Clipping the Hedge Fund

[ysabetwordsmith]

Here is a rare story about rich people losing. :D Now for the important points...

1) Hedge funds do a lot of harm. We would be better off without them, because it is a gambling problem that hurts everyone, not just the people with a gambling problem.

2) This backlash happened because a bunch of ordinary people objected to a few rich fucks artificially manipulating the system in ways that hurt companies they cared about. So they did something about it. This touches on the original reason why investment was invented: it allows people to pool resources so they can have things nobody could afford individually. Build a marketplace. Buy shares in a trading ship. That sort of thing. Today it can be used to salvage businesses that sell stuff we want or need.  This is related to Community Supported Enterprise, just discontiguous rather than local, which is apt for far-flung businesses.

3) We are many, they are few. The inherent flaw of inequality is that it's unstable and vulnerable to attack. By definition, the lower layers must be much larger than the upper layers. Previously, it was difficult to mobilize this mass of potential outside of, say, a revolution. But now we have social media: that makes it much easier.

Congratulations, r/WallStreetBets.  You put a new tool in the box. Now it's up to everyone else to notice this and use it again, to block rich fucks from jerking the economy around like an abused dog, so we can defend the businesses that we use.

The economy is just a thing that some people made up.  It is what we make of it.  As a construct, it has no life of its own.  So if you don't like it, do something about that.  You have a shiny new tool to stick in it, and gods know there are struggling businesses everywhere.  Go tell your friends.  This tool only works if enough people apply it together.  Kind of like democracy.

Comments

Re: Thoughts

[(Anonymous)]

>>A logical and comprehensive plan distributes responsibility over a wide area, according to the resources for each level, and minimizes the tendency for people to try fobbing off responsibilities on someone else. It creates fault tolerance so that small problems don't snowball into big problems.<<

Summed up as:
1) You are responsible for the you can hold/provide for.
2) Do the best job that you can for what is yours.

>>Actually that was the supervillains. On a small scale, most good-sized gangs have a "patch room" of moderate medical equipment and at least one member who knows how to handle minor emergencies.<<

I'm half-tempted to suggest that most moderately-sized organizations (condo complexes, churches) should have something like this, or at least something that can be converted to this. (Heck; I'm also half-tempted to set up a convertible-to-a-patch-room if I've ever got a house/household larger than myself to worry about.)

>>Medieval Hospitalers<<

I have actually thought that churches should perhaps step up a bit re: public toilets/showers and other such societal amenities. I do think that you shouldn't force your religion on folks coming to you for help - that's just rude.

>>Planned Parenthood<<

Will have to look into this...

>>And we need a way to fund that which isn't based on local wealth, since black people typically live in poor areas.<<

Hmmm...I recall a system where everyone in the community gave some tiny amount of cash for a wedding...which would be repaid should the giver ever get married. That added up. maybe something like that could work - it seems similar to early insurance or the modern GoFundMe donation campaigns.

My only other idea would be to have some sort of monastery-hospital or equivalent...

Though the thought does occur to me: if the community social fabric is functional; you might mostly need to pay for the specialists. A lot of stuff could theoretically be provided by the families, local church, etc. (I think there are countries where a relative will go to the hospital to provide non-specialized care. Ha! wouldn't it be hilarious if people in America tried that 'to lower our medical bills'!)

>>One round of predatory financing is enough to teach most people to avoid anything they can't pay out of pocket, and then doctors bitch that women don't come to the ER with heart attacks. <<

I learned from /stories and logic/ about dealing with debt.

Other problem: Calling Emergency Services makes things worse. We usually hear about it with cops and ICE, but calling for someone who can't afford the hospital bill might be just as bad.

>>Best postapocalyptic currency anywhere that has them: tampons!<<

I so want to see a postapocalyptic story where a team of women goes around saving lives by teaching people how to clean water and dig latrines...while the immature Manchild they're somehow dragging all over creation keeps whining about the menial work and gets squicked out about bartering tampons and girl stuff!

