Translation job proposal sample

Uk Unemployment increasing

2024.05.14 09:31 Lefty8312 Uk Unemployment increasing

So new data today shows that UK unemployment is increasing.
Considering I would be included in these figures (as I was made redundant from a job of 10 years in March), and have yet to find alternative employment at a similar level (and not for a lack of trying, 500+ applications, and reducing my annual pay by about 40% of what I was on to try to get back into work), what do you propose Labour could do when they get into power to help with this?
submitted by Lefty8312 to LabourUK [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 09:09 MeteorMakesArt Infinite grenades cheat

Went on a mission with a friend and two randoms on Helldive to spill oil yesterday. The team split in a 3/1 early. I'll be honest I was very surprised to see the lonewolf clear so many camps alone and not die a single time, but well, I suppose some people are actually much better than I am so whatever, he's doing his job.
Except after doing all objectives, he decided he wanted to open a bunker on the other side of the map and reinforced me to his position. We got engaged by a patrol, so the guy had no other choice but to fight, and revealed he could throw an infinite amount of grenades. It became even clearer at extraction when he had to keep throwing nades every half second.
The cheat was confirmed at the end with 66 shots for 376 kills.
The guy died at extract with all the samples. I'm not even mad, serves him right. You sir spread the wrong kind of democracy and you don't deserves this samples.
Have you guys encountered this kind of cheat before? What else can I expect so I can kick these players out as early as possible?
submitted by MeteorMakesArt to Helldivers [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 08:37 ProjectLow4761 Wanting to get into a remote/hybrid position, just don’t know what I qualify for or what jobs. Any ideas?

Hi everyone! I’m a 28 year male in PNW. Currently in cell phone industry for the last 7 years, management for 4.5 years. Feeling a little stagnant, wanting a change of pace. I would say on average while managing I’ve had a YOY growth of 5-10% since being in it, but wanting to get into a better paying job. Just don’t know what steps I should be taking, jobs I qualify for or don’t. I’ve been wanting to get into hybrid work but I understand that’s a scarce thing at the moment; I I don’t know how my work experience would translate or qualify for. Any tips would be helpful, please and thank you.
Edit: Forgot to mention that I was recently told that with my experience that I should be looking into consulting jobs with like Google/Microsoft/Amazon, but I don’t see any of those positions available so just made me even more confused
submitted by ProjectLow4761 to careerguidance [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 08:13 cringeygrace Who owned Fazbears Fright: The Horror Attraction?

Alright, so I will preface this by saying that I largely stopped following FNAF after UCN for a variety of reasons. However, I wouldn't say I lost interest in the franchise. I was just temporarily burnt on spending hours at a time combing every detail of every pixel while following one theory update after another. And then after a year or two, it just seemed too much so I put off getting back into it while focusing on life problems. Plus, this was around the time the "soft reboot" was first proposed and at the time I felt it was a copout. What I'm trying to say is, I might be unclear about a lot of details, so don't crucify me 😂
For the sake of discussion, please don't hit me with "the games never happened" theory. I'm aware it's entirely possible that the first three games were pure meta fiction allowing Scott to retcon as needed. But it's also possible that they did happen. For the sake of this discussion, I'm assuming the ladder.
I recently watched MatPats Ultimate Timeline Theory from last year. Which is probably now only half valid because Help Wanted 2 is now out, into the pit is on the way, etc. Not that his theories are gospel. There's always possible differing theories and alternative explanations. But he does do a good job of explaining things, so whether you believe his theories or not, it was a good starting point for me to get back into the franchise.
Anywho, this has me wondering. If Henry Emily was indeed still alive, as suggested by his involvement in FNAF 6/FFPS, then who owned Fazbears Fright: The Horror Attraction? I know the attraction itself was owned by an amusement park, but I mean who owned the rights? At the time, it was theorized that the new owners of the franchise simply wanted to cash in on the reputation. This was also at the time it was commonly believed that the original founders sold the restaurants to Fazbear entertainment.
But we now know there was no new owner. One of the 2 founders of Fredbears Family Diner (and later Fazbear Entertainment), Henry Emily, continued to own it up until it's ultimate dissolution following the burning of Freddy Fazbears Pizza Place in FNAF 6. At least, until it was reincorporated by whoever resurrected it to build the Pizzaplex. Let's not talk about who the new CEO is, that's a whole other discussion.
NOTE: I know it's also possible that Afton owned Fredbears Family Diner independently before partnering with Henry to form Fazbear entertainment. This isnt the focus of the discussion so please don't zone in on this detail. The key point is that Henry has been around since the beginning of Fazbear Entertainment, and still owned it when the horror attraction was launched.
So this begs the question, if Henry Emily owned Fazbear Entertainment the whole time, why the hell did he license a horror attraction? Actually, as I type this, I came up with a possible answer. Perhaps Henry Emily is the one who burnt down Fazbears Fright? We know he did this with the final restaurant, and that the final restaurant was created for this sole purpose. With this in mind it stands to reason that perhaps Fazbears Fright was an early attempt at burning it all to the ground.
Golden Freddy and the Puppet are present. Which means, Charlotte and Cassidy are present. As is Afton/Spring Trap. Baby/Elizabeth isn't there, but it's also possible Henry simply didn't know about her yet. There was quite the gap between Fazbears Fright, and Freddy Fazbears Pizza Place, and like Michael, Henry was likely tracking the animatronics following the failed burn attempt. It could stand to reason that he learned about Baby and Molten Freddy during this time period.
Henry doesn't seem to be the type who would make light of the tragedy to make a quick buck, but he's the only person who could possibly have licensed the name, and gave permission to excavate the restaurant that served as Williams tomb. But, if he had an ulterior motive, such as ending it once and for all, he wouldn't be above using the amusement park as a tool to make it happen. He originally intended for the franchisee of Pizza Place to be a random person, so he clearly didn't care who got caught in the crossfire.
But this begs the question, why not just burn the damn restaurant down while Williams corpse was sealed in the safe room? Why risk releasing him into the world??? Was there some reason why it couldn't have been the restaurant that burned?
submitted by cringeygrace to fivenightsatfreddys [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 08:00 r-nasa-mods New usajobs.gov NASA postings as of Tuesday May 14, 2024

Lead Contract Specialist

KSC-24-IMP-12401678-LC

Grade: GS-14
John F. Kennedy Space Center
As a Lead Contract Specialist in the Institutional Support Procurement Office, you will be responsible for applying principles, practices, and methodologies sufficient to advise on and/or resolve a range of operational and/or strategic issues. You will lead a team of contract specialists in the acquisition and administration of institution-related enterprise services and propellants using a wide range of regulations, policies, and procedures to identify, evaluate, and recommend solutions.

General Engineer, AST, Experimental Facility Development (Direct Hire)

SSC-24-DE-12400130-RD

Grade: GS-14
John C. Stennis Space Center
As a Senior Project Manager (PM) for the Stennis Space Center's Construction of Facilities Program, you will provide consultation and advice regarding the development of facilities, systems, and equipment used in conducting aerospace research, development, and operations programs. You will conduct special studies for NASA Programs/Projects and its partners.

Administrative Specialist

LaRC-24-IMP-12407204-JL

Grade: GS-11
Langley Research Center
As an Administrative Specialist supporting the Administrative Support & Analysis Branch (ASAB) you will be responsible for a wide variety of analytical, human resources, administrative, and associated management support services for the organization(s) to which assigned. You will conduct analytical studies requiring the identification and resolution of issues and problems of administrative support functions.

Lead Administrative Specialist

LaRC-24-IMP-12407421-JL

Grade: GS-12
Langley Research Center
As a Lead Administrative Specialist supporting the Administrative Support & Analysis Branch (ASAB), you will be responsible for a wide variety of analytical, human resources, administrative, and associated management support services for the organization(s) to which assigned, and you will conduct analytical studies requiring the identification and resolution of issues and problems of administrative support functions.

Aerospace Engineer, AST - Fluid Systems Test

KSC-24-IMP-12403299-JK

Grade: GS-15
John F. Kennedy Space Center
As an AST, Fluid Systems Test Engineer in the Exploration Payloads Branch of the Laboratories, Development & Testing Division, you will serve as technical expert for in-space servicing and refueling of satellites, spacecraft, and lunadeep space surface systems. This includes research and development for spaceflight missions, technology demonstration and concept development with the goal of advancing NASA and U.S. leadership for In-Space Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) capability.

Administrative Specialist

SSC-24-IMP-12405817-RD

Grade: GS-14/15
John C. Stennis Space Center
As an Administrative Specialist within the Center Operations Directorate (COD), you will work with a multi-disciplinary team as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for a large, multi-site Operations & Maintenance contract providing services to NASA, other Federal agencies, commercial tenants, and propulsion test customers. You will serve as Area COR for core services at Stennis Space Center, providing support to the Integration COR and Contracting Officers.

