at least not in their banking laws. The way the laws are written is if you violate the spirit of the law but not the letter you're still in trouble. Of course, Rich people lose money when banking laws are violated. You know, we could learn something from those people. Violating the spirit of the law should carry the same weight. Screw this noise where corps just maneuver around laws. Put a little more power in our Judicial system to interpret intent, and maybe a few odds/end checks and balances to prevent abuses and problem solved. I know I'm over simplifying it, but it's better than throwing our hands up and saying we're all done for...

Um... the reduction in McDonald's is nationwide, while the study makes the point that there are more hospital visits near fracking, which is a localized thing. You're point isn't relevant.

there was a time after WWII that we didn't tolerate it. It's also coincidentally the best time in US History economically.

One thing I know for sure, the "State" is really our only hope. I can't think of anything that can stand up to the might of a Mega-Corp. Maybe the won't; maybe they'll always just be in cahoots. But I'm watching local gov'ts get picked apart one by one. They just don't have the power. If you want to get something done in America you use the federal gov't. That's how we got rid of Apartheid (we called it "Separate but Equal") and that's how we got Gay Marriage. I've never once seen a bunch of small disconnected states do anything about real oppression. It always took a bigger, better organized power stepping in.

The Republican party intentionally underfunded them to prevent enforcement. They also gave them a directive to audit a certain percentage of low income tax earners as part of the "compromise" that came with the earned income tax credit from the 90s. Both of these are verifiable facts. We've got a substantial part of the political power base that wants to lower wages. Discuss amongst yourselves if that's a good thing or not.

now what happens when you're 50 an you actually need medical care? You've been in and out of contract gigs your whole life and you're past your "sell-by" date now. Good luck getting one of those cushy jobs with benefits after your relentless pursuit of a quick dollar causes them all to go away.

You're also skirting unemployment insurance. Remember, unemployment is _not_ for you to take. It's there so you don't end up competing in a race to the bottom with desperate wage slaves when the economy takes a minor dip. That way when you're contract comes up for renewal they don't say "that's great cayenne8, but we've got 80 folks with your same skill set offering to do the job for 1/3 the pay. Will you take 1/6?".

where the hell have you been? Plus you're not paying into unemployment. It's not there for when _you're_ laid off, it's there to keep you from competing with desperate people when _they_ get laid off.

What are my options to stop it? That's all he's asking. It's especially scary because the same govt that should be looking out for these abuses is actively participating in them. This is what happens when workers lose solidarity. They'll come for you and your wages next.

Why put a gun on a drone, because fuck you that's why.

Looks like the NRA has some more work to do, since someone will try to ban this too.

look at the jobs that are being created. They're low paying service sector jobs that are impossible to Unionize. I know, the anti-Union hate on /. is pretty strong, but there really isn't any other way to raise wages for the general populace (excluding geniuses and a few lucky /.ers who didn't see their jobs outsourced).

Basically the Manufacturing jobs from the 70s were replaced by McJobs in the 90s. You traded $70k/yr + benefits for $20k/yr without (unless you're lucky enough to live in a state with socialized medicine for the poor).

After 20 years of Karl Rove and Fox News a sizable number of Americans are opposed to any regulation. Rand Paul (or maybe his dad) argued that instead of govt regs you let the folks who own the contaminated land Sue for damages. If it's international waters I guess you'd have to prove your land was contaminated...

but can't let this slide. A _good_ Uber driver makes about $15/hr after accounting for the cost of driving. That's not even $30k/year. Dude, they're not anywhere near the level's your thinking about, nor will they ever be. If they worked 80 hours a week (which would be incredibly dangerous) they _might_ clear $60k... You've spent too much time in cushy Computer Science and/or engineering gigs. These folks don't have anything to save. The best of the best barely qualify as "Working Poor"...

Uber will drop you. Also you have to have an Uber phone. Calling it a "lease" does change a thing.

Uber just wants to get out of paying the employer expenses everyone else has to. As a society we've built our entire quality of life around our employers, so I can't see that ending well. Plus without trashing their employees quality of life their business model doesn't really work.

I3 with 4gb and 500 gigs? I can get that here for $300. $600 if it's "business class"...

Eventually we reach a point where it becomes possible to provide everyone with enough to live comfortably at no cost to anyone else.

And why would anyone do that? I own my own robots that grow food, make stuff, and provide security. The smelly homeless guy in the street expects me to shelter, cloth, and feed him? ROBOTS SHOW THIS TRASH TO THE CURB!!

Sure there will be plenty of charity types who will do the good work, but society as a whole will eventual get sick of those that can't or worse.....wont. With robots as weapons I can see the wonts pushed out pretty hard.

Essentially there will be no need for the bottom %'s. Those is power will bribe or force those at the bottom to stop breeding. Eventually the world will be filled with nothing but the top percent. Is this a bad thing? Maybe may be not depends on your philosophy.

Um.. So what you're saying is you have so little faith in the police that when they show up and nobody dies it's a"miracle "? I think we've got bigger problems than a few socially maladjusted teens