General Discussion

daredtowork

(3,732 posts)

28. Scarcity

Fri Sep 5, 2014, 01:36 PM

Sep 2014

A few months ago this book about scarcity got attention for the implications about racism:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2013/10/09/book-review-scarcity-why-having-too-little-means-much-eldar-shafir-and-sendhil-mullainathan/iiIdalMtPBSo1AKW339iII/story.html

EDIT: Not sure it was in that book, but it's in this article - http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2014/06/09/as-economy-declines-african-americans-appear-blacker-nyu-study-shows.html

But in general, I think it means people will circle the wagons ever closer as their perception or scarcity grows. Think of what that means in a "competitive" society - especially when there are ideologically-driven elements of that society which attempt to socially engineer a heightened sense of competition by inducing scarcity (the flip side would be "demand&quot . There's a whole lot of mass psychology manipulation going on all the time in American society.

By the way, in come of the other comments I mentioned some of my hometown Church Ladies. They regard me as an "exception" to the "welfare trash"...just as you describe.

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Highlight:

PBS: Are Americans a Stingy Lot of People? [View all] daredtowork Sep 2014 OP

First let me say that I reject dystopia. littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #1

Americans Need to Look at the Problem First daredtowork Sep 2014 #14

I almost read this as "Are Americans Stingray People?" sakabatou Sep 2014 #2

Lol, that would be in the science group. nt littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #4

Or the car aficionado's group: kentauros Sep 2014 #5

Awesome. littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #6

That one or the Lancia Nardi Blue Ray II. kentauros Sep 2014 #7

Let me get my purse. I want to go too! nt Mojorabbit Sep 2014 #33

Sure! littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #34

The welfare system has been gutted? Live and Learn Sep 2014 #3

We Pay More, Those in Need Get Less daredtowork Sep 2014 #15

I've always thought that there should be a voucher system for those on food stamps xmas74 Sep 2014 #41

In theory this sounds good, but daredtowork Sep 2014 #48

When I received food stamps I worked full time xmas74 Sep 2014 #49

How do WIC vouchers work? daredtowork Sep 2014 #53

They have to be approved via appointment every couple of months. xmas74 Sep 2014 #55

Ugh another appointment daredtowork Sep 2014 #59

They are so common around here most don't blink an eye xmas74 Sep 2014 #61

The child is all that counts daredtowork Sep 2014 #63

Clinton declared that he had "ended welfare as we know it," or words to that effect. merrily Sep 2014 #65

Yes the "Progressives" Started Dismantling Welfare daredtowork Sep 2014 #69

+1 Although, I don't think that Clinton was a "Progressive" as I define it. nt Live and Learn Sep 2014 #72

Our culture doesn't put much value on empathy. LuvNewcastle Sep 2014 #8

So true marions ghost Sep 2014 #11

Yeah. I had to think and think about it; but yeah Populist_Prole Sep 2014 #16

Scarcity daredtowork Sep 2014 #28

Oh yes, the "circle the wagons" mentality is in full tilt among that crowd Populist_Prole Sep 2014 #29

Solveable problems start to look unsolveable daredtowork Sep 2014 #32

Americans are judgmental as well as charitable daredtowork Sep 2014 #17

A caste of hereditary aristos trying to take everything we have leaves us a bit rattled... Orsino Sep 2014 #9

And it will work daredtowork Sep 2014 #18

I recently visited marions ghost Sep 2014 #10

churches are doing noble things daredtowork Sep 2014 #19

I am agreeing with you marions ghost Sep 2014 #21

Yes, just adding on daredtowork Sep 2014 #24

Yep marions ghost Sep 2014 #27

I get your point, but you should really learn the facts about funding before you credit those who Bluenorthwest Sep 2014 #47

No one wants there to be a working SECULAR pulblic services infrastructure more badly than I do daredtowork Sep 2014 #51

And they should be taxed philosslayer Sep 2014 #81

Americans are f'ing INSANE about taxes and welfare Prophet 451 Sep 2014 #12

You are where I want my tax dollars spent J_J_ Sep 2014 #13

+1 nt daredtowork Sep 2014 #25

I heartily respect that Prophet 451 Sep 2014 #30

The dollar stolen out of their pocket daredtowork Sep 2014 #22

I agree with your final thought Prophet 451 Sep 2014 #31

This is probably why blue states give so much more to charity than red ones... hughee99 Sep 2014 #35

Take religious giving out of the picture & who gives more? U4ikLefty Sep 2014 #37

I'm not sure who would give more, but hughee99 Sep 2014 #38

It's not real charity because it's mostly used to further their own Lex Sep 2014 #42

Ah, I had no idea that religous charites didn't actually help people. hughee99 Sep 2014 #43

Reading comprehension isn't your thing I guess. Lex Sep 2014 #44

Ah so you're suggesting that SOME of the money goes to help people hughee99 Sep 2014 #45

I said what I said in my initial post Lex Sep 2014 #46

Well, your initial post does a poor job of explaining hughee99 Sep 2014 #50

Please check out some of the other posts daredtowork Sep 2014 #62

You seem to be the only one Lex Sep 2014 #66

Where does that come into it? Prophet 451 Sep 2014 #85

"public has been trained to regard me as lower than a child molester" BlueJazz Sep 2014 #76

Thank you, sir Prophet 451 Sep 2014 #86

FYI, Faith-based initiative continues under Obama, Trillo Sep 2014 #20

Sheer Desperation daredtowork Sep 2014 #23

...And be sure to save a million or so for retirement. tridim Sep 2014 #26

Let me guess, their pledge drive came up short? Fla_Democrat Sep 2014 #36

daredtowork, this is an interesting thread. nt littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #39

The attempts to sidetrack it are just as interesting daredtowork Sep 2014 #40

It has to be a government effort or fraud will increase--and so will the number of needy merrily Sep 2014 #52

Right now it's impossible to find information daredtowork Sep 2014 #56

The system was never perfect and it's been gutted, so it's worse. merrily Sep 2014 #57

The case worker is a token notion daredtowork Sep 2014 #60

Not sure, but I believe law requires you to get advance notice before any merrily Sep 2014 #64

Only in theory - My Medi-Cal Benefits Just Ceased Without Notice daredtowork Sep 2014 #67

So sorry this is happening to you. merrily Sep 2014 #68

I feel like I'm missing some obvious way to fight back daredtowork Sep 2014 #70

I don't see a way you are missing because I thought merrily Sep 2014 #75

I have been in the SSI application process for over 2 years now daredtowork Sep 2014 #77

I asked about OASDI. SSI and OASDI are two different programs. merrily Sep 2014 #78

All the Social Security applications are in the same bucket daredtowork Sep 2014 #82

You apply to the Feds initially for OASDI and, depending on where you are, merrily Sep 2014 #87

Yes, that's probably the case. daredtowork Sep 2014 #88

You don't have to explain. Disabled is disabled. You did not choose that. merrily Sep 2014 #89

Ooh, good opportunity! daredtowork Sep 2014 #90

Someone else disabled might not be eligible for SSI and just give up on OASDI, thinking merrily Sep 2014 #91

I want to kick this for you tabbycat31 Sep 2014 #80

Thank you! daredtowork Sep 2014 #83

A sinking ship promotes every person for themselves. L0oniX Sep 2014 #54

Is the ship really sinking? daredtowork Sep 2014 #58

Thanks for posting here and educating LuvNewcastle Sep 2014 #71

Thank you daredtowork Sep 2014 #73

btw, I'm a girl. ;) daredtowork Sep 2014 #74

A few things here tabbycat31 Sep 2014 #79

I think that's a really neat idea daredtowork Sep 2014 #84