I really hope you have someone to talk to (religious leader, close friend, etc) who can help you with what seems like some real serious anger issues. You probably have a family that loves you and this kind of anger towards some basic questions is not healthy. I hope whomever you talk to helps you through your anger so you can live a long and healthy and enjoy your time with your friends and family.

The list of questions is valid and not false equivalencies. This is a broader issue of how much power corporations have/should have.

If apple can deplatform an app they don't agree (TOS violations) with then they can easily deplatform (disable your devices) for an individual for the same reason.

Since party affiliation is not a protected class the ability for corporations to wield a massive amount of power unchecked is scary.

I am simply pointing out that in today's world everything you do there are at least a few corporations involved. The simple act of going online in your house probably involves no less than 5 corporations.

If those corporations decide they don't like your view point you are pretty much done. What I think we will start to see is the acceleration of this trend to who knows where and what levels.

Can apple ban users from using their devices (iPhone, MACs, etc) because they don't like the politics of the person?
Can Microsoft ban users from using their OS?
Can the cell companies ban you from using their networks?
Can dell/HP ban you from using their servers (after all you don't own the code to the hardware)?
Can the internet companies that you have access tell you no to service?
Can the electric/water company say no as well because you didn't say the right thing?
Can all the food stores in your area ban you because you support the wrong team?


The first amendment protects from the government but what happens when the means to exercise that in the modern age is 100% controlled by corporations?

There really isn't a single thing you do today where a corporation isn't involved.

Yes I have a kid and I set expectations accordingly around gifts, money, whatever. And no I do not empathize with the parents who bend over backwards for their kids around non important things (like consumer goods).

Given the PS5 (like many things) are not important or critical, and if people were smart (hahahahaha), they would just wait to a) not overpay and b) not feed into this bad behavior. But gotta have the newest and shiniest thing right?

Governments?

Are tight

Landlords in my area are requiring higher security deposits and 1/2 of the total amount of the rent over the rental length up front.

Your logic that we must prove we are competent to exercise a right (which is a whole other topic of it isn't a right if you have to ask to use it). So why shouldn't that same logic be applied to all the other amendments?

My logic is the government must prove, through due process, you can't exercise the right. An abusee does not have to ask the abuser for permission to defend themselves against the abuser.

Red flag lows as an example, especially evil, right now are trying to be forced just on the 2nd right now. If this becomes the "norm" it will easily be applied to everything else.

Can we apply your logic to all our rights? Let's start with the 13th. If you can't prove that your a competent enough and safe enough to be free then you don't get to be free. Slavery by default.

I have passed multiple BG checks for my military service, security clearances, CCW, etc.

I am against UBC. I am against red flag laws.

A right is not a right if you have to ask permission to exercise it. An abusee should never have to ask the abuser to protect themselves from the abuser.
And a lot of red flag laws "due process" the person being accused is not present to defend themselves. So not much of due process.

Lowering spending and face the fact your pension system was created of false hopes and unicorn dreams. The pension system is one of Chicago's biggest drains and if not dealt with will basically require never ending tax raises until it collapses anyway. The promise of the pension (based on nothing ore than magical wishing and crossing fingers of an ever growing population/economy) is no longer valid and sustainable.

Either slash the pensions to nothing (and yes that hurts people on it) to try to give the current people an economic chance or keep raising taxes (which also hurts people) until those who have money and/or mobile decide to simply leave making the situation worse (which based on numbers of people leaving being greater than those coming in seems to be their choice).

So the cashless restaurants are going to have lower prices and not charge like 12 bucks for a mixed drink?

I missed that actually so thanks for the added info! But my overall view doesn't change. Look at everything Equifax did without consent (collecting real personal information that can destroy people financial, selling said data, lobbying congress to put laws in place to ensure these unregulated companies have full power of our financial lives, hiding data breaches, hiding the fact they made negligent security mistakes, etc.) and that blew over quickly and people in general don't seem to care.

People gave FB general info. FB sold it (or 3rd party apps collected it). People are really shocked? I mean maybe I am giving to much credit to the average person but don't people realize anything you put on FB (and other sites where it is free to you) is no longer yours? Don't people know that when you put info up it is out in the wild? Don't people know they are the product being sold? Or again maybe I am just giving way to much credit to the average person. :-)