[whining] "But why do I have to do the laundry?"
"Because you refused to help deliver the baby, and youre the only one who got any sleep last night! Now less whining and more working!"

...overall a neat inversion of the standard action hero running about guns-a-blazing, saving lives by shooting people before riding off into the sunset with a ditzy and scantily-clad woman...

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Summed up as:
1) You are responsible for the you can hold/provide for.
2) Do the best job that you can for what is yours.<<

3) Work together for projects nobody could accomplish alone.

>> I'm half-tempted to suggest that most moderately-sized organizations (condo complexes, churches) should have something like this, or at least something that can be converted to this. <<

Most places like that need a first aid room, which is a step down, because they expect to deal with skinned knees or bellyaches rather than knife wounds. At a mall or other large facility, it should be a two-part space for mental and physical first aid; or three if you want a separate waiting room. That's usually in the mall office suite.

Two important things:

1) Scale the size and complexity of first aid to its target audience. A mall just needs fairly basic stuff. A gym needs more due to sport injuries.

2) Refine the tools and supplies for the types of complaint commonly presented at that facility. A home improvement center has to contend with nail punctures and things dropped on feet; a park will have people getting blisters and splinters.

>> (Heck; I'm also half-tempted to set up a convertible-to-a-patch-room if I've ever got a house/household larger than myself to worry about.) <<

Most households only need a home first aid kit suited to the typical complaints of its members, and a corner of the bathroom or kitchen to work in. A big or busy or wild household may indeed need more. An intentional community needs a first aid room if not a patch room, and a big one needs a clinic.

Happily, many companies that offer a large array of first aid equipment sell variations that say how many people it's designed to treat, for how long, under what conditions. Car, Home, Sport, Wilderness, and Work Site are a few thematic types. Sizes range from 1 person to over 100.

>>I have actually thought that churches should perhaps step up a bit re: public toilets/showers and other such societal amenities.<<

That would help. I feel that malls and other large public facilities should also have a family restroom and showers, for free. In general, free public showers and toilets are a necessity for a clean populace. (Ancient Greeks and Romans would be appalled by the filthy conditions of modern America.) It is ridiculous to bitch about poor people being dirty or peeing in the street if no proper facilities are available.

>> I do think that you shouldn't force your religion on folks coming to you for help - that's just rude. <<

I agree. I love Pastafarians: the food is the sermon!

>> Will have to look into this... <<

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/our-history

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-care/our-services


>>Hmmm...I recall a system where everyone in the community gave some tiny amount of cash for a wedding...which would be repaid should the giver ever get married. That added up. maybe something like that could work - it seems similar to early insurance or the modern GoFundMe donation campaigns.<<

That's an interesting approach.

I know that historically, when America had boom wages, some villages pooled funds to send over a man. He worked until he repaid the village, then sent more money home to bring over his family, while the village funded the next man.

In Terramagne, a health nexus works by creating as large a pool as possible. Providers buy in and make their services available to the membership. Members buy in and get whatever they need from the providers. If a farmer buys in, the medics can prescribe fresh vegetables! If the gym buys in, doctors can prescribe exercise. And so on. Because everything in the system is covered, there's no fighting over who can have what, and thus privacy is protected because someone's boss, insurer, or government isn't snooping in their health records and maybe hurting them over it. So that promotes honesty instead of people hiding things from fear of abuse.

>> Though the thought does occur to me: if the community social fabric is functional; you might mostly need to pay for the specialists. A lot of stuff could theoretically be provided by the families, local church, etc. <<

Exactly. Do everything at the lowest level where it can reasonably be done. Reserve advanced facilities and specialists for the difficult cases.

Another reason life is so much more expensive now is that, without past supports that have eroded -- extended families, neighborhoods, lifelong jobs, social clubs, churches -- people have to pay for things they used to get for free from friends and family. Or they do without, which is bad in different ways. If kids can be dropped off with a grandparent or aunt, they build social ties, learn new skills, and the parents get time to rest and romance. If it costs $30 for a babysitter, the parents rarely go out, the kids learn less, and the relationships suffer.

