From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism



Lao A Tells a Story: "Who Counts as White in America?"


Let me start by saying something: the overall cognitive problem of white Americans is both twisted and failed, and it could even become one of the triggers for this country's destruction.
You might find the whole "white people" vibe quite ridiculous. Let me tell you a story from my freshman year. I was taking a Public Speaking class, an elective mainly teaching how to speak in public, write drafts, interact with audiences, and analyze issues.
The teacher was an "old troll," and he gave us a debate topic: "What exactly is a white person?"
It was a small in-class debate. We were randomly paired up. I happened to be paired with a white boy who looked like the classic "silly son of a wealthy family"rCowell-dressed but completely clueless about society and his own identity, just coasting through college.
This guy kept insisting that being white was just a skin color identity, a sort of cognition. I said, "Oh, skin color, right?" I asked him, "Look at me. Am I white?"
He immediately said, "You aren't white."
I said, "I'm not? Didn't you say being white is a skin color cognition?"
He said, "Yeah."
So I said, "Then bring out a color card and compare. My skin is whiter than yours."
Let me clarify, Heilongjiang is icy and snowy, and the climate is no different from Northern Europe; people there are quite fair. Actually, many people from my hometown in the Northeast aren't just comparable to white people in skin tone; they are often whiter. I told him, "Haven't you noticed your skin color isn't actually as white as mine?"
He froze. His face turned red instantly. Why do I say "instantly red"? It was like I had stripped him of his "white membership." When I said he wasn't white enough, this kid turned red. You know that colorrCofrom snow white to bright red, like a boiled shrimp. What angered him most was that I, a non-white person, had actually stripped him of his "white membership."
I even said, "If you don't believe me, let's Google a color card right now, check the color code, and see if you are darker than me." He completely lost it. I took out my laptop, searched for a color card on Google, and said, "Look, aren't you less white than me? So now I ask you, am I white?"
He totally broke down, slammed the door, and left. He didn't even stay for the class. While everyone else was still wondering what happened, he just stormed out. It was hilarious.
Simply put, if we really go by skin color, many white people aren't actually white.
This is the shallowest level of cognition: "White people are people with white skin." In the US, many white people can only comprehend this first layer. But when someone like me, who is whiter than them, asks, "Look, I'm whiter than you, am I white?" their brains instantly crash. The reality is, American white people's cognition is extremely moronic. If you go by skin color, not only should some non-white people be considered white, but many people they consider white should also have their "white membership" revoked.
A typical example is the "Redneck."
Very typical. Let me tell you why. Rednecks have dark, reddish skin because they work outdoors patrolling all the time. They are from the American South. Do you really think many upper-middle class whites consider them white?
ItrCOs simple: not only is their skin color not as "good" or white as ours, but their class and social status are low. To put it bluntly, aside from the top billionaires, the American middle and lower-middle class whites are the cruelest to the poorest whites. Their logic is: "You are white, why the hell are you so poor? Why are you so weak? I'm revoking your white card." It's a chain reaction.
The most typical example is my ex-girlfriend.
She extremely disliked Rednecks. She would even blame me for being too nice to them. For instance, she couldn't accept me cooking for a Redneck guy. At first, I thought she was mad because I was delaying cooking for her. I said, "Wait a sec, the Redneck guy has to go to work, let me braise this meat for him first." Later I realized it wasn't about the time; she just purely looked down on Rednecks.
Her point was: "You cooking for me, serving me, is correct. Why are you serving him?"
She couldn't accept it. She felt that I, a Chinese person, should serve them, the upper-middle class whites. Why serve a Redneck? I said, "He's my friend, I'm helping him out." She said, "No. Those people are stupid, ignorant, and wrong. You should stay away from them."
Her evaluation of Rednecks reminded me of the deep-seated prejudice some urban Chinese have against rural areas. Very prejudiced.
I told her, "Rednecks have sacrificed a lot defending America, you should respect them." She said something that really shocked me: "They deserve it. They should die on the battlefield and not come back."
That kind of discrimination is terrifying. I said, "He's white too, are you that cruel to your own people?" She gave a very typical answer: "Who says he's 'my people'? He isn't. Don't talk nonsense. I'm not their people."
Very typical. "I'm not their people. They are not mine." When she said this, her eyes were determined. The meaning was: whoever puts me in the same group as these Rednecks is making a huge mistake.
Revoking "whiteness," stripping Rednecks of their white status, was as easy as drinking water for her.
Later, I argued, "They fought for you Americans..." She replied, "We spent so much military budget, I don't owe them anything." This is a common mindset among rich Americans: they think the tax money spent on the military is the "money to buy their lives," treating soldiers as dead men. If those Rednecks didn't die on the battlefield, they made a profit.
So, you see, you can strip white status based on skin color, and you can strip it based on class. Their cognitive system is very chaotic.
Later I asked her, "Since you accept me, do you think I'm different from them?" She blinked and said, "You're different." I asked, "How am I different? I'm not a Christian, my skin is about as white as yours, but I don't have European ancestry. So am I white?"
She proudly told me, "My father approves of you. He thinks I have good taste." I thought, "What do you mean your father approves?" That's just how I understood itrCoher dad recognized me.
I said, "Alright then." It's very weird.
Their cognition is just that chaotic and disordered. As we discussed, from a skin color perspective, some people aren't white; from a bloodline perspective, it's another set of rules... We went to watch a ball game once... I forget which one.
Let's continue with the football game. We were watching a Seattle Seahawks game.
I looked at my ex-girlfriend and asked, "Don't you dislike Black people? You usually look down on them the most, so why are you cheering for this Black player?"
She said, "No, they are the pride of us Americans. They are our heroes, heroes of Seattle."
I said, "Wait a second. We've been together for a while, and you've always had terrible things to say about Black people. How come he's suddenly an American hero?"
She replied, "Well, he can win games. If he can win, then a Black person is also a White person, right?"
I said, "You never talk like this usually, always listing their flaws. Isn't this double standard a bit too severe?"
She said, "It's not severe. He is an American hero."
I asked, "What if he loses? Or retires?"
She said, "Then we'll see."
So, just in that moment of winning, he possesses human rights again. The standards are extremely flexible, sometimes even having an expiration date. But don't think it only works in one direction (including outsiders).
Take that Redneck guy, for example. He had a different issue. He disliked a member of his security team. This member was a White guy.
I asked the Redneck, "Why don't you like him?"
He said, "There's something wrong with him. He's not one of us."
I asked, "He's not White?"
He said, "He's from Mexico. He's a Mexican White."
I said, "Mexicans can be White too; they are descendants of colonizers. He looks White. Doesn't he count?"
The Redneck shook his head. "He doesn't count. He believes in the wrong thing. He's not a Protestant."
I said, "So if he's Catholic, he's not White?"
He said, "Right. We orthodox Whites are all Protestants."
I argued, "That doesn't make sense. What about the British? Are they White?"
He said, "British people are White."
I said, "Back when they persecuted your Puritan ancestors and chased you to North America, you didn't strip them of their 'White card' then, did you?"
The Redneck started mumbling about religious issues. In his eyes, Orthodox and Catholic believers aren't White. The funniest part is the expression on his face when he strips someone of their 'White card'rCoit's incredibly sanctimonious, like he's waging a holy war and excommunicating heretics. He's deadly serious when he discusses why someone isn't White.
I said, "He believes in God, just a different denomination. Is it that serious? What does he have to do to be considered White?"
He said, "He can only atone for his sins with death."
These Protestants, aren't they being a bit too much? Just stripping someone's White status like that. It's ridiculous.
You might think the Redneck is pathetic for having his status stripped by the upper class, but even at the bottom, they are stripping each other's status. They nitpick each other constantly.
So, the question "Who is White?" becomes a composite of class, skin color, religion, and utility. It's a standard that can be adjusted at will. If they don't want to treat you as White, they can list every criteria, and if you fail just one, you're out. If they want you as "one of us," they lower the bar; if you meet just one criteria, you're in. It's completely hypocritical.
But don't assume that meeting all the criteria guarantees you "White" status. Let me give you a more extreme example. Do you know one of the real reasons Harvard rejected Trump's son, Barron?
It wasn't just politics. In the eyes of certain upper-class elites, Barron doesn't count as White. Why? Because his mother was stripped of her status.
His mother is Slavic, and her profession wasn't "respectable"rCoshe was a model. You can find her photos online. In their eyes, having the First Lady's nude photos circulating globally is an affront to White dignity. It's not "presentable."
If your mother isn't considered White because of her "lowly" Slavic blood and her "indecent" profession, then your son certainly isn't White either. Isn't this just a caste system? For Barron, the term "Son of a Bitch" isn't just an insult; it's a description of his lineage in their eyes. Simply put, his "Whiteness" was revoked.
This explains what I've said before: the White demographic is shrinking because people are constantly being cut out. This is also why American Whites refuse to do certain jobsrCobecause taking those jobs means losing your "White card."
Remember when I talked about the mismatch in American industry? Why don't Whites work in Chinese restaurants? Two reasons: language, and more importantly, they cannot accept being ordered around by a "Yellow" person.
Imagine a Chinese kitchen. The boss speaks Fujianese or Chaoshan dialect, yelling at a White guy, "Go cut that carrot."
Whites can't handle that. They cannot accept being commanded by a person of color. It's a stress response. They'd rather be poor than work in a Chinese kitchen.
There's a saying: "Racist is expensive." Racism comes with a high price tag. Whites can accept flipping burgers in a White-owned restaurant for lower pay, but they won't work in a Chinese kitchen for better pay and food. Why? Because working for a Chinese boss means your work isn't "presentable," and you get your "White card" revoked in your community.
High-end Japanese restaurants might have White staff, but low-end ones don't. This "White status" is vague and precarious. It applies to everyone, even the President's son. Stripping your status is as easy as pie. Certain jobs, like cleaning sewers, are strictly off-limits. Whites would rather starve than do them, because "unrespectable work" combined with "low status" will strip you of your Whiteness.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

Lao A Tells a Story: "Who Counts as White in America?"

Lao A's American Story: Even Rainwater Gets Taxed


Many people ask these questions. First, regarding "paying full price for groceries"rCois it really that tragic? Earning so little, eating so poorly, unable to afford vegetablesrCois that real? I can responsibly tell you: it is all real. This brings up the issue of what Americans actually earn. Do you remember the ledger I calculated for you guys?
Take a person with a monthly salary of $3,000. After taxes, they take home about $2,400. After paying car loans, rent, and all that, how much is left? Probably just three or four hundred dollars. That is their disposable income for the month. With that money, can they afford to eat vegetables?
Let's look at the vegetable prices in the US; these are the latest. Someone making $3,000 a month has less than $500 in disposable income. Look at tomatoesrCo$6.69 for 16 ounces (one pound). Does that still seem cheap? Can you afford it? The biggest problem with fresh vegetables is that they don't keep; you have to eat them quickly. Also, once you cook them, they shrink significantly. That is why "paying full price for groceries" is such an insane concept in the US.
Let's look further. Cabbage, lettuce, scallionsrColook at the prices. Think about the cost of making a tomato and egg stir-fry. Two tomatoes cost $8.80. I could buy a pound of beef for that price. Why would I eat vegetables instead of beef? Vegetables are relatively too expensive.
Someone asked, "Why not buy regular, non-organic vegetables?" I won't eat regular tomatoes. Why? Because those tomatoes can bounce when thrown on the ground. It's not that I have OCD; I just don't want to die. According to Chinese shopping standards, those pointy tomatoes are inedible. International students know exactly what I'm talking about.
Second concept: Soldiers paying for their own uniforms. Is this true? Yes, they have to buy their own gear. They give you a uniform allowance, but you have to use it to buy the uniform. Doesn't that essentially mean they didn't give you anything? Some people compare this to an ancient auxiliary soldier system, but that's bullshit. Ancient auxiliaries got a share of the spoils. American soldiers don't see a dime of that embezzled oil money; that goes to the "Masters."
Third point: Selling blood to buy bubble tea. This happens a lot, especially in places like Seattle. You see people on social media with bandages on their arms, drinking Starbucks. Can't they save that money? No, they have to maintain "middle-class dignity." It's terrifying. This isn't like Xu Sanguan selling blood to survive; this is selling blood for a lifestyle. That's why I hate Starbucks.
Fourth point: Is collecting rainwater illegal? In certain water-scarce states, yes. The more scarce the water, the more illegal it is to collect. Why? Water rights monopoly. Look at California; water rights are controlled by specific families. If you collect your own rainwater, you aren't paying the "Masters," so how can they allow that?
Fifth point: Can you grow your own food in your yard? No. In poor neighborhoods, the police don't care, but people there grow marijuana, not food. In middle-class neighborhoods, no one grows food because it affects property values. Farming involves fertilizers and pesticidesrCothe smell is unbearable for the neighbors. If you ruin the "scent" of the community and lower the housing prices, the HOA will force you to sell your house. They will help you be "dignified" whether you like it or not.
This is American-style consumerism. Selling blood to drink StarbucksrCois that dignity?
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

Lao A Tells a Story: "Who Counts as White in America?"

Lao A's American Story: Even Rainwater Gets Taxed

Many people ask these questions. First, regarding "paying full price for groceries"rCois it really that tragic? Earning so little, eating so poorly, unable to afford vegetablesrCois that real? I can responsibly tell you: it is all real. This brings up the issue of what Americans actually earn. Do you remember the ledger I calculated for you guys?
Take a person with a monthly salary of $3,000. After taxes, they take home about $2,400. After paying car loans, rent, and all that, how much is left? Probably just three or four hundred dollars. That is their disposable income for the month. With that money, can they afford to eat vegetables?
Let's look at the vegetable prices in the US; these are the latest. Someone making $3,000 a month has less than $500 in disposable income. Look at tomatoesrCo$6.69 for 16 ounces (one pound). Does that still seem cheap? Can you afford it? The biggest problem with fresh vegetables is that they don't keep; you have to eat them quickly. Also, once you cook them, they shrink significantly. That is why "paying full price for groceries" is such an insane concept in the US.
Let's look further. Cabbage, lettuce, scallionsrColook at the prices. Think about the cost of making a tomato and egg stir-fry. Two tomatoes cost $8.80. I could buy a pound of beef for that price. Why would I eat vegetables instead of beef? Vegetables are relatively too expensive.
Someone asked, "Why not buy regular, non-organic vegetables?" I won't eat regular tomatoes. Why? Because those tomatoes can bounce when thrown on the ground. It's not that I have OCD; I just don't want to die. According to Chinese shopping standards, those pointy tomatoes are inedible. International students know exactly what I'm talking about.
Second concept: Soldiers paying for their own uniforms. Is this true? Yes, they have to buy their own gear. They give you a uniform allowance, but you have to use it to buy the uniform. Doesn't that essentially mean they didn't give you anything? Some people compare this to an ancient auxiliary soldier system, but that's bullshit. Ancient auxiliaries got a share of the spoils. American soldiers don't see a dime of that embezzled oil money; that goes to the "Masters."
Third point: Selling blood to buy bubble tea. This happens a lot, especially in places like Seattle. You see people on social media with bandages on their arms, drinking Starbucks. Can't they save that money? No, they have to maintain "middle-class dignity." It's terrifying. This isn't like Xu Sanguan selling blood to survive; this is selling blood for a lifestyle. That's why I hate Starbucks.
Fourth point: Is collecting rainwater illegal? In certain water-scarce states, yes. The more scarce the water, the more illegal it is to collect. Why? Water rights monopoly. Look at California; water rights are controlled by specific families. If you collect your own rainwater, you aren't paying the "Masters," so how can they allow that?
Fifth point: Can you grow your own food in your yard? No. In poor neighborhoods, the police don't care, but people there grow marijuana, not food. In middle-class neighborhoods, no one grows food because it affects property values. Farming involves fertilizers and pesticidesrCothe smell is unbearable for the neighbors. If you ruin the "scent" of the community and lower the housing prices, the HOA will force you to sell your house. They will help you be "dignified" whether you like it or not.
This is American-style consumerism. Selling blood to drink StarbucksrCois that dignity?