Research Physical Scientist, AST, Earth Sciences Remote Sensing (Direct Hire)

ARC-24-DE-12403533-JK

Grade: GS-13
Ames Research Center
As a Research AST, Earth Sciences Remote Sensing with the Biospheric Science Branch in the Earth Science Division, you will be responsible for developing and leading projects. You will be part of a team of highly skilled scientists to advance and integrate Earth science knowledge to empower humanity to create a more resilient world, while pursuing opportunities for collaboration and funding.

Research Computer Scientist, AST, Data Analysis (Direct Hire)

ARC-24-DE-12403531-JK

Grade: GS-14
Ames Research Center
As a Research AST, Data Analysis with the Biospheric Science Branch in the Earth Science Division, you will be responsible for leading and developing projects/products that utilize high-performance computing in efficient and novel ways to create innovative methods and insights. You will be part of a team of highly skilled scientists to advance Earth science knowledge, while pursuing opportunities for collaboration and funding and serving as a subject matter expert in computing & data analysis.

Aerospace Engineer, AST, Automation and Robotics Systems

JSC-24-IMP-12406387-BP

Grade: GS-14
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
You will serve as the Gravity Offload Deputy Project Manager with the Dynamic Systems Test Branch in the Software, Robotics, and Simulation Division. You will be responsible for policies, procedures, operations schedules, resources, procurement, funding, and facility requirements for the branch Gravity Offload assets. You will lead a team of engineers and technicians in the development, testing, and operation of STAR, ARGOS, and AX3S and pursue opportunities for collaboration and funding.

Aerospace Engineer, AST, Environmental Control Systems

JSC-24-IMP-12386288-JRC

Grade: GS-13
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
You will serve as the Active Thermal Control System (ATCS) Deputy System Manager for the Gateway Program where you will be responsible for providing technical leadership and management in support of the System Manager and for Active Thermal Control Systems for human space flight vehicles. You will also assist in the management of a team of skilled Active Thermal Control Engineers providing technical authority to the Program and assist in providing products to the Program regarding the system.

Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration

HQ-24-SL-12410220

Grade: SL-00
Headquarters, NASA
The Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration reports directly to the Planetary Science Division (PSD) Director on all matters pertaining to the science of Mars and Mars Exploration. The incumbent provides recommendations, advice, and consultation on all science-related aspects of NASA's Mars Exploration Program (MEP) and Mars Sample Return Campaign. Recommends the scientific strategy for the exploration of Mars and ensures the implementation of the science content of the program is optimized.

Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration

HQ-24-SL-12406570

Grade: SL-00
Headquarters, NASA
The Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration reports directly to the Planetary Science Division (PSD) Director on all matters pertaining to the science of Mars and Mars Exploration. The incumbent provides recommendations, advice, and consultation on all science-related aspects of NASA's Mars Exploration Program (MEP) and Mars Sample Return Campaign. Recommends the scientific strategy for the exploration of Mars and ensures the implementation of the science content of the program is optimized.

Procurement Analyst (Direct Hire)

MSFC-24-DE-12408734-LC

Grade: GS-14
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center
As a Senior Procurement Analyst with the Marshall Space Flight Center's Office of Procurement, you will be responsible for assisting in planning the overall approach to meet program objectives for procuring a variety of complex requirements, reviews and advises on complex and/or diversified supplies, services, and/or equipment. Serves as principal business advisor to a wide range of customers. Participates in special projects and initiatives and performs special assignments.

Information Technology Specialist

GSFC-24-IMP-12402912-JRC

Grade: GS-15
Goddard Space Flight Center
You will serve as the Human Spaceflight (HSF) liaison between NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) mission partners and NASA Communications (NASCOM) to modernize policies, procedures, schedules, resources, and security of the networks that support SCaN and their customers, manage expectations, improve relationships and collaborate with technical teams. You will lead a team of highly skilled specialists in integrating, operating, securing, and planning of mission networks.
submitted by r-nasa-mods to NASAJobs [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 07:37 LucyAriaRose New Update: My friend keeps on talking about my ex in front of my fiancee

