Backwards Planning Society (pt. 2)

      I hate to say it, but it's been a whole freakin' year since I wrote part 1. More like 5 years, amIright?? Pandemic (& pandemic fatigue) aside, I feel like I've really missed writing. & what better to write about than some of the things that have been laid bare in American society in the past ~9 months? The first part of this post was optimistic - laying out some points that personally seem like common sense, but I know are probably seen as "radical" (which, tbh, is just a sad reflection of society's lack of imagination :[ ). This post will lay out some of my hopes too - but instead of aiming high,  I'm setting out to establish a low bar for American society. Things that we should all - Yellow, Black, Brown, or White - agree on. I never thought it would be necessary to establish a bare minimum for society, but I also never thought that a law enforcement officer would kneel on someone's neck for 9:30 while 3 other officers stood by and didn't do a thing. I never thought Senators would so brazenly take advantage of a pandemic that's killed 300,000 AND COUNTING. I never thought American society would see their politicians come up with trillions of financing, only to provide $1,200 to some of us - and not fire them damn near across the board. So, here we go.

1. Law enforcement should have a higher standard. I'm leaving this one open-ended on purpose because there are so many standards that could be higher. Eligibility standards, in terms of an improved screening process, educational attainment, and whatever else you might think of. Legal standards, in terms of a system that holds them accountable (notice: I'm not asking for us to screw over police officers. If you think accountability is a dealbreaker, then you probably have an orientation toward police officers as authoritarians and not public servants.). Health standards - they should probably get better and more opportunities for mental health maintenance. I could keep on, but I'll leave it up to you. What higher standards do you think law enforcement officers should have?
   
2. Politicians shouldn't profit from office. The salary for Congress is $174,000 at minimum - this is so much more than "enough" that it's offensive some of these people still take the time to insider trade. Median HOUSEHOLD income as of 2019 was ~$69,000. As in, every congressperson makes 2.5x the median (again) HOUSEHOLD income in America. That sounds obscene to me and fits more with the impression that politicians are out-of-touch overlords in America than public servants (unless you think it's normal for a servant to make almost triple the boss... then I digress). 
3. Americans need to hold their elected officials accountable. In the past year, I've realized that I'm with Ro Khanna (House Rep) and think that Senator Feinstein is God awful. I think Sam Liccardo is kinda crappy, but I've learned that the San Jose City Council and the City Manager deserve a lot of blame for the way things are run in San Jose as well. On a national level, it's bizarre that the federal government has provided us with scraps, failed to create a national response to the pandemic (remember when the death toll was supposed to be 200k in the worst-case scenario? I remember), and...... a ton of GOP politicians were elected right back into office. So they could... keep doing nothing for us?? I'm not saying Dems don't hold any responsibility - but the HEROES act has been sitting on Mitch Mcconnell's desk for many moons, so... let's blame that crusty old bastard and the rest of the politicians that fall in line behind him (i.e. every GOP Senator).

          It's not an expansive list, but it's a starting point. It's mind-boggling that I would consider this a starting point, but with all that's been brought to the fore in the past 9 months... I thought it was worth writing about. Hopefully none of this sounds wild to you & we can work towards a future that looks like this in America.

Why "Black Lives Matter" Matters (To Me)

     First off, let's face it: there aren't many Black people in San Jose. Just 2%, according to that source. So whatever you think about Black people, let's face it: you've probably got a really small sample size of experiences to draw from when it comes to Black people. This isn't a criticism - just a statement. & as a consequence, this conversation is probably weird to you. You might be wondering,"Why the heck are we talking about Black people when San Jose hardly even has any...?" That's valid, and I honestly feel awkward typing that out.
     So here's another figure - in a city with so few Black people, the SJPD Use of Force dashboard (click "Subjects & Crimes Charged" tab, then go down to the "Subject Race" pie chart) shows the proportion of instances they have used "force" (I put that in quotes because "force" includes pushing, pepper spraying, and dog bites, just to name a few) on people, broken down by age, gender, race, and even whether they are local or not. Remember how Black people make up just 2% of the population in San Jose? Well, the SJPD has used force on Black people in 14% of cases. Small number, in a vacuum. Think about it, though - that's a factor of seven times their population proportion.
     Let's pause and acknowledge - it is probable that different races commit crime at different rates. For example (& I'll freely admit this is crazy bias of me), I have a tough time seeing Asians committing violent crime at the same rates as other races. Sue me, I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. But even if that were true (that races do not commit crimes in equal proportions), what could the disparity in crime rates be? 5%? 10%? Heck, a 20% different in crime rate across race sounds like a stretch to me. We might be different, but that different? That's a stretch.
     For a group to be over-represented by a factor of seven times their population proportion? I'm no statistician, but that figure just screams that there's something wrong going on at the San Jose Police Department. Open your eyes and do some snooping and some reflection. Could it be that those tasked with serving and protecting us harbor disgustingly vile views on race? Of course not! With that to set the stage, I would like to try and add some nuance to a few notions you've probably come across in the past few weeks. Hopefully, it helps you make sense of things.