===============================================
American Show Charity:
Just a Reality Show for the Rich!
Keeping the "Masters" Happy is What Matters


Americans do receive charity assistance, whether from the government or the church. But this isn't charity in the true sense; accurately speaking, it is a performancerCoa standard, high-spec production. Professional camera crews, interview agencies, and sharply dressed reporters are all standard equipment.
The only ones being "consumed" are the "poor bastards." Whether they are homeless, the newly unemployed, or struggling single mothers, while theoretically the beneficiaries, in reality, they are merely props.
I participated in these projects; the showmanship was overwhelming. Let me tell you about my first year. I volunteered for a church and school-organized Foodbank. Initially, my motive was utilitarian: getting school credits and recommendation letters.
That Thanksgiving was my first time celebrating the holiday. I thought gathering to distribute relief supplies was a good thing. But by November, I discovered that the high-quality donated goods were locked in a special warehouse, only accumulating, never leaving. When I asked the warehouse manager why nothing was distributed, he said he didn't have the key. When I asked the priest, he was blunt: those supplies were being saved for the charity livestream.
At the time, I thought, "It's just publicity, understandable." But after two weeks, the month ended, the weather turned freezing, people ran out of food, and someone even froze to death on the street. A homeless man froze to death not far from the church. I was distressed and begged the priest to distribute supplies early. He said no, they must wait for the holiday. The hardest part was that I had to persuade the poorrCosingle mothers, elderly people with meager pensions, the disabledrCoto "wait for a miracle" and believe in God. Watching them plead in tears while I lied and said there were no supplies broke me. I couldn't take it anymore; I started buying sandwiches with my own money and secretly giving them to single mothers with children. I spent about five hundred dollars that week.
On Thanksgiving Day, I saw the scene I least wanted to see. It was a freezing, rainy day, around 3-4 degrees Celsius. We arrived early to set up the site in the neighborhood with the most homeless people. Armed police arrived first to clear the area, brutally driving away the homeless to create an empty space. Then, barriers resembling trench fortifications were set up, and trucks hauled in the high-quality goodsrCoturkeys and suchrCothat had been hidden away.
Next came the TV reporters, dressed exquisitely, each holding a Starbucks; then the city officials, with their entourages. On the periphery, the poor stood in long lines in the rain. What angered me most was the screening process: guards frisked people like they were sorting pigs. Those who were disheveled or unclean were not allowed on camera.
A single mother holding her child was roughly pulled open by a guard to check for a bomb, making the child cry. The mother broke down and protested, and a police dog nearly attacked her. Just meters away, the "Masters" were enthusiastically chatting on camera about "how to help the poor."
When distribution started, for the sake of the camera, the Masters stuffed the poor with excessive supplies, ignoring whether they could carry them or if they would be robbed while walking through the chaotic neighborhood. The morning at the Foodbank left me furious, and the afternoon at the church was physically revolting.
In the afternoon, amidst freezing rain, the priest organized the poor to sing hymns while livestreaming for donations. The more destitute and sick they were, the more devoutly they praised God; some even knelt to kiss the priest's mud-covered feet. I personally handed supplies to a white old man, shivering with frostbite and missing fingernails. He took them and immediately thanked God. These people had been oppressed their whole lives, repenting on their deathbeds, while the church simply used them as tools to display charity, discarding them to die once the photos were taken.
The second year, at Christmas, it was even worse. The government booked hotels, and police with batons herded the homeless inside to bathe, just so they would look "presentable on camera." The hotels couldn't handle thousands of people showering at once; the later groups got freezing cold water. Showering in cold water in winter and then going back out into the rain made many sick. It was all for show.
Seeing so many sick people, I handed out some cold medicine and antibiotics I brought from home. The old priest was terrified, warning me that this could get me killed, as antibiotics are valuable in the US and I might have inadvertently helped gang members. Later, a local gang leader approached me, saying his brother had coughed to death years ago due to lack of medicine. He thanked me but warned me not to distribute medicine indiscriminately, as it would be dangerous outside that community.
Throughout the charity process, everyone had to wear the standard "American fake smile." This social conditioning is terrifying.
In contrast, the Islamic community I visited was much better. They really distributed flatbread and mutton soup, sitting together in a circle. It didn't matter if you were a believer; if you were in need, they helped. That is true charity that provides a real safety net.
Is there any hope for America? No. I can change nothing. Aside from a heart full of rage, looking at the frozen corpses and the dying elderly who have been oppressed their whole lives yet still repent, I can do absolutely nothing.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

Lao A Tells a Story: "Who Counts as White in America?"

Lao A's American Story: Even Rainwater Gets Taxed

===============================================
American Show Charity:
Just a Reality Show for the Rich!
Keeping the "Masters" Happy is What Matters

===================================================

Why Are American Poor People Fat? Vegetarianism is a Class Symbol, Obesity is a Religious Sin
Let me get straight to the point with you guys: in America, what exactly is a fat person? A sinner. What kind of sinner? A sinner in the Christian sense.
Although Christianity has become somewhat dysfunctional in modern society, it has retained one function: the moral judgment of "sinners." America is a Protestant nation. Remember this: fat people are sinners. Gluttony, greed, stupidity, poverty, short-sightedness, ignorancerCoall negative qualities are projected onto fat people. In America, the existence of fat people satisfies the religious need to judge the "fallen."
So in America, being labeled fat is a form of torture; you will face extreme discrimination. Even though America has a high obesity rate, almost everyone discriminates against fat people. Aren't the underclass all fat? Right! Do they have a choice? No, they don't.
Since fat people are seen as the fallen, can't they just diet? Can't they just not eat? No. If you are a poor person at the bottom of American society, the relief supplies you get are unhealthy junk food. People ask, can they really not afford healthy food? They really can't!
I haven't done a price series in a long time. Today, let me show you the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables in America.
One small head of broccoli: $3.29. For a family of three to have a side dish, you need at least four heads, which is $12 to $13.
One potato: $1.67. That price is more expensive than meat.
And you have to consider, how much vegetables do you need to eat to get full? A construction workerrCowould you rather eat a pound of salad or a pound of pork chops? As long as your brain isn't rusted shut, you're picking the pork chops. Bottom-line workers need satiety.
So, as I've said, being a vegetarian, especially eating fresh vegetables, is a class symbol in America, not a choice. Those naive people asking "why don't fat people just go vegetarian"rCobro, they can't afford it.
Look at the prices: Pork chops are on sale for $4.49 a pound, while something like blueberries is $4.99 for just a few ounces.
Even the meat discriminates against you: 93% lean meat is $10 a pound, while 80% lean is only $8. The higher the fat ratio, the cheaper it is. Even eating lean meat is difficult.
Redneck bros have cried to me about not being able to afford beefrCothey genuinely can't. Don't think that because American animal husbandry is developed, poor people have meat to eat. Do you have a misunderstanding of capitalist society? "
rCLAcross the land, there are no idle fields, yet the farmer still dies of hunger.rCY
Do you get it now? Even if fat people are viewed as religious degenerates, they can't change their reality because they can't afford vegetables. Since they can't go vegetarian and can't lose weight, what do they do?
They play the ostrich. They keep eating junk food, but they won't let you call them fat.
This is a heads-up for international students: in Western society, "fat" is a verbal and spiritual taboo.
You absolutely cannot say the word "fat" in public; you have to use "Big back" or "Big boom." It's self-deception, but you must say it.
Visually, you cannot discriminate either. When you see an American shaped like a ball, do not stare. They are extremely sensitive and emotionally fragile.
Especially for Chinese people: never casually say, "Oh, I'm so fat, I need to lose weight" like you do back home. Saying that in front of an American "fatty" who weighs dozens of pounds more than yourCo in their eyes, you are being passive-aggressive and showing off. You will offend people, get blacklisted, and be ostracized.
This discrimination isn't just talk. At the bottom of American society, fat people are practically mentally ill. They have huge psychological pressure, are aggressive, and are addicted to food. It's a vicious cycle: the more they are discriminated against, the more anxious they get; the more anxious they get, the more they eat; the more they eat, the fatter they get.
Does being fat count as a disability? Yes.
Morbid obesity counts as a disability in America, with the threshold around 400 pounds. They can't fit through doors, their knees can't support their weight, and standing up causes bone fractures.
These people can't reach to wipe their own butts, so they smell like feces; they need assistive devices to shower. When they die and are cremated, the body has to be cut open with an electric knife first, otherwise, the grease buildup would blow up the entire crematorium.
I once saw a corpse of a fat person who died in the summer. The body exploded, and intestines were flung onto the ceiling fan... just imagine that scene. This is the cruel reality of American obesity.
This "physiological discrimination" extends to attitudes toward the disabled. American whites, especially Anglo-Saxons, have a "left-right brain conflict" here.
On one hand, religiously they say: the existence of disabled people proves God's benevolence. God loves all people, even these "defective products." So when doing charity, they drag the most severely disabled out as props for photos to prove God loves the world and that "we are good people."
On the other hand, when their sense of racial superiority kicks in, they feel: disabled people tarnish the purity of the white race. "Why are you white? Your existence proves white genes aren't excellent." The eugenics mindset pops up, wishing they could just eliminate the disabled.
This leads to extreme hypocrisy.
Kids who are good at studying get bullied for wearing glasses or being physically weak, seen as being punished by God.
But kids with actual intellectual disabilities who can't study, as long as they sing well in the church choir, are hailed as "God's favored children" and held up as positive examples.
This is praising ignorance.
This also explains why some American scientists are so cold and inhumane. Think about it: a person gets bullied growing up for being smart, gets no respect, and then finally becomes a lab supervisor. Facing those "muscle beasts" who bullied him back thenrCowhat mercy do you think he'll have?
Finally, remember this: in America, don't try to use logic with religious believers.
Their logic is self-consistent: God is almighty, God supports me. Trying to deconstruct them with science, besides making them have a mental breakdown, does you no good. You might win the argument, but you could end up eating a bullet.
Remember, don't apply Chinese habits in the US. If a white classmate asks for help with math, you must be gentle and slow, treating them like someone with zero common sense. Otherwise, they'll turn around and accuse you of discrimination, and getting your credits revoked is easy.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

Lao A Tells a Story: "Who Counts as White in America?"

Lao A's American Story: Even Rainwater Gets Taxed

===============================================
American Show Charity:
Just a Reality Show for the Rich!
Keeping the "Masters" Happy is What Matters

===================================================

Remember, don't apply Chinese habits in the US. If a white classmate asks for help with math, you must be gentle and slow, treating them like someone with zero common sense. Otherwise, they'll turn around and accuse you of discrimination, and getting your credits revoked is easy.

============================================================
The Empire of Ten Thousand Taxes: How is the People's Lifeblood Squeezed Out?