I am STILL NOT the Original Poster. That is u/ta-bff-234324. He posted in AITAH and amiwrong but posted the same text in both subreddits. I chose to use the ones from AITAH
Thanks again to u/Literally_Taken for the rec and to Choice Evidence and u/chickenoodledeprived for letting me know about the update!
Previous BORU here. New update marked with ****\*
Trigger Warning: racism
Mood Spoiler: tentatively happy ending
Original Post: April 1, 2024
My (29M) best friend Jess (29F) keeps on mentioning my ex (29F) in front of my fiancee, and I am thinking of cutting her off. I want to know if I am overreacting, or if Jess is in the wrong.
For context, Jess and I went to the same high school and the same college. We were friends in high school. However, since we both went to the same out-of-state college, we became best friends since then. We have always been there for each other during the best and worst times. However, things have always been platonic, and she is more like a big sister to me, who made sure I stay on the right track.
I have only been in two long-term relationships so far. One was with my ex Lisa for 7 years. We met in college and dated all through our college years. Lisa and Jess also became good friends, too. After college, Lisa and I just grew apart and had different goals in life. I became "boring" after college as I was working on my PhD while doing a full time job. Lisa broke up with me as she wanted to party on weekends, while I was home studying. I was heartbroken, but I don't think I ever blamed her or had resentment towards her, as I understood my decisions were selfish and should not hold her back from having the best life.
Jess always stood by me and comforted me during that time. Jess and Lisa were good friends and Jess always kept on telling me that Lisa loves me and will be back one day when I am ready. I foolishly held on to that hope and stayed friends with Lisa. That was until I met my fiancee Yang. After I finished my PhD, I got a nice job in a big tech company. Yang joined our team a year after me. We started going out for drinks, and dinner and we started dating seriously pretty soon. We are happy together, and financially in a great place. Needless to say, I stopped talking to Lisa after I started dating Yang.
I proposed to Yang a year after we started dating and got engaged last year. Jess has been acting weirdly since we got engaged. One of the first things she said to Yang after we got engaged was how I had planned the same thing for Lisa (proposing on a local hiking trail). It was a bit off-putting that she was bringing up Lisa whom I broke up with almost 5 years ago on such a happy occasion. However, Yang asked me to not spoil my mood, as she felt Jess was just commenting on how I had that plan in mind for years. Since then, every time we meet, Jess without fail brings up Lisa and how the things I am doing are all the things I had planned with Lisa. This happened when we bought a house, planned for vacations, etc. Jess always starts with some nostalgic story and then brings up how Lisa and I were so happy together. She is still good friends with Lisa and keeps giving me updates about Lisa and how great Lisa is doing at work when no one is asking for it. It felt like she was painting a rosy picture of Lisa to Yang and telling Yang that she would always be second to Lisa.
Yang told me Jess's comments bothered her, and I also felt the same. I have brought this up with Jess many times and asked her not to do it. However, she says she will try but since I dated Lisa for 7 years, she would be part of many stories from the past. Also, she asked me why talking about Lisa bothers me and if I still have feelings for her. I have reduced hanging out with Jess. However, she is close with my mom and is always invited to all our family parties and holidays.
I talked to my mom and sister about this and they feel I am overreacting. They feel Jess is just telling stories and since the stories are mostly from college days and later, Lisa will be a character in the story. They also feel I should not be bothered by Jess mentioning Lisa since we broke up a long time ago. I feel that it's disrespectful to Yang as she doesn't need to hear about all the fun Lisa and I had when we were together and how we were planning to get married. Do you think I am the asshole to stop here or Jess is truly acting out of line?
Relevant Comments:
Commenter: Probably need to separate your time with your fiancé away from your friend. ... On a side note, your friend comes across poorly on one other aspect. When you were too busy to date so you could study. She is encouraging you to stay available while your ex goes about dating around? Think she ever encouraged your ex to not? Or do you think she was telling your ex she could have all the fun she wanted cause you'd still be around? Food for thought.
OOP: She thought we were 24 when we broke up and she always justified that Lisa was young and it's natural to date around before you settle down. She also encouraged me to do the same. However, after my breakup, I decided that I would not be in a relationship (based on what happened to the previous one) and never dated anyone until after I graduated.
Commenter: Not wrong, in fact it's thoughtful of your finace's feelings. " Jess always kept on telling me that Lisa loves me and will be back one day when I am ready." - yikes.
An easy: "Jess, you keep bringing up my ex, and keep making comments which are dismissive of my relationship with Yang. I am telling you point blank that this is harming our friendship and it saddens me that you dismiss my feelings as being unimportant on this topic. If you can't respect me, and my relationship with Yang, please understand why it will likely end our friendship."
OOP: We have had this exact conversation. Jess then proceeded to ask Yang is she offended by her telling stories about me. Yang was polite and said she is ok. Then she told me I am being too sensitive.
Commenter: Op do you know if Lisa is married? Maybe Jess is trying to sabotage your engagement so you can be with Lisa.
OOP: I know Lisa is single. She has not been in any serious long term relationship after me. Infant, Jess always makes it a point to bring that up regularly and update me, even after I tell her I have no interest. My mom loves gossip and they also discuss a out Lisa regularly.
Jess is just being a mean girl/have you talked to Lisa at all?
At this point, I suspect Jess is just being mean to Yang. I would have cut her off long ago if she was not so close to me or my family for so many years.
Lisa is out of the picture, to be honest. I have completely gone no contact with her for the last 2 years.
Jess has feelings for you:
That's not true. I did not write it since I thought it was irrelevant, but Jess is happily married and has a 3 year old kid.
There is no consensus bot on AITAH, but top comments were NTA
Update Post: April 23, 2024 (22 days later)
I wrote a post a month ago regarding my friend Jess mentioning my ex constantly in front of my fiancée. Thanks to everyone who commented, and how inappropriate it was. However, the last month has been nothing but crazy and I still trying to make sense of what happened so far.
After my post, I decided to talk to Jess and gave her an ultimatum not to speak about my ex Lisa again. I know Jess and Lisa are still friends, but I was uncomfortable of her comparing my fiancée Yang with Lisa all the time. I broke up with Lisa 5 years ago, and she is nothing but a faint memory in my past. Jess kept on defending herself and telling me that I was with Lisa for most of my adult life and it's hard to tell any stories from the past without including her. She also blamed me for being emotionally childish and just forgetting about Lisa when she was with me for 7 years. Finally, Jess agreed that she will not bring up Lisa in front of Yang, and I should also not treat Lisa as she does not exist since she is still Jess's friend. I informed Yang about our conversation. Although she was appreciative about it, she said I did not need to do it and she knows how much I love her and every time Jess brings up my Lisa, she feels sorry for Lisa that she let a guy like me go.
Yang went to visit China two weeks ago for a month as we plan to get married in her hometown. She is taking care of her shopping as well as preparations for the wedding. Jess invited me to her house that Friday for dinner as I was home alone. I am also good friends with her husband, and we were all just chatting and drinking in the living room. Around 7.30pm, the doorbell rang, and Jess excitedly went to open the door. To my surprise, it was fucking Lisa at the door. She was all dressed up as if she were ready for a date and came in. I had not seen her in person for almost 3 years and I was shocked to see her. She sat down and started making small talk with me. I was extremely uncomfortable and went into the kitchen to talk to Jess. I was angry at her and asked her what was going on. She kept on telling me that it's been 5 years since the breakup and to get over it and be nice to Lisa. She said Lisa was excited to meet me and she thought we were all adults and could have one fun evening together. We had a fight and I told her that she should not have invited Lisa after our conversation the other day and I do not want to be friends with her anymore. I went into the living room and politely excused myself and told everyone that I had a work emergency and had to leave early. Lisa looked sad, but I genuinely felt uncomfortable to be made to hang out with my ex without my consent.
I came home and called Yang. I have never seen her more furious, and she told me she is not comfortable with Jess anymore as she has some agenda that we do not know about. It's different to talk about Lisa, but to invite her without consulting is not ok. I also felt the same and I called Jess the next day and told her that she crossed a line, and I was terribly upset with her. I stopped taking her calls and ghosted her. I also told my mom and sister about the whole incident.
Last Sunday, my mom called me for lunch. When I got there, I saw Jess was already there. I told my mom that I do not want to talk to Jess and can't stay. However, she asked me to sit as they all wanted to talk to me. I have a glutton for punishment and decided to hear them out. My mom started with how Jess has been there for me all these years and only has my best interest at heart. She kept on telling me that they are the three people (mom, sister, and Jess) that love me the most. Jess started saying how she felt that I was making a big mistake in not having to hear what Lisa had to say. She told me that Lisa was my first love and Lisa is now ready to settle down and we can pick where we left off. She reminded me how broken I was when Lisa left me and how life is giving me a second chance. My sister also chimed in and said how they all liked Lisa more than Yang and how we both looked so great together. Finally, my mom started saying how our culture was so different than Yang and it is hard for them to relate to her. I asked them in what way, and my mom said that they did not understand what Yang says sometimes and have nothing in common with her. Then my mom asked me to think about how Lisa and I would have such wonderful looking kids, while if I marry Yang, our kids will look so different. I started getting their drift and I probed more. My mom told me how our kids would look Asian with "small eyes" and not like any others in the family.
I asked my mom if she cared about my kids looks more and not about how smart they will be since Yang has a PhD. She blew it off, and I realized she just did not want me to marry Yang because she was Chinese and not white. My mom told me to forgive Jess and my mom asked Jess to talk to Lisa on my behalf and asked her if she would be interested in getting back together with me. My mom was adamant that since I loved Lisa so much, I should be happy and pick up things where we left off as that is the best for everyone. I have never been so angry and may have said a lot of unkind things to all of them before I left
I am so depressed right now. I not only lost my best friend, but also am not sure how I can move on from what my mom said. My mom and sister raised me and that is the reason where I am today. However, I cannot get over how racist they are being and how they were just pretending to like Yang all these years while actively working on breaking us up. I have been so shocked that I have not told any of this to Yang so far. I might wait for her to come back next week and talk to her in person.
Again, thanks everyone for all your messages on the last post as they helped me a lot to think through the situation. My life is more fucked up than I could imagine, and I cannot imagine how dejected Yang will feel after hearing all this.
*****New Update Post: May 7, 2024 (5 weeks after OG post)****\*
I wrote a post two months ago regarding my best friend Jess constantly bringing up my ex when talking to my fiancée Yang. I wrote an update two weeks ago about my mom, sister and Jess scheming about trying to get me back with my ex Lisa because they were uncomfortable with Yang being Chinese. They tried to do it when my fiancée was visiting her parents and I felt so betrayed by their actions.
As I said in the previous post, I blew up on my mom and sister about what they said and immediately left. I did not take calls from them or answer texts for the next several days. Their messages initially were anger towards me on why I left before they could finish what they wanted to say. However, I think they realized on day 3 that they might have crossed the line this time and became extremely apologetic. I finally messaged them to leave me alone and not to contact Yang or I until we contact them. Jess did not message me the whole time.
I did not tell Yang about the situation until she came back home 9 days ago. I initially did not know how to bring up the subject, but she sensed something was wrong and asked me about it. I was so worried about hurting her, but I told her about what happened. I was upfront about the stunt Jess pulled and she was angry at Jess. I also told her about my visit to my mother's place, but she did not react with any anger. She just asked me if I was ok.
The next few days were confusing where I was more upset than Yang. She was just excited showing me all pictures and telling me stories. Finally, on last Thursday evening, she opened up and asked me if I was ok about my mom's behavior and what I plan to do. I told her my thoughts and how I cannot forgive them for what they said about her being Asian and them wanting me to marry a Lisa because she was white. I asked her why she was not more upset as it was bothering me.
She told me that when she told her parents about me, they had the exact same reaction for her dating someone who was not Chinese. Her family is very traditional, and her parents were very upset about her decision. It took them a few months to warm up to me and accept me. She never told me about this because she wanted me to have good relationship with her parents. She told me that now they are the most excited doing arrangements for our wedding.
She told me that she has always felt something was off when she talked to my mom, my sister or Jess and they did not like her. My mom and sister would be very friendly with her in front of me, but never invited her for anything when I am not around. She suspected that it may be due to fact that she is not white and does not understand the American traditions. She said she is not upset with them and now that this is in the open, she should talk to them and assure them that she would be as good of a wife as Lisa or any other girl. She said that she does not want to break a family in order to start a new one.
Despite my protests, Yang invited my mom and sister for lunch on Sunday. She said that it would be good for us to talk about everything and hear why they are concerned about her marrying me. I was really not happy with this, but Yang spent most of Sunday morning cooking for them.
When my mom and sister arrived, there were a lot of waterworks and apologies. My mom apologized to Yang and me for her behavior and told us that she would never bring it up again. My sister also was quiet and had tears in her eyes. There were a lot of blame games. My mom and my sister were blaming Jess for constantly telling them how Yang might not be great for me and how she won't fit into our family. My mom and sister fought with Jess after I left and Jess blamed Lisa. Based on Jess's story, Lisa has been depressed for the last few years and when I suddenly got engaged to Yang, it became worse. Jess thought I was also depressed after Lisa left me, because I did not date anyone for 3 years. In reality, I just wanted to focus on my work and studies and never had time. So, Lisa convinced Jess that she has to get back together with me as that is what I wanted too. Jess said how sorry she felt for Lisa as she was her longtime friend and listened to her plan as she thought it was good for everyone.
My mom and sister told us that I should stay away from Jess because she orchestrated the whole situation. They kept on hugging Yang and apologizing to her. Yang in turn also started crying and telling them that she will do better to fit in with them. It was all a big mess. I am still skeptical of my mom's change in heart, but I also want to see Yang happy. However, I think it will take a lot of time and healing before I could truly trust my mom and sister.
Currently, my mom invited us to lunch at her place next week and told me that Jess will not be there. Jess has still not message me or Yang. I really don't know what I can do in this situation. I am still upset and furious at my mom, but I also want to respect Yang's effort to keep the family together. Thanks to everyone for all the messages and supportive comments. It really helped reading them when I was feeling very sad.
submitted by LucyAriaRose to BestofRedditorUpdates [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 07:34 Sad-Button-7833 System Engineers Needed!!!!