1. The BLM movement seeks to defund (or abolish, depending on who/where you ask) the police. 
        This is a "glass half full vs. glass half empty" type of situation. The people calling for this are saying that they want other things to take precedence. It's pointing to the disparity in national and local priorities when local police departments can suppress their own citizens with riot gear while healthcare professionals go without sufficient PPE, teachers have a limited (or nonexistent) budget for supplies, and homelessness still abounds where there is an immense concentration of wealth. "BuT wHat aBoUt CrIme?!!!?" Look, you dope - people commit crimes for a reason, some of them astonishingly easy to understand: they have mental health issues. They don't see any opportunity around them. They've given up on grinding it out because minimum wage is ass when it was originally meant to be so much more substantial than it currently is. So why don't we fix the root problems instead of beating and punishing people when they exhibit criminality?
2. The BLM movement wants to destroy American history in the form of removing Confederate statues and renaming buildings named after notable Confederate figures.
        Honestly? The Confederates were losers - by definition. I don't really know why a significant chunk of the American populace continues to glamorize a group that was roundly defeated and rightfully scorned. Seriously. For people who are so obsessed with WINNING, why do you people (yes, "you people") cling so hard to losers who thought slavery was a good thing?! Get rid of the loser statues. They're a shameful and embarrassing relic of American racism. Did I mention? THEY ARE LOSERS!! Maybe we should erect a statue of Ho Chi Minh next for whooping that American ass. At least he won his conflict against America ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
3. "Black Lives Matter" (More Than Mine?!)
        For those who don't "get" the movement, you probably insert the parenthetical whenever you see the slogan "Black Lives Matter." Let's be honest - you've got it rough, too. Income inequality is God awful right now. In a time when all we've been doing is automating + making absolute leaps in tech for the last 2-3 decades, minimum wage should be higher (anywhere from $12 to $19/hour, depending on who you ask). It's currently $7.25 (yikes!).
        A rising tide lifts all boats, by the way - even if you don't make minimum wage, you should have a vested interest in raising the minimum wage.This isn't a zero-sum game in the sense that you and the minimum wage laborer are competing for the same slices of the economic pie - as is, there's a huge slice of pie that goes to shareholders (dividends or stock buybacks) or the executive board (bloated salaries and golden parachutes). If you campaign for minimum wage laborers to get their rightful raise (last raised to just $7.25 in 2009 - that's strikingly pathetic for the "greatest country on Earth"), you don't think that gives you some leverage? Society will collectively have this conversation: "Hey, grocery baggers start off making $40,000 year (that's a $20 minimum wage) - I think (insert profession here) should make at least (insert amount here) to reflect their fair labor value." Also, notice I haven't said anything about Black people in this paragraph. That's not an accident.
        Viet Thanh Nguyen said it best: "If you think America is in trouble, blame shareholders, not immigrants; look at CEOs, not foreigners; resent corporations, not minorities; yell at politicians of both parties, not the weak, who have little in the way of power or wealth to share."
        If you take a dismissive approach to the movement, you are eating up the bait that the upper classes are setting out for you instead of realizing that defending each other's status based on race (which may feel exclusive if you are anything but Black right now) is just a hop and a skip away from realizing our shared economic status as a unifying force. Let's face it - if you didn't have empathy for the movement before, you probably needed a reason besides, y'know, humanity and civil rights (ya selfish prick).
4. Police simply need reform. Alternatively, when something is broken, you need more money to fix it, not less!
        Honestly, this is just a really drastic case of the sunk cost fallacy. Let me give you an analogy that is comparable: you might have a family member or friend that is... drifting. They are not really sure what they want to do. In this day and age, what's a good bet? Invest in yourself... get an education! (I know not everybody thinks this, and that's fine, but some - scratch that, many people - still do) So, they start taking classes at De Anza. They'll transfer to some CSU or UC in a couple years- maybe 3, since it can be tough getting the classes you need. They muddle along, forgoing meeting with the counselor. After all, they got through high school - how hard could this be?
        Well, fast forward and it's been.... *drum roll* ... 6 years. They're still at it. They've taken classes on/off, but work or "life" just seems to keep getting in the way - and that AA degree? Still not in hand. Transferring? Still out of the question. And so. What should they do? Power on and hope they can muster up the requisite focus to clear requirements at De Anza and then do it for a couple more years in a university setting? 
        With the benefit of hindsight, isn't it obvious that some people just aren't cut out for school (as is currently structured)? Don't get me wrong - there are people who have went through that situation (or similar) and come out on the other side happy and better for it. However, let me remind you that I'm really referring to SJPD - an institution that:

• Has been around for more than 170 years (was formed in 1849)
• Has enough money to spend on riot gear that hardly ever gets used
• Said it was under deadly assault from rocks and full water bottles during recent protests while in said riot gear (I'm not joking - Captain Jason Dwyer said that in a Council meeting. & no, you aren't making a fool out of yourself at all, dear Captain)
• also, if it were actually deadly assault... how come no officers died...? I'll tell you why - it's because the people are expressing anger and discontent, not a desire to kill. Even at their angriest, thousands of protesters can still hold it together better than some (many?) of the officers on the force. Embarrassing.
• Has killed people having mental health crises  (the first 2 cases totaled $4+ million awarded by juries to the families, in case you're wondering how much a cop's mistake costs us taxpayers)
• Shot their own bias trainer, potentially rendering him sterile for life
• Hasn't even come out and admitted that it shot at people who didn't deserve it - because doing so would require honesty and admitting liability, two traits it is... lacking

     Despite my previous analogy, this isn't the case of someone who can afford to take the time to figure out their life. This is an institution that has shown itself to be deeply toxic and drunk off its own power. $450,000,000+ is a lot of money committed to an institution that displays such irresponsibility. I am happy with letting others figure out things on their own time. I am not happy with letting institutions do the same when "figuring things out" includes mistaken killings, racism, and a complete lack of accountability. You want more money? Let me ask you this: why do you deserve it when you can't even handle the excessive amount you already have?
    There's a slew of things I haven't written about that are relevant: white privilege, the perpetuation of a wealth gap that persists across generations, how Jane Elliott can prove that a staggering majority of white people just implicitly accept that a condition of America is that minorities get treated poorly. The list, honestly, goes on. This post is a start, though. Hopefully you understand, at least a little more than you previously did, why Black Lives Matter.

Frugality as Social Activism

     There are many ways being frugal helps me to live out my worldview. It's my stand against pillaging the planet. From a practical point, it makes it easier for me to manage my finances. It's an utter rejection of capitalism that urges extreme, oftentimes mindless consumption. & particularly relevant in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's deaths, it's a form of social activism.
     How so? Well in a time of extreme wealth inequality, the ways the rich get richer (and the poor get poorer) are these: our money is taken from us (in the forms of wage theft, wage stagnation, and other malfeasance) and our money is given away (in the form of literally any spending). The latter is what I'm writing about - when people give their money away by spending.
     Let me backtrack and acknowledge that "giving away" money isn't a fair depiction. We spend money to get things in return. Where that term does apply, though, is when we spend on non-necessities (full disclosure: I spend on non-necessities. Just probably to a much, much, much lesser degree, lol). Of course there are necessities: housing, sustenance, transportation, and so on. By definition, everything beyond basic needs is just to enhance comfort. Now don't get smart with me talkin' 'bout therapy or some other thing that's life-saving. If it's life-saving, it's a basic need. Morning coffee to cure your crankiness? Extra. Particular brand for clout? Extra. Eating out 3x/week because you don't want to cook? Extra. I'm trying to be really clinical about this - I'm not calling you out saying you're a piece of shit. I'm just reminding you that, by definition, these things are extra.
     How's this tie in to social activism? Well, when you spend in this manner (spending beyond the necessities), you are primarily lining the pockets of shareholders and executive boards. You are directly driving wealth inequality up and helping to maintain the status quo. Money is power - that's indisputable fact. So if you think about every dollar you have as constituting a little bit of your financial army, then you are giving up your financial power in exchange for comfort. I'll say that again - you are giving up power in the name of whatever comfort you're buying. You are propping up mega corporations. Along with that, you are propping up the systems of power that keep them in place by giving them more influence than they already have.
     So, how can you change your spending habits to be a social activist? Well, cut it out. Whatever "it" refers to, to whatever degree you're comfortable with. After a month, you'll see - almost magically - a fatter bank account than you're used to. You could donate it to some social justice org, if it tickles your fancy. If not? Well shoot, just by letting your money sit in your bank account where it belongs as opposed to Jeff Bezos', then you've done something to take power back from Amazon (or Walmart, or whatever other faceless company that has been content to grow fat from American generosity).

