▲ 2195 ▼ Massachusetts passed a 4% millionaire's tax last year. Now every public school student is going to get free lunch (www.businessinsider.com) submitted 3 years ago* by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world 187 comments fedilink hide all child comments Students in Massachusetts will get free lunch and breakfast at school thanks to a new 4% tax put on people who earn more than $1 million.
[+] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz -38 points 3 years ago (4 children) Reason why #3648393847 why representative democracy simply does not work. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 8 child comments replies: [–] BloodForTheBloodGod@lemmy.ca 24 points 3 years ago (1 child) When making that argument, you'll want to add a few examples. Otherwise people think you mean dictatorship. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 0 points 3 years ago (3 children) Switzerland has a direct democracy and they are doing perfectly fine. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] BloodForTheBloodGod@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 years ago They're in many ways not the best example. permalink fedilink source parent [+] Heresy_generator@kbin.social 1 point 3 years ago [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent [–] Bo7a@lemmy.ca 1 point 3 years ago* I would wager you have never been to Switzerland, or if you have, you never left the tourist traps to interact with the 'real Swiss'. I only lived there one year, but I can tell you right now, they are not 'doing perfectly fine.' Their pretty tourism industry hides some of the ugliest racism, faux-nationalism in the form of cantonal squabbling, sexism, anti-lgbt+, and a general dislike of anyone who does not conform exactly to their specific ways of living. Fuck Switzerland. permalink fedilink source parent [–] steltek@lemm.ee 11 points 3 years ago (1 child) The vast majority (262 out of 351) of Massachusetts municipalities are direct democracy. A further 31 are near enough that it’s not hard to be elected if you run (my precinct has empty rep. slots every year). Also in contrast to the rest of the US, there are no unincorporated areas ("county land") in Massachusetts. Counties aren't a useful demarcation here. Everything is a Town or a city. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 0 points 3 years ago The rest of the U.S. needs to switch to something similar. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Bop@lemmy.film 9 points 3 years ago (1 child) I think you might be confusing representative democracy with capitalism. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz -4 points 3 years ago (1 child) Nah, I mean representative democracy. Trusting someone else to work in your best interests never works. The only one who has your best interests in mind is you, if that. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Soggy@lemmy.world 2 points 3 years ago People rarely have their own best interests in mind. People are short-sighted, undereducated, impulsive, prone to groupthink, and overestimate their ability and control. permalink fedilink source parent [–] pedro@lemm.ee 7 points 3 years ago (1 child) I think what is missing is control over the representatives. When you elect someone, you give them your power, you should be able to take it back when they abuse it. In a representative democracy, transparency and control are key and when this is not enforced, people tend to think the system is broken and does not work. It would work if that is fixed permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 1 point 3 years ago People shouldn't be giving their power away at all, but fair. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] BloodForTheBloodGod@lemmy.ca 24 points 3 years ago (1 child) When making that argument, you'll want to add a few examples. Otherwise people think you mean dictatorship. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 0 points 3 years ago (3 children) Switzerland has a direct democracy and they are doing perfectly fine. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] BloodForTheBloodGod@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 years ago They're in many ways not the best example. permalink fedilink source parent [+] Heresy_generator@kbin.social 1 point 3 years ago [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent [–] Bo7a@lemmy.ca 1 point 3 years ago* I would wager you have never been to Switzerland, or if you have, you never left the tourist traps to interact with the 'real Swiss'. I only lived there one year, but I can tell you right now, they are not 'doing perfectly fine.' Their pretty tourism industry hides some of the ugliest racism, faux-nationalism in the form of cantonal squabbling, sexism, anti-lgbt+, and a general dislike of anyone who does not conform exactly to their specific ways of living. Fuck Switzerland. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 0 points 3 years ago (3 children) Switzerland has a direct democracy and they are doing perfectly fine. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] BloodForTheBloodGod@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 years ago They're in many ways not the best example. permalink fedilink source parent [+] Heresy_generator@kbin.social 1 point 3 years ago [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent [–] Bo7a@lemmy.ca 1 point 3 years ago* I would wager you have never been to Switzerland, or if you have, you never left the tourist traps to interact with the 'real Swiss'. I only lived there one year, but I can tell you right now, they are not 'doing perfectly fine.' Their pretty tourism industry hides some of the ugliest racism, faux-nationalism in the form of cantonal squabbling, sexism, anti-lgbt+, and a general dislike of anyone who does not conform exactly to their specific ways of living. Fuck Switzerland. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] BloodForTheBloodGod@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 years ago They're in many ways not the best example. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Bo7a@lemmy.ca 1 point 3 years ago* I would wager you have never been to Switzerland, or if you have, you never left the tourist traps to interact with the 'real Swiss'. I only lived there one year, but I can tell you right now, they are not 'doing perfectly fine.' Their pretty tourism industry hides some of the ugliest racism, faux-nationalism in the form of cantonal squabbling, sexism, anti-lgbt+, and a general dislike of anyone who does not conform exactly to their specific ways of living. Fuck Switzerland. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] steltek@lemm.ee 11 points 3 years ago (1 child) The vast majority (262 out of 351) of Massachusetts municipalities are direct democracy. A further 31 are near enough that it’s not hard to be elected if you run (my precinct has empty rep. slots every year). Also in contrast to the rest of the US, there are no unincorporated areas ("county land") in Massachusetts. Counties aren't a useful demarcation here. Everything is a Town or a city. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 0 points 3 years ago The rest of the U.S. needs to switch to something similar. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 0 points 3 years ago The rest of the U.S. needs to switch to something similar. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Bop@lemmy.film 9 points 3 years ago (1 child) I think you might be confusing representative democracy with capitalism. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz -4 points 3 years ago (1 child) Nah, I mean representative democracy. Trusting someone else to work in your best interests never works. The only one who has your best interests in mind is you, if that. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Soggy@lemmy.world 2 points 3 years ago People rarely have their own best interests in mind. People are short-sighted, undereducated, impulsive, prone to groupthink, and overestimate their ability and control. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz -4 points 3 years ago (1 child) Nah, I mean representative democracy. Trusting someone else to work in your best interests never works. The only one who has your best interests in mind is you, if that. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Soggy@lemmy.world 2 points 3 years ago People rarely have their own best interests in mind. People are short-sighted, undereducated, impulsive, prone to groupthink, and overestimate their ability and control. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Soggy@lemmy.world 2 points 3 years ago People rarely have their own best interests in mind. People are short-sighted, undereducated, impulsive, prone to groupthink, and overestimate their ability and control. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] pedro@lemm.ee 7 points 3 years ago (1 child) I think what is missing is control over the representatives. When you elect someone, you give them your power, you should be able to take it back when they abuse it. In a representative democracy, transparency and control are key and when this is not enforced, people tend to think the system is broken and does not work. It would work if that is fixed permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 1 point 3 years ago People shouldn't be giving their power away at all, but fair. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz 1 point 3 years ago People shouldn't be giving their power away at all, but fair. permalink fedilink source parent