This job is in CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU.
If you are interested in Industrial automation, PLC and SCADA please apply. Please Share with people who are interested in the same
Send your CV/resume to any of the following Mail ID: [ccplkms@gmail.com](mailto:ccplkms@gmail.com) , [ccplgv@gmail.com](mailto:ccplgv@gmail.com) , [cursorcontrolpvt@gmail.com](mailto:cursorcontrolpvt@gmail.com). Contact number : +91 9444382220 or +91 9962922285.
Office timings : 9am to 6pm
Title: Systems Engineer
Company Name : Cursor Control Private Limited
Description:
Are you passionate about designing and implementing complex systems that solve real-world problems? Do you thrive in dynamic environments where collaboration and innovation are key? We are seeking a talented Systems Engineer to join our team and contribute to the development of cutting-edge solutions.
As a Systems Engineer, you will play a critical role in the entire lifecycle of our projects, from initial concept to deployment and ongoing support. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including software engineers, hardware engineers, and project managers to design, integrate, and optimize systems architecture.
Work and travel will be based around Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Freshers and People with 2 years experience in PLC and SCADA can apply. Languages required : Tamil, English
Responsibilities:
  1. **Systems Design:** Work closely with stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into system architecture designs.
  2. **Integration:** Integrate various hardware and software components to ensure seamless functionality and compatibility.
  3. **Testing and Validation:** Develop and execute comprehensive testing plans to validate system performance and reliability.
  4. **Optimization:** Continuously optimize system performance, reliability, and scalability through iterative improvements.
  5. **Documentation:** Create detailed documentation including system diagrams, technical specifications, and user manuals.
  6. **Troubleshooting:** Provide technical support and troubleshooting assistance to resolve complex system issues.
  7. **Collaboration:** Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment of system designs with project goals and objectives.
  8. **Research and Development:** Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and industry trends to inform system design decisions and drive innovation.
  9. **Compliance:** Ensure that systems meet relevant regulatory and compliance requirements, such as security and privacy standards.
Requirements:
  1. **Bachelor’s degree** in Electrical/Electronics/Instrumentation Engineering, or a related field.
  2. **Proven experience** as a Systems Engineer or similar role, with a strong track record of designing and implementing complex systems.
  3. **Proficiency** in system design and integration, with a deep understanding of hardware and software components.
  4. **Strong analytical and problem-solving skills**, with the ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues.
  5. **Excellent communication skills**, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
  6. **Experience with relevant tools and technologies**, such as system modeling software, version control systems, and network protocols.
  7. **Attention to detail** and a commitment to delivering high-quality work in a fast-paced environment.
Join our team and be part of a collaborative environment where your skills and expertise will make a meaningful impact on the success of our projects. If you are passionate about solving complex problems and driving innovation, we want to hear from you!!!!
submitted by Sad-Button-7833 to Indiajobs [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 07:32 UstroyDestroy AI Innovations: OpenAIs GPT-4o, NVIDIAs Regional LLMs, and Aprioras AI Interviewer

startups #tool #api #vc #leaders #event #opinions #release #opensource #update #hardware #major_players #feature #science #paper #scheduled

OpenAI has introduced GPT-4o, a new model capable of reasoning across text, audio, and video in real time. The model is described as versatile, enjoyable to interact with, and a significant advancement towards more natural human-computer interactions [51]. The model can generate various combinations of audio, text, and image outputs, opening up new possibilities that are still being explored [53]. OpenAI has announced that they are making their new flagship model, GPT-4o, available to everyone for free with certain limitations [16]. OpenAI Plus users will receive up to 5 times higher limits and will have early access to features such as a new macOS desktop app and next-generation voice and video capabilities [17].
AssemblyAI showcases how to utilize Postman to interact with APIs, including their advanced LeMUR functionality. They have released a video demonstrating how to use LLMs on spoken data without the need for coding [2]. Ben, a staff engineer at AssemblyAI, created a video for the AWS This is My Architecture series explaining the architecture behind their AI platform for voice data transcription and analysis [1].
NVIDIA has introduced two regional large language models (LLMs) optimized for Southeast Asian countries: SeaLLM and SEA-LION. These models are optimized for performance and available through the NVIDIA API catalog [12]. NVIDIA AI Developer will showcase how AI on RTX on Windows PCs simplifies development and supports a wide range of fast AI applications at the May 22 demo during #MSBuild [11].
The new short course "Building Multimodal Search and RAG" by Sebastian Witalec focuses on using contrastive learning to train multimodal embedding models for building multimodal search and RAG systems [5]. The message provides insights on building a RAG pipeline using NVIDIA AI LangChain Endpoints. It explains the importance of RAG in enhancing generative AI systems by combining information retrieval with system prompts [10].
Satya Nadella announced expanded investments in France to drive AI innovation and create new economic opportunities across the country [4]. The author from a16z highlights the excitement around fast-growing AI tools in categories like music and web creation. They also mention the potential for non-AI companies to emerge due to the productivity gains enabled by AI [3].
Apriora, a startup from Y Combinator, has raised $2.8M in seed funding for its AI technology that conducts live job interviews with candidates. The AI interviewer, named Alex, aims to streamline the hiring process, widen the talent pool, and provide immediate feedback to employers [13].
Groq Inc will be at the Enterprise Generative AI Summit in San Francisco where Santosh Raghavan will speak on a panel about GenAI infrastructure for cost and energy reduction. They will showcase the world's fastest AI inference technology at their booth [46]. Groq Inc is excited to see developers building projects powered by their technology. Omid Aziz recently added voice capabilities to a mobile app, enabling users to utilize Groq's AI Inference infrastructure at high speed [47].
Cohere now officially supports Java. A short video is available to help users get started with Java on Cohere [36]. Cohere is collaborating with buildwithfern to create an up-to-date and well-documented Java SDK. More language support is expected to be added in the upcoming weeks [38].
Yann LeCun has noted that his proposal for AI safety in his 2022 paper "A Path Towards Autonomous Machine Intelligence" overlaps with the "Objective-Driven AI Architecture" proposal [41]. He has expressed a negative view on contrastive methods, despite proposing them in a NIPS 1993 paper on Siamese nets [42].
Google researchers are actively participating in the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2024) as Champion Sponsors. They are presenting over 30 papers and organizing various events, workshops, and courses [45].
1. AssemblyAI @AssemblyAI https://twitter.com/AssemblyAI/status/1789954139419553995
2. AssemblyAI @AssemblyAI https://twitter.com/AssemblyAI/status/1790004073640444026
3. a16z @a16z https://twitter.com/a16z/status/1790039402065940518
4. Satya Nadella @satyanadella https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1790063618916000046
5. Andrew Ng @AndrewYNg https://twitter.com/AndrewYNg/status/1790050852776112439
6. Andrew Ng @AndrewYNg https://twitter.com/AndrewYNg/status/1790088683259048120
7. Sam Altman @sama https://twitter.com/sama/status/1790066685698789837
8. Sam Altman @sama https://twitter.com/sama/status/1790074770324639933
9. Andrej Karpathy @karpathy https://twitter.com/karpathy/status/1790076925508977096
10. NVIDIA AI Developer @NVIDIAAIDev https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAIDev/status/1790038663243468892
11. NVIDIA AI Developer @NVIDIAAIDev https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAIDev/status/1790080827654619216
12. NVIDIA AI Developer @NVIDIAAIDev https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAIDev/status/1790097179542995296
13. Y Combinator @ycombinator https://twitter.com/ycombinatostatus/1790083099088527837
14. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790052092909941214
15. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790065075224555806
16. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790072068446265675
17. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790072070128177303
18. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790072174117613963
19. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089507859017954
20. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089509746376893
21. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089511608725740
22. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089513387143469
23. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089515375214798
24. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089518210580721
25. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089520139931860
26. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089521985466587
27. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089523969356223
28. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790089525642899678
29. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790130694359806122
30. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790130696838619602
31. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790130699166421457
32. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790130701339160887
33. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790130703721521305
34. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790130706376540464
35. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1790130708612088054
36. cohere @cohere https://twitter.com/cohere/status/1790107150062067998
37. cohere @cohere https://twitter.com/cohere/status/1790107197625479321
38. cohere @cohere https://twitter.com/cohere/status/1790108185765851378
39. Yann LeCun @ylecun https://twitter.com/ylecun/status/1789998373166096887
40. Yann LeCun @ylecun https://twitter.com/ylecun/status/1790004261629170155
41. Yann LeCun @ylecun https://twitter.com/ylecun/status/1790108163582115862
42. Yann LeCun @ylecun https://twitter.com/ylecun/status/1790112908937981961
43. Yann LeCun @ylecun https://twitter.com/ylecun/status/1790117512794780068
44. NVIDIA AI @NVIDIAAI https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAI/status/1790109764719886523
45. Google AI @googleai https://twitter.com/googleai/status/1790112897873686928
46. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790008346705068286
47. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790033127999525345
48. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790125363978178951
49. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790167658400210957
50. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790204981557231995
51. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790071008499544518
52. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790074041614717210
53. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790077263708340386
54. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790079398625808837
55. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790164028003918138
56. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790164084425646481
57. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790177196075864100
58. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790183962553532798
59. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1790195202214572399
submitted by UstroyDestroy to ai_news_by_ai [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 07:10 Top-Requirement-2102 [deep bass voice] Down low

