US out of JCPOA - Trump

[Saz]

[ToddStarnes]

[NAB]

Jesus Dylan, you’re turning into Clint Eastwood.

[ToddStarnes]

[ToddStarnes]

I'm sorry if this offends you, NAB.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447759/

Is it that crazy to think that music could have a negative effect? Really? I'm automatically a doddering old senile idiot if I think this?

Sigh. I wish people would be a bit more critical instead of just having these knee jerk reactions that have been drilled in by liberals for the last few decades. We have to do better than this folks.

[ToddStarnes]

[exploited]

[ToddStarnes]

[exploited]

I have contemplated a licensing scheme for children many times, so no, I don't think it makes you a monster. The problem is that these schemes engage directly with some of the most core and profound principles of human rights and bodily autonomy. It is, in other words, very dangerous grounds, and would require the kind of light touch that I think this society is largely incapable of.

The biggest and arguably most insurmountable problem is determining who qualifies. What is the benchmark for taking away children? Is it physical abuse? Socioeconomic status? Past behaviour? If a woman gets addicted to drugs at 18 and has a child, should she be forced onto birth control, and for how long? What are the consequences of not cooperating? How does one get these restrictions removed? How can we ensure that this is not unfairly used against poor people, while leaving abusive rich folk unchecked?

For the past several years, I've volunteered for the local victim services program. Every month I am scheduled two 24 hour shifts, where I am on call. My job is to respond to crimes once the police have arrived and secured the scene, and then handle whatever needs the victims have. Often times it is as simple as connecting them with the right resources - counselors, for instance, or agencies that will cover the costs associated with engaging with the criminal justice system. But other times the needs are primarily emotional - just providing a calm and steady hand, sitting with them and reassuring them, making sure they get something to eat, etc.

The reason I bring this up is because abuse and neglect of children is everywhere. A little over a year ago I got called out to a domestic where the father had beaten the shit out of his wife and kids with a shovel. You can imagine my surprise when I showed up to a multi-million dollar estate with a guest house and a stable and six luxury cars in the driveway. My honest expectation is that 90% of my calls would be to lower-income areas. This has not been the case. Rich folk are f**k up their kids at very similar rates, but the fundamental difference is that they have the means to defend themselves, and the connections to make problems go away. IIRC, the man with the shovel was charged with assault with a weapon - and received a fine and was required to do several hundred hours of community service, as well as attend regular therapy. He didn't lose his kids, he didn't go to jail. What would have been the outcome if he was poor, and did the same thing?

As it relates to the problems facing the black community in America, it seems obvious that these same problems exist, but are amplified by racial tension, socioeconomic realities and institutional inertia (i.e. not getting kids, parents and teachers the right resources to succeed). And when you view it in that light, you start to really wonder if taking these kids away will actually do anything. What are the outcomes for kids who go through the foster system? These kids face tremendous mental health burdens. They are behind developmentally. They often get caught in a similar trap - having kids they can't afford at a young age, thus perpetuating the system that brought them to ruin. They get abused in government facilities, then get placed in homes, which they never become a real part of. Eventually they hit 18 and then get dumped into a world they have no practical way of grappling with.

There is also one thing that should be discussed: the importance of a family network. Have you noticed how families tend to have similar economic outcomes? To give an example, among my aunts and uncles, there are two college professors, two large business owners, two executives for major multinationals. Among my immediate family, my parents were successful business owners, I run a moderately successful (fingers crossed) web development business, and my sisters are executives for national charities. What would happen to me if my parents were abusive? The answer is very simple: I would have been raised by my aunts and uncles, or even my grandparents, who were equally as successful financially, and could provide the stability needed for a successful foster. These networks are often the only difference between a kid who managed to succeed despite all the problems, and a kid who just repeats the same problem behaviour as their parents.

Anyways, pragmatically, I don't think we can forbid people from having children, or force them onto birth control, or sterilize them. I also don't think that raising children via government is going to improve outcomes. You'll see an unfair system administered badly, with the brunt of the impact effecting those who are least capable of dealing with it (the poor). So what to do?

To be honest, I don't know the answer to that question. Saz made a good suggestion about education, and that is certainly a start. But we need to look at other areas as well. Consider teen runaways - oftentimes this is due to self-abuse, but it is also often due to parental abuse. These kids run away, hopping from couch to couch, until eventually the charity of their friends families runs out and they are on the streets. In this case, they need housing. Housing which should be conditional upon attending school and participating in self-improvement. They also require food - the difference in educational attainment between kids who eat well and kids who don't is actually astounding. Finally, they need mentors - this is something we have fallen behind on. Sure, Big Brothers and Sisters exist, but it isn't enough. A jobs program for at-risk youth, led by experts in the field of child development, might do some good - they'll get professional experience, some money, and some guidance.

At the end of the day, my fear is that this is the kind of problem that requires a light touch and a well-articulated national policy, in addition to decades of funding, and a real motivation to break these cycles. I'm not certain that is possible these days. We may simply now have a permanent underclass.

[NAB]