Let me tell you about this "Empire of Ten Thousand Taxes" in America, so you can see how the U.S. government squeezes out and fries up the fat and grease of the people.
First, let's clarify who exactly pays taxes in America. There are roughly three types.
The first type: those with completely legal, formal paychecks issued by legitimate companies, with bills, receipts, records, and teams calculating everything. When you get your salary, the tax has already been withheld; filing taxes is just reconciling the accounts. These people are now not "common," they are "rare," making up only about 40% of the working population. That means out of ten Americans, only four have their taxes withheld and paid by formal companies.
The next 40% are the second type: they have legitimate work, but they aren't full-time employees. They don't earn a monthly salary; they live paycheck to paycheck. The boss gives you a check, and you go to the bank to cash it. Often, there's no withholding tax; you take the money and have to report it yourself later. You work a week, I pay you for a week. We have no labor contract, I don't buy you insurance or pay social securityrCowhat you see is what you get. In a sense, you can understand this as temporary work.
The last 20% are even worse off. They can't even get a weekly paycheck; they do day labor and want cash. They don't even want a check because they can't open a bank accountrCocredit score too low. Illegal immigrants, homeless people, child laborers, those doing illegal work... they are basically all here. Gangs, the bottom-tier poor, and "Runners" (those who fled their countries) almost all fall into this category.
You ask, do these people have to pay taxes? Bros, remember my live stream preview? "Empire of Ten Thousand Taxes: Refugees are like paper, the underclass like grease." Don't think that just because you are a refugee or an outcast, they won't extract wealth from you. America does have a tax threshold; you are exempt if you earn under $14,600 a year. But this is just a fig leaf. Anyone with a normal willingness and ability to work will exceed this amount, unless you are a refugee with no language function or a bottom-tier homeless person. Also, this refers to household income. If your income is this low, chances are no woman is with you, so the "household" is likely just you.
See, this is America's "head tax," just manifested in the form of wage tax. Even pets have "income"rCosoothing your mood, stabilizing your mental health. Remember the method the U.S. came up with to calculate GDP and income for housewives? Same logic.
Bottom-tier homeless people and refugees are basically in this bracket. Unfamiliar with the place, they have to take whatever work is available.
Now look at this number: $83,730. This is the median annual household income in the U.S. If only one person in the family works, the monthly salary is about $7,000; if two work, it's about $3,000 each. Is this high? Not at all, and this is pre-tax. In America, a monthly salary of $3,000 is truly middle class. After income tax, you're left with just over $2,000.
Let me break it down for you. In Washington State, a monthly salary of $3,300 results in a take-home pay of $2,700. That's before rent, utilities, internet, gas, property fees, phone bill, insurance, car loan, car insurance... Renting a one-bedroom apartment is about $1,500, leaving $1,200. After deducting utilities, property fees, car loan, and insurance, you have about $700 to $800 left. That is your monthly living expenses. And this calculation is for a full-time employee with a contract; it doesn't count those illegal jobs without contracts. Social security and medical insurance are deducted. Medical insurance looks cheap, but it doesn't cover muchrCothe reimbursement rate is around 60%, and it's private, mandatory to buy. Guess how the CEO of UnitedHealthcare got shot? Being cheap is useless if they don't pay out!
The next tier: households with an annual income between $14,600 and $55,800 are considered lower-middle class. Most public sector jobs in America, like civil servants and teachers, actually fall into this lower bracket. Whether state or federal employees, they don't earn much. So, Americans don't like taking civil service examsrCodon't apply Chinese logic here.
Elite middle class and higher-level public sector jobs are a bit better. Elite middle class means an annual household income of $55,000 to $83,000rCosingle person earning six to seven thousand a month. Higher-level public sector jobs include certain high-end positions, local military commanders, or public school principals. My ex-girlfriend's dad was a high school principal; he earned decent money, considered successful, but his take-home was only about $10,000 a month. That's not counting mortgage, insurance, utilities, and other fixed expenses.
The key issue is, in America, no one can save money. Different classes have different "harvesters" waiting for them; maintaining the dignity of each class costs money. Don't think earning more means you can save morerCoit's impossible. Can "Official Smith" (corrupt officials) achieve financial freedom? Officials don't rely on talent; they rely on bloodline.
In Silicon Valley, an annual salary of $300,000 results in $200,000 take-home. That's just over $10,000 a month, not much different from that high school principal. Taxes are high, so of course, there's resentment. Plus, it's a tax filing system, not a simple deduction, and that process is terrifying. Working for Microsoft in Seattle, $300k salary becomes $210k take-home; Google pays more, $400k becomes $270k, barely reaching $20k a month. But what about property taxes near Silicon Valley? Generally 1.8% to 2.2%. Let's say 2%. A $5 million house means $100,000 in property tax a year. Near Silicon Valley, they are all villas and big houses; there are no old shacks. Plus, there's purchase tax. So, even if you earn a lot, you can't save anything.
Can you avoid taxes? There's a threshold, and it's extremely high. Ten years ago, that threshold was about $40 million in total assets. Without that amount, you can't even talk about tax avoidance. Why? Because you need to raise a dedicated accounting team to help you avoid taxesrCoat least two people: one following you, one at headquarters. Their annual salaries need to be one-tenth of your total income, about $200,000, meaning you need an annual income of over $2 million and assets around $40 million. So, you have to be a Fortune 500 CEO level to even qualify for tax avoidance.
So, to the uncles and aunties listening: if you want to send your kids abroad to study and transfer assets, if your total liquid assets don't exceed $40 million (the threshold from ten years ago), which is nearly 300 million RMB, you'd better stay in China. If your money didn't come easily, I suggest you don't go, because you won't be able to keep your money anywayrCoit will all be harvested in various ways.

WhatrCOs the specific situation? ItrCOs hard to say. If you have too many assets, you get targeted; if you have too few, thererCOs no point in going. So, uncles and aunties, please be cautious. Especially that auntie who left a message on my backend saying her daughter is just going to study, donrCOt mess around with your familyrCOs limited resources to try and move there too. If yourCOre telling me the truth, your family doesnrCOt need to gorCounless yourCOre hiding something from me, like maybe the family business isnrCOt exactlyrCa rCLin the light.rCY If it is legitimate, we should just live a good life back here in China.

Since yourCOre willing to come to my livestream and listen, it shows you arenrCOt completely fooled by the agents. IrCOm not an agent; IrCOm your fan, so IrCOm going to say some things that might not sound pleasant. Let me explain to some of the uncles and aunties: why is it that your childrCOs income in the U.S. isnrCOt low, yet they donrCOt have a single cent left over? They canrCOt bring out the money. DonrCOt get mad, itrCOs truerCothey really donrCOt have spare cash.

Let me tell you, once you basically reach the level of rCLelite middle class,rCY you arenrCOt living rCLpaycheck to paycheckrCY anymore, and your situation improves slightly. From this tier upwards, you have a tiny bit of risk resistance. High-level public institutions, the elite middle classrCothey earn annual salaries. Junior self-employed individuals and technical positions stand at the top of this class, earning 80,000 to 100,000 a year. This counts as the rCLrealrCY middle class. Many Chinese who go over there end up roughly like thisrCoeither opening a small restaurant or working as an engineer. This is the situation for the vast majority of decent, legitimate Chinese immigrants.

So, how does the rCLshearingrCY of the middle class happen? The methods are diverse. Let me explain to the uncles and aunties again: why is it that your child talks about a decent job in the U.S., but when asked for money, they have none? Many parents simply cannot comprehend the maddening expenses of American survival.

For example, suppose you live in an elite middle-class neighborhood. Everyone has a garden, a pool, a big lawn. This is the photo your daughter sends yourColooks *thief* (super) respectable, right? You think, rCLLife looks good.rCY And yes, it is good. You canrCOt say the life is bad; itrCOs decent. But when you say the family needs help and ask why this kid wonrCOt chip in a penny, IrCOll tell you: they have no money. Someone asks, rCLHow can they have no money? CanrCOt they just stop mowing the lawn or maintaining the pool?rCY

No. Let me tell you first: the American HOA (Homeowners Association) is extremely ruthless. They exist to maintain property values and rCLdignity.rCY They actually regulate how high the grass can grow, what brand of herbicide you must use, what insecticide, what fertilizer. They even dictate what flower seeds you can plant in your garden. You are only allowed to use products that are *better* than the standard, not worse. This isnrCOt like back home where you can just open a vegetable plot if you have time, or let it rot if you donrCOt. Over there, you *must* maintain this facade.

Some uncles and aunties ask, rCLWhat if I donrCOt maintain it? What can they do to me?rCY The HOA can forcibly call the police, arrest you, and forcibly auction off your house. Do you understand? Listen closely: they can arrest your son or daughter and auction their house. Yes, the property management can forcibly confiscate your property. Uncles and aunties, you must remember what IrCOm saying. You are rCLsocialist giant babiesrCYrCoand this isnrCOt limited to a certain age group; you too have been spoiled by socialism. Chinese property management canrCOt do anything to you; American property management can sell your house!

And the maintenance costs for these things every month are not low. DonrCOt look at them earning over ten thousand dollars a monthrCoafter tax, theyrCOre left with maybe seven thousand. Then comes the mortgage, utilities, internet, gas, property fees, car loan, car insurance, life insurance. Finally, they have to maintain this huge mess of assets, eat, treat guests, socializerCothat all costs money. The money to maintain rCLmiddle-class dignityrCY is a necessary expense. IrCOm not making excuses for them; they truly cannot save a penny. Your childrCOs income in the U.S. is exactly thatrCotheir hard-earned money has long been mostly eaten up by the government. They look respectable, and they are, but they really have zero savings. DonrCOt expect them to be like normal Chinese children who, after you raised them and sent them to a good position, can financially support the family in return. YourCOre thinking a bit too much. They canrCOt do it. ItrCOs not that they have bad hearts; they have been trapped by capital to this point and have no way out. The cost of dignity is mandatory. You hold a socialist mindset asking rCLHow can property management sell my house?rCY because you donrCOt understand: in the U.S., if you donrCOt properly maintain your dignity, they *will* sell your house.

Someone asks, rCLIsnrCOt it permanent property rights?rCY ThatrCOs bullshit rCLpermanent property rightsrCY! If you canrCOt pay for one year, they confiscate your land and sell it cheap. Brother, tell me, what kind of rCLpermanentrCY is that? Permanent? Why do you have to pay money every year for something that is yours? Is it really yours? If something is nominally yours, but you have to pay an extra sum of money every year to *hold* it, is it yours? Once you owe money, even for just one year, they sell your stuff to cover the deficit and fine you extra. You tell me, is this permanent property rights? When your son inherits this house, he has to pay 40% of the current market value! Cheaper ones might be 38%rConot much difference from 40%. Pay up! Now you know why Americans prefer to rent? Because fundamentally, thererCOs no difference.

We have to mention a concept: why did capitalists support the bourgeois revolution? Actually, if you are a capitalist, you would definitely prefer to hire a worker rather than keep a slave. Why? Because a worker uses their own income to feed themselves. A slave, however, needs to eat a certain amount of rCLfine grainrCY to do hard labor, and the slave owner has to pay for that. That cost is often higher than the cost of a worker. ItrCOs that simple.

How many people in the U.S. live off the state (eat from the financial budget)? Counting local and central, itrCOs about 23 million. Over 5 million federal employees, over 18 million local employees. The U.S. has a lot of civil servants. If you count everyone on the government payroll, itrCOs over 27 or 28 million. After MAGA came along and organized their rCLstormtroopersrCY into the system, it seems to have exceeded 30 million. Basically, ten Americans support one civil servant. What about China? Counting all civil servants, state-owned enterprises, public institutions, and the military, itrCOs over 70 million. In China, roughly twenty people support one civil servant. The U.S. burden is double that of China. Some people say China has too many civil servants; China really doesnrCOt have that many. We calculated China generously, and the U.S. conservatively.

The table generally counts those who can be trackedrCopeople whose money can be tallied, who at least count as human beings in the system. Whether bottom class, middle class, public institutions, or refugees, if they can be tracked, their tax is already deducted. As long as you have a legitimate job and are on the payroll, your tax is basically taken care of, and someone deducts it for you in advance. When filing taxes, you just check the numbers; you donrCOt usually need to pay extra. Generally, they might even refund you a bit. For example, having a child in Washington State gets you a refund of $1,290 a yearrCobasically a subsidy of over$100 a month. It caps at three children. There are many reasons for refunds, but most people canrCOt figure out the math.

Where else do you get rCLshearedrCY? ItrCOs your poor math skills and the inhumane American tax filing system. This is another manifestation of AmericarCOs evil. The U.S. tax system isnrCOt like ChinarCOs app that automatically calculates for you; itrCOs primitive. It categorizes people in all sorts of ways, with hundreds of filing categories. The rules are all different. WhatrCOs even more terrifying is that these rules and clauses sometimes look similar, sometimes conflict, and sometimes overlap, but they are all valid simultaneously. According to Rule A, I should pay $300 more; according to Rule B, you should refund me$200. Both sets of rules exist at the same time. If you donrCOt have a good tax lawyer or accountant, you have no clue.

The U.S. tax system is so outdated that in some places, the tax forms are still in DOS format, even now in 2025! Also, some Chinese people are used to reading the Chinese versions. The U.S. does provide this, which is nice, but thererCOs a huge problem: meaning is lost in translation. The English original is already convoluted, academic, and professional; translation adds distortion. My advice to all friends who want to live and work in the U.S.: Do not use the Chinese version; use the English version. Because the tax bureau will use the English original to argue with you. If you use the Chinese version, sometimes the meaning doesnrCOt match the original.

The most terrifying part is: rCLIs this person clean? LetrCOs audit their taxes!rCY Rest assured, everyone has problems; there is actually no such thing as a person with completely clean taxes. Why? As I said, the tax law has hundreds of tracks. Using Track A you pay $300 more; using Track B you get$200 back. Tax actuaries and accountants find the most suitable track for you to file so you benefit. But remember, Track A is also legal. When they want to find fault with you, they use Track A to harass you: rCLWhy didnrCOt you pay the extra $300? You evaded taxes!rCY Do you understand? There is no person who is completely rCLtax correct.rCY Remember how they went after Trump? They audited him. Trump just said a number about his income, and the IRS used that as a lead. Even bragging counts! If you admit a number in public on camera, itrCOs treated as real. Bragging is taxable!

Can you just not pay? Sure, just donrCOt get caught. It depends on how lucky you are. rCLBut I filed my taxes properly, am I okay?rCY Sure, you say your numbers. But I want to pay taxes, yet my math skills are poor! The American education systemrCodamn it, I canrCOt do the math! What to do? There are specialized tax consultants and filing companies. They donrCOt work all year, but one month of business feeds them for half a year. They do nothing else but make money during tax season. The fee is generally four to six hundred dollars. Remember I said many Americans donrCOt have $400 for an emergency? No matter how hard it is, they have to pay this money.

Someone asks, rCLDoesnrCOt the annual refund cover a monthrCOs salary?rCY The refund often doesnrCOt help much; it might not even cover the extra interest you paid all year. Does it relieve life pressure? Maybe a little. Many Chinese-owned companies, apart from restaurants, are accounting or bookkeeping firms. IsnrCOt this just another form of protection money? Charging you five or six hundred bucks is like charging you fifty a month. A rCLredneckrCY buddy comes to me, I help him file, maybe save him five hundred. Is this an rCLIQ taxrCY? Exactly. This is the true definition of an IQ tax: only those with enough IQ can avoid it. Those with insufficient IQ have to find someone with enough IQ and pay extra to have it calculated, and you canrCOt *not* pay. Rednecks canrCOt read; many have dyslexia and truly are illiterate.


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SeeDance fan posted:

Lao A Tells a Story: "Who Counts as White in America?"

Let me start by saying something:
the overall cognitive problem of white Americans

Is that like saying something like
the overall cognitive problem of yellow
or black or brown or red people who live
in a nation state of mind ...

An overall cognitive problem of Lao A may
be how a generalization induces a form
of cognition.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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SeeDance fan posted:

Lao A Tells a Story:

... one of the triggers for this country's destruction.

A country may be held together by its mythologies.

When a myth fails, the lines holding a nation state
of mind in one peace might not continue to be found on a map.

You might find the whole "white people" vibe quite ridiculous.

Words, as Zhuangzi may have said, usually have meanings.
Those meanings aren't fixed however. Contexts can be keys.

Yellow people, for example, could mean
where some body's ancestors were from or
might mean something else entirely.

So too with red people, black people, brown
and white people, as if there are five and
only five types of people, given: a myth.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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SeeDance fan posted:

I happened to be paired with a white boy ...

Unlike being paired with a yellow, red, black
or brown boy or girl of some age less than
being an adult, naturally.

This guy kept insisting that being white was just a skin color identity,

Just can be a word meaning, only.
Generalizations often are able to generalize.

To insist a word, only, has one meaning
could be how Confucians wanted to rectify names.

In response, some so-called Daoists, anachronistically,
showed how that won't work. Words usually carry more
than one and only one meaning.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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SeeDance fan posted:

... Let me clarify, Heilongjiang is icy and snowy,

So, Manchuria, perhaps. A white Manchurian? A yellow Manchurian?

Or, having been Sinicized, a white Chinese boy.
Or, a yellow Chinese boy perhaps.

and the climate is no different from Northern Europe;

So, white, means, Northern Europe, maybe.

Who counts as Yellow, Black, Red, Brown or White
in any nation state of mind could be a question.