I think I broke Suno. The generated lyrics look great for a song going down low, but "deep bass voice" gets translated in both of these samples to a drawn out rising female voice. So weird!
https://suno.com/song/4ca9d476-02a9-4616-81f4-a7c9566a2812
https://suno.com/song/25cb6044-4242-4d49-9704-679daffdb4a4
submitted by Top-Requirement-2102 to SunoAI [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 07:09 Someone_random456 Unknown Japanese Song

It is originally from the zumi's channel, so, I posted it here to have more support and people interested on this sample
The sample is on Japanese, the lyrics are:
おめでたいったらおめでたい これであなたも本物のお馬鹿さん おめでたいったらおめでたい
Lyrics on English (Thanks to DeepL Translate):
Congratulations! You are now a real idiot Congratulations!
Link from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eZH4h9-vaM
Original Link from watzatsong: https://www.watzatsong.com/en/name-that-tune/814558.html
submitted by Someone_random456 to Lostwave [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 06:43 Evilkenevil77 I Just Got Rejected For My Dream Job After Waiting 2 Years. Now What?


Male, 27, BA in Foreign Languages and Cultures, BA in East Asian Studies (Double Major Chinese and Japanese, Double Minor Spanish and French), Graduate Certificate in Chinese-American Studies, 6 months professional job experience.
Hey there. The job search for me out of college has been exceptionally brutal. I won't get into the weeds about it, but I just spent 2 and a half years waiting on potentially being hired for my dream job, only to find out I have been determined unsuitable for the job. To say I'm crushed would be an understatement. I'd go on about how devastated I am, but no one needs to hear all that. As you can see from above, I'm multilingual, and was primarily looking for jobs relating to Translation. The job I'd like to have would have me working with the languages I've studied so hard to learn, and would utilize my expertise in East Asia. That has proven to not only be very difficult due to a lack of job postings, but my lack of experience seems to be hampering any ability to even be remotely considered.
I have explored the options my degree provides me with but have so far come to these realizations:
Interpreting: Depends on your level of experience, and where you live. There is no agreed upon standard of certification for interpreting, and it varies from state to state, and sometimes company to company. Generally requires some kind of certification and specialized training, which I have not yet received, along with experience demonstrating your expertise. You can land a high level job somewhere like the UN, or with a government or other company or agency, but the majority of jobs are freelance, with income highly variable.
Translation: There aren't as many job postings for this as you might think. Many are remote jobs, and those that do exist do not pay well (most are $35,000 a year), even for languages that are rare or in high demand. Many translation agencies outsource out-of-country, and thus have no desire or need for domestic translators, and usually only require the services of translation agency management jobs that do not actually require language skills whatsoever, such as being a liaison between clients, overseeing translations, etc. Some require ATA certification, which is a difficult requirement to meet, needing to pay a $500 per language fee annually, along with taking a test each year, for someone who has been unemployed for a long time now. There is the freelance route as well, but it too is highly variable, and success is not guaranteed. I would likely need to start an LLC to prevent legal issues due to lack of experience if I decided to go all-in on freelancing.
Military: This is an option I am still considering, but it has several drawbacks. It is a 5 year commitment minimum, without the freedom to say where I am to go, where I am to live, when I am to leave, no guarantees about what language I would study, or what job I would be performing, and boot-camp. The military provides absolutely no guarantees, irrespective of what a recruiter says, and I may not actually be suitable depending on a few factors (physical stature, background, etc.). If I change my mind, there would be absolutely no turning back. Lastly, the military itself is not guaranteed to accept me. However, the upside is the potential for a very high paying job out of the military when my service is complete. Some jobs pay up to $120,000 a year.
Government: 2 and half years (no, I'm not kidding), and I have nothing to show for it. I've done this route definitively, I simply do not have the energy, mental fortitude, and patience to try again.
Teaching: This is an option I am seriously considering, but it would require me to go back to school. Ideally I would like to be a Professor of Chinese, or East Asia Studies. I am $65,000 in debt, and I would be adding at least another $30,000 to that to get a PhD. I'm also unsure of where to start, and what programs to look into and apply at. Even after all of that effort and work, I may only make $40,000 a year, though I would likely enjoy the job.
Analyst: Many of my colleagues who I studied with have gone onto perform Advisory or Analyst roles, and most are doing well for themselves. This is a broad category of Risk, Financial, International, and other Analyst positions that don't directly have to do with foreign language per se, but use it as a major skill. I have attempted dozens of times to apply to various positions, but without experience, I have found I am nearly always turned down even before I get an interview.
Cryptologic Linguist: Without a Security Clearance, this is a job that is usually impossible to apply to.
These are the major options, but of course there may be many others. I'm not sure what to do or what job to apply for. There are many directions I could go in, but I'm starting to feel like I don't even know how to apply for a job anymore.
TLDR; What jobs should I look for now given my skills, experience, and degrees? Am I being too limited or unrealistic in my job search? How do I look for a job?
I'm totally devastated, and I don't know what to do anymore. Any advice at all would be appreciated.
submitted by Evilkenevil77 to careeradvice [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 06:37 ExperienceNatural74 Stories about Backstage successes?

Hey guys!
I’m doing pretty well on Backstage! Unfortunately nothing is paid but I’m confident I’m going to book a feature in the next couple months and have had callbacks for many! The vibes are high, but since I’m doing this for experience/reel/exposure etc I was wondering if you guys had any stories about jobs you did from Backstage that either did well on festivals, got picked up by some platform or distributor or maybe just translated to better work?
I don’t have an agent so this is my hustle and would love to hear any stories like that for motivation haha
Thanks in advance :)
submitted by ExperienceNatural74 to acting [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 06:37 UNDERdecoded Michigan Prevent the Passage of SB632 to Protect Payday Loans

