• FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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    17 days ago

    My eighty year-old parents are driving for DoorDash. In my car.

    If they don’t, this supposedly ‘free’ country of ours will allow banks to force them onto the streets where they will be left for dead.

    Fuck capitalism.

      • garbagebagel@lemmy.world
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        17 days ago

        I know plenty of people in Canada and Mexico that still work much later than they should have to to support family members. Might not be a problem in more socialist countries but definitely not uniquely an American problem.

        • ikt@aussie.zone
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          17 days ago

          yeah wondering about the special pleading going on here, as i realised above, I’m really not sure about their finances

      • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
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        17 days ago

        Most of the world has and to a large degree still relies on relatives to support them when they can’t work anymore

        • ikt@aussie.zone
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          17 days ago

          100% this is what i was thinking of, what do people in those countries do if they don’t have children to take care of them?

          • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
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            17 days ago

            Some sort of charity. From religious institutions, some sort of alms house etc. Or just beg and die.

            • ikt@aussie.zone
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              17 days ago

              Right now, the Hindses take in $4,600 a month from their Social Security, Bill’s pension from a TV station in Connecticut, and Lydia’s monthly wages. Monthly rent for their one-bedroom apartment in a 55-plus development is $1,400, their car payment is $625 a month, their car insurance is $236 a month, and their Medicare combined is $426 a month. On top of that, they have emergency medical expenses, medications, grocery and gas bills, and utilities. They’re left with close to nothing at the end of the month.

              The hell is this? 2.1k a month on rent??

              Why do they have to pay nearly $1000 a month for a car?? What is a car payment? are they renting a car at extortion rates?

              Is this normal in America?

              • mrspaz@lemmy.world
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                17 days ago

                According to this article, average payment is $745 new / $521 used on a 6 year note. So they either have a nicer used car or slightly below average new car.

                $1,400 for rent in a managed apartment complex in a US suburban area also doesn’t raise an eyebrow, especially in a northeast state like Connecticut.

                So yeah, this is “normal” in America.

        • ikt@aussie.zone
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          17 days ago

          Pensions are a roman invention

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_retirement

          Looks like it was just for those who served in the military, what did other people do?

          In 1881,[3][4] the conservative German chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck, in a maneuver against Marxists who were burgeoning in power and popularity, announced that anyone over 70 years old would be forced to retire and that he would pay a pension to them

          What did they do before 1881? Just keep working?