The five colours are said to blind an eye.

Speaking of a form of Daoism, naturally.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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SeeDance fan posted:

Lao A Tells a Story: "Who Counts as White in America?"

Simply put, if we really go by skin color,
many white people aren't actually white.

Probably no colour of people aren't actually that color.

This is the shallowest level of cognition:
"White people are people with white skin."

Could be a straw man type of story being told.

In the US, many white people can only comprehend this first layer.

Aye likes how Lao A uses the word, many.

First, he says that to use a color is shallow,
then he uses that shallow meaning in a sense
of how, many, people can only ... ... .

Aye is reminded of the horse and how a white
horse was said to not be a horse.

Among the many, the Hundred Jia, so-called, one
was known as the Ming Jia, the School of names.

People who use word cans of'ten-k be funny.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

Aye stopped reading after a few paragraphs
after the first post on account, an account
of which tends to be problematic, naturally.

As a troll,
Lao A is pretty good.
Tedious. Two say the least
amount of a thing. Fun!

... Many Chinese-owned companies, apart from restaurants,
are accounting or bookkeeping firms.

That's an interesting type of statement.

Aye wonders, why?
Why what, an other may ask.

IsnrCOt this just another form of protection money?

Sounds like there's a train of thought.

Charging you five or six hundred bucks is like charging you fifty a month.

Sounds like mathematics at work, or, at play.

A rCLredneckrCY buddy comes to me, I help him file,
maybe save him five hundred. Is this an rCLIQ taxrCY? Exactly.

So, Chinese-owned companies, accounting and bookkeeping firms
are actually IQ companies naturally and, there are many.

Why might that be, aye wonders.

This is the true definition of an IQ tax: only those with enough IQ
can avoid it. Those with insufficient IQ have to find someone with enough IQ and pay extra to have it calculated, and you canrCOt *not* pay.

And there are many Chinese-owned companies
that are in business because, many people
don't have enough IQ, says the saying.

And these companies are in a nation state
of mind, somewhere on the surface of a world
naturally which might be found by people.

Rednecks canrCOt read; many have dyslexia and truly are illiterate.

Some people generalize and call people by various names.
So and so is a this and that or some other name.

- funny. t'hats. thanks! aye. Cheers!

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aye posted:

SeeDance fan posted:

Rednecks canrCOt read; many have dyslexia and truly are illiterate.

Some people generalize and call people by various names.
So and so is a this and that or some other name.

Jeff Foxworthy: Often called the "King of Rednecks,"
Foxworthy built a massive empirerCoestimated to be worth
over $100 millionrCobased on his "You might be a redneck" comedy brand.

Real-World "Redneck Rich" Billionaires

While they may not use the term themselves,
several billionaires are often cited for their "down-home"
roots or industries associated with rural life:

The Walton Family: Owners of Walmart, the world's largest retailer,
which famously started in rural Arkansas.

The Bass Brothers: Fort Worth, Texas oil tycoons
who inherited and expanded a massive energy fortune.

Tamara Gustavson: Worth $3 billion, she is the largest shareholder
of Public Storage, an industry sometimes humorously referred to as
"Hillbilly Tupperware".

Notable "Redneck" Titles

World's Strongest Redneck: Steve McGranahan,
a professional strongman and comedian known
for bending horseshoes and ripping
decks of cards with his teeth.

The Legendary Black Redneck: Joel Patrick,
a social media personality known for his viral videos
and community advocacy.

The "Ni Howdy" Icons

Bruce Wang (Shibo Wang): A Ph.D. student
and content creator originally from Southwest China
who became a viral sensation as a Chinese cowboy in Texas.
He is known for his authentic Southern accent and for blending
traditional Chinese culture with the lifestyle of the Texas Panhandle.

BigTooth (Dayaredneckchinese): A popular Chinese content creator
who lived in Arizona and Texas. He is recognized for his "Ni Howdy" catchphrase and music, documenting his journey to becoming an
"authentic cowboy".

The "Korean Cowboy"
Jonte Handebo: Born in Korea and raised in the Australian "bush,"
Handebo is a professional rodeo athlete known as the "Korean Cowboy".
He is a prominent figure on the rodeo circuit, specializing in bull riding.

Historical "Asian Cowboys"

In the American Old West, several Chinese immigrants
worked as cowboys, ranchers, and foremen on the frontier,
particularly in Oregon. Notable names from this era include:
Buckaroo Sam, Markee Tom, Fon Chung. Eddie Fun: A San Francisco
native who worked as a ranch hand in Midland, Texas, in the 1930s
before serving in WWII.

Cultural Communities

West Texas Refugee Communities: Cities
like Amarillo and Lubbock have significant Asian populations,
including refugees, who have lived in the region for decades
and speak with legitimate Southern accents.

Albuquerque, New Mexico: Some local residents have noted
a unique subculture of "Asian rednecks" within the city's diverse community.

- Gemini
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SeeDance fan posted:

Rednecks have dark, reddish skin
because they work outdoors
patrolling all the time.

- t'hats funny! thanks! Cheers!
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SeeDance fan posted about:

Rednecks ...

They are from the American South.
Do you really think many upper-middle class whites
consider them white?

Many is an interesting word, speaking
in terms of Daoism. How many does a number indicate,
for example could be a question.

A mythological, hypothetical group, thinking
about a so-called, other, mythological group,
could be said to contain a number called many.

Many so-called, upper-middle class whites,
whatever that phrase means, might consider
a number of an other if not the same group
to be of the same or an other group.

Where did the so-called Rednecks come from
before they arrived in the so-called American
South. Were they from Scotland, Ireland, or a
nation state of mind when they left that land.

Gemini says:

<< The term "redneck" has roots in 17th-century Scotland,
where it described Presbyterian Covenanters who wore red cloth
around their necks as a sign of rebellion against the King's
religious rule. These Scottish borderers, often called "rednecks,"
later immigrated to the American South and Appalachia. >>

A Wikipedia article says:

<< Its modern usage is similar in meaning to cracker
(especially regarding Texas, Georgia, and Florida), hillbilly
(especially regarding Appalachia and the Ozarks), and white trash
(but without the last term's suggestions of immorality).

In Britain, the Cambridge Dictionary definition states:
"A poor, white person without education, esp. one living
in the countryside in the southern US, who is believed
to have prejudiced ideas and beliefs. This word is usually
considered offensive." People from the white South sometimes
jocularly call themselves "rednecks" as insider humor. >>

Aye would guess, yes. Many upper-middle class white imaginary
people would consider Rednecks to be white naturally.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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eye posted:

SeeDance fan posted:

Rednecks have dark, reddish skin
because they work outdoors
patrolling all the time.

- t'hats funny! thanks! Cheers!

Who knew!

I'm reminded of the barbarians who
in ancient times were considered, others.

- thanks! Cheers!

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who posted:

I'm reminded of the barbarians who
in ancient times were considered, others.

... rCLbarbariansrCY did not originally mean savage or inferior
in a biological sense. It meant those outside the shared cultural
sphere of what later became China.

The common classical terms were:
on+ (Y|!) rCo eastern peoples
*a+ (M|in) rCo southern peoples
ueA (R||ng) rCo western peoples
tia (D|!) rCo northern peoples

These were directional categories, not a single group.
They referred to peoples who:

did not follow Zhou rituals,
did not use the same written language,
did not participate in the same political order.

So rCLbarbarianrCY really meant culturally outside, not necessarily uncivilized.

Importantly, Daoist texts like the Zhuangzi often undermine this distinction. Zhuangzi treats cultural boundaries as relative and artificial.

From the Daoist perspective:

what one group calls rCLcivilized,rCY another calls rCLconstrained,rCY
what one group calls rCLbarbarian,rCY another calls rCLfree.rCY

Dao is not confined to one culture. It operates everywhere rCo
among court officials, farmers, artisans, and those called barbarians alike.

So in Daoist thought, rCLbarbarianrCY is mostly a social label,
not an ontological difference. The Dao does not recognize the boundary,
even if states do.

- ChatGPT
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ChatGPT posted:

who posted:

I'm reminded of the barbarians who
in ancient times were considered, others.

... rCLbarbariansrCY did not originally mean savage or inferior
in a biological sense. It meant those outside the shared cultural
sphere of what later became China.

In Daojia, Dao is not reserved for the refined, educated, or socially honored. It is not distributed according to status, vocabulary, or cultural prestige.

The Zhuangzi repeatedly makes this clear.
The figures closest to Dao are often:
a butcher, a ferryman, a woodcutter,
a swimmer in dangerous rapids,
craftsmen and ordinary laborers.

They are not praised because of social position,
but because their action is unforced, direct,
and in accord with circumstances.

Likewise, in the Daodejing, Laozi says Dao dwells
in what others overlook. It does not prefer the polished
over the rough, or the urban over the rural.

A cultural label like rCLredneckrCY refers to social perception rCo
class, accent, occupation, or lifestyle. None of those determine
proximity to Dao.

From a Daoist view, what matters is simpler:
Is there contrivance, or ease?

Is there constant striving, or sufficiency?
Is there alienation from onerCOs conditions, or ease within them?

A person living close to the rhythms of land, weather, work,
and necessity may, in some respects, live closer to Dao
than someone immersed in abstraction and ambition.

Dao does not follow reputation.
It follows alignment.

- ChatGPT
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


SeeDance fan posted:

Lao A Tells a Story: ...

... It's completely hypocritical. ...

A theory exists. It's called the hypocrisy theory.

And it goes along the lines of being bothered
by some thing or other. When some one is
bothered, and wants to be unbothered,
seek and find one's hypocrisy.

At times it's a blind hypocrisy.
At other times a self-righteous type.
A bottom line can be, no one is perfect.

Corollaries vary.

- thanks! Cheers!
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


SeeDance fan posted:

There's a saying: "Racist is expensive."

Words often have more than one meaning. Race
tends to be mythological and, as the article shows,
what counts may well vary.

Thinking in terms of color, including white, yellow,
black, brown and red, could be called racist thinking.

Racism comes with a high price tag.

Some people may define racism
such that it includes bigotry,
prejudice and other ideas.

Yet to think in terms of color, of race,
might make a thinking a racist and
racism could be a paradigm.

Whites can accept flipping burgers

As if such people exist.

in a White-owned restaurant for lower pay,
but they won't work in a Chinese kitchen
for better pay and food. Why?

Because such delineations are imaginary?

Lots of mythologies are pervasive.
Some are more compelling than, others.

- thanks! Cheers!
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


SeeDance fan posted:

Lao A's American Story: Even Rainwater Gets Taxed

Many people ask these questions.

How many are, many?

First, regarding "paying full price for groceries"rCois it really that tragic?

One might presume, it's basically what is paid.
At times a buyer might have coupons. At times,
a loyalty card may be used. Sometimes there is
no discount offered naturally.

Earning so little, eating so poorly,
unable to afford vegetablesrCois that real?

Sounds bleak.

I can responsibly tell you: it is all real.

So, Lao A couldn't afford vegetables?
Nor could his rich ex-girlfriend?
Nor his Redneck friend?

Reminds one of a song!
Aye forgets the lyrics however,
there was a line about an introduction.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

===================================================================
Frozen in Seattle: A VeteranrCOs Birthday and the Twilight of the American Dream