Michigan Prevent the Passage of SB632 to Protect Payday Loans
At the moment if a customer loans $600 dollars and reloans every 2 weeks for a year, the amount they’ve loaned comes out to $15,600. With that they would have only paid $2,000 in fees which comes out to 12.8% of what they loaned. This is cheaper than most bank loans especially when you account for the fact that it doesn’t accrue interest if you can’t pay for some reason it’s more beneficial to those struggling. Also if your check ever returns payday lenders are very understanding and work out payment arrangements for $20-$50 per pay period to avoid court. The only growth of the amount you owe is if your check returns and that is a one time 31.14 cent check return fee. Banks also generally aren’t approving the person for a loan and that’s why they’re coming to a payday lender. Every payday loan customer has a bank account so in general they’ve most likely tried every avenue beforehand. I don’t know about your credit card rates but mine are sitting above that, many in the range of 20% or more and payday loans have been a helpful tool in my families times of need. Focusing on the APR when it comes to payday loans is ludicrous and deceptive because payday loans don’t accrue interest, they charge a one time fee between 12.8%- 16% of the loaned amount. (MAX Loan $600; up to 2 Statewide)
An Example Of What Happened When Illinois Passed an Identical Bill “Interest Rate Caps in Illinois: In March 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Predatory Loan Prevention Act into law, capping interest rates at 36% for consumer loans, including payday and car title loans. This legislation was modeled after the federal Military Lending Act, which also protects active service members and their dependents by imposing a similar rate cap. Prior to this law, payday loans in Illinois carried an average annual percentage rate (APR) of 297%, while auto title loans had APRs around 179%1. By implementing the 36% rate cap, Illinois joined 17 other states and Washington, D.C., which say they do so in attempt to provide substantial protections to low-income communities targeted by predatory lending practices.
Foreclosure Rates in Illinois: Unfortunately, despite the "positive" impact on consumer loans, Illinois faced a surge in foreclosures. In October 2021, about one in every 1,923 homes in Illinois was in foreclosure, representing an 182% increase from September and nearly triple the number from October 2019. Most of these foreclosures occurred in Chicago, where the unemployment rate was higher than the national average. In summary, while the interest rate cap has positively impacted consumer loans, Illinois still faces challenges in its housing market. The state’s efforts to strike a balance between protecting borrowers and maintaining access to credit remain a topic of ongoing debate.” Payday Loans are an Essential Business As a customer service provider within a payday loan company and as someone who grew up in a low-income household that has regularly utilized these services, I understand the importance of payday loans in our society. These loans provide crucial financial support for many families in Michigan, including my own. The proposed bill SB632 threatens the existence of such services, which could have devastating effects on those who rely on them.
Payday loans are often the only option for individuals who do not have access to traditional banking services or are living paycheck to paycheck. According to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), nearly 27% of households in America are underbanked or unbanked. This means they lack access to basic financial services that many take for granted. It also fails to take into account that some people just dont want to deal with banks.
If passed, SB632 will limit these already scarce resources further. This is not just about protecting an industry; it's about safeguarding a lifeline for countless families across Michigan.
We must raise awareness about this issue and contact our local representatives to voice our concerns against SB632. By doing so, we can protect payday loan services and ensure they remain available for those who need them most.
Please sign this petition and join us in standing up against SB632! Say No to SB632 contact your local representative today and tell them to vote no on SB632! Say No to SB632: Protect Access to Short-Term Lending As Michiganders, we understand the importance of having access to emergency funds when traditional banks may not provide loans. Payday loans have been a lifeline for many of us, preventing car repossessions, power shutoffs, and home foreclosures. Let’s stand together and say no to SB632, which threatens to eliminate this crucial resource. The Facts About Payday Loans: Debunking Misconceptions 1. Interest Rates and Fees: SB632 falsely claims that payday loans are predatory with exorbitant interest rates. However, payday loans don’t accrue interest like traditional bank loans. Instead, borrowers pay a one-time fee based on the loan amount (up to $600 per branch with a maximum fee of $77, limited to two loans statewide).
  1. Payment Plans: Life can throw unexpected challenges our way. If someone can’t repay their payday loan, most lenders are willing to work out a payment plan. Unlike traditional loans, there are no additional interest charges or fees during this process so long as you stay in touch, explain your situation and make an attempt to pay something each payday.
  2. Protection Against Scams: Payday lenders serve as a safety net, protecting countless people from online scams. Without them, where would these vulnerable individuals turn? Unfortunately, alternative support systems are scarce when banks deny loan approvals.
  3. Hidden Consequences: Passing SB632 could lead to unintended consequences. Desperate for funds, people might turn to online installment loans, paying back three times the borrowed amount over the long term. These loans often come with unmanageable monthly payments, pushing borrowers further into financial distress.
The Real Predators The true threat lies with those pushing SB632. By eliminating payday lenders without providing a viable replacement, they jeopardize hundreds of thousands of Michiganders’ accesses to emergency funds. Moreover, Michigan’s economy and job market, just beginning to recover, would suffer needlessly. Let’s protect what has worked for generations. Tell your representative to vote NO to SB632 and ensure that our fellow citizens have a safety net in times of need. 🌟💪
Feel free to share this message with your local representatives to advocate for responsible lending practices! 😊🗳️📜
submitted by UNDERdecoded to povertyfinance [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 06:33 UNDERdecoded Michigan Prevent the Passage of SB632 to Protect Payday Loans

Michigan Prevent the Passage of SB632 to Protect Payday Loans
At the moment if a customer loans $600 dollars and reloans every 2 weeks for a year, the amount they’ve loaned comes out to $15,600. With that they would have only paid $2,000 in fees which comes out to 12.8% of what they loaned. This is cheaper than most bank loans especially when you account for the fact that it doesn’t accrue interest if you can’t pay for some reason it’s more beneficial to those struggling. Also if your check ever returns payday lenders are very understanding and work out payment arrangements for $20-$50 per pay period to avoid court. The only growth of the amount you owe is if your check returns and that is a one time 31.14 cent check return fee. Banks also generally aren’t approving the person for a loan and that’s why they’re coming to a payday lender. Every payday loan customer has a bank account so in general they’ve most likely tried every avenue beforehand. I don’t know about your credit card rates but mine are sitting above that, many in the range of 20% or more and payday loans have been a helpful tool in my families times of need. Focusing on the APR when it comes to payday loans is ludicrous and deceptive because payday loans don’t accrue interest, they charge a one time fee between 12.8%- 16% of the loaned amount. (MAX Loan $600; up to 2 Statewide)
An Example Of What Happened When Illinois Passed an Identical Bill “Interest Rate Caps in Illinois: In March 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Predatory Loan Prevention Act into law, capping interest rates at 36% for consumer loans, including payday and car title loans. This legislation was modeled after the federal Military Lending Act, which also protects active service members and their dependents by imposing a similar rate cap. Prior to this law, payday loans in Illinois carried an average annual percentage rate (APR) of 297%, while auto title loans had APRs around 179%1. By implementing the 36% rate cap, Illinois joined 17 other states and Washington, D.C., which say they do so in attempt to provide substantial protections to low-income communities targeted by predatory lending practices.
Foreclosure Rates in Illinois: Unfortunately, despite the "positive" impact on consumer loans, Illinois faced a surge in foreclosures. In October 2021, about one in every 1,923 homes in Illinois was in foreclosure, representing an 182% increase from September and nearly triple the number from October 2019. Most of these foreclosures occurred in Chicago, where the unemployment rate was higher than the national average. In summary, while the interest rate cap has positively impacted consumer loans, Illinois still faces challenges in its housing market. The state’s efforts to strike a balance between protecting borrowers and maintaining access to credit remain a topic of ongoing debate.” Payday Loans are an Essential Business As a customer service provider within a payday loan company and as someone who grew up in a low-income household that has regularly utilized these services, I understand the importance of payday loans in our society. These loans provide crucial financial support for many families in Michigan, including my own. The proposed bill SB632 threatens the existence of such services, which could have devastating effects on those who rely on them.
Payday loans are often the only option for individuals who do not have access to traditional banking services or are living paycheck to paycheck. According to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), nearly 27% of households in America are underbanked or unbanked. This means they lack access to basic financial services that many take for granted. It also fails to take into account that some people just dont want to deal with banks.
If passed, SB632 will limit these already scarce resources further. This is not just about protecting an industry; it's about safeguarding a lifeline for countless families across Michigan.
We must raise awareness about this issue and contact our local representatives to voice our concerns against SB632. By doing so, we can protect payday loan services and ensure they remain available for those who need them most.
Please sign this petition and join us in standing up against SB632! Say No to SB632 contact your local representative today and tell them to vote no on SB632! Say No to SB632: Protect Access to Short-Term Lending As Michiganders, we understand the importance of having access to emergency funds when traditional banks may not provide loans. Payday loans have been a lifeline for many of us, preventing car repossessions, power shutoffs, and home foreclosures. Let’s stand together and say no to SB632, which threatens to eliminate this crucial resource. The Facts About Payday Loans: Debunking Misconceptions 1. Interest Rates and Fees: SB632 falsely claims that payday loans are predatory with exorbitant interest rates. However, payday loans don’t accrue interest like traditional bank loans. Instead, borrowers pay a one-time fee based on the loan amount (up to $600 per branch with a maximum fee of $77, limited to two loans statewide).
  1. Payment Plans: Life can throw unexpected challenges our way. If someone can’t repay their payday loan, most lenders are willing to work out a payment plan. Unlike traditional loans, there are no additional interest charges or fees during this process so long as you stay in touch, explain your situation and make an attempt to pay something each payday.
  2. Protection Against Scams: Payday lenders serve as a safety net, protecting countless people from online scams. Without them, where would these vulnerable individuals turn? Unfortunately, alternative support systems are scarce when banks deny loan approvals.
  3. Hidden Consequences: Passing SB632 could lead to unintended consequences. Desperate for funds, people might turn to online installment loans, paying back three times the borrowed amount over the long term. These loans often come with unmanageable monthly payments, pushing borrowers further into financial distress.
The Real Predators The true threat lies with those pushing SB632. By eliminating payday lenders without providing a viable replacement, they jeopardize hundreds of thousands of Michiganders’ accesses to emergency funds. Moreover, Michigan’s economy and job market, just beginning to recover, would suffer needlessly. Let’s protect what has worked for generations. Tell your representative to vote NO to SB632 and ensure that our fellow citizens have a safety net in times of need. 🌟💪
Feel free to share this message with your local representatives to advocate for responsible lending practices! 😊🗳️📜
submitted by UNDERdecoded to Petition [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 06:31 Anenome5 Society without a State

