(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Go Fast, Break Things [1] ['Kelli Anne Busey', 'Chitown Kev', 'Belinda Ridgewood', 'Bill In Portland Maine'] Date: 2026-07-28 My thoughts for today are dark and grim. I am disgusted with the current “system” in the USA that is built with the express purpose of extracting wealth in any and every way from “we the people”. If you have read my recent posts, I have been reduced to begging (which I hate to do) for financial help because I am supporting 4 adults and 5 pets in a rental apartment on my college librarian salary – it isn’t working anymore. I’ll put a disclaimer here because this post is not recommending violence or hate on anyone but will be an expression of my internal rage at this machine. I want this system destroyed and replaced (the general zeitgeist seems to be moving that way but despair in the moment is a reality for many). Ideas are plentiful and the KOS community has been a godsend for support in these dark times – of note, I especially recommend reading/following Thom Hartmann – his writings/observations express rather exactly what & how our system has warped into what it is and his experience seems to reflect my own (being born in 1961 myself, I have lived the journey he describes!) – also, if you don’t already, follow Dr. Heather Cox Richardson (“Letters from an American”) daily newsletter who writes with clarity and historical reference and truly provides a hopeful outlook. Now, to business. The title of this journal came from the ideology of tech-bro culture – go fast and break things. Seems like a fun tag line and the premise was simple, direct – as tech evolved quickly (especially after the PC and Smart Phones entered every household) – new systems could be developed that were better and cheaper that could replace the slow and cumbersome. The tech-bro culture would examine services and see how they could be improved &/or replaced – email replacing postal services, Uber/Lyft replacing taxi services, self-checkout stations replacing grocery store staff, etc. – the item left out of these brutal spreadsheet reality parameters was the “human” cost. What do the humans do when they have no income to buy things and no entry-level positions to begin participation in society? Do the tech-bro overlords not realize the “Aladin” consequence? (gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat, tell you all about it when I have the time!) Here is my own disheartening situation and the reason I am becoming so angry: My “take home pay” has been decreasing annually – no annual raises plus rising health-care costs squeeze more and more I fell behind in debts and could not make any payments, my paycheck was garnished and now I can’t afford rent & food (it’s a choice, eat or pay rent) I lost my home to foreclosure last year, as my wife (disabled) can’t work and my adult children (2) who live with me can’t find employment even as they try daily (sorry, the algorithm rejects applications without human review) – even applying for government help has become more difficult (Ta GOP) I don’t have enough money to file for bankruptcy (requires up front payment before it can be filed) so no relief in sight As I am back to living paycheck-to-paycheck, I’ve recently been hammered again by “bank overdraft fees” of $36/each when automatic payment for utilities/services happen just before payday – an additional $100/$200 monthly penalty for being poor If I fall 1 month behind on rent I am immediately threatened with eviction (unlike a mortgage where I had more time) and I’ve had to seek help from friends, family, & KOS – is happening again this month My utility bill (electric) is now unpayable because of the heat wave sweeping every state and AC must be running to keep things livable – yeah, Oil Company CEOs to thank for that one My upcoming choices are grim – one possibility is I can abandon my family, cancel every service and live in a cheap “room for 1” while I wage-slave the rest of my life until I die paying for food/rent. I can hold out hope that one of my children will become wildly successful and I can move in with them and pay my share with my social security – can file now as I am 64 (actually, did file to start getting benefits – was rejected because I am still working so I have to appeal because I NEED extra funds to survive right now!!!) but that won’t be happening anytime soon… Another possibility is to inflict the “go fast and break things” ideology on those who have afflicted our society. Maybe I should… * Stop by Wall Street and visit Hedge Fund offices, go fast and break things * Visit ports where CEO yachts have docked, go fast and break things * Stop by health care insurance companies, go fast and break things * Visit gated communities, go fast and break things * Stop by the various “Data Centers” being inflicted on us, go fast and break things * Visit country clubs, go fast and break things * Stop by the Heritage Foundation, go fast and break things Of course, I won’t be doing any of these things… dark fantasies aside… I’ll ask for your help one more time KOS – my last time doing this because I can’t live like this any longer. I can receive funds via Zelle, phone #: 720-281-5212 or Venmo: @Leif-Madsen-1 – just trying to hold out for one more month… I have some final advice for the current “leadership” of the USA especially: Create “Guaranteed Basic Income” – food, housing, utility needs met for all Eliminate “For Profit Healthcare” – Health Insurance industry should disappear, no middleman & Big Pharma should be tightly controlled End the Tax Cuts for the Rich – go back to pre-Reagan era tax structure, high marginal takes to prevent hoarded wealth Implement Green New Deal – phase out fossil fuels – the evidence of current harm is clear Stakeholders before Shareholders – rethink “corporate profit distribution” so workers participate in corporate success instead of shareholders only reaping all benefits End Vulture Capitalism – leverage buyouts, stock buybacks, financial manipulation hurting society People before Profit – human society should prosper and money hoarding should end Thanks in advance to all – holding out for one other happy fantasy – winning Powerball and throwing such resources back into the KOS community (plus paying back my friends/family) so people struggling like me can enjoy the support I’ve experienced from this great group… [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/28/800076194/community/go-fast-break-things/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/