Counting (Some of) My Blessings

     Privilege is a funny thing. Every person reading this has some privilege. The privilege of the Internet. The privilege of time. The privilege of a roof over their heads and regular meals. Some have more than others, but denying it is akin to denying your height or your looks. They are just features you have, so denying them is just silly and pointless. Denying privilege is honestly just an ego boost. There may be differing levels of "getting it out the mud" or being "self made," but everyone who has any privilege has something to be grateful for. A fortuitous relationship (meeting the right person), an unwarranted 2nd chance, a coincidental life event (taking a life-changing course, or hearing perfectly timed advice), and so on and so forth. That being said, I thought it would be a mindful exercise to quantify at least some of my privileges in my adult life (18+). I've seen others post photos or little blurbs of gratitude in these quarantine times, so I thought I'd give it a stab.

1. 4 years of tuition at UCSD ~40k+ (poor people grant - my tuition was covered with grants for all 4 years)
2. Minivan for a couple years/my current RAV4 ~10k
3. Carpooling in Louisiana for 2 years ~2k (how many of y'all knew this? Shoutout my mans Brett Orren)
4. Under-market room & board with my parents for 4 years ~15k
   My sister advised me to stay home & save for as long as I could. Though I planned to move out last year, things took a different turn and I've been living at home 'til now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

     All told, that's ~67,000+ of benefits I've reaped over the last decade. & for what? I didn't do anything to warrant those benefits besides be born to my parents and have a gracious roommate (actually, roommates - I hitched a ride with everyone in the Teacher Mansion at least a handful of times over the years). So, yeah. I am incredibly fortunate.
     Without meaning to, I've also realized where my generous orientation to social programs comes from. I didn't do anything except to fall into some really lucky circumstances. Why would I deny others the opportunities that I lucked into?
     "But wELfAre QuEEns!1!" Alright, look here, dumbass. It's just a matter of math (and one that I honestly can't find numbers for. So, I am admittedly going out on a limb here). For every shady ass person that defrauds the system, I would be happy if 4+ people were able to leverage the system and experience some upward mobility. If we're being honest, plenty of Viets have made good, honest use of government assistance... along with a significant number who have cheated. I got 5 siblings who are all contributing members of society, and I'm (pretty) sure every single one of us received financial aid at some point or other. If not from the gov, then from living rent-free or low-rent with our parents. So... yeah. I firmly believe in government assistance.
     Didn't mean to rant, but I definitely have a habit of it. Anyways, I promise I'm really grateful :). I hope this inspires you to take a sincere accounting (numerically or not) of your blessings/privilege! If you take the time to really think about it, I'm sure you can come up with a decent list. Thanks for reading - now go write :P.

What Is Faith In the Face of Coronavirus?

     In these wild times, and from various religious perspectives I've seen on social media, I thought I would take the opportunity to reflect on faith. In a pretty timely manner, I also came across an interesting idea which ties in to this topic: the Stockdale Paradox (named after Navy vice admiral James Stockdale, who was a POW in Vietnam for 7 years). Basically, he framed the idea that faith cannot be blind. What's that mean in the face of the Coronavirus?
     Well, the blind faith I've seen from people looks something like this:

• We must put our faith in God so he can deliver us
• The country will reopen in time for Easter, so that we can give glory to God
• God will take care of Coronavirus - we just need to believe
• The Coronavirus will be cured when we've offered up enough prayers (akin to "100,000 comments and Jesus will cure muh cancer!")