>> (I think there are countries where a relative will go to the hospital to provide non-specialized care. Ha! wouldn't it be hilarious if people in America tried that 'to lower our medical bills'!) <<

Those are mostly bad countries that let people suffer if no relative is available to care for them. That's a problem.

>> I learned from /stories and logic/ about dealing with debt. <<

Go you!

>> Other problem: Calling Emergency Services makes things worse. We usually hear about it with cops and ICE, but calling for someone who can't afford the hospital bill might be just as bad. <<

The ambulance alone is often $1000 or more, which is far out of reach for most people, and often not covered even if they have insurance.

What's worse is when communities bundle all emergency services into 911. If you call for an ambulance, they might send police or a firetruck instead, and vice versa. That means anyone who avoids ONE emergency service can no longer access ANY of them. And then everyone pays the price because the bad guys don't get caught, diseases spread, people die of treatable causes, and fires jump to other houses. >_<

>> I so want to see a postapocalyptic story where a team of women goes around saving lives by teaching people how to clean water and dig latrines...while the immature Manchild they're somehow dragging all over creation keeps whining about the menial work and gets squicked out about bartering tampons and girl stuff! <<

Tomorrow's theme is "Cultural Differences." That would be perfect. I also think my audience would love it. By all means, save this and prompt it in the fishbowl!

Re: Thoughts

[(Anonymous)]

>>Most households only need a home first aid kit...<<

A rule of thumb I heard was 'stock what you know how to use,' with the possible addition of fancier stuff like CPR masks that could be handed off to anyone in the vicinity who knows CPR.

I have wondered why folks never seem to declare the 'master suite' with attatched bathroom 'the infirmary suite'... especially in a large house or with a large family.

>>... a large array of first aid equipment...<<

I have a home, purse and car first aid kit, all of which I assembled myself!
Note: an everyday carry first aid kit is useful for everything from 'I need some tape,' past 'wear these gloves so you don't get paint on your nails,' and on to the intended use of 'someone's sliced their finger open and I'm apparently in charge, d***it.' Mine fits in a small plastic ziplock bag.

>>It is ridiculous to bitch about poor people being dirty or peeing in the street if no proper facilities are available.<<

Start pointing out that people would usually prefer, int the absence of facilities, to 'do their business' on the street instead of in their pants. Especially if they don't have a change of clothes availible.

Related, I think stores might have better luck finding out about clogged toilets and other embarrassing restroom mishaps if they put up a fine/needs service sign on the door. (Let's face it, whoever reports it is assumed to have messed it up.)

>>That's an interesting approach.<<

It was one of the stories in Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage, by Elizabeth Gilbert. I found the book interesting.

>>Do everything at the lowest level where it can reasonably be done.<<

Resource triage. In the days of yore, for volunteering:
1 get everyone up-to-date on very basic stuff (shopping, talking to people, handling emergencies)
2 automate everything you can (reference resources, cheat sheets)
3 help with basic stuff (run-of-the-mill red tape, explaining how stuff works)
4 if you must delegate upstairs, try to be as efficient as possible (details, do we have all the neccesary papers...)

I have a half-formed story idea where a the Friendly Local Subculture manages to deal with a huge influx of folks by...throwing a potluck party, and putting people up in their disaster bunker/community center. And the official government doesn't notice until they need to find some of the folks being housed, fed, and entertained.

>>...and the relationships suffer.<<

I don't envy the problems of the 1800's, but I do envy the fact that when my grandfather was a little boy, he went to these big family reunions with 50-100 people and everyone knew each other and were happy and glad to see each other, and he could have fun playing with a passel of cousins his own age.

>>Those are mostly bad countries that let people suffer if no relative is available to care for them. That's a problem.<<

Fair enough point.

