The phrase "affordable housing" bugs me

[journo]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512

There's something weird about it

I can't quite put my finger on it

It seems to imply that housing is not fundamentally a luxury item and it's some sort of fluke housing isn't affordable.

No, housing is a luxury item in a market economy.

I'd be equally weirded out by people saying "creating affordable limousines". It's not a lack of entrepreneurship making them expensive, it's that they are luxury items.

Additionally, "affordable" means little. You can price something at 90% disposable income and call it affordable.

There should be a new phrase like "free land" or "public housing". i understand public housing was created by avoiding calling it public housing, but that means america was never really morally prepared for public housing. Think people who agree should just be honest to avoid kicking a moral reality Americans need to confront at some point. Japan has already accepted public housing,
Australia has, the US hasn't, we always have to call it something else, or when it comes up, pretend it doesn't exist.

I can hardly find a single person IRL who will acknolwedge it exists. Such a bizarre situation.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----

iQIzBAEBCgAdFiEEDzaGfnGQIG4qRoHljZMhk5YaSd4FAmc48VsACgkQjZMhk5Ya
Sd7OhQ//dGvLcpq90KQ1/xDbc6qRp2Fq7eWvnYJTWNZstzOs24g3neBDueT5mcK8
xEl135eogjjN7ENntz348dz4cuBbMe9x1gZqTA7wGrLzRbnO9k9xYD+9hqsjader
fcLK45w2ayMgMeLMSZdwx/WJVqls22TOLaG3ppUa+YA0LceVnN9jgCa6N6xS7jAj
NHcN6EtF21UWZu1/ITT+6zOvUgrOvNI0Kgttc8ww9DfmFdyTrKJqDXLRb6Sd6sBI
czxqwsSzl7IqJ4oSQRE6Pfs88kdYOxxddeFTFagctOcobV1IgkuxdWRJYRFqTstC
00wLRuh5GwKicgoaikIOVUppIkr/vHe5FYquJQ+mYD+YtSHGApssk+wLwo6wqQti
43YS0xJB/G9p9okfuEWyuRAX9ooc7nequGQzs4waW/qzwKqOBp434+C5Tmx8v+C5
3jDF2/untyxhuvw/4Z0fm1X/VoEIC41Sk3msDQBu4fB4X7Kb5gR20kWaX86Ptfc4
qLHGVEXbvv5Y3K1mdNJ+ZZCOOeqm7JBFYIQqGLwwLuQ8B7KCMF0tovkOcTvngKCL
/vNsa43GsNNMuWCVtoww38IXeyB0h+W9NqMRSDbo9Ds2AnLDwtl76lCso7UVKg+6
Dain91bmEC41ip6Z/rfrADjpRX+nS66MCLtoYsqfudW/RqRrw7g=
=FlMM
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

[journo]

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
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=XDN/
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

[badmachine]

it's newspeak for public housing. public housing is still used but it's being phased out in favor of newspeak.

we had a program in the usa called section 8, it was readily available and as easy to get as food stamps or medicaid. that ended in the 1990s with "welfare reform". things were never the same after that.

[ericbarbour]

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

And the purpose of this is? You gonna start posting encrypted info? Why bother?

Ask the Canadians about THEIR housing costs. It's being driven mostly by investor speculation, and political chaos in the US, because certain investors "assume" that Americans will move to Canada en masse. Crazy stuff but not unusual for investor bubbles. Similar pumping is happening in the US though not to the same extreme.

canadian home prices.png (235.23 KiB) Viewed 2353 times

[journo]

And the purpose of this is? You gonna start posting encrypted info? Why bother?

Ask the Canadians about THEIR housing costs. It's being driven mostly by investor speculation, and political chaos in the US, because certain investors "assume" that Americans will move to Canada en masse. Crazy stuff but not unusual for investor bubbles. Similar pumping is happening in the US though not to the same extreme.
canadian home prices.png

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512

I guess you know how this works. For those that don't, all text in my first post is a digitally signed message.

The second post is my public key, which I won't post again because it's just used to verify signed messages.

Signed messages establish a verifiiable identity that exists past the demise of a forum or hacking of an account. I'm doing it on all sites now. It takes up less space in your database that editing my posts 200 times, which I usually do. Now I am limited to no edits

Yea Canadian home prices are the worst.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
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=IEob
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

[suckadmin]

It takes up less space in your database that editing my posts 200 times, which I usually do. Now I am limited to no edits

We don't store edit history of posts so your encryption keys are doubling if not more so the size of your posts. The ability to edit is on a timer. Why are you editing your posts 200 times?

[ericbarbour]

lol

[Archer]

There's something weird about it

Yes.

It seems to imply that housing is not fundamentally a luxury item and it's some sort of fluke housing isn't affordable.

I have to say, I disagree with this premise, Journo. Unless you favor a return to feudalism then why shouldn't people have higher expectations and standards? Why shouldn't they react with anger when they have little prospect of home ownership? Do you want to live that way? What a nightmare - fuck public housing.


You're (almost) correct here though:

Additionally, "affordable" means little. You can price something at 90% disposable income and call it affordable.

Like so much other propaganda, this takes advantage of the passive voice. "Affordable" to whom? You are probably bothered by the grammar of the phrase rather than the idea of home ownership - at least I hope.

[Archer]

I'll explain. Compare these sentences:

Active voice: "Most people can afford houses"

Passive voice with actor: "Houses are affordable for most people"

Passive voice omitting actor: "Houses are affordable."

The first sentence has a subject "most people" (the actor), a verb phrase "can afford" and an object "houses". The passive voice switches subject and object. This emphasizes "houses" (originally the object, now the subject) rather than the actor (now the object) and constrains possible verb choices to "are", "is", and generally some form of "to be". It also allows the writer to omit the actor entirely, as in the third sentence.

This allows the media to have a discourse that is more about "houses" and whether they satisfy the indeterminate meaning of "affordable". Note that you cannot even write the second two sentences with E-prime, which I recommended to you earlier, if I recall correctly.


Another example:

Active: I wrote the first example in the active voice.
Passive: The first example was written in the active voice by me.
Passive, no actor: The first example was written in the active voice.

It might seem natural to omit the actor from the second sentence, but to me the first example seems easier and clearer still. At any rate, the media tends to use this frequently, which makes for vague, abstract, unaccountable and largely meaningless rhetoric.

(Edit: clarifying technical details)

[Archer]

One final note just to drive the point home: The media uses the passive voice because it permits looser, more open-ended language. Just as wikipedia uses loosely-defined policy so that users cannot call them out for breaking their own rules, politicians make their promises and hold their debates in a similar dialect so that the public can not hold them accountable to any concrete standard. It's the same trick.