      This is in direct contrast with Stockdale. When asked who didn't make it out of Vietnam he said:
     "Oh, that's easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart^" Again, this dude made it through 7+ YEARS of war imprisonment. I'm not talking about sitting there picking your ass of boredom - dude was tortured, had his leg broken twice, and injured himself in various ways as to not be used as a propaganda tool or give up information. I think it's exceedingly fair to give him a large dose of credit on the level of faith it takes to survive a harrowing ordeal. So what's this have to do with our current predicament?
      Well, do his words ring a bell? Something about the country opening for Easter, with no reasoning provided except that it happens to be a religious holiday? How foolish of people. Instead of this (extremely dumb) take, what might appropriate faith look like if we were to take our lessons from this certified badass?

• We must put our faith in God so he can deliver us 
• let us follow the advice of the medical professionals He created and adhere to social distancing and good hygiene.
• The country will reopen in time for Easter, so that we can give glory to God 
• This definitely isn't happening. We will celebrate Easter when the medical and science experts (that GOD HIMSELF created) give us the okay
• God will take care of Coronavirus - we just need to believe
• "we just need to believe..." IN THE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PROFESSIONALS THAT GOD MOLDED IN HIS OWN IMAGE
• The Coronavirus will be cured when we've offered up enough prayers (akin to "100,000 comments and Jesus will cure muh cancer!")
• NO YOU DUMBASS, OTHERWISE CANCER/CHILD MOLESTATION/RAPE WOULD ALL BE CURED BY NOW 

     I really tried to maintain a level tone but.... y'know, it is what it is. Faith doesn't mean you get to cross your fingers and hope the big man in the sky will snap his fingers for you when he deems it appropriate. Faith means God gave you the tools to deal with adversity and you need to demand more of yourself.

Why Medicare for All Makes Sense

     I believe in Medicare for All so firmly that I wanted to elaborate to (hopefully) make it obvious why Medicare for All is a yuge policy you should get behind (notice I haven't said jack about Bernie Sanders - I definitely back him for president, but I also find it strange the fandom that surrounds politicians. I don't want to treat the man with the same devotion of Trump supporters). Anyways, let's start off by laying out a few points:

• It'd cost us anywhere from $30-40 TRILLION over the next decade
• From this column: "The federal government estimates that national healthcare spending will total about $48 trillion over the next 10 years as costs keep going up."As in, we were planning on spending $48 trillion already - so really, the estimates of $30-40 trillion represent a steep discount.

• We'd be paying for others' health insurance under a Medicare for All system.
• Do you have friends? Sometimes you chip in a bit extra to be more inclusive and it is what it is.
• Immigrants without legal status would benefit 
• Do you have basic empathy? This is honestly the health care version of the "leave a penny" tray at 7-11 or another convenience stores. Don't be a selfish prick.

     Aside from that, there's this theoretical aspect of Medicare for All that just makes sense. As currently structured, everyone who urgently needs it gets medical care - at the emergency room. We're talking heart attacks, strokes, severe wounds, etc. etc. Are these procedures more or less expensive than regular visits to the doctors/preventive care? DEFINITELY more expensive (an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, the emergency room being the pound of cure).
     So let's compare this to eating out in a group where everyone has agreed to split the check evenly. Social etiquette dictates you order something "reasonable" - you don't wanna be the asshole that ordered surf and turf while the neighbors to your left and right got spaghetti with meatballs and grilled chicken over rice, respectively. If you DON'T want to pay for your neighbors' meals (emergency room care), then don't eat with them. If that's the case, you have to be willing to admit that people can (and should) die for being poor. If you think there's some middle ground on this - there is not. Either people get emergency medical care or they don't. There are no half measures when someone is on the brink of death - doctors try to save lives, or they don't.
     If doctors are bound to save lives, then what that means is you don't get to choose not to eat with your neighbors. Society has already dictated that we take care of each other at that level. So what follows? Well, Medicare for All mandates that everyone gets preventive care, so we aren't collectively on the hook for so many of these ultra-expensive, life-saving procedures. So if you aren't with it already, get with the fucking program. The numbers work out. You can feel good about yourself by knowing you are taking care of your neighbor ... WHILE saving money!! AND you can appreciate the fact that your neighbor got you as well!