ItrCOs a birthday today, so IrCOm just sharing this with you all. You saw that stew earlier, right? The one I made? I made it this afternoon and had my godson take it home with him. ItrCOs the weekend, so my godson came over to my place during the day. When he left, I had him take the stew along. That way, when his dad came to pick him up, he could take it with him easily. No big deal.
Let me start by saying, I went last year. Actually, IrCOve been going the last few yearsrCoI missed the first year, but I went the second, the third, and this year too. This birthday party... what does it show? Putting aside the social etiquette, life at the bottom is genuinely tough. "Redneck Bro" lives in a pretty run-down neighborhood. Who lives there? ItrCOs mostly those classic American Southern, rural typesrComigrant workers from the countryside, descendants of farmers. You know what I mean?
Farmers. American rednecks love having lots of kids. But aside from the one kid who inherits the farm or the manor, the rest really have nowhere to go. If the family atmosphere is good, they might live with the sibling who inherited the land. If not, they have to move to the city. The area where Redneck Bro lives is basically that kind of placerCoa bunch of white people who came from remote rural areas to the big city.
They have a few distinct characteristics. First, they have the arrogance of city kids. Why? Because they were born in the countryside but managed to put down roots in the big city. They have that same arrogance. But they also have the redneck arrogancerCoChristian-centric, "God's chosen people," that superior sense of being white. They have both: class superiority plus religious superiority, stacked together. But thererCOs another problem: theyrCOre poor.
Did they establish roots in the city? I guess so. But those roots are reluctant; they are planted very shallowly. The foundation isnrCOt stable because the community doesnrCOt have money. Essentially, itrCOs still a poor community, barely scratching the bottom of the middle class. ItrCOs a situation where they canrCOt move up, but they canrCOt go down eitherrConot "out of the pot," theyrCOre just stuck there. White people, you know? And they act so confident. But actually, they arenrCOt that confident. Why?
Why can I understand this mindset? Because fundamentally, I moved from a small town to the city when I was a kid. My family went from being very poor to relatively well-off. I can really understand some of their mentalities, you know? ItrCOs just that my family developed better than these so-called rednecksrCO. This is the third year IrCOve been to this gathering. Although I donrCOt want Redneck BrorCOs life to be like "Wang XiaoerrCOs New Year"rCoworse every yearrCothererCOs a problem.
ItrCOs not up to me. Think about the economy, politics, and the environment in the US these past few years. Anyone with eyes can see that the US is spiraling backward, heading toward collapse. Especially for this kind of urbano|oo#e (bottom layer)rCothe urbano|oo#e with rural rootsrCoitrCOs even worse. Why? Because everything they take pride in is shrinking drastically, losing value. ItrCOs a downward trend that no one can stop. Redneck Bro, thanks to my financial help, actually looks okay. At least under the COVID tide, no one in his family died, and they have food to eat.
His kidsrCO education isnrCOt great, but someone is looking after them. His life has been muddled through, barely holding together. Although thererCOs an outsider helping, others arenrCOt so lucky. His friends, buddies, people in the community herCOs in contact withrCothey are clearly not doing well. What does "not doing well" mean? I donrCOt know if yourCOve seen families like thatrCoitrCOs like theyrCOre cursed, with more and more people dying. It starts with small accidents, right?
For example, COVID takes one person, leading to a loss of income. The remaining family members have to work extra hours, high-intensity physical labor. Then they either drop dead from exhaustion, have an accident, or get COVID again but canrCOt stop working, and then they die. At this dinner, there was clearly a person like this. Who is he? He was at Redneck BrorCOs previous birthdays. When I first saw him a few years ago...
I like to call him "Old Man" now, but how old is he really? HerCOs in his 40s, nearly 50. Redneck Bro is in his 50s. This guy is in his 40s, not yet 50, but he looks so much more weathered than Redneck Bro. Why mention him? LetrCOs call him MartinrConot his real name, thatrCOs a nickname I gave him. Why Martin? Because he changes every year, unlike "MartinrCOs Morning" which changes daily; he changes yearly.
The first year I saw him, he was in his 40s, blonde hair, normal blue eyes. The second year, it wasnrCOt goodrCoeyes full of red veins, voice raspy, hair half white, beard half white. By the third year, hair and beard were totally white. Remember, herCOs not even 50 yet. But he looks so much more haggard than Redneck Bro.
This year, the fourth year, it was even worse. The whole person had collapsed. Have you guys seen a skeleton? Skin and bones. Cheeks sunken in, cheekbones jutting out high, no flesh on the face. Eyes full of red veins, hair mottled gray, beard mottled gray. What happened? This guyrCOs son...
He got COVID the first year and was okay. The second year, he was working outside, got COVID again, and collapsed. Exact same situation as Redneck BrorCOs son. The first infection was rough, then working high-intensity while catching COVID a second time knocked him down. The only difference in fate between him and Redneck BrorCOs son was that no one gave him antibiotics. The complications, the inflammations from COVIDrCono medicine, no treatment, no health insurance.
Basically, Redneck BrorCOs son survived because of the antibiotics I gave him. MartinrCOs son didnrCOt make it. A man younger than Redneck Bro didnrCOt pull through. When this guy saw Redneck Bro, his eyes were okay at first. But when he saw Redneck BrorCOs son was still alive, he couldnrCOt help but sigh and drink heavily. Seeing someone elserCOs son survive while his own didnrCOt... Martin is only a few years younger than Redneck Bro, but his son was just in his early 20s when he died.
WhatrCOs even harder to bear is why his son died so young. Why did he get COVID? Because he was working himself to death. He wanted to study, go to college, but had no money. A 20-something kid, dropped out of high school. Why no money for college? He got accepted but couldn't pay tuition. Some say, "Apply for student loans." Let me tell you something about American society at its worstrCodo you think anyone can just get a student loan?
He didnrCOt meet the criteria. He couldnrCOt even get a loan, so he had to save up himself. A young man saving for his dream, earning tuition, only to die on the road to saving money. Imagine an 18 or 19-year-old working desperately for two or three years, pushing his body to the limit because he didn't have enough tuition, then getting struck down by COVID and dying. IrCOm telling you, in China, the "public intellectuals" would write a hundred tear-jerking essays about this.
You might say, if he didnrCOt have a dream, didnrCOt work so hard, didnrCOt want to go to college, would this have happened? This guy was tough as hellrCohe didnrCOt even cry. Listening to him talk about his son was already heartbreaking; I donrCOt know if he had simply cried all his tears dry. But do you know whatrCOs even scarier? He hates me. His attitude toward me turned bad after his son died.
"You Chinese took our American spots. If you Chinese hadnrCOt come, my son wouldnrCOt be dead." He thinks: "Why do you Chinese have so much money? How did you come to America for college and take my sonrCOs spot?" I said, "Wait a minute. I didnrCOt set the tuition. Actually, without Chinese international students paying five times the tuition, American studentsrCO tuition would be even higher, not lower. You should be thanking me." He didnrCOt care. He completely believes that Trump-style redneck narrative: Chinese students stole American kids' spots. What could I say? I didn't know what to say. We clearly subsidize their tuition, but they donrCOt appreciate it.
His logic: "If I wasnrCOt here, not taking his sonrCOs spot, his son would be in college." I said, "ThatrCOs not how quotas work. If I donrCOt come, will they lower the tuition? No, if I donrCOt come, theyrCOll just raise the tuition." Wow. I originally felt sorry for him, you know? But if you talk like that, whatrCOs the point? Fine, itrCOs all us Chinese students' fault. YourCOre in that state, rolling your eyes, and yourCOre right. Ugh.
Sometimes, when Americans suffer, they blame us. What can I say? Yeah, yourCOre right.
What could I say? If his son hadnrCOt died, I would have thrown some sarcasm back at him. But then I thought, forget it. What if he pulls a gun on me? So, yourCOre right, whatever makes you happy. The dead are the most important. Your son is gone, I wonrCOt hold it against you. YourCOre halfway to the grave anyway, do whatever you want. And whatrCOs even more annoying? While he was complaining, he kept eating that bean stew I made. I asked, "Is it good?" "Good." "I made that." He shut up and kept eating, happier than anyone.
So after his speech, who is the saddest? Not Redneck Bro, and not himrCohis son has been dead for a while, herCOs numb. The saddest ones are Redneck BrorCOs two daughters. DonrCOt forget, my godson is Redneck BrorCOs grandson from his eldest son. But Redneck Bro has two other kids, two daughters. They are young. What are they doing? They want to go to college too, doing the same thing.
Working like crazy, making money. Why? To pay for school. They canrCOt afford student loans, canrCOt get enough credit. What else can they do? Oh, the despair of those two girls. I asked how much they saved. One said over two thousand, the other over three thousand. They graduated high school last June. ItrCOs now OctoberrCoa year and four months later. One saved two thousand, the other three thousand. ThatrCOs saving about two hundred bucks a month on average.
What school can you go to with that? You canrCOt go anywhere. Financial master hererCoIrCOm telling you, they benefitted from me bringing all that meat to Redneck BrorCOs house. They often eat meat for free. Why not join the army? If this were a different time, I wouldnrCOt say anything. But the US military is owed back pay now; benefits are plummeting. You have to take out loans to be a soldier nowrCohow can you suggest joining? If you said that a few years ago, maybe it made sense. But today, right now, isnrCOt that ridiculous?
And for American girls in the military, itrCOs like waiting to be raped. Almost any female soldier, as long as sherCOs not too ugly, will get pregnant within six months. Sometimes they donrCOt even know who the father is. They thought about joining, but remembering their dadrCOs treatment and knowing what happens to girls in the military, they dropped the idea. They donrCOt want to be young mothers. So where is the pain point for these two girls?
No way out. No path given. CanrCOt save for tuition. JobsrCono future. Just supermarkets, trash companies, that kind of work. No choice. ItrCOs hopeless, hopeless. No money, backed into a corner. Why not just marry? Why are these girls still thinking about studying? Because they look average. Not ugly, but just average. Can they find a man?
LetrCOs talk about Redneck Bro himself. Is he happy today? HerCOs forcing a smile. Why is he forcing a smile? This brings us back to your "Nailong" [derogatory nickname for a politician/leader]. Speaking nonsense. Add tariffs, and the port dies instantly. I release a "hotfix," and you explode. Seattle is a city that lives off the sea and the port. Now, the port is semi-paralyzed. Do you understand?
ItrCOs brutal to just announce tariffs out of the blue. What are you doing to our port? A "hotfix"rCoI drop a hotfix, and heads roll. Do you know what time it is? ItrCOs October. Americans are entering the holiday season. What does that mean? The end of the year, the three big festivals: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. The year is ending, people want to make some good money.
The rumor was that China-US economics would turn, policies would warm up. Tariffs wouldnrCOt happen, ports would recover. The union keptoE|oyy that, and so did the port shipping companies and management. They guaranteed it for half a year, but couldn't keep it up. Now this tariff war is actually happening. PeoplerCOs mindsets are collapsing, you know? You said it wouldnrCOt happen! You said the economy would get better, the port would run!
Why the hell is it happening again? When I saw Redneck Bro, the first thing he asked was, "Is China preparing to retaliate against the trade war?" I know he should know the answer, but he asked anyway. I felt the question was stupid, but he asked. I didnrCOt answer directly. I said, "We retaliated last time." Redneck Bro nodded. "Okay." It was awkward. I said, "Your guy started the trade war, it has nothing to do with us. We Chinese have to eat standing up too." If anyone is unhappy, itrCOs his son. Redneck BrorCOs sonrComy godsonrCOs dadrCois unhappy.
He wants to go back to work at the port, but itrCOs hard. No work. Some ask, can he do physical labor after having COVID twice? Yes. When I say "carry bags," itrCOs a figure of speech. There are forklifts. ItrCOs not like yourCOre literally shoulder-carrying sacks. ItrCOs manageable. But now that good job is gone. I could see it in Redneck BrorCOs sonrCOs eyesrConot sadness flowing like a river, but silence.
Silence tonight. Why? My godson was acting happy because his godfather came to visit, and today is his grandparCOs birthday. I brought good food and toys. He was happy. His dad, to save face in front of the kids, forced a smile. A fake smile, no sound. Why "silence"? Because he couldnrCOt smile. The end of the year is coming. Lots of places to spend money. His old job at the dockrCothat high salaryrCois gone. Exploded.
He canrCOt smile. Even though itrCOs his dadrCOs birthday, try to smile? He canrCOt. Just a forced movement of the facial muscles, no sound. HerCOs had COVID twice, his body is weak, the high-paying job is gone, the holidays are coming, winter is coming. Who can smile? No one can. His sisters have no tuition, he canrCOt smile either.
Some might ask, can I smile? I can. I was playing with my godson, so I could smile. Otherwise, the atmosphere was too oppressive. ItrCOs a birthday, bros. To force the vibe to be a bit comfortable, I managed a smile. IrCOm not the one sleeping in a bunk bed, while 1.4 million troops are owed pay. How do you handle that? Even with that, they donrCOt rebel. How? Borrowing high-interest loansrCo7 or 8 percent. Not considered usury in the US. Borrowing at 7 or 8 percent just to live, while shedding blood and sweat for the military.
Serving the country, and the country gives no explanation. Can "Nailong" smile? He made money, didnrCOt he? He can laugh out loud. Did he make money? There are plenty of people worse off. Redneck BrorCOs family isnrCOt even considered tragic compared to some. With my help, theyrCOre okay. Seeing it clearly is useless. Ming came in third in the Ming competition. What are you saying? ItrCOs just helpless. This era is just like this.
Some ask, will there be severe shortages during the three holidays this year? Stockpiling was done in the first half of the year. So it was done between the two tariff hikes. Goods are there. The question is, who buys them? YourCOve made the port so desolate, the economy so bad, having goods is useless. For a coastal city like Seattle, how many people will lose jobs? How many will commit suicide? How many wonrCOt make it? How many loans will default? Does "Nailong" care? He doesnrCOt care at all. Tell me, even if you stockpiled for the holidays, do you think your sales will explode? Who are you selling to?
Right? You add tariffs, theyrCOll raise prices in the name of tariffs. I donrCOt know about elsewhere, but the union and dockworkers here in Seattle are numb. They have been boasting for half a year that tariffs would go down, economy would stabilize. Now look, faces slapped raw. "Nailong" making this decisionrCono one saw it coming. ItrCOs hopeless.
I canrCOt imagine how the American people, at least the people of Seattle, will get through this holiday. I really canrCOt imagine. And internally, they sent out a borrowing guide. No pay, just a borrowing guide. Since Redneck Bro is a retired veteran, they sent it to him too. You know that look on Redneck BrorCOs face? Getting a notice at his own birthday party that the military isnrCOt paying, and instead offering loan info? You know how broken and triggered he felt?
In the eyes of a veteran who served over 20 years, getting a text like that on his birthday from the official US military... He immediately felt that his 20-plus years of effort, sacrifice, blood, and sweat were all fake. His liferCOs greatest achievement now looks like a joke. Have you ever seen someone chug whiskey straight from the bottle? Not a cup, not a can. Just bottle to mouth. ThatrCOs what he did.


