The High Cost of Living

 "What do you mean 'Average American Income' Mem?"

"Well the average income in the across the 50 U.S. is approximately $63,000/yr. "

"Exactly.  So how is < $20,000..."

"As I was saying before you interrupted.  $63,000/year. is the average income in the U.S. However, that amount is expected and all pricing standards are based around this amount supporting a family of 4. 
An earner and 3 dependents.   
"Mom, Dad, and 2.4 children
 "Except that in the U.S. because of inadequate health care the typical family has 5 dependents.
More on that later..."

"But..."

"Shush, I'm not done. 
 $63,000 divided by 4 is?   
That's your que to interrupt me and demonstrate to the people you can do basic math, but moving on.   That's $15,750.   
So the average American annual income is actually.  $15,750.   And all of their needs and necessities need to be budgeted into that. 

"But most homes have two incomes, 2 workers.  So that's under selling..."

"I'm sorry, I thought you asked me here for my professional analysis, not to lecture me on how to present my data. 
Can I continue, or shall you continue explain the contents of my report that you didn't see until today?

Thank you 

With a two income house hold, assuming they both make $63,000 a year means...?
That's your que to show your math skills again.  

No?

Good.
 I can finish this.

  $126,000 a year. 
Meaning they would be able to provide each person about $31,500/year. 

I set the $20,000/year budget limit to split the difference. 
 Since the cost of the average personal vehicle is $3000 to $8000 annually depending on monthly payment, insurance, and frequency of use. So forgoing a personal vehicle I have stuck to that budget for the last 20+ years in order to have an actual understanding of what the average U.S. citizen is able to provide for themselves. 

Which, as you can see, is inadequate.

To maintain this budget I've had to waive all but emergency healthcare, spend more time hungry than not, and find work trades for adequate housing."

The report is thorough and the analysis made without any external input beyond data points to illustrate the existing system v.s. the proposed.  

Now, if you have questions I'm happy to answer but make them brief I have 4 more of these today and I'm only here for the week." 

Tres Leches

1. History

The Conquerors 
History all agrees that from the 15th to the 17th century was, depending on your history book, known as "The age of Colonization" or "The Age of Exploration."

The Settlers
In the U.S. from the 15th to 20th centuries Europe arrived and, to put it politely, assumed control of the area previously considered "undiscovered" areas. 

The  Descendants. 
Now, those living in the after math of literally six centuries of war that has spanned the globe have to sort through the facts, the history, and the propaganda to figure out what actually happened. 

2. Science

Humanity
Somewhere before or during the History propaganda was spread. suggesting that human beings were no longer subject to nature, but above it, and could control it. 
When the truth is;
Human's are just a part of nature.
Neither above, or below. 
Simply existing as a flower does in a field.
A flower can reach for the sun, spread it roots, send new flowers off to grow elsewhere.  
But the flower doesn't control the rain, or the wind, or the sun. 
Or the grass that surrounds it. 

Applied
From top to bottom.  
Physics to Biology. 
Every piece of science during those 6 centuries.  6 hundred years.  was tainted by 3 tenants. Even the staunchest advocates these tenants can not avoid have influenced outcomes in studies into and application of the various fields. 
See : -2. Science/Humanity
It wasn't until the last 30 years that in the United States, by law and study, recognized indigenous peoples of any land not "European" in descent, or whomever the courts decided to recognize, was not considered a "human" with all of the legal and ethical considerations that entails.   

It wasn't until 2025 that safety design in the auto industry considered using test dummies that represented anything other than the "standard male frame" 

Theoretical
Currently, there are very vocal people taking bad faith science shaped by propaganda and presenting it as the foundations on which all science should be built.  
Did good science come out of over six centuries of war?  
Absolutely. 
But at the cost of massive swaths of humanity and irreparable damage to the collective memory of every culture across the globe. 

Because of all of the above:
 Every single scientific accomplishment, standard, and foundation has to be examined, disassembled, and reconstructed from the ground up, with data pulled from the wreckage of the old world. 


3. The Law

What we're seeing now
The world exists in state of legal limbo that no one could see coming. 
Well, if you didn't pay attention you wouldn't see it coming. 
But here we are. 

https://www.britannica.com/facts/United-Nations
 
The courts are currently mired in litigating the fallout of the past six centuries.  
Businesses are people?
People are only people if you have a certain number of dollars?
People are people? 
Only some people are people but only if they own other people and the people they own are not people?
What's a people?

Read that out loud, it is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds but it is where the courts are.

And that , boys and girls is Critical Race Theory
or
"CRT" in it's current cudgel form.   
Truth is, the folks screaming the loudest about people trying to rewrite and change history are the exact "people"? that were the ones doing it in the first place, but instead calling the propaganda the history, and the history propaganda. And doing this to people with that still aren't sure which is which. 

I have receipts.
And my files are immaculate.

Critical Race Theory: 
A course, designed to prepare lawyers for the fact that they will have to argue for their clients in a court system historically shaped by the above.  Where every single case raises that question of "what is a people?"  and rarely get's beyond this question before a decision is made. 

Sorry, your client is not a people and there for will not be treated like a people.  
Also.
Editorial is not news. 
NPR has an hourly news update and your local station has the weather if you need an example for a  remedial journalism course

So what's Jack been up to?  
Same ol' same ol. 
Ear to the ground and flickin' boogers at the screen. 
Only 3 years to find a new Mem, Hawk, and Amos. 
Unless I decide to put it off another ten and keep working.