The universe according to MMM

[thspfc]

A society without money at all is ideal.

We've gone from edgy ideas to completely nuts ideas.

I've thought of a community 4 miles off the coast of Gloucester MA (so not subject to any state law), and it would have worked this way. I realized my idea of a society without money already existed, and Wikipedia calls it anarcho-communism. It's definitely an existing idea, but it hasn't been implemented anywhere, and I'm not sure if it would work.

There was a pretty interesting movement called "free state project". Plan was to have enough people sharing certain ideals to move in a low population state (NH was one of the options) and take over the political landscape. It was crazy, but not completely unthinkable...
Actually, wiki says they are still running low gear:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_Project

The belief that a large number of people can just cooperate, without a governing body, without anyone getting greedy or fighting or ruining it in some other way, is the crazy part. It might have been doable hundreds of years ago, and some people think that life was better when it was as simple as hunting and gathering to put food on the table. Overwhelmingly, it wasn't. I bet 90% of anarcho-communists have no idea how boring and difficult such a life would be compared to their current life.

[Scott5114]

More than 6 months ago. And didn't work during the period of high demand for workforce....

To be fair, I didn't really do a whole lot of work during that timeframe either. But I have an LLC that was active during that time, and I'm on state records as the managing partner of it, so that covers the gap where I just dorked around on the forum for a year.

The U.S. employment system is way more reliant on the honor system than anyone cares to admit.

It really depends on who where and what. Background checks do happen, but probably not for entry-level positions. I heard a story of a checker company verifying 20-year-old diploma earned in a college overseas by calling dean's office - and that wasn't unusual for either side.

I could see that happening for critical positions like C-level. But even for middle management, if companies are so inundated with candidates that they have to resort to keyword matching of resumes, I can't imagine they have the resources to have HR verify everything on someone's resume. (Assuming that certain things are even possible to verify. If someone said they were a store manager at Montgomery Ward from 1994-1996, how could you possibly say that they weren't?)

[kalvado]

More than 6 months ago. And didn't work during the period of high demand for workforce....

To be fair, I didn't really do a whole lot of work during that timeframe either. But I have an LLC that was active during that time, and I'm on state records as the managing partner of it, so that covers the gap where I just dorked around on the forum for a year.

The U.S. employment system is way more reliant on the honor system than anyone cares to admit.

It really depends on who where and what. Background checks do happen, but probably not for entry-level positions. I heard a story of a checker company verifying 20-year-old diploma earned in a college overseas by calling dean's office - and that wasn't unusual for either side.

I could see that happening for critical positions like C-level. But even for middle management, if companies are so inundated with candidates that they have to resort to keyword matching of resumes, I can't imagine they have the resources to have HR verify everything on someone's resume. (Assuming that certain things are even possible to verify. If someone said they were a store manager at Montgomery Ward from 1994-1996, how could you possibly say that they weren't?)

I may still have the results of my background check somewhere. I am not a C-level person at all.  The check itself was performed by a local security company, not by the government.  I wasn't an off-the-street hire, that was about some money from another funding source within the same organization which required formal hiring into a second position - so I got the lightest version of the check possible with 10 year depth of public records pulled maybe.
They did verify addresses (yes, I moved 3 times), car registrations(oh yeah, I remember that car!), court records (1 speeding ticket), a call to the previous employer (answered by the guy next door from the person ordering the check).
So, did you live in the same area as the store you claim to manage? Did you own a car registered at the same address, or had other means to commute judging by address? Did you actually leave the previous job and entered the next one in the timeframe you specified?
25 years may be a bit too much for such an approach, 5-10 years are pretty easy for someone who knows how to work with those databases.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Yet another reason I should hurry securing that driving job, don't have moving violations yet, but most want a clean driving record and it's never too late to get a 12 mph over speeding ticket.

[interstatefan990]

College was easier than high school for me due to these primary reasons:

1.  I was paying my own tuition and I didn't want to waste my money.
2.  My courses pertained to a career field I was already invested in.

It's almost sad in a way, but I can't shake the feeling that a lot of college students today aren't truly learning much, or perhaps they might feel that way. At the end of the day, you are paying for a degree, regardless of if you "absorb" the content or not, or are even interested in it in the first place.

