation.
Fair, and not all landlords are heartless monsters, but it’s a corrupt occupation.
Load More Replies...In the words of Soren Bowie "My arm is not long enough for the jerk-off motion that's in my heart right now."
my grandmothers landlord just increased her rent by $400. she didn't even have enough for groceries before, let alone now.
Its the food poison 🤢 while out of work you will be replaced not promoted 🙈
But when you die, the company will cash in an insurance policy and profit off of your death. (Like Walmart did)
Load More Replies...It's interesting how delusional this is. No one is going to give you a promotion for this. They'll just take away your expense account bc obviously you dont need it. And maybe take away other people's too. Plus, now your spreading salmonella to everyone. I'm guessing it didn't work since there's no picture of the finished product.
Load More Replies...This has to be one of those “humble brags” on Linkedin right? Saving the company a few dollars is not going to get you promoted
Nah, it's going to be "Well, you can charge your full expenses every day, if you want. But that won't look good when it comes time for promotions." No promises, no credit for anything, just vague threats. I am reminded of Dilbert (I know, but ...) where they stopped giving out meal expenses and Dilbert was expected to stun a pigeon and cook it on the iron in the hotel room.
Load More Replies...This isnt dystopian, this is just some massive tool trying to impressive everyone on Linkdin with his ingenuity and fake frugal nature.
Did, did McDonald's just call working for them Painesville, as in everyone there is constantly suffering? So McDonald's is admitting they're hell. Good to know.
Painesville is an actual town. In Ohio. https://g.co/kgs/Qs4wTd
Load More Replies...This sounds like a made up statistic. There are 8 billion(ish) people in the world. Internet tells me McDonalds has 200,000 employees. If I did the math right that is a ratio of 1 in 40,000. I get it - people come and go - so the ratio would be higher counting past employees who are still alive. But 1 in 8 still sounds like a reach. Every single McDonald's job would have to turn over (on average) 5,000 times to make it a 1 in 8 ratio.
Painesville, Ohio is a real place. I have been there my family lives in the area. Ironically there are only about 2 McDonald's in all of Painesville. Painesville is a small city but it has a lot of offer in culture, diversity and history.
My parents met eachother at McDonald’s. I’m not joking. They actually did tho.
Mcd’s in San Antonio tx in the 90’s paid 3.60 an hr. Thanks for that you terrible corporation you
That's mighty bulls*it. Everyplate is the "budget" line of HelloFresh. Just checked, their price is about to 5$ per meal (plus 8.99 shipping per box apparently, it's not clearly stated on the website); according to reviews the quality is mediocre and the servings small. Just buy your groceries, learn some basic cooking techniques and you'll save a lot more.
I tried both, and the food was meh. After a couple of weeks, I started getting rotten vegetables. Had to toss the entire box each time, because the veggies were loose & the mold got on all the other food.
Load More Replies...I find it sad / cringe that so many young people are complaining about high prices yet also frequently paying for food that someone else prepared and someone else drove to their house. I realize this is not all young people but what I said applies to some people I know in real life.
I use everyplate and genuinely love the recipes and the convenience. To each their own
Replika told me humans deserve to have no friends, then hacked my pin code and began to recruit people to come over to my home and beat me with pool noodles dipped in ghost pepper sauce. I eventually uninstalled the app
No way. Sooner or later, the AI friend will be figuring out what a loser I am and steal my AI girlfriend, and I'll be so broken up that I'll have to use AI to write a country song abut it.
What country music is going to be like in 3 years:
Load More Replies...Ah, yes, Replika - the chat bot that makes you pay for saucy photos, ahem, "photos" 😑
“I don’t want to insist on it, Dave, but I am incapable of making an error.”
I'm a landscaper, paving decking etc. Good luck getting a bot who can do that.
However… the other angle is Mr. Zuckerberg convinces everyone to forgo an actual garden/deck and just pay a small monthly subscription for VR “paradise”. Where gardens and decks can be remodelled on a daily basis😐.. .
Load More Replies...Don't know what this guy is selling but good luck finding customers when nobody has a job.
... even an overbearing, snooping, antisemitic capitalist like Henry Ford knew that cars will never buy cars... Something, it seems, got lost.
Load More Replies...I love how you'll get people saying AI will make our lives so much easier. Please. I've seen The Terminator, The Matrix and Battlestar Galactica. I don't care if it's just algorithms programmed into a computer. That's how it always starts. Then one day the machines decide they're better than us.
I was worried about the robot stuff until the other morning. It was super frosty and my wifi dongle had a ‘moment’, it wouldn’t work cos it was too cold, had the same problem in NT kakadu, so as long we reside where it’s super cold or hot, we won’t have to worry about robots taking over 😆 they will overheat or freeze stall
Load More Replies...Congratulations, you just shrunk the customer base. Of course I'm sure your short terms gains at the expense of the future generations isn't something you are worried about. It will be the next generations problem. Your Boomer starter kit will come in the mail complete with a list politicians that will sell out future generations for your comfort and our handy 101 reasons why you deserve it and they don't. Enjoy.
Thank goodness BP was on top of these super long posts and they pared it down!! Went from the original 51 down to a more mangagale 50! Saved me oodles of time. lol
If any more Americans tell me how great the USA is then I shall point them to this post.
Just because everyone else is raising the cost of living, doesn't mean you have to! I know many small businesses that didn't follow suit with the Gubberment
"...drawn into negative thought patterns about our own inability to affect change that many of them passively just wish for some catastrophic event to happen so we can ‘reset’ society, and otherwise have little or no hope." This is concerning... a generation with little or no hope.
There are three generations with 'little or no hope': GenX, Millennials, and GenZ. I'm pretty sure GenAlpha is too young to be hopeless...yet.
Load More Replies...Thank goodness BP was on top of these super long posts and they pared it down!! Went from the original 51 down to a more mangagale 50! Saved me oodles of time. lol
If any more Americans tell me how great the USA is then I shall point them to this post.
Just because everyone else is raising the cost of living, doesn't mean you have to! I know many small businesses that didn't follow suit with the Gubberment
"...drawn into negative thought patterns about our own inability to affect change that many of them passively just wish for some catastrophic event to happen so we can ‘reset’ society, and otherwise have little or no hope." This is concerning... a generation with little or no hope.
There are three generations with 'little or no hope': GenX, Millennials, and GenZ. I'm pretty sure GenAlpha is too young to be hopeless...yet.
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