As I've probably written before, the fundamental and irreconcilable conflict in the USA is between people who believe there is a natural hierarchy of humans and those who believe there is a natural equality among humans.

I know, I get very impatient with prefab companies claiming they can solve the housing crisis in the USA. Construction has never been the problem. The regulatory environment is, but that's difficult and slow to change.
So instead we look for our keys under the lamppost where the light is better.

An excellent summary. The second aspect is being penalized for trying to get yourself off public assistance, by his numbers ending up with less disposable income after increasing your earnings beyond the eligibility threshold. So, a perverse incentive built into the system.

Well, the official line where public assistance becomes available.

So in this case, it's a term of art, not a colloquial understanding of the concept.

Well, he's using "poverty" because to this day it's still officially referred to as the "poverty line".

Easier to knock it back down later.

By David Brooks

Well, that devolved quickly.

Even if you eliminated prison labor, you'd then have to eliminate all dependencies on foreign slavery to find out. By definition if a company is profitable people aren't paid what their labor is worth, so really we're just talking about various degrees of exploitation.

The point is that experiment has never been tried. Slavery is still legal in the USA.

I did also like the Utopia of Rules.

Loved that one.

Start with his "Bullshit Jobs".
It's short and you'll get a feel for his writing and approach to see if his work resonates with you

If the "Left" has any brains, they'll recognize a consummate politician protecting his city from a tyrant.

He was the demigod inspiring Penelope's many suitors.

Hell, I'd like to see "enough for most" as a starter.

WILL NO ONE RID ME OF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST?
(google it)

We're not concerned about dead Epstein, David, we're concerned about an international criminal conspiracy to kidnap and fuck children.