[hotdogPi]

How did you go for free if your parents have enough income that they gave you $40K?

And it doesn't seem to be tied to outstanding grades, since it matters to you what the pass threshold is. And I was at about the 90th percentile in my high school and got maybe 1/3-1/4 off the total cost (some of which also required being low-income), not everything.

[Scott5114]

More than 6 months ago. And didn't work during the period of high demand for workforce....

To be fair, I didn't really do a whole lot of work during that timeframe either. But I have an LLC that was active during that time, and I'm on state records as the managing partner of it, so that covers the gap where I just dorked around on the forum for a year.

The U.S. employment system is way more reliant on the honor system than anyone cares to admit.

It really depends on who where and what. Background checks do happen, but probably not for entry-level positions. I heard a story of a checker company verifying 20-year-old diploma earned in a college overseas by calling dean's office - and that wasn't unusual for either side.

I could see that happening for critical positions like C-level. But even for middle management, if companies are so inundated with candidates that they have to resort to keyword matching of resumes, I can't imagine they have the resources to have HR verify everything on someone's resume. (Assuming that certain things are even possible to verify. If someone said they were a store manager at Montgomery Ward from 1994-1996, how could you possibly say that they weren't?)

I may still have the results of my background check somewhere. I am not a C-level person at all.  The check itself was performed by a local security company, not by the government.  I wasn't an off-the-street hire, that was about some money from another funding source within the same organization which required formal hiring into a second position - so I got the lightest version of the check possible with 10 year depth of public records pulled maybe.
They did verify addresses (yes, I moved 3 times), car registrations(oh yeah, I remember that car!), court records (1 speeding ticket), a call to the previous employer (answered by the guy next door from the person ordering the check).
So, did you live in the same area as the store you claim to manage? Did you own a car registered at the same address, or had other means to commute judging by address? Did you actually leave the previous job and entered the next one in the timeframe you specified?
25 years may be a bit too much for such an approach, 5-10 years are pretty easy for someone who knows how to work with those databases.

You can do all that digging, but the real question is whether it's worth it. That is, is it cost-effective to pay someone to go down all of those rabbit holes, especially when it's not someone with real access to company finances, something like a warehouse manager or something like that? (hint: no)

[hotdogPi]

I got free tuition, but tuition was only about 1/4 of the total cost, and that doesn't include dorms or food (I lived at home).

I never had Greek classic literature in my core classes. Only College Writing I and College Writing II.

[kalvado]

More than 6 months ago. And didn't work during the period of high demand for workforce....

To be fair, I didn't really do a whole lot of work during that timeframe either. But I have an LLC that was active during that time, and I'm on state records as the managing partner of it, so that covers the gap where I just dorked around on the forum for a year.

The U.S. employment system is way more reliant on the honor system than anyone cares to admit.

It really depends on who where and what. Background checks do happen, but probably not for entry-level positions. I heard a story of a checker company verifying 20-year-old diploma earned in a college overseas by calling dean's office - and that wasn't unusual for either side.

I could see that happening for critical positions like C-level. But even for middle management, if companies are so inundated with candidates that they have to resort to keyword matching of resumes, I can't imagine they have the resources to have HR verify everything on someone's resume. (Assuming that certain things are even possible to verify. If someone said they were a store manager at Montgomery Ward from 1994-1996, how could you possibly say that they weren't?)

I may still have the results of my background check somewhere. I am not a C-level person at all.  The check itself was performed by a local security company, not by the government.  I wasn't an off-the-street hire, that was about some money from another funding source within the same organization which required formal hiring into a second position - so I got the lightest version of the check possible with 10 year depth of public records pulled maybe.
They did verify addresses (yes, I moved 3 times), car registrations(oh yeah, I remember that car!), court records (1 speeding ticket), a call to the previous employer (answered by the guy next door from the person ordering the check).
So, did you live in the same area as the store you claim to manage? Did you own a car registered at the same address, or had other means to commute judging by address? Did you actually leave the previous job and entered the next one in the timeframe you specified?
25 years may be a bit too much for such an approach, 5-10 years are pretty easy for someone who knows how to work with those databases.