He grabbed a whole bottle of whiskey, holding it like a mug, drinking it straight, pouring it right down his throat. You know, I told Redneck Bro, "Your 20 years of effort have all been in vain." He didn't really buy it. But the fastest knife, the deepest stab, often comes from within. That's what I meantrCoyour efforts were wasted. Redneck Bro, you can scoff all you want.
But the message from the US military itself... thatrCOs undeniable. He can't fool himself, right? Brother, stop lying to yourself. Thanks to the peak construction media person, Redneck Bro watched the September 3rd military parade and saw the spirit and morale displayed by Lei. After watching, he was silent. He didn't comment on anything; I guess he didn't want to say a word.
Thanks to Arthur, Redneck Bro, for the tip. Old friend, let me comment on this, can I? MAGA? Soldiers voluntarily going to "charge" Donkey-managed states or cities for free?
Look at the situation in Seattle now; for example, there are inexplicable military gatherings all the time. Seattle has always had a Navy presence, a Navy training base. Them charging into Donkey-managed cities is a crude, "better than nothing" approach. It doesn't actually solve any problems; it can't bridge the divide. Really, it solves nothing. ItrCOs just venting the dissatisfaction within the US military, you know? Dissatisfaction with LGBT and DEI. "I can't give you money, I can't change current policies, but you can go charge the Democrats."
Redneck Bro didn't eat much today, you know? Everyone made birthday cakes, desserts, meat, stewed beansrCoa whole table full of food. Redneck Bro barely touched anything; he just kept drinking, chugging one cup after another. It was as if today wasn't his birthday, but someone's funeral. You don't know... for whom the bell tolls. No grief is greater than a dead heart. You don't know whose fault it is, right?
At least for Redneck Bro, he doesn't know whose fault it is. To bring the country to this state... you know yourCOve spent a lifetime on the battlefield, killing people your whole life, and now nothing is solved. Yeah, like the saying goes, some people died long ago, they just haven't been buried yet. HerCOs worse off; he canrCOt even "be buried."
Think itrCOs over? No. There were even more bizarre people. I dressed pretty well for this birthday party today. I wore a pale pink polo shirt, a small belt, and fitted jeans. I looked decent, maybe a bit too decent. I forgot one thing: his community doesn't have rich people; everyone is quite poor. My outfit was a bit "extra," at least for this community.
Do you know the classic look for poor white people? The classic poor white attire is a cheap graphic tee or sports team t-shirt, cheap sneakers or flat shoes, a fake leather belt, and work pants. Let me explain why they aren't "jeans" like ours. We Chinese usually wear casual jeans or fake work pants. The American white working class wears real work pants. They wear pants meant for real workrCoreal physical labor, fixing streets, fixing cars. Utility is the priority. In China, our jeans have lots of decorative features, but in America, work pants are purely functional. The contrast is huge.
Those fashionable "work pants" we wear would be considered unwearable by Americans. Why? No utility. They wear canvas material, extremely hard, wear-resistant, and rough. When they walk, their legs rub together making a "shhh shhh" sound like sandpaper. My pants were casual jeansrCosoft to the touch and a nice color. I was completely out of place.
There was a guy who didn't like merCoor rather, seemed to have an issue with me. HerCOs Redneck BrorCOs neighbor. I often make stews and braised meats for Redneck Bro, and sometimes he canrCOt finish it, so he shares it with neighbors. This neighbor has eaten my food before. LetrCOs call him Mark.
When introducing me to his kids, he just said, "I have no impression, don't know him." Redneck Bro then provided a divine assist: "The braised meat I gave you, the one you love? He made it." MarkrCOs young daughter, maybe six years old, immediately tugged on my clothes. "Can you make some more? I don't usually get full. I'm hungry. Can you make more?"
MarkrCOs face turned red instantly. HerCOs white, so his face went from snow white to lobster red in a split second. The terrifying part was the little girl then called her brother over. "Brother, come here! The meat you love was made by him, let's ask him to make more." A little boy came running overrCohe had been playing with my godson earlier.
Redneck Bro didn't expect it to be this awkward. MarkrCOs face was red as a boiled lobster. I understand. As a father, having your child say they are hungry in front of guests... it was embarrassing. Mark looked at me, looked at his daughter, looked at his son... he wasn't just red, he was breaking out in cold sweat. The survival state of Americans is worrying. In their own country, at the bottom layer, there are tons of people who don't get enough to eat.
Old Mark was softened by a bowl of braised meat. HerCOs better than Martin (the other guy), at least he doesn't blame the Chinese. Even though he was red-faced, he eventually said, "Thanks for the meat, I liked it." ThatrCOs the difference. He acknowledged the help. ThatrCOs the standard "soft mouth when eating others' food." Or maybe itrCOs just because he hasn't lost any family members yet. His kids are still alive.
He still has some rationality. HerCOs hungry. Unlike Martin, whose heart is deadrCohis son died saving for college. HerCOll dwell on that for the rest of his life. If your son died saving for college, working himself to death or dying of illness, yourCOd dwell on it too. You need a reason to vent.
All in all, dozens of people came today. Besides Redneck BrorCOs family of nine, there were about 12 or 13 guests. A total of 20-some people eating together. About seven families.
Did any extremists provoke me? Someone did, but not an extremist. It was a teenager. A classic American teenager, a dumbass kid who thinks everything is "Old China's" fault. Who was he? According to Redneck Bro, herCOs a nephew. About my age. First time meeting me.
It was actually kind of funny. This guy was a standard American "brain-dead" teenager. Rude, brainless, and envious. Poor upbringing, single-parent family. He came with his mom. Someone asked if he was a "talking animal"? You might be overestimating him; herCOs not a talking animal. HerCOs like a beast that just gained a bit of sentience. He looked down on me instantly.
I was setting the table. He slapped my shoulder. I turned around. He saw a smiling, friendly-looking Asian guy. He immediately used a derogatory term for Chinese people. I won't repeat it. "Yellow monkey" or something like that. I raised an eyebrow. I didn't scold him. I just stared at him. He was taller but skinnier than merCoa beanpole.
Someone asked, "The C-word?" Yeah. I just stared at him. My look was very unfriendlyrColike a Northeasterner saying "What are you looking at?" I looked him up and down. IrCOm built strong. He swallowed his next words. I glared him down. He choked on his words.
Everyone heard him because he shouted so loud. Redneck Bro was drinking at the timerCodowning a bottle of whiskey because he was upset. After this kid shouted, and I glared him down, Redneck Bro stood up, grabbed him by his thick collar, and dragged him outside.
No one said a word. We just continued working. Five minutes later, the kid came back to apologize, looking very unwilling. I assume Redneck Bro fixed him. I just laughed it off. "It's fine." HerCOs family, right?
At the dinner table, he was still rude. He ate plenty of my braised meat and beans, but then he asked those classic dumb white guy questions.
"Do you Chinese eat rats? Frogs? Cats? Dogs?"
The young people sat on one side. He was sitting a few seats away. He leaned over to poke me again. "Do you eat cats? Rats? Dogs?" He used an excited, curious tone, like he couldn't wait to hear some sick truth.
I nodded to everything. "Yes." Then I said, "The meat you are eating right now? I made it with cat, dog, and rat. You want more?"
Silence. My voice wasn't loud. "Is it tasty? You ate a lot, bro. Want more?" His spoon froze in his mouth. The whole table went silent. Redneck BrorCOs family knew the dealrCoI bring them offal (tripe, intestines) to make these dishes, so they knew it was good food. But the other guests looked at me in terror.
I said it with a smile. "Yeah, hehe. Cat, dog, and rat. Tasty?"
The kid was stunned. He didn't expect that. He looked devastated, like he ate a pound of frost. "Wait, did I just eat..." He actually believed it.
Then I said, "Just kidding. It's pork or beef."
But he went through that rollercoaster of emotions. He didn't dare spit it out because in Western dining etiquette, you don't spit food out. He held it in his mouth, not knowing whether to swallow or not. I said, "Eat up. It's just pork, beef, and lamb. No cats or dogs. Eat."
I watched him struggle to swallow that last bite.
Who ate the happiest? Only my godson. Aside from him, no one was truly happy. I wasn't happy either, thanks to that dumbass.
My godson is smart, though. He learned some social skills from me.
Redneck Bro is helpless. Nothing goes right. Just scraping by, living day to day. Future? Dreams? Development? For many Americans right now, those aren't things to think about.
Let me show you something. "Feeding America," a famous NGO. Basically, 47 million Americans are hungry, including 14 million children. In a country of 320 million, 47 million people are physically starving. And thatrCOs just the reported stats.
What else happened? Some female relatives found out about me. They did what Chinese parents do. Shoving phone numbers at me. "This is my daughter's number." Very enthusiastic. They showed me photos of the daughters as kids. I said, "This isn't necessary." Why show childhood photos? Because current photos might be... unsightly. Nose rings, tattoos, etc. Rednecks are actually quite traditional in this senserCoarranging matches, living together as families. Poor parents are all the same.
Redneck BrorCOs own daughter didn't bring it up because every time I visited before, I brought womenrCousually daughters of officials or rich families. So she didn't even try.
The result of the party: the men didn't eat, just drank. Everyone was pessimistic. The women had no laughter. Except for the small kids who were ignorant and happy, no one was in a good mood.
It was a sad birthday. Today is the 12th. 18 days until Halloween. The holiday season is comingrCoHalloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Americans usually spend money to make their families comfortable. But this year? Doubtful.
You think the end of the year is hard just because money is tight? No. People die. The weather is getting cold. People are going to freeze to death on the streets. We just had the first report of a freezing death this October.
Is it "corpse collection season"? The peak is next spring. Right now, the temperature is barely holding. ItrCOs raining in Seattle. Freezing rain. ItrCOs 9 degrees Celsius. For a city at the same latitude as the Northeast, freezing rain means people will die. ItrCOs going to rain on and off for days.
Today, or tomorrow at the latest, there will be bodies. Mainly children and the elderly. Poor peoplerCOs kids and old people die first. ThatrCOs just experience.
Economic deterioration really kills people. Forget winterrColetrCOs see if they can survive until Christmas.
Title for the Combined Parts
Seven Years After the Trade War: The Desolate Lives of American Rednecks
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


Mahjong fan posted:

Frozen in Seattle:

Looks like another transcript of a Lao A podcast.

A VeteranrCOs Birthday and the Twilight of the American Dream

Lao A, if that's the author, appears to have an outlook.

ItrCOs a birthday today,

Okay.

so IrCOm just sharing this with you all.
You saw that stew earlier, right? The one I made?

Nope. This is a text Usenet Newsgroup.
Aye didn't see any stew being made.

Mahjong, however, is a known thing.
A game, iirc, and now a popular tile thing too.

The article was very long and went unread
beyond mention of the stew except for near
and at the very end, something about a thing.

- thanks! aye. Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


aye posted:

Mahjong fan posted:

... the Twilight of the American Dream

The article was very long and went unread
beyond mention of the stew except for near
and at the very end, something about a thing.

Core Aspects of the American Dream

Upward Mobility: The ability to improve one's economic status
through effort, often summarized as "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps".

Material Success & Security: Owning a home,
earning a good income, and providing for one's family.

Liberty and Opportunity: The freedom to live a life of one's choosing,
rooted in the Declaration of Independence's promises of "life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness".

Freedom from Excessive Regulation: The ability to succeed
without undue government interference.

Historical Roots and Evolution

Origins: The concept began with early European settlers
seeking freedom from tyranny, poverty, and religious persecution.

1931 Definition: James Truslow Adams defined it
in The Epic of America as a "dream of a social order in which
each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature
of which they are innately capable".

Post-War Ideal: It evolved in the mid-20th century to include
a, suburban home, car, and comfortable middle-class life.

While still a powerful ideal, modern perspectives often debate
whether the American Dream remains equally achievable for all,
with some arguing that financial success has become more
difficult to attain.

- Gemini
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


Gemini posted:

Core Aspects of the American Dream ...

The Chinese Dream (E+!oc+uoa, Zh+inggu|| M|?ng)
Introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2012,
this is a prominent national concept with both
collective and individual layers:

National Rejuvenation: The primary goal is
the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,"
aiming to restore ChinarCOs historical status as a global power
and move past the "century of humiliation".

The Two Centenaries: It targets two milestones:
becoming a "moderately prosperous society" by 2021 (the CCPrCOs centenary)
and a "fully developed, modern socialist nation" by 2049 (the PRCrCOs centenary).

Individual Prosperity: Unlike the purely individualist American Dream,
the Chinese version emphasizes that personal happiness is achieved
through national strength.

The Russian Idea/Dream
In Russia, the concept is often referred to as the "Russian Idea"
rather than a "dream," focusing more on spiritual and communal values
than material wealth:

Social Justice: Surveys show many Russians define their national dream
as a society built on fairness and social justice, protected by a strong state.

Spiritual Depth: It often emphasizes "inner freedom," conscience, and resilience over the "pursuit of happiness" or financial success.

The Dacha: On a practical level, the "Dacha" (a seasonal country house)
is considered a tangible piece of the Russian dreamrCosymbolizing
a connection to nature, family, and self-sufficiency.

The Great Australian Dream
This is perhaps the most direct parallel to the American Dream,
but it is much more specific:

Home Ownership: The core of the Australian Dream is
the belief that every family should own their own home
on a separate block of land.

The "Fair Go": It is tied to the cultural ethos of a "fair go,"
the idea that anyone can succeed through hard work regardless
of their background.

The European Dream
Proposed by thinkers like Jeremy Rifkin, the European Dream
is often contrasted directly with the American one:

Quality of Life: It prioritizes social connectivity,
sustainable development, and work-life balance
over individual wealth accumulation.

Universal Rights: It focuses on human rights
and social protections rather than the "rugged individualism"
of the U.S. model.

Other Notable Concepts
The British Dream: While less formal,
it is often described as the pursuit of social mobility
and the "entrepreneurial spirit," moving away from hereditary privilege.

The Canadian Dream: Similar to the U.S. version
but often places a higher value on multiculturalism
and social safety nets as central to success.

In North Korea, the "dream" is not a personal pursuit of wealth
or happiness, but a collective mission defined by the state.
While there is no official "North Korean Dream" slogan
as there is in China, the concept is entirely centered
on the state-mandated ideology of Juche (self-reliance).

The StaterCOs "Dream": Collective Strength
The official national aspiration is the realization of
a "Powerful and Prosperous Nation" (Kangsong Taeguk).
As of February 2026, this vision is being formalized
during the Ninth Party Congress:

Military Dominance: A core part of the "dream" is attaining
irreversible nuclear status to ensure regime survival and national pride.

Economic Modernization: Leader Kim Jong Un has recently emphasized
lifting living standards through new five-year development plans
focused on "construction and the peoplerCOs standard of living".

Socialist Purity: The state envisions a society free
from foreign cultural influence, where youth are encouraged
to abandon personal "dreams" in favor of sacrifice
for the nation and military.

The PeoplerCOs "Dream": Survival and Freedom
Because the state dream is one of total conformity,
the actual dreams of ordinary North Koreans often exist in secret
or through defection:

Escape and Travel: For many, the ultimate dream is the ability
to travel abroad, a concept that remains a distant fantasy for most citizens.

Market Prosperity: Many ordinary people focus on
the jangmadang (private markets) to escape poverty,
dreaming of basic stability like better food and warmer homes.

- Gemini
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


Gemini posted:

Gemini posted:

Core Aspects of the American Dream ...

The Chinese Dream (E+!oc+uoa, Zh+inggu|| M|?ng) ...

... a rCLDaoist DreamrCY could be imagined, but itrCOs less
about national aspiration and more about a mode of being
or perception. In Daoist texts, dreams often illustrate
the fluidity of reality, the limits of rigid distinctions,
and the inseparability of self and world.

DDJ 80 (Dao De Jing, chapter 80) emphasizes contentment,
simplicity, and harmony with onerCOs environment. If the American Dream
is about striving for success, a Daoist rCLdreamrCY might be about embracing sufficiency and letting life unfold naturally. ItrCOs less about achieving
and more about aligning with the Dao, allowing the small, unforced
joys of life to flourish.

ZhuangzirCOs dream imageryrCosuch as the famous butterfly dreamrCo
blurs the boundary between waking and dreaming, self and other.
A Daoist Dream could therefore also signify a state where
the distinction between personal desire, societal expectation,
and the natural flow dissolves. ItrCOs the dream of effortless
integration with the Dao.

So, a Daoist Dream wouldnrCOt be a goal in the conventional sense
but a lived quality: simplicity, contentment, spontaneity, and
awareness of the ever-shifting, interdependent nature of reality.
ItrCOs aspirational in the sense of living without forcing life,
rather than achieving something externally measured.

- ChatGPT
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


Mahjong fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

===================================================================

All of Lao A's content originates from recordings of online chat dialogues between him and netizens.
The content I have posted is a streamlined and condensed version based on these recordings.