https://mises.org/mises-daily/society-without-state
In attempting to outline how a “society without a state” — that is, an anarchist society — might function successfully, I would first like to defuse two common but mistaken criticisms of this approach. First, is the argument that in providing for such defense or protection services as courts, police, or even law itself, I am simply smuggling the state back into society in another form, and that therefore the system I am both analyzing and advocating is not “really” anarchism. This sort of criticism can only involve us in an endless and arid dispute over semantics. Let me say from the beginning that I define the state as that institution which possesses one or both (almost always both) of the following properties: (1) it acquires its income by the physical coercion known as “taxation”; and (2) it asserts and usually obtains a coerced monopoly of the provision of defense service (police and courts) over a given territorial area. An institution not possessing either of these properties is not and cannot be, in accordance with my definition, a state. On the other hand, I define anarchist society as one where there is no legal possibility for coercive aggression against the person or property of an individual. Anarchists oppose the state because it has its very being in such aggression, namely, the expropriation of private property through taxation, the coercive exclusion of other providers of defense service from its territory, and all of the other depredations and coercions that are built upon these twin foci of invasions of individual rights.
Nor is our definition of the state arbitrary, for these two characteristics have been possessed by what is generally acknowledged to be states throughout recorded history. The state, by its use of physical coercion, has arrogated to itself a compulsory monopoly of defense services over its territorial jurisdiction. But it is certainly conceptually possible for such services to be supplied by private, non-state institutions, and indeed such services have historically been supplied by other organizations than the state. To be opposed to the state is then not necessarily to be opposed to services that have often been linked with it; to be opposed to the state does not necessarily imply that we must be opposed to police protection, courts, arbitration, the minting of money, postal service, or roads and highways. Some anarchists have indeed been opposed to police and to all physical coercion in defense of person and property, but this is not inherent in and is fundamentally irrelevant to the anarchist position, which is precisely marked by opposition to all physical coercion invasive of, or aggressing against, person and property.
The crucial role of taxation may be seen in the fact that the state is the only institution or organization in society which regularly and systematically acquires its income through the use of physical coercion. All other individuals or organizations acquire their income voluntarily, either (1) through the voluntary sale of goods and services to consumers on the market, or (2) through voluntary gifts or donations by members or other donors. If I cease or refrain from purchasing Wheaties on the market, the Wheaties producers do not come after me with a gun or the threat of imprisonment to force me to purchase; if I fail to join the American Philosophical Association, the association may not force me to join or prevent me from giving up my membership. Only the state can do so; only the state can confiscate my property or put me in jail if I do not pay its tax tribute. Therefore, only the state regularly exists and has its very being by means of coercive depredations on private property.
Neither is it legitimate to challenge this sort of analysis by claiming that in some other sense, the purchase of Wheaties or membership in the APA is in some way “coercive.” Anyone who is still unhappy with this use of the term “coercion” can simply eliminate the word from this discussion and substitute for it “physical violence or the threat thereof,” with the only loss being in literary style rather than in the substance of the argument. What anarchism proposes to do, then, is to abolish the state, that is, to abolish the regularized institution of aggressive coercion.
It need hardly be added that the state habitually builds upon its coercive source of income by adding a host of other aggressions upon society, ranging from economic controls to the prohibition of pornography to the compelling of religious observance to the mass murder of civilians in organized warfare. In short, the state, in the words of Albert Jay Nock, “claims and exercises a monopoly of crime” over its territorial area.
The second criticism I would like to defuse before beginning the main body of the paper is the common charge that anarchists “assume that all people are good” and that without the state no crime would be committed. In short, that anarchism assumes that with the abolition of the state a New Anarchist Man will emerge, cooperative, humane, and benevolent, so that no problem of crime will then plague the society. I confess that I do not understand the basis for this charge. Whatever other schools of anarchism profess — and I do not believe that they are open to the charge — I certainly do not adopt this view. I assume with most observers that mankind is a mixture of good and evil, of cooperative and criminal tendencies. In my view, the anarchist society is one which maximizes the tendencies for the good and the cooperative, while it minimizes both the opportunity and the moral legitimacy of the evil and the criminal. If the anarchist view is correct and the state is indeed the great legalized and socially legitimated channel for all manner of antisocial crime — theft, oppression, mass murder — on a massive scale, then surely the abolition of such an engine of crime can do nothing but favor the good in man and discourage the bad.
A further point: in a profound sense, no social system, whether anarchist or statist, can work at all unless most people are “good” in the sense that they are not all hell-bent upon assaulting and robbing their neighbors. If everyone were so disposed, no amount of protection, whether state or private, could succeed in staving off chaos. Furthermore, the more that people are disposed to be peaceful and not aggress against their neighbors, the more successfully any social system will work, and the fewer resources will need to be devoted to police protection. The anarchist view holds that, given the “nature of man,” given the degree of goodness or badness at any point in time, anarchism will maximize the opportunities for the good and minimize the channels for the bad. The rest depends on the values held by the individual members of society. The only further point that need be made is that by eliminating the living example and the social legitimacy of the massive legalized crime of the state, anarchism will to a large extent promote peaceful values in the minds of the public.
We cannot of course deal here with the numerous arguments in favor of anarchism or against the state, moral, political, and economic. Nor can we take up the various goods and services now provided by the state and show how private individuals and groups will be able to supply them far more efficiently on the free market. Here we can only deal with perhaps the most difficult area, the area where it is almost universally assumed that the state must exist and act, even if it is only a “necessary evil” instead of a positive good: the vital realm of defense or protection of person and property against aggression. Surely, it is universally asserted, the state is at least vitally necessary to provide police protection, the judicial resolution of disputes and enforcement of contracts, and the creation of the law itself that is to be enforced. My contention is that all of these admittedly necessary services of protection can be satisfactorily and efficiently supplied by private persons and institutions on the free market.
One important caveat before we begin the body of this paper: new proposals such as anarchism are almost always gauged against the implicit assumption that the present, or statist system works to perfection. Any lacunae or difficulties with the picture of the anarchist society are considered net liabilities, and enough to dismiss anarchism out of hand. It is, in short, implicitly assumed that the state is doing its self-assumed job of protecting person and property to perfection. We cannot here go into the reasons why the state is bound to suffer inherently from grave flaws and inefficiencies in such a task. All we need do now is to point to the black and unprecedented record of the state through history: no combination of private marauders can possibly begin to match the state’s unremitting record of theft, confiscation, oppression, and mass murder. No collection of Mafia or private bank robbers can begin to compare with all the Hiroshimas, Dresdens, and Lidices and their analogues through the history of mankind.
This point can be made more philosophically: it is illegitimate to compare the merits of anarchism and statism by starting with the present system as the implicit given and then critically examining only the anarchist alternative. What we must do is to begin at the zero point and then critically examine both suggested alternatives. Suppose, for example, that we were all suddenly dropped down on the earth de novo and that we were all then confronted with the question of what societal arrangements to adopt. And suppose then that someone suggested: “We are all bound to suffer from those of us who wish to aggress against their fellow men. Let us then solve this problem of crime by handing all of our weapons to the Jones family, over there, by giving all of our ultimate power to settle disputes to that family. In that way, with their monopoly of coercion and of ultimate decision making, the Jones family will be able to protect each of us from each other.” I submit that this proposal would get very short shrift, except perhaps from the Jones family themselves. And yet this is precisely the common argument for the existence of the state. When we start from the zero point, as in the case of the Jones family, the question of “who will guard the guardians?” becomes not simply an abiding lacuna in the theory of the state but an overwhelming barrier to its existence.
A final caveat: the anarchist is always at a disadvantage in attempting to forecast the shape of the future anarchist society. For it is impossible for observers to predict voluntary social arrangements, including the provision of goods and services, on the free market. Suppose, for example, that this were the year 1874 and that someone predicted that eventually there would be a radio-manufacturing industry. To be able to make such a forecast successfully, does he have to be challenged to state immediately how many radio manufacturers there would be a century hence, how big they would be, where they would be located, what technology and marketing techniques they would use, and so on? Obviously, such a challenge would make no sense, and in a profound sense the same is true of those who demand a precise portrayal of the pattern of protection activities on the market. Anarchism advocates the dissolution of the state into social and market arrangements, and these arrangements are far more flexible and less predictable than political institutions. The most that we can do, then, is to offer broad guidelines and perspectives on the shape of a projected anarchist society.
One important point to make here is that the advance of modern technology makes anarchistic arrangements increasingly feasible. Take, for example, the case of lighthouses, where it is often charged that it is unfeasible for private lighthouse operators to row out to each ship to charge it for use of the light. Apart from the fact that this argument ignores the successful existence of private lighthouses in earlier days, as in England in the eighteenth century, another vital consideration is that modern electronic technology makes charging each ship for the light far more feasible. Thus, the ship would have to have paid for an electronically controlled beam which could then be automatically turned on for those ships which had paid for the service.
Let us turn now to the problem of how disputes — in particular disputes over alleged violations of person and property — would be resolved in an anarchist society. First, it should be noted that all disputes involve two parties: the plaintiff, the alleged victim of the crime or tort and the defendant, the alleged aggressor. In many cases of broken contract, of course, each of the two parties alleging that the other is the culprit is at the same time a plaintiff and a defendant.