You can do all that digging, but the real question is whether it's worth it. That is, is it cost-effective to pay someone to go down all of those rabbit holes, especially when it's not someone with real access to company finances, something like a warehouse manager or something like that? (hint: no)

Depends on the field. Technology companies may do that for those who have some IP access or have some government-mandated restrictions. Local or state governments may have that as a part of their general operations.
I just shared my own story. If you want, I can PM you with more details, don't want to post too personal information here. Just saying - this happened to me, your mileage may vary, though.

[Scott5114]

I don't doubt your story. I just don't think that there are many companies that would go to that extent to verify the info. Certainly none of the ones that I and people I know in person have ever worked for. Even for sensitive gaming jobs the most they do is a criminal/court records check and call a few of the character references you supplied. Maybe they have higher standards in New York, I don't know.

[interstatefan990]

Luckily I went for free. Taking out a predatory student loan is no different than signing away your bank account to your ex-wife.

Well, you know what they say, time is money. So 4 years must be a lot of it.

[hotdogPi]

MultiMillionMiler:

• Lives on Long Island
• Has a lot of revolutionary ideas
• Is not afraid to speak his mind
• Will actually be able to change things rather than just rambling on a forum
• (Probably) did not lie about his background, unlike someone else whom I will not mention here
• Will turn 25 in time

I have the perfect job for you. You are looking for one, right?

[Scott5114]

The thought that MMM actually is the person you're referring to has crossed my mind.

[Roadgeekteen]

MultiMillionMiler:

• Lives on Long Island
• Has a lot of revolutionary ideas
• Is not afraid to speak his mind
• Will actually be able to change things rather than just rambling on a forum
• (Probably) did not lie about his background, unlike someone else whom I will not mention here
• Will turn 25 in time

I have the perfect job for you. You are looking for one, right?

Sotnas Egroeg?

[Roadgeekteen]

The thought that MMM actually is the person you're referring to has crossed my mind.

Who?

Sotnas Egroeg backwards.

[Roadgeekteen]

George Santos is 23?

Who knows honestly? He could be 5, he could be 99999999999999.

[Max Rockatansky]

Luckily I went for free. Taking out a predatory student loan is no different than signing away your bank account to your ex-wife.

Well, you know what they say, time is money. So 4 years must be a lot of it.

Several ways around that student loan problem for us plebians.  I paid for it out of pocket, my wife used grant money where she could, and several family/friends used the GI Bill.

[MultiMillionMiler]

https://fortune.com/2022/11/26/millennials-burdened-by-debt-no-nice-things/

I think student debt should be forgiven already. We give so many rich corporations bailouts and living expenses for younger people are much harder now than they were pre-pandemic. Or even after, stop "elite" schools from charging such outrageous tuition to begin with. I also think everyone with a college degree should be exempt from road tolls for at least 10 years after graduation.

[hotdogPi]

Or even after, stop "elite" schools from charging such outrageous tuition to begin with.

They don't. It's the "anyone gets in" schools that charge ridiculous amounts of money.

[Max Rockatansky]

https://fortune.com/2022/11/26/millennials-burdened-by-debt-no-nice-things/

I think student debt should be forgiven already. We give so many rich corporations bailouts and living expenses for younger people are much harder now than they were pre-pandemic. Or even after, stop "elite" schools from charging such outrageous tuition to begin with. I also think everyone with a college degree should be exempt from road tolls for at least 10 years after graduation.

I'm not per se opposed to some student loan forgiveness.  I would prefer that the notion that "everyone needs to go to college" dies.

[MultiMillionMiler]

I agree with that statement. Trade school needs to be promoted much more.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Oh and I was going to post this in the time zone thread, but figured it was more of an MMM idea, so I'll post it here. Time zones should be every 10 minutes, not every hour. So sure, even if Utah's time is 1 hr later than CA's time and that's accurate in terms of the sun setting, what about all the areas in between? Are they just rounded to one of the two? To truly represent the amounts of daylight/night sunrise/sunset times, and establish accurate distance based time zones, there should be a new zone every 100-250 miles or so that reflects each increment of 10 minute differences. So maybe its 8 am in NYC but 7:50 in Harrisburg..etc, and 7:40 in Pittsburgh, and 8:10 in Montauk.