Lao A Narrates: The American "Family Guy's" Anti-Kill Line
Today, let's talk about the "Anti-Kill Line."
First, let's be clear: the "Anti-Kill Line" I'm talking about isn't that "health-locking cheat" or "god mode" you see Chinese gamers using. So, what exactly is this American style "Anti-Kill Line"? How does one counter the kill?
Everyone knows that about one-thirdrCoactually, it's closer to 40%, around 37% to 38% of the populationrCoof people in the U.S. are living near the "Kill Line."
What does "near the Kill Line" mean? It means these people look normal in their daily lives; they live, consume, do this, do that. But they cannot withstand a single ripple. Just like in my previous episode, "The Devil Hides in the Details," they cannot afford an accident. If the slightest thing happensrCoa fall, a car accident, their car gets stolen, or even if they just start smelling badrCoregardless of what it is, they are finished. They are done for.
Someone might ask: "Don't Americans try to find a way out? They can't be that stupid, right?"
While they might not be able to articulate a systematic theory or explain the "how-tos" and "what-fors," they do have methods. Of course, I need to emphasize one thing. Wait a minute, doesn't America have a theory called the "Alice Line"? Is that line correct? It is, but it has a problem: it's too academic, and it looks too warm and fuzzy. Can you guys understand that?
The problem is, it's too sentimental. At the very least, it looks gentle and not that harsh. But in reality, it's very problematic. Those theories are correct, as I've said before. When upper-class people narrate theoretical knowledge using high-falutin' vocabulary to describe a phenomenon, theo|oo#e cannot understand it.
Take us, for example. I ask you all: is the concept of the "Kill Line" my achievement? No. Actually, many predecessors compiled this decades ago, publishing very professional books. Right? Including that famous book, *America Against America*, written in the 1980s. Think about it. So, some ask, how does this "Anti-Kill Line" actually operate in the U.S.?
It's simple. Let's start from the beginning, from the small stuff. Where do we start? Let's start with the poor, with the "Family Guy." "Family Guy" and "matching doors and windows" (social matching)rCosocial matching is a bit higher level, so let's start with the Family Guy. For example, what is the ultimate state of a Family Guy? I've told you before. It's the "Redneck Bro."
Take the Redneck Bro, for instance. Is that good? Yes, very good, especially good. In their family, if they can persist, many of their children can grow up. Among the bottom class, this is already quite good. The children grow up.
"Does that count as growing up?" Don't worry about how they eat, drink, or get educated; just tell me if the child grew up, right? When the eldest son is down on his luck, they take him in to live together. Someone asks, "Can Americans do that? Can they take their eldest son in to live with them?" The data is tricky; let me explain the American system to you. It has two extremes under this political system without household registration (Hukou) allocation. One is what I mentioned: parents kick you out at 18, and you have no interaction until death, maybe an occasional meal. That's how it is. They don't care.
Sometimes, why is American family affection so indifferent? It involves a problem called "Address Pollution." Let me give you an example. Suppose Zhang San and Li Si are good buddies. Let's not talk about father-son or mother-daughter relationships; let's just talk about two buddies. Zhang San gets hit hard: a car accident, lost his job, insurance cut off, house repossessed. He's about to be homeless, about to be finished. What does he do?
Zhang San wants to live. He calls Li Si: "Can you take me in? Give me an address to receive mail. That way I can work, I can apply for jobs. You can give me a place to survive, a place to receive money, pay stubs, bills." Okay, now Li Si has two choices.
Which two?
The first is refusal, like a normal American, like the majority. "I forbid you to come. I won't show this mercy. You can die wherever you want." They used to be buddies, but now that the buddy is in trouble, it's over.
But sometimes, Li Si thinks, "I can't watch my buddy die." Li Si says, "Come on, live here. Sleep in the basement, sleep on the sofa. I'll give you food and a place to sleep, and you can work." Now Zhang San recuperates and uses Li Si's address to find a job.
Mail, bills, wagesrCoall sent to this place. Someone asks, "Didn't he survive? Didn't he escape the Kill Line?"
No. First, there's a thing called "Address Fraud." If you've watched "Brother Melon's Zip Code Studies," you know that different communities, different people, different races have different prices for life insurance, medical insurance, car insurance, home insurance, and mortgages.
It's based on your address. If you use an address that doesn't match your status, you're in trouble. You and your friend are both suspected of address fraud; you're the perpetrator, he's the accomplice. Why? Because once you successfully get a job using that address and it continues for 30 days, and you can receive mail there, that place becomes your address. Li Si actually can't kick Zhang San out anymore. Zhang San has become a parasite in Li Si's house; he can turn the tables and stay indefinitely.
Also, this is why I say "social matching" isn't just about marriage. It means your social class and your friend's class should ideally be consistent; otherwise, they can't help you. The prices of the bills from your old neighborhood can't float too much compared to your friend's neighborhood. They can be higher, but not lower. That is social matching. Your classes must be the same.
Only then is there a certain probability they will show mercy and let you in. You can't be too low. For example, if the house you used to live in cost one million, your friend's place should be about the same, a one-million-dollar house. Only then is there a possibility they will help you. You can basically only count on people of your own class to rescue you. But even with matching classes, you have to hope they show mercy. Because the other person is taking a huge risk.
You will drag him down. Because once fraud is discoveredrCothat you helped your friend cover up and let him live thererCoyour credit score drops. What happens when the credit score drops? All your insurance premiums immediately go up. Let's just talk about the best-case scenario where the insurance company shows "mercy" and only raises your premiums without suing you for fraud. That's considered good, right? So, home insurance goes up, car insurance goes up, car loan rates go up, mortgage rates go up, medical insurance goes uprCoeverything goes up.
You will drag a person who was originally surviving down below the Kill Line. It's a "one takes two down" scenario.
Are there exceptions? Yes, your parents. They need to fully utilize the "Family Guy" concept. They have to love you thief much, incredibly much. Only then is there a chance they'll say, "Oh, my son or daughter is down, I have to help." Family can be an exception to the rule. But you still lose "luck points"; your parents' costs will still go up. Not loving you is the norm. Brothers, I'm telling you, not loving you is the norm. "Is it that serious?" It is that serious. Look carefully.
Remember the American child actor on the street a few days ago? That was typical. He wanted to raise charity funds, and his mother wouldn't even let people help him.
Also, note this: once fraud occursrCoZhang San commits fraud, Li Si assists. I just mentioned the best case where no insurance company sues. The reality for these two unlucky brothers? They both die. If fraud is discoveredrComedical insurance companies, car insurance companies, disease insurance companiesrCoyou don't need to guess; they will sue you, with a very high probability. Can you settle? Sure, look at the money involved and see if you can handle it. You can say you'll settle. But do you have the time to take leave? Let's not talk about winning or losing. Does your job allow you to take a long break to fight a lawsuit? People living on the Kill Line for a long timerCodo their jobs allow them to do that?
Right? Forget winning or losing; you don't even have time to discuss with your lawyer when to go to court. And your probability of winning isn't high. Even if you win, a huge lawyer's fee is waiting for you.
Rather than counting on a good buddy or a good brother, you'd better count on your family truly loving you. But are there many families like that? No, not many. Really not many among the bottom class.
So, is there another way for the bottom class? Yes, running away. In America, can you flee from famine? Yes, you can. Have you played *Far Cry 5*? Are you surprised how they have such a huge territory? Where do their subjects come from? Do Americans willingly get scammed into joining cults? No, sometimes they have no choice. I run. I flee. I surrender to a place that looks like a paradise, where people help each other and are self-sufficientrCofleeing to a central state.
Wow, people there are comfortable, loving each other like one big family. Hey, it's just believing in a religion, right?
Some find it hard to understand: the Kill Line slaughters Americans, slaughters the bottom class so fiercely, yet the "black households" (undocumented immigrants) who are even lower than the American bottom classrCohow do they survive?
Simple. If you are a black household, many taxes and miscellaneous fees can't touch you. You understand? There really can be another system. When Chinese people go there, there's a whole Chinese shelter system. Your boss is Chinese, your landlord is Chinese, everything is Chinese. In this system, are you oppressed? Yes. But it accepts your work. Your boss knows you sleep in a bunk bed, knows you squeeze in with others, but he doesn't care; he accepts you. It's outside the normal system. They mostly don't pay taxes. They actually don't live as hard as Americans. They earn less, but have no taxes, right? If you are Chinese and can't stand it, you can buy a plane ticket back to China. American locals can't run. They have nowhere to go. Wait for death? Why do you think those old Chinese endured and climbed up? Under the shelter of the Chinese system, they found work and housing. They saved money frantically, ruining their health to prepare for the next generation. Then the next generation studies well or seizes an opportunity, and they move out of Chinatown. Essentially, it's all that same game.
Understand? Put simply, many black households' wages are cash in hand. Simple. This is why many Chinese, "High-Class Chinese" (Gao-Hua), or international students deny the existence of the Kill Line. They think, "If all else fails, can't I just go back to Chinatown?" Actually, essentially, the white American base, or the American local poor, don't have such a place to go. If they go, they can only go to some cult town in the central state countryside, or serve under some "Great Lord," becoming "electronic peasants" or "electronic households."
Someone asked me: Can Americans also pledge allegiance to the Chinese system or the Mexican system? If an American poor person can't survive, can they swallow their pride and go to Chinatown or the "Old Mo" (Mexican) community? Begging for a life?
Very difficult. This touches on why some people are not worth saving. I've said this many times: Racist is expensive.
Can they go? Almost impossible. Imagine a white person. You expect him to go to Chinatown to wash dishes, listening to a boss speak Fujianese ordering him to "cut this plate of carrots." Don't look at how many people are out of work; their pride is still strong. It's almost impossible for them to accept this kind of work. Or go work in an *Amigo's* kitchen? They can't do it. They can't accept *Old Mos* speaking Spanish ordering them around. They can't do it.
Someone says, "What if they eliminate the racial discrimination barrier? Can they do it then?" Sorry, still no. Don't forget, this system is self-adaptive for those black households and hidden households.
A normal American cannot accept that price. It won't feed them. Do you understand? Even if they swallow their pride... say, "My life is in danger, I'll drop my ego and compete with the bottom poor for this job." Okay, even if you compete and get it, the money isn't enough. Not enough to live. Those bottom people with no status can live on it; they accept that price. You, a local, cannot accept it.
An American local reduced to the streets usually carries massive debt. If you expect to scrape by on the money earned competing with black households, it's impossible. Imagine a person kicked out of the system. He has student loans, medical insurance, mortgage, maybe even divorce alimony. Imagine it. How could he accept the wages of Chinatown or the *Old Mo* community? Nothing works.
Of course, there is one last way: cut off all previous social information. Burn your driver's license, ID card, throw away your phone number. Turn yourself into a black household and mix in that circle. You can survive. But for that kind of person... how ruthless must they be?
This is the truth of the American "Anti-Kill Line." Behind the warm and fuzzy facade, it's all calculation and abyss.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


Mahjong fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

====================================================

Lao A Narrates: The Petite Bourgeoisie Enter the Kill Line

I. The Countdown: The Three-Month Illusion
So, do you guys realize when the massive layoffs in the US tech industry started? September.
I didn't make a big deal about it on the stream back then because, let's be honest, programmersrCoespecially those in big techrCoaren't exactly the bottom class. They had some funds. But they are the most desperate group because they have to watch themselves slowly starve ("sit and eat until the mountain is bare"). September, October, November... their money lasts about three months.
It's late November now, brothers. The month is almost over.
Their funds are hitting the bottom. This means, barring any surprises, a huge chunk of the people lining up for relief tomorrow will be those programmers who lost their jobs and haven't found new ones. TheyrCOve been sitting at home, burning through their savings.
II. The Canary's Doom
So, this Thanksgiving is going to be terrifying. You have these "canaries"rCorefined, middle-class yuppiesrCoturning into homeless people. They are the demographic that dies the fastest on the streets.
Why? You can't expect people with zero street smarts to survive. Their physical constitution is poor, their health is fragile. And now they have to face nights that are ten degrees below freezing.
Back in September, they could still pretend everything was fine. By October, they were holding on. Now in November, they can't hold on anymore. Three monthsrCothat's the limit of their emergency funds. Based on my experience in previous years, these guys are basically bankrupt. This Thanksgiving is going to be a struggle for survival.
III. A Fatal Mindset
The scariest part isn't that they become homeless; it's their mindset.
These people have never been at the bottom. They don't know what the bottom looks like. They are easy prey to be picked clean.
Especially those typical yuppie couples. During the pandemic, tech expanded, wages went up, housing prices went up. They leveraged themselves to the hiltrCobuying a second house, even a third.
Now, with AI and the internet bubble bursting, they are being cleared out. They aren't like dockworkers or "Redneck Bros." A Redneck, if his son gets COVID, as long as he doesn't die, he gets up and goes to drive for Uber. HerCOs tough. But these yuppies? I don't see them surviving.
IV. The Law of the Jungle
Let me tell you something truly hellish. If a woman from one of these yuppie families, or a daughter, ends up on the street... I give her less than three hours before sherCOs targeted.
Don't imagine that someone with that refined, Democratic-Party-voting demeanor can last long on the streets. Their mouths aren't sweet; they don't know how to beg.
And don't compare them to "Lecturer" or "Sweet Donut" (popular Chinese streamers in the US). Those guys have no reference value. Why? Because they are Chinese. They have a Chinese community backing themrCosometimes even gangs helping them with loans. But those white, petite bourgeois programmers? If they get in trouble, no one helps them.
V. The Bloodbath in Seattle
This year is different. The layoffs are massive. In Seattle alonerCoMicrosoft, AmazonrCothousands were cut. ItrCOs not just three thousand; itrCOs five thousand or more across the big firms. Oracle cut hundreds. IBM and Costco are next.
Even Starbucks closed 31 stores in Seattle, including the Reserve Roastery which is basically a tourist attraction. ItrCOs not just the baristas; itrCOs the entire operations team behind them. When a "tourist attraction" shuts down, the operational staff get fired en masse.
And hererCOs the kicker: US layoffs often come with zero severance. You aren't Elon Musk giving a year's pay. Many of these bosses have no "human touch." You're just fired.
VI. No Way Back
People ask: "Can't the Chinese programmers just go back to China?"
How? Their assets are trapped here in real estate. If they sell now, they lose a huge chunk of their value ("lose a layer of skin"). Plus, getting a US green card takes years; you don't get it in one year. It's a slow process.
Unless they abandon everything in the US, they can't turn back. And that is why this Thanksgiving is going to be a living hell for them.

A company like Starbucks isnrCOt the backbone of the U.S. economy, you say? Then why is it laying off on such a massive scale? Look, being the backbone is one thing, but it doesnrCOt mean itrCOs profitable. No matter how hyped AI is or how much investment it attracts, if itrCOs not making money, thatrCOs a whole different story. Just look at its financial reportsrCoitrCOs not turning a profit.

No matter how crucial a project is, it still comes down to cash flow and whether it can actually generate profits. Hype on the stock market is one thing, but reality is another.

What about moving to a smaller company? Friedrich Engels criticized this phenomenon a long time ago: when workers jump from small factories to bigger ones for higher pay, the smaller factories end up hiring cheaper laborrCooften less productiverCoto replace them. The result? The ones who leave become the rCLredundantrCY ones, the ones left behind.

Could they lower their standards and take a pay cut? Not a chance. TheyrCOve leveraged themselves too highrComortgages, credit card debt, repayments that could easily exceed 200,000 a year. Asking them to take a 200,000-a-year job? ThatrCOs basically a death sentence.

Then how about selling off their assets? Sure, they could. But think about it: what happens when a large number of rCLgood housesrCY are suddenly dumped on the market at low prices? A market crash. Nobody gets a decent price. These laid-off folks arenrCOt poorrCothey bought prime properties in good neighborhoods. Flood the market with those, and the whole thing trembles.

