Originally Posted by Hehe
Bahaha... young padawan... keep trying.
I used to spend much of my free time reading all sort of crap about the same topic that I'm interested. With me selling my business late last year, Covid early this year... my free time grew exponentially.
I spend my morning reading news from all outlets in 3 different languages (for international perspective) in both left and right leaning that covers Asia, Europe and America. Then I'm averaging about 2-3books (I cheat a bit with some audiobooks mixed in there, but you get the idea) per week... be it political, philosophical, biography. I cover them all.
If there's a bigger nerd out there able to cover more perspectives in the same depth I'm doing, I'd be interested to learn his/her routine.
Let me guess? You are working in a relatively stable job that had limited effect from Covid, or not working exactly, but yet there isn't much further to develop from here on career-wise and you are near the end of the payscale ladder. Or there's simply not much opportunity going on for you. You see other getting richer or those "opportunities" and you choose to blame the politician, the US president, the fucked up world for it.
You spend a portion of your free time outside work/family reading fees from IG/FB/Twitter or craps your F&F share over IM groups.
And with that you think you are up to date on everything and objective AF.
Correct?
I'd tell you why exactly I converted from left to right and why we are different.
I started my startup about 6yrs ago, with my first newborn roughly the same time.
On the family side, I needed to make sure that whatever screwup I make, I'd still be able to provide the basics (my wife had much of that covered when I started, but still needed to put in my share for some decent living standard) for them.
On the business side, I needed to make sure that I didn't screwup so I'd be able to pay all my employees and contractors at the end of every month so they can provide what their family needed.
For the first 2-3yrs of the startup... pulling a 100hr workweek was the norm. Even on family holidays, I was on standby 100% of the time with internet connection and laptop by my side.
I didn't have another choice. If I fail... I didn't only fail in my own life. I screw up the lives of my families, my employees, and their families. I remember counting with my business partner that easily 100 mouths depended on us to eat. We said it as a joke to remind us to not take decisions lightly.
But do you have any fucking idea what that felt like when a simple decision of yours could make a huge impact on hundreds of people's life.
So I learned from that experience? I learned how to take some fucking responsibility about shits I say, and decisions I make.
I no longer bitch much about anything... it doesn't bother me that people has a different opinion than mine, what bothers me is that they don't THINK at the same depth as I do and say the shit they say.
The lefties say the riches have the responsibility to pay their share for the society. I agree... but ONLY to those who can't make on their own. Those with disabilities (mental or physical) need them. Those who don't have disabilities... they don't NEED subsidies. What they need are opportunities and ways for opportunities to happen. That means education, shelter, food bank, career programs, incentives for companies to hire them... etc. But not a direct handout.
Warren Buffett said the best. He said he's going to give enough for his children to do anything, not enough to do nothing. What lefties are proposing with handouts are simply that... enough to do nothing for those who don't have anything and all they ask is to satisfy basic needs.
Why should I fund those programs when I'm pulling 100hrs workweeks and they do nothing? It hurts me when I see panhandlers on the street with perfect physics and mental... and only doing that because they "chose to".
That's not freedom. That's fucking lack of personal responsibility. If you are responsible to at least yourself, you can satisfy basic needs while being a hobo... being a hobo is the freedom, satisfying basic needs is the responsibility. And when one needs to ask others to be responsible for their responsibility so they can have their freedom... that's fucked up.
But when I see a person performing on the street just hoping for some tips... I always put in what I can. That's being responsible... however little it is.
And when reading about social programs... be it here, South America, Europes, the Scandinavians... etc, I came to the conclusion that the ONLY way for socialism to work is when people are RESPONSIBLE for themselves. The Scandinavians have one of the most comprehensive social program there is, but very few actually abuse it because the majority of their population are responsible for themselves.
Anywhere else... it simply didn't work. For every $1 that we are able to contribute, there are greed who ask for MORE than $1. And what's the solution? If the need is for $2, then you figure a way to tax that $2. Then one day... you'd find no person to tax from. Venezuela was one of the richest countries in the 90s to one of the worst in less than 30yrs... this is how quick everything can deteriorate.
So... the reason I went from left to right was because I want people to be responsible. I want our gov't to be responsible. I want the societal value is to BE RESPONSIBLE... and only THEN... we can start looking at going left again. Because by then... going left would be the responsible thing to do.
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