I still wonder if it might make an effective protest against hospital prices (if one could do it without getting in the way). Come to think of it, when my grandparent was in the hospital with a broken bone, an aunt and uncle were basically living at the hospital for a few days.

>>The ambulance alone is often $1000 or more, which is far out of reach for most people, and often not covered even if they have insurance.<<

And official policy is often to call, rather than say drive someone to the ER, because of liability issues. (Source: first aid classes and that one time I had to call 911 for a diabetic emergency where I was volunteering, which is how I learned that they had a policy for that sort of thing.)

>>What's worse is when communities bundle all emergency services into 911.<<

On the surface it is sensible (if the cop is 2min away and the ambulances are across town...) but if you can't call one group...

I guess that means I get to be the face person for dealing with Emergency Services, oh joy. (I have the looks and the accent they'll pay attention to, and a lot of the people I spend time with don't.)

>>By all means, save this and prompt it in the fishbowl!<<

I actually have some other ideas for this storyline as well, but they'll keep for tomorrow!

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> A rule of thumb I heard was 'stock what you know how to use,' with the possible addition of fancier stuff like CPR masks that could be handed off to anyone in the vicinity who knows CPR. <<

What you or someone else in your group knows how to use; stock for the people you have. If you expect to need something you don't know yet, learn it.

>> I have wondered why folks never seem to declare the 'master suite' with attatched bathroom 'the infirmary suite'... especially in a large house or with a large family.<<

Because you have to go through the bedroom to get there, which is awkward. The common bathroom, unless tiny, is a better choice. Kitchen is another option. Ideally, you want a smooth floor, a sink, and space to move around.

>> Related, I think stores might have better luck finding out about clogged toilets and other embarrassing restroom mishaps if they put up a fine/needs service sign on the door. (Let's face it, whoever reports it is assumed to have messed it up.) <<

Good idea.

At one point, we were meeting somewhere and someone accused our group of having left the bathroom locked with nobody in it. We dealt with that by fetching an employee every time we left and making them verify the door was open. They got tired of that pretty fast and quit bothering us.

I have a half-formed story idea where a the >>Friendly Local Subculture manages to deal with a huge influx of folks by...throwing a potluck party, and putting people up in their disaster bunker/community center. And the official government doesn't notice until they need to find some of the folks being housed, fed, and entertained.<<

Good idea! You should write that, you'd be good at it.

>>I don't envy the problems of the 1800's, but I do envy the fact that when my grandfather was a little boy, he went to these big family reunions with 50-100 people and everyone knew each other and were happy and glad to see each other, and he could have fun playing with a passel of cousins his own age.<<

Yeah, I miss that too. America has gone from extended families to nuclear families to broken families and singles. The result really is not working well. It turns out that loneliness is as lethal as obesity or cigarettes.

>>And official policy is often to call, rather than say drive someone to the ER, because of liability issues. (Source: first aid classes and that one time I had to call 911 for a diabetic emergency where I was volunteering, which is how I learned that they had a policy for that sort of thing.)<<

Official policies are routinely abusive. The problem is, they work once per victim. Someone burned by a $1000 ambulance bill will almost certainly avoid ambulances in the future and will probably tell the horror story to encourage others to avoid it also.

Another example is fire safety advice which often says to abandon your home if there is even a small fire. What happens then? You become homeless and society wants you to die. Better to fight for what you have. Better training would include how to tell if a fire is small enough to fight, how to do that, and when to retreat. Better support would be victim relief funds, counseling, and help recovering from a fire.

So much advice skips the steps where you decide what to do, it tries to force people to make a predetermined ethical decision. But that way lies "just following orders." If people don't develop their decision-making skills, they don't decide, or they make bad choices, and that snowballs into disaster pretty fast. The more decisions society takes away from people, the less safe everyone becomes. Just look at all the bitching about how useless college students are now. It's not their fault they were abused and imprisoned and forcibly prevented from having a life or learning skills. They are blamed for it, but society pays the price.

