Eh… ALAB..? Just like ACAB we’re hyper polarizing ourselves into ‘us vs them’ groups, just like the mainstream media and the capitalistic elite wants us to!
What was that early Jedi mantra, that they later dropped and bastardized but originally had a good point? Something about absolutism in thinking?
I say all this knowing you’re going to tear me up for it, but critical thinking and discussion is better than mindlessly following narratives that are being pushed on us by our puppeteers, too. Even if you think ‘hey, this is a new bad guy I can get behind’, remember, that’s also the distraction they’re putting in front of you.
POV: my house, that I am currently sitting in, is 4 hours away from my office, where I was recently promoted to and stay during the week. In the next year I might try to rent out a room, to… maintain someone here making sure it isn’t broken into or vandalized, and to offset some of the mortgage. When I transfer back, if I get the chance, in the next couple years I’ll return to my home being intact and I’ll invest in some upgrades I’ve wanted. In the meantime? I still fully expect to come out weekly to maintain it. Bad guy? Come on, there’s A Bad Guy, and that’s the capitalistic elite. ‘ACAB’ and ‘ALAB’..? Don’t lose sight of the true enemy here, there’s a myriad of variety for everything in between us and them.
Do have any idea how massive the gap is between us and the true ruling class is? They aren't landlords, they own the investment group that owns the holding company that employ the landlords.
So yeah, very intelligent to use your energy to attack people who are at worst, their incredibly disposable footsoldiers.
Also, I hate to break it to you, but if you want the split to be black and white like this yet you have the time, energy, and opportunity to complain about this sort of shit online... you probably aren't one of the proletariat. You're petit bourgeois.
"We" are not polarizing ourselves. We are just describing a polarization that already exists to opress us. Be it ACAB, ALAB, whatever you find, the thing is, it just is.
Yeah, I feel like the right has such a black-and-white/zero nuance view of things. So then the left goes and does the same thing!
My sense is that these A*AB movements are really trying to say, "the institution of X is fundamentally flawed," and that's something I agree with definitely. But it's worded provocatively, which is just...assinine. Like, the little old lady who would be priced out of her home if not for renting out a room to a college kid, below market value? Yeah total bastard...
I think Anyone who wants to stifle honest and open discussion and who wants* to push a narrative that strips all nuance from complicated situations… to fill their own agenda… Are Bad.
And I’m on Lemmy, and generally fit the demographic here. I would just like for us to sometimes have a little more nuanced conversation instead of mindlessly doom scrolling and falling in line. Ok?
Exactly. My mom was sick a few years ago so I went back to my hometown for an extended visit. I certainly won't bunk with her and her new husband, and conveniently, people don't include hotels in their polarized war against landlords.
The best option for me was to just rent a room at a boarding house, which was both cost effective and close to my mother's place.
The issue is not landlords themselves, it is the capitalism, the unrestrained corporate greed and the lack of very steep taxes for the owners of multiple homes.
funny how you gave two examples of visiting places to say landlords aren't the parasites that they are, rather than the need to have a permanent shelter.
what's sad about this mindless "ALAB" blathering is that it actively detracts from ACAB. ACAB isn't just about "bad cops", it's about the entire police institution designed to support bad cops and cover up wrong doing.
There is no "landlord institution". Individual property owners are not related in any way. Separate agencies aren't related. Bad landlords don't force good landlords out of the market.
There's private equity firms which are evil, foreign investors who are evil, and so on, if you're looking for some big boys to wave your torches and pitchforks at. There's issues with capitalism.
Renting is fantastic. You want to build a house or buy a house, or renovate your house, but it takes a few months? You move to a new area, temporary job relocation for a project? You rent. From someone who owns a house. Called a landlord. They are providing the service of making this available for you in an area you want.
Now, yes, local and state governments should be building more properties to rent cheaply, and you know what that's called? Competition in the marketplace, which is what is needed.
"ALAB" is a bullshit concept. Until Landlord B walks over to Landlord A and starts forcing them to raise their rents, it's not an institutional problem.
I will say: most property agents are evil, lazy and stupid. Relators for rentals. They usually get paid a percentage of the rent, so they have a direct interest in raising rents. Landlords (the owners) are just people. Most never had the training to run rental properties which is why they listen to the supposed 'expertise' of the stupid, lazy, evil agents.
I will say… that I heard rumor of price fixing in the rental market and the DOJ investigating it, link below from a quick google search. I haven’t really dived deep into that topic, but it’s there if you’re interested in a little read.
see, that's not a industry-wide thing. That is one corrupt company, affecting those below them. It's absolutely wrong, and comes back to the whole issue I mentioned about how they have a direct financial interest in raising rents.
Them being evil doesn't affect others. In fact, it makes it easier for those wanting to rent out at lower prices to fill their empty properties.
and remember - once again, that's not a landlord. Most agents are dicks, though.
oh no we're polarizing ourselves... yeah if someone murdered my friend I would get so absolutist and polarize people into my friend vs the guy who murdered my friend. when am I going to learn‽