Outcomes of No-Fault Divorce

[ohio jones]

... literally a tidal wave of guns ...

Like this?

I can't see your image. Are you making a pedantic point about my use of the word "literal"?

Of course! I've literally never seen anything like it.

[ohio jones]

And also this which shows that despite the fact that Americans represent just 4% of the world's population, they own 42% of the all the guns in the world that are in civilian ownership.

Now do the same graph with dishwashers. The US has lots of things out of proportion to the rest of the world, but one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

[Ken]

And also this which shows that despite the fact that Americans represent just 4% of the world's population, they own 42% of the all the guns in the world that are in civilian ownership.

Now do the same graph with dishwashers. The US has lots of things out of proportion to the rest of the world, but one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

Yes, what we own reflects our values.

I would be the first to agree with that.

[Josh]

I happen to think it wouldn’t be a good thing to transform America to look like Cairo, which is what outlawing single family home zoning, suburbs, and mandating “dense” development would do.

[Ken]

I happen to think it wouldn’t be a good thing to transform America to look like Cairo, which is what outlawing single family home zoning, suburbs, and mandating “dense” development would do.

Cairo is ugly because it is poor and overpopulated. Extremely poor and overpopulated. Not because they lack single family zoning.

In an American context, increased density looks more like this. Imagine. Your kids might actually be able to walk to school or the playground or the corner store instead of being chauffeured around by car every time they leave the house. The HORROR.



Of course this is the sort of higher-density housing that we have outlawed in most modern American cities.

And speaking of encouraging families which is the subject of this thread. I frankly thing we have done children an enormous disservice by the suburban environment we have constructed where it is impossible for them to navigate the world on their own without a parent chauffeur. Which is what much of modern suburbia is actually like. 19th Century America was not like that. Children had independence and could roam. Not just in rural areas but cities as well.

How do you safely send your 10 year old on a bike to go get gallon of milk at the corner store when the road outside your subdivision looks like this?

[Josh]

A picture of a wealthy part of town looks, well, wealthy. Having been not-wealthy and lived in high density areas, I can tell you the actual experience is quite different.

[Ken]

Well yes, and poor rural areas look like trash too.

I'm not in favor of MANDATING anything. I'm in favor of getting rid of government regulation which is actually the more conservative and free-market based approach. And letting people build what they want and buy what they want. The market will sort it out. If people want to live in low density sprawling suburbs the market will continue to provide plenty of that. And if people want to live in higher-density areas that support more amenities and a healthier walkable lifestyle, the market will provide that.

And then people with families will have a CHOICE.

[Josh]

Well yes, and poor rural areas look like trash too.

I'm not in favor of MANDATING anything. I'm in favor of getting rid of government regulation which is actually the more conservative and free-market based approach. And letting people build what they want and buy what they want. The market will sort it out. If people want to live in low density sprawling suburbs the market will continue to provide plenty of that. And if people want to live in higher-density areas that support more amenities and a healthier walkable lifestyle, the market will provide that.

And then people with families will have a CHOICE.

What if people want to live in places with restrictive zoning laws?

[Ken]

Well yes, and poor rural areas look like trash too.

I'm not in favor of MANDATING anything. I'm in favor of getting rid of government regulation which is actually the more conservative and free-market based approach. And letting people build what they want and buy what they want. The market will sort it out. If people want to live in low density sprawling suburbs the market will continue to provide plenty of that. And if people want to live in higher-density areas that support more amenities and a healthier walkable lifestyle, the market will provide that.

And then people with families will have a CHOICE.

What if people want to live in places with restrictive zoning laws?

That is what HOAs are for. They aren't going away any time soon regardless of zoning. And cities without zoning like Houston have endless HOA-governed subdivisions because that is what the market demands. HOAs are the free market solution for people who want to live in a neighborhood that is micro-regulated.

[ohio jones]

Well yes, and poor rural areas look like trash too.

I'm not in favor of MANDATING anything. I'm in favor of getting rid of government regulation which is actually the more conservative and free-market based approach. And letting people build what they want and buy what they want. The market will sort it out. If people want to live in low density sprawling suburbs the market will continue to provide plenty of that. And if people want to live in higher-density areas that support more amenities and a healthier walkable lifestyle, the market will provide that.

And then people with families will have a CHOICE.

What if people want to live in places with restrictive zoning laws?

That is what HOAs are for. They aren't going away any time soon regardless of zoning. And cities without zoning like Houston have endless HOA-governed subdivisions because that is what the market demands. HOAs are the free market solution for people who want to live in a neighborhood that is micro-regulated.

Yeah, here's what Houston is really like:

Houston is the largest city in the United States without any appreciable zoning. While there is some small measure of zoning in the form of ordinances, deed restrictions, and land use regulations, real estate development in Houston is only constrained by the will and the pocketbook of real estate developers. Traditionally, Houston politics and law are strongly influenced by real estate developers; at times, the majority of city council seats have been held by them. This arrangement has made Houston a very sprawled-out and very automobile-dependent city....

Many areas can be downright hostile to pedestrians and bikers as sidewalks are privately built (if at all) and roads are littered with massive potholes. The city is primarily built on the energy industry and nearly everyone owns a car and drives everywhere they go, even to a destination less than a mile away.