Absolutely wild to see people online telling others to become *more individually responsible for their own food safety* when regulations are dismantled, instead of, you know, fighting to not dismantle food safety regulations.
There is a sickness in the USian psyche, and that sickness is the assumption that everything must be solved through independent effort. We leave so much potential unused and waste so much time and energy when we take communal solutions off the table every goddamn time.
It’s incredible that a lot of what we call modern living standards in the US absolutely depend on communal enforcement of standards and a pooling of funds to provide public goods and services. The Interstate system and state and local highways. The national air traffic system. GPS. Radio tech, including cellular, Bluetooth, WiFi.
Government-run organizations like OSHA, NTSB, and NHTSA keep us safe at a *fraction* of the cost it would take for everyone to lobby for their own improvements.
Public goods like local parks, national parks, beaches, and public town squares allow us to relax and live with dignity. They are all paid using pooled funds, and by keeping property away from capitalists’ hands.
There are *so many services* the government provides that make life safer, cheaper, and more efficient for everyone. And a typical USian views them all with utter disdain.
@drahardja it’s called civilisation.
And taxes should not be called taxes but a civilisation charge.
If you don’t like paying taxes go somewhere where there is no tax and no civilisation.
Dave Rahardja
Peter Brown
mtconleyuk