[vdeane]

Why should someone get an advantage in life just because they won the birth lottery and had rich parents?

And honestly, MMM being born with a silver spoon in his mouth explains a LOT.  He's never lived in the real world.  Ever.  No wonder all his ideas are fantastical.  He is Example A for why we need a national service requirement... perhaps a year in a small town and a year in a big city doing community service.  Could help bring people in this country together to understand each other.

There is a birth lottery wether you like it or not. It's about money, it's about family role models, health, citizenship and what not.
What MMM wants here is parent's support extending past the childhood into the years when building up of career foundation - skills, connections, work ethics - should happen.
Would be interesting to see what his education really is - something real world, or something that provides little benefit beyond clicking the "college degree" checkbox.

Historically, we have tried to minimize it with policies like having public schools, making schooling mandatory, welfare, estate taxes, etc.  Sadly we seem to be moving away from that and towards more inequality.  Let's appreciate how hypocritical MMM is for ranting about how his generation is poor on one hand but then wanting kids to be supported off their rich parents!

Parents lending connections to their kids sounds a lot like nepotism to me, and if we did that, how is someone who doesn't have connections supposed to get anywhere?

Let's face it - the only reason MMM has time to spam the forum is because he's bumming off his parents instead of getting a job, and he's not getting a job because he feels work is "too hard".  And given that he described high school as harder than college, I would not at all be surprised if his degree is more along the lines of getting something just to say they have a degree rather than something that gives real-world skills.

Well, there is definitely an attempt to help those who are not getting much from the family. Now can you limit what those better off can do for their kids? Moving to a better school district?  Showing an example of lowing and hard-working family? Those are non-monetary, but highly valuable things parents can provide.
Connections... I would say there is a way to use connections as opposed to abusing them. You cannot eliminate that. FOr example, knowing about a good job opening may make a big difference. Staying on that job due to connections? That's too much..

While I'm not sure if there's an ethical way to reduce the fire of inequality to 0, I do know that we can at least avoid pouring gasoline on it like MMM wants to do.

[thspfc]

Oh and I was going to post this in the time zone thread, but figured it was more of an MMM idea, so I'll post it here. Time zones should be every 10 minutes, not every hour. So sure, even if Utah's time is 1 hr later than CA's time and that's accurate in terms of the sun setting, what about all the areas in between? Are they just rounded to one of the two? To truly represent the amounts of daylight/night sunrise/sunset times, and establish accurate distance based time zones, there should be a new zone every 100-250 miles or so that reflects each increment of 10 minute differences. So maybe its 8 am in NYC but 7:50 in Harrisburg..etc, and 7:40 in Pittsburgh, and 8:10 in Montauk.

That would be way more chaotic than how they are now.

https://fortune.com/2022/11/26/millennials-burdened-by-debt-no-nice-things/

I think student debt should be forgiven already. We give so many rich corporations bailouts and living expenses for younger people are much harder now than they were pre-pandemic. Or even after, stop "elite" schools from charging such outrageous tuition to begin with. I also think everyone with a college degree should be exempt from road tolls for at least 10 years after graduation.

I'm not per se opposed to some student loan forgiveness.  I would prefer that the notion that "everyone needs to go to college" dies.

Barely anybody actually says that anymore. The notion that "everyone needs to go to college"  is a popular statement is false.

One thing: don't complain about the cost of college, advocate for free college, then turn around and complain about having to pay higher taxes to fund the free college.

[interstatefan990]

I also think everyone with a college degree should be exempt from road tolls for at least 10 years after graduation.

That would suffer the same fate as disability parking placards. People who they were not intended for using it for their own personal benefit because they know someone who it was intended for.

Or even after, stop "elite" schools from charging such outrageous tuition to begin with.

One of the biggest scams today that no one talks about is colleges/professors forcing students to use their own money purchase access to online course content platforms, like Pearson for example. I have heard from several college students that they have to pay up to $80 to access their homework because their professor wants the class to use a specific learning platform. I think that if something is required for a course and not provided by the school, it needs to be included in the cost of tuition. Even making students pay for textbooks is already questionable.

I would prefer that the notion that "everyone needs to go to college" dies.

I don't think that notion was ever alive outside of middle-class America.