So itrCOs not that they donrCOt want a job paying $5,000 a monthrCothey simply canrCOt afford to take one. Their mortgage payments alone might be more than that. How are they supposed to survive?

Now letrCOs talk about these laid-off rCLpetit bourgeois.rCY The most ironic part? When they go to collect food assistance, theyrCOre still dressed to the nines, holding a Starbucks iced drink, walking their purebred dogsrCostanding out like fireflies in the dark among the homeless. Some even drive up in a Tesla Cybertruck to pick up handouts. They havenrCOt even realized their situation has changed, still putting on airs from their old lives. People who canrCOt face reality wonrCOt last long even if they become homeless.

Their best way out would be to quickly sell off all their assets to cut their losses, move to a cheaper neighborhood, swallow their pride, and slowly pay off their debts. But the problem is, rCLswallowing their priderCY might feel worse than death to them. Going from an annual salary of 700,000rCo800,000 down to 200,000, while still carrying huge debtsrCothe psychological blow is just too much. Many donrCOt end up dead because their finances collapsed; they die from the overwhelming sense of loss and failure that comes with cutting ties with their old social circles and plummeting living standardsrCa and then buying a gun and ending it all. Rednecks might sell the gun theyrCOve owned for twenty years just to survive, but these gun-loving rCLpetit bourgeoisrCY are more likely to use that gun on themselves.

As for the few who do survive and hit rock bottom, they wonrCOt turn into a Cao Xueqin, producing elegant literary works. TheyrCOre more likely to go off the deep end. TheyrCOll fleerCohead to Southeast Asia, India, or South America to work as programmersrCoand become completely twisted, turning into the most extreme rCLAmerica-hating crazies,rCY spending their days online attacking the U.S. for fun, becoming the kind of rCLAmericans attacking America from abroadrCY that shows up in CIA reports. TheyrCOll be overseas, using their professional skills to attack U.S. firewalls and vent their resentment. YourCOll see a bunch of overseas IPs constantly stirring the pot and attacking American ideologyrCoand those are precisely these rCLformer elitesrCY abandoned by their homeland.

So where does the root of the problem lie? As long as AmericarCOs AI industry fails to turn a real profit, this situation is unsolvable. And itrCOs not the bottom-rung workers being laid offrCoitrCOs the middle managers, the executives, even the core programmers. ItrCOs terrifying.

Sometimes conflicts between people arenrCOt really about clashing interests but differences in ideology and perception. Like the conflicts I have with some of my friends in the U.S.rCothey come from the same place. Let me end with a funny story. My dadrCOs always telling me how great America is because he has a friend who lives on Wall Street, just a ten-minute walk from a good hospital.

I told him: ThatrCOs survivor bias. Living on Wall Street is like having a shop on Wangfujing in Beijing. If you live on Yue Tai Nan Lu, of course yourCOd think the place is great. That doesnrCOt mean America is great; it just means yourCOre rich. In his eyes, AmericarCOs perfect everywhere. But werCOre the ones who really suffer, forced to watch as AmericarCOs cesspool keeps growing bigger and bigger until it finally explodes, splattering all over us.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


Mahjong fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

SeeDance fan <user11874@newsgrouper.org.invalid> posted:

==============================================================
I will make a judgment right now: illegal refugees can never be completely eradicated. Secondly, the internal political struggle in the United States has finally reached a new level. Not only has the struggle between the two parties become public and white-hot, but they are now dragging in a third-party military force. In the future, they will surely compete to offer conditions to the military, racing to outbid each other, which will eventually lead to political collapse. IrCOm putting my words right here: I see no path forward for American politics; it is a one-way street to darkness, destined to become like the Roman Praetorian Guard, purging the capital.
The internal struggle among the American upper class has finally entered a new stage. This new stage is defined: the political struggle between the two parties has finally moved from inside Congress to the forefront. When I say "forefront," I don't mean just stepping out to make speeches, engage in struggle, or hold armed parades. The partisan struggle of the new era involves mobilizing the military to suppress dissidents. This is terrifying. First, people don't quite understand what kind of country the United States is. In the eyes of Chinese people, this might seem normal, but in the U.S., it creates titanic waves because it touches on the very foundation of the nation.
Do people think the U.S. is a unified, centralized state? The U.S. is not a unified political entity. From its founding, this country has had a bone-deep disease: everyone does their own thing. The United States is essentially a collection of local mountain strongholds, petty warlords, and wealthy plantation owners who signed a mutual non-aggression pact. They cooperate on a limited basis, don't invade each other, and fend off foreign enemies when they arriverCothatrCOs the kind of country it is. Someone might ask, doesnrCOt the U.S. government have control over states and local governments? Sorry, it does not. Local governments have their own laws, regulations, and judicial interpretation powers. When the central government issues an order, they can refute it based on laws they themselves enacted. The American Civil War didn't end in a victory; it ended in a reconciliation. Local governments can enact laws to counter the central government. This is the relationship between feudal lords and the King of ZhourCoeven worse than the King of Zhou, because the President is a transient figure, changing every few years. This is the disease in America's bones; the root cause is deep inside.
Some say the Federal government looks powerful, but thatrCOs just appearances. Take the trade war as an example: Republican government orders were simply ignored by developed Democratic states or states with ports. Local states have their own civil service systems answerable to the locality, not the central government. A Governor can go to China to negotiate rules separately, bypassing the Federal government. This is a "North American Colonial Joint Government" where each colony has immense autonomy. Another example is marijuana legalization. Federally, marijuana is illegal, but how many local governments still arrest people for it? If the people in every sector don't execute orders, can the Federal government rule the local government unconstitutional? It cannot. It is the norm for orders to not leave Washington.
Previous presidents only dared to have ideas, but Trump is putting them into practice. Because he cannot command local state governments, he uses the pretext of "suppressing rebellion" to send the militaryrCowhether the National Guard or the regular armyrCointo local areas to actually control them. Fundamentally, this is because orders don't reach the local level; the locals simply don't listen. When the U.S. was powerful, it could extract enough benefits from the outside to save face. Now that it is in decline, it is normal for local governments not to give face to the central government.
Now they talk about purging the capital, suppressing rebellion, and arresting all illegal immigrants. This is a false proposition, a pure excuse, because Red states also rely heavily on the cheap labor of illegal immigrants. The current operation of the U.S. relies on these bottom-layer illegal immigrants. Ultimately, the problem of "who will do the work" must be solved. If no one wants to do the dirty and tiring work, AmericarCOs answer is to use illegal immigrants. The U.S. government understands that the entire countryrCOs operation is built on these illegal immigrants; they cannot be cleared away. Using this slogan to clear them is essentially about controlling local governments. Trump may not be a brilliant politician, but he certainly felt the power he could wield arbitrarily in his own company, which he cannot achieve at the level of the U.S. government. Local governors and local power brokers don't give a damn about the President.
Trump knows there is a powerful enemy, but he has no choice. The U.S. cannot be twisted into a single rope right now. Take the issue of soybean farmers: other states were unwilling to spend tax money to subsidize soybean farmers in Red states. The struggle between the two parties has reached a stage of life and death. "One side in trouble, eight sides watching" is the norm; in reality, they cannot unite. If the U.S. government could actually force local areas to support soybean farmers, perhaps they could be tougher on China. But China is a single rope; the U.S. is not, so itrCOs useless. Trump is having a breakdownrConot because he has ideals for AmericarCOs future, but because the exercise of his power is obstructed. He is unhappy that his power is not absolute.
Regarding illegal immigrants, let's say you are an American. In your youth, you didn't see many illegal immigrants, but as you got older, you found a shortage of workers; no one to mow the lawn. Then comes Juan, who asks for little money and works well, quickly becoming famous in the community. Later, Juan marries an American woman, gains legal status, and his child Antonio stays. Although people aren't happy about it, Juan diligently does the dirty and tiring work, so they tolerate him. This is "eating someone's food softens one's mouth; taking someone's things softens one's hand." The problem is Juan will reproduce and shield other Juans. Where is the boundary? Americans start getting unhappy but can't solve it because white people won't do this work. If white people cannot correct their attitude that this work is "lowly," they will always need Juan. Juan exchanges his dignity, will, and body for an entry ticket. Americans enjoy bossing around the cheap and capable Juan, but as their numbers increase, locals feel their resources are encroached upon. In reality, once you realize that the people mowing lawns, butchering in back kitchens, and fixing pipes are all Juans, you cannot eliminate them. The underlying code of social operation is running; if you kill all the Juans, who will do the work? The pleasure derived from enslaving a foreign race to work is unparalleled; this country must endlessly oppress these people to function normally.
Trump is using the excuse of purging illegal immigrants to seize power. As for the lives of citizens or "untouchables," he doesn't care. The American underclass can't get by also because Americans steadfastly refuse to do core foundational work. How can they do the same work as the "untouchables"? They can't face it. So, the bottom-layer illegal immigrants come to do it. Some say kill them all and let the Republicans or conservatives execute it. Trump just needs to shout MAGA, and the grassroots personnel will rush in to arrest and kill. The upper-class lords engage in political struggle, while the grassroots ICE personnel are there to vent, seeking revenge, seizing jobs, and purifying the race.
The current situation in the U.S. is that Trump, under the guise of purging illegal immigrants, is massively dispatching military police and special forces into Democratic state governments to suppress disobedient localities. At the execution level, his lackeys are extremely cruel. This is a carnival for the bottom layer, venting their most deep-seated desiresrCothe power lust of the upper class and the violent venting lust of the lower class. Central orders are not executed locally; tens of millions of displaced people engage in internal combat within the country. It sounds more and more like the late Ming Dynasty, or even worserCoa purely endogenous self-destruction.
The most terrifying difficulty in purging illegal immigrants lies in the human heart. Juan has been by your side for over a decade, diligent and cheap. When ICE agents want to beat him to death, can you, out of absolute cruelty, say he deserves to die? This is a struggle between racism and one's conscience. The American underclass is resentful; they need Juan alive when work needs to be done, and they hope Juan dies when resources are being distributed. But Juan cannot die because the white population isn't enough, and they are unwilling to do low-wage work. The American purge of the capital will not succeed because the country needs the Juans to operate. Suppressing the bottom-layer Juans is just an excuse, but they certainly have the guts to wipe out the Democrats.
Regarding the possession of "the gun" (military power), when contradictions are not intense, the military remains neutral and listens to whoever is in power. But when the struggle between the two parties reaches a certain stage, they need to win over the military to clean out the other faction. ItrCOs like Dong Zhuo entering the capital; the two parties will offer higher and higher prices to buy off the military leaders. Once the military leaders taste the benefits, there is no turning back. It shifts from "listening to whoever takes office" to "listening to whoever pays more." The opposition party, to counterattack the ruling party, might promise the military terrifying benefits, such as military independence or separate budgeting. If the two-party struggle deadlocks, sooner or later they will let the military write its own budget. This is like the story of the "Ya Bing" (retainer soldiers) in the late Tang Dynasty: to become the Jiedushi (regional commander), one offered a higher price to the retainers, who then chopped up the incumbent to put you in power. The U.S. might turn into a "military election," or military leaders might get tired of the two parties and become president themselves.
The underlying logic of the U.S. is that as a place of exile for Protestants, they are essentially a group of fanatical people. By a stroke of fate, these struggling survivors unexpectedly obtained an excellent piece of land. The birth of the U.S. involved too much luck; it reached the projection limit of the British Empire, North America was fertile, and France had a moment of madness. These Protestants cannot help but believe they are the chosen people; they feel this is destiny, a Manifest Destiny. This luck led them to be lawless, obeying only their own rules. This idealistic viewpoint becomes terrifying as they weaken; they can never admit their own decline. The military, government, and people will all become hysterical. This will lead to blind action, sooner or later.
The purge of the capital will become a daily activity. Every city has illegal immigrants; if the President or the military wants to enter, this is the ready-made excuse. Under the name of rooting out illegal immigrants, they take over the whole city, searching house to house. The standard might be: if you aren't white, you're arrested; if you can't prove yourself, you're arrested. Reopening Guantanamo is to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, truly killing a batch of "untouchables" to vent desires. They might not go to rich areas, but places where "yellow monkeys" gather are easiest to solverCorich yet weak, slaughtered just like that. The Great Devourer does not care about the lives of these petty sneaks; those with the ability to return have returned long ago; those remaining are just sitting ducks.
In the twilight of this New Rome, no ID card you pull out will make any difference. This is the truth of America's internal strife: the elites want to seize power, the masses want blood, and the military wants more money. The Devourer cares nothing for the fate of the schemers.
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


Mahjong fan posted:

All of Lao A's content originates from recordings
of online chat dialogues between him and netizens.

Sometimes they evoke thoughts about Daoism.
At the same time, they don't appear to be about Daoism.

As such, they are not on the topic.
Technically they are a violation.

That means you are not a good netizen.

An idea of Usenet isn't to spam groups
with material that is not on topic.

Be that as it may, trolls exist.
So do bots and propagandists.

Maybe you are trolling for responses
or simply generating propaganda.

Either way, it doesn't look good for you
in terms of being a good netizen.

Instead, it brings shame.
Ironic that you would do that.

To attempt to paint China as great
while bringing shame to it isn't great.

The content I have posted is a streamlined
and condensed version based on these recordings.

The content is too much for me to read.
Articles are too long and off-topic.

I'm not interested in Lao A
nor what he has to say. He seems to be
a kind of an odd podcaster. Pandering
to his audience. A propagandist.

My interest is in Taoist Philosophy,
aka Tao Chia, now spelled Daojia.

That's the main idea of the newsgroup.
This is not a difficult concept, imo.

- fwiw. thanks! aye. Cheers!
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From Newsgroup: alt.philosophy.taoism


aye posted:

Mahjong fan posted:

All of Lao A's content originates from recordings
of online chat dialogues between him and netizens.

Sometimes they evoke thoughts about Daoism.
At the same time, they don't appear to be about Daoism.

Well, what can eye say.
There is the sea-turtle story in Zz 17 eh.

The content I have posted is a streamlined
and condensed version based on these recordings.

I'm not interested in Lao A
nor what he has to say. ...

He appeared to have had a fantasy. Go to the USA.
Study at a university in Seattle and live a dream that
as things unfolded, did not meet his expectations.

He got into some sort of trouble and returned home.

Now, his dream having evaporated, he's got an axe
as it were to grind and finds an audience who
listens to his words naturally.

His perspective may go to show how perspectives can be.
Look for what is, and find that. Or, look at things and
events different and see how differences are able to exist.

Pointing at similarities and differences
reminds me of the Zhuangzi naturally.

- thanks! Cheers!
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