Whats Ruining Society? [Wall of Text]

**Hessah** · 03-09-2009, 08:33 AM

In the ideal perfect world, yes. They should be checking every bit they could to ensure that only people that deserves gets it. But, reality is people will lie and dodge criterias to receive more than what they need. And often there's a limit to how far an organisation could go into checking you.

For example, people get study allowance for students that doesn't have an income. But I go and tutor my cousins and all my relative's kids, and i get cash. I probably don't "need" the government hand outs, but I still get it coz I fit their criteria and they can't check on me coz i get cash... kinda thing..

OK, that man with the pants. He earns $300. The bank can very well give him a credit card with $200 limit on it. He gets his pay check, spent $150 on food, and pays for the pants with his $200 limit. In the next month, he gets another $300, pays $150 for food, and he still owes the bank $200. He pays $150 off (because that's all he could afford) and in roll the interest for the $50 he still owes.

That is, provided that he doesn't spend any MORE luxuries. If he does, he rolls more interest through.

There's his debt and interest. Of coz, if he's really a plan ahead guy, he can pay it off in 3 months. BUT if things gets into a bigger scale like a mortgage or a car loan, the lump sum can get bigger and bigger easily.

And just for a fun fact, when I first applied for a credit card, the monthly limit they gave me was 4 times the amount I earn. I didn't even ask for that limit, they just said "here you go". They really don't think about how I was going to repay it coz that's how banks earn money. From interest.

**Vasu** · 03-10-2009, 05:29 AM

Okay. I'm getting a little tired of the ideal world brush-offs. What is your suggestion then? That everybody be responsible? That nobody be materialistic? Even that happens only in an "ideal" world. I still maintain that the fact that banks give out loans so irresponsibly is NOT the man's fault. He's entitled to spend his money in any way he sees fit.

**Hessah** · 03-10-2009, 05:39 AM

Everyone should be "responsible". People can be materialistic, within their own limits.

The ideal world is not real. The "bush offs" are just another way of saying "yes that is how it SHOULD work but that's not REALLY how it works."

Anyone is entitle to spend his money where he sees fit, I agree with you on that. But with the example I gave, the guy is spending MORE than he has earnt...

People need to be responsible for their own spending, the fact that someone is lending you more money than you can earn does not mean you can go and spend it all. (And there are many real people out there that doesn't understand that concept.)

And, blaming a bank isn't really gonna give that guy free food for the rest of the month, is it?

**Ivramire** · 03-10-2009, 05:46 AM

Originally Posted by Vasu

Okay. I'm getting a little tired of the ideal world brush-offs. What is your suggestion then? That everybody be responsible? That nobody be materialistic? Even that happens only in an "ideal" world. I still maintain that the fact that banks give out loans so irresponsibly is NOT the man's fault. He's entitled to spend his money in any way he sees fit.

I don't think that anyone here is saying that you don't have the right to spend the money you earned in whatever way you want. The problem lies in spending money that you don't have for things you don't really need, such as for the aforementioned IPhone. People borrow more than they could realistically afford to pay back and the banks can write it off as profit in the books. This is what happens when the economy is coasting along.

We then hit a bumpy spot. Oil prices flucuate, housing prices collapse, banks start going under, car companys go hat in hand, noone can afford to pay back the sums they've borrowed. etc. ad nauseum.

There are things the way they should be, and there are things the ways they are. (clunky sentence) Banks should only be lending to those who can afford it, people should only borrow what they can afford to pay, we all should take into account real needs first, but that is not they way things are. In the end, we can only look back and say that this is the way things should have been, but much too late and after the fact.

^Typed out before Hessah's reply

**Yosei** · 03-10-2009, 06:09 AM

Yeah you basically worded everything in my head lol. I suck at getting things into words D:

Jikanu · 03-12-2009, 10:13 PM

personally, i think it's people ruining society, though that's a bit of an oxy-moron... people these days have lost all tennants of respect for their fellow human beings. people look at others as faceless pawns in their own gain. there's exceptions, like most people here, but overall, i think it's greed and human nature ruining society right now. it's like that '70s movie, "Network"... at the end it proves that alot of the time people are looked at as dollar signs... i wont spoil it for people who havent seen it yet though.

**Hraesvelg** · 03-12-2009, 10:22 PM

When, exactly, has human society ever been this eglaitarian utopia of which you speak?

**Yosei** · 03-12-2009, 10:51 PM

Well.. compared to things in the past, society isn't so bad. Children have been forced to work dangerous jobs, women and any minorities had almost no rights in most places. Religious discrimination, etc. It's still going on in some places, but in most developed countries, its generally gone.

But, some people are becoming careless. People in the past have lived and worked purely to survive. People these days live and work to be happy.

But you got to have moderation and responsibility.

Jikanu · 03-12-2009, 11:01 PM

i know it's never been that way... but it doesnt neccesarilly make it right ._.

but now, with the rise of corperations, it's seeming to get worse than ever... there was greed before, but it was at least split up so you could put a face behind it.

plus, there's no creativity anymore... people just ram a bunch of already used things into one small convinient package, and it sells automatically. there's no real innovation as of late... just convinience. im not dissing apple... im typing this on a mac. but im kinda wondering, why has innovation dropped so much? nowadays, sameness is everywhere you look. wanna make a buck on t.v.? make a reality show! wanna make some cash in the film industry? make a romantic comedy! wanna REALLY capitalize on those things? make a cheap video game out of it!

it's good to have those things... (except maybe the badly made games)... but a well-working society needs a bit of innovation to balance that out.