Re: Thoughts

[(Anonymous)]

>>Because you have to go through the bedroom to get there, which is awkward. <<

I'm thinking more 'can be converted to a long-term infirmary': Grandma broke her hip, or quarantining kids with chicken pox from kids without, etc. I know that a separate bathroom can be very convenient when caring for someone who has mobility issues, needs a lot of medical equipment, shouldn't be around other people and so on...

I'm pretty sure a sufficiently large family would occasionally have contagious illnesses or long-term injury that might warrant the possibility of a more specialized area...

Brief patchups would usually do better in a kitchen or common bathroom.

>>Good idea! You should write that, you'd be good at it.<<

Thanks! Encouragement is nice!

Further food for thought:
-Why does nobody ever seem to have a heart attack, anxiety episode, or broken bone when being kidnapped by the Evil Overlord?
-Evil conquerors ask about kings and weapons, not about cultural dietary restrictions or what kind of toilet people know how to use...which causes interesting problems. ("Okay, what do we do with 100 pounds of opened canned fish?")

>>Better training would include how to tell if a fire is small enough to fight, how to do that, and when to retreat.<<

My rule of thumb is 'If the fire is bigger than you, run!' Of course, even if it is smaller, you should be yelling for everyone who /isn't/ fighting the fire to GTFO and call 911.

And we need a better way to deal with
'All my stuff [including ID] got burned in a fire.'

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I'm thinking more 'can be converted to a long-term infirmary': <<

That typically is handled with a first-floor master bedroom with ensuite. It used to be a common feature, fell out of fashion for decades, and is now returning. And it has a lot of other uses if you don't need an infirmary.

>> Thanks! Encouragement is nice! <<

I love encouraging other creative people to do more stuff.

>> Further food for thought:
-Why does nobody ever seem to have a heart attack, anxiety episode, or broken bone when being kidnapped by the Evil Overlord? <<

Oh, I have written variations of that.

I have one I'd like to do in Terramagne about a superhero who died of an untreated injury because his kidnappers were just that incompetent.

>> -Evil conquerors ask about kings and weapons, not about cultural dietary restrictions or what kind of toilet people know how to use...which causes interesting problems. ("Okay, what do we do with 100 pounds of opened canned fish?") <<

Yeah, but I find it hilarious when they ignore local advice and get bitten on the ass, sometimes literally.

For years, people in India and Africa had warned scientists about spitting cobras and nobody believed them. Then one day a team ran screaming out of the bush, "The cobra spit at us! The cobra spit at us!" "We told you so."

That's never going to stop being funny.

>> My rule of thumb is 'If the fire is bigger than you, run!' <<

Good rule. Also if it's spreading fast.

>> Of course, even if it is smaller, you should be yelling for everyone who /isn't/ fighting the fire to GTFO and call 911. <<

Get out, yes. Call 911? Well, that depends. Do you even have fire coverage? A surprising number of places do not. If you do, is it free at point of service or do you have to pay; and if it costs, can you afford that? If you can't afford it, then you may be better justified in exerting all possible effort to fight the fire, and only calling help if you determine you cannot put it out. Because once they're called, usually you can't cancel and are out the money whether you wind up needing them or not.

It is not a well-designed system in many areas.

>> And we need a better way to deal with
'All my stuff [including ID] got burned in a fire.' <<

Absolutely.

Humans have devolved to really nonrational levels. They laugh at ants carrying a live ant out of the hill if it smells like it's dead, but modern society is exactly like that. Without the paperwork -- whatever anyone demands of you -- there is no way to participate in society and nobody has to help you. They can just let you die.

This is a severe safety issue because a leading tactic in human trafficking and domestic abuse is to take away a person's papers. They might as well take a selkie's skin. O_O If people really cared about stopping those things, they would instead say, "It doesn't matter if you have papers. Get yourself out and come to us. We will punish whoever stole your papers, and get you new ones if we can't find the old ones." But they don't. They support the abusers instead. So that runs up the rate, which is hard on everyone.