An important point to remember is that any society, be it statist or anarchist, has to have some way of resolving disputes that will gain a majority consensus in society. There would be no need for courts or arbitrators if everyone were omniscient and knew instantaneously which persons were guilty of any given crime or violation of contract. Since none of us is omniscient, there has to be some method of deciding who is the criminal or lawbreaker which will gain legitimacy; in short, whose decision will be accepted by the great majority of the public.
In the first place, a dispute may be resolved voluntarily between the two parties themselves, either unaided or with the help of a third mediator. This poses no problem, and will automatically be accepted by society at large. It is so accepted even now, much less in a society imbued with the anarchistic values of peaceful cooperation and agreement. Secondly and similarly, the two parties, unable to reach agreement, may decide to submit voluntarily to the decision of an arbitrator. This agreement may arise either after a dispute has arisen, or be provided for in advance in the original contract. Again, there is no problem in such an arrangement gaining legitimacy. Even in the present statist era, the notorious inefficiency and coercive and cumbersome procedures of the politically run government courts has led increasing numbers of citizens to turn to voluntary and expert arbitration for a speedy and harmonious settling of disputes.
Thus, William C. Wooldridge has written that
Wooldridge adds the important point that, in addition to the speed of arbitration procedures vis-à-vis the courts, the arbitrators can proceed as experts in disregard of the official government law; in a profound sense, then, they serve to create a voluntary body of private law. “In other words,” states Wooldridge, “the system of extralegal, voluntary courts has progressed hand in hand with a body of private law; the rules of the state are circumvented by the same process that circumvents the forums established for the settlement of disputes over those rules…. In short, a private agreement between two people, a bilateral “law,” has supplanted the official law. The writ of the sovereign has cease to run, and for it is substituted a rule tacitly or explicitly agreed to by the parties. Wooldridge concludes that “if an arbitrator can choose to ignore a penal damage rule or the statute of limitations applicable to the claim before him (and it is generally conceded that he has that power), arbitration can be viewed as a practically revolutionary instrument for self-liberation from the law….”2
It may be objected that arbitration only works successfully because the courts enforce the award of the arbitrator. Wooldridge points out, however, that arbitration was unenforceable in the American courts before 1920, but that this did not prevent voluntary arbitration from being successful and expanding in the United States and in England. He points, furthermore, to the successful operations of merchant courts since the Middle Ages, those courts which successfully developed the entire body of the law merchant. None of those courts possessed the power of enforcement. He might have added the private courts of shippers which developed the body of admiralty law in a similar way.
How then did these private, “anarchistic,” and voluntary courts ensure the acceptance of their decisions? By the method of social ostracism, and by the refusal to deal any further with the offending merchant. This method of voluntary “enforcement,” indeed proved highly successful. Wooldridge writes that “the merchants’ courts were voluntary, and if a man ignored their judgment, he could not be sent to jail…. Nevertheless, it is apparent that … [their] decisions were generally respected even by the losers; otherwise people would never have used them in the first place…. Merchants made their courts work simply by agreeing to abide by the results. The merchant who broke the understanding would not be sent to jail, to be sure, but neither would he long continue to be a merchant, for the compliance exacted by his fellows … proved if anything more effective than physical coercion.”3 Nor did this voluntary method fail to work in modern times. Wooldridge writes that it was precisely in the years before 1920, when arbitration awards could not be enforced in the courts,
It should also be pointed out that modern technology makes even more feasible the collection and dissemination of information about people’s credit ratings and records of keeping or violating their contracts or arbitration agreements. Presumably, an anarchist society would see the expansion of this sort of dissemination of data and thereby facilitate the ostracism or boycotting of contract and arbitration violators.
How would arbitrators be selected in an anarchist society? In the same way as they are chosen now, and as they were chosen in the days of strictly voluntary arbitration: the arbitrators with the best reputation for efficiency and probity would be chosen by the various parties on the market. As in other processes of the market, the arbitrators with the best record in settling disputes will come to gain an increasing amount of business, and those with poor records will no longer enjoy clients and will have to shift to another line of endeavor. Here it must be emphasized that parties in dispute will seek out those arbitrators with the best reputation for both expertise and impartiality and that inefficient or biased arbitrators will rapidly have to find another occupation.
Thus, the Tannehills emphasize:
If desired, furthermore, the contracting parties could provide in advance for a series of arbitrators:
Arbitration, then, poses little difficulty for a portrayal of the free society. But what of torts or crimes of aggression where there has been no contract? Or suppose that the breaker of a contract defies the arbitration award? Is ostracism enough? In short, how can courts develop in the free-market anarchist society which will have the power to enforce judgments against criminals or contract breakers?
In the wide sense, defense service consists of guards or police who use force in defending person and property against attack, and judges or courts whose role is to use socially accepted procedures to determine who the criminals or tortfeasors are, as well as to enforce judicial awards, such as damages or the keeping of contracts. On the free market, many scenarios are possible on the relationship between the private courts and the police; they may be “vertically integrated,” for example, or their services may be supplied by separate firms. Furthermore, it seems likely that police service will be supplied by insurance companies who will provide crime insurance to their clients. In that case, insurance companies will pay off the victims of crime or the breaking of contracts or arbitration awards and then pursue the aggressors in court to recoup their losses. There is a natural market connection between insurance companies and defense service, since they need pay out less benefits in proportion as they are able to keep down the rate of crime.
Courts might either charge fees for their services, with the losers of cases obliged to pay court costs, or else they may subsist on monthly or yearly premiums by their clients, who may be either individuals or the police or insurance agencies. Suppose, for example, that Smith is an aggrieved party, either because he has been assaulted or robbed, or because an arbitration award in his favor has not been honored. Smith believes that Jones is the party guilty of the crime. Smith then goes to a court, Court A, of which he is a client, and brings charges against Jones as a defendant. In my view, the hallmark of an anarchist society is one where no man may legally compel someone who is not a convicted criminal to do anything, since that would be aggression against an innocent man’s person or property. Therefore, Court A can only invite rather than subpoena Jones to attend his trial. Of course, if Jones refused to appear or send a representative, his side of the case will not be heard. The trial of Jones proceeds. Suppose that Court A finds Jones innocent. In my view, part of the generally accepted law code of the anarchist society (on which see further below) is that this must end the matter unless Smith can prove charges of gross incompetence or bias on the part of the court.
Suppose, next, that Court A finds Jones guilty. Jones might accept the verdict, because he too is a client of the same court, because he knows he is guilty, or for some other reason. In that case, Court A proceeds to exercise judgment against Jones. Neither of these instances poses very difficult problems for our picture of the anarchist society. But suppose, instead, that Jones contests the decision; he then goes to his court, Court B, and the case is retried there. Suppose that Court B, too, finds Jones guilty. Again, it seems to me that the accepted law code of the anarchist society will assert that this ends the matter; both parties have had their say in courts which each has selected, and the decision for guilt is unanimous.
Suppose, however, the most difficult case: that Court B finds Jones innocent. The two courts, each subscribed to by one of the two parties, have split their verdicts. In that case, the two courts will submit the case to an appeals court, or arbitrator, which the two courts agree upon. There seems to be no real difficulty about the concept of an appeals court. As in the case of arbitration contracts, it seems very likely that the various private courts in the society will have prior agreements to submit their disputes to a particular appeals court. How will the appeals judges be chosen? Again, as in the case of arbitrators or of the first judges on the free market, they will be chosen for their expertise and their reputation for efficiency, honesty, and integrity. Obviously, appeals judges who are inefficient or biased will scarcely be chosen by courts who will have a dispute. The point here is that there is no need for a legally established or institutionalized single, monopoly appeals court system, as states now provide. There is no reason why there cannot arise a multitude of efficient and honest appeals judges who will be selected by the disputant courts, just as there are numerous private arbitrators on the market today. The appeals court renders its decision, and the courts proceed to enforce it if, in our example, Jones is considered guilty — unless, of course, Jones can prove bias in some other court proceedings.
No society can have unlimited judicial appeals, for in that case there would be no point to having judges or courts at all. Therefore, every society, whether statist or anarchist, will have to have some socially accepted cutoff point for trials and appeals. My suggestion is the rule that the agreement of any two courts, be decisive. “Two” is not an arbitrary figure, for it reflects the fact that there are two parties, the plaintiff and the defendant, to any alleged crime or contract dispute.
If the courts are to be empowered to enforce decision against guilty parties, does this not bring back the state in another form and thereby negate anarchism? No, for at the beginning of this paper I explicitly defined anarchism in such a way as not to rule out the use of defensive force — force in defense of person and property — by privately supported agencies. In the same way, it is not bringing back the state to allow persons to use force to defend themselves against aggression, or to hire guards or police agencies to defend them.
It should be noted, however, that in the anarchist society there will be no “district attorney” to press charges on behalf of “society.” Only the victims will press charges as the plaintiffs. If, then, these victims should happen to be absolute pacifists who are opposed even to defensive force, then they will simply not press charges in the courts or otherwise retaliate against those who have aggressed against them. In a free society that would be their right. If the victim should suffer from murder, then his heir would have the right to press the charges.
What of the Hatfield-and-McCoy problem? Suppose that a Hatfield kills a McCoy, and that McCoy’s heir does not belong to a private insurance, police agency, or court, and decides to retaliate himself? Since under anarchism there can be no coercion of the noncriminal, McCoy would have the perfect right to do so. No one may be compelled to bring his case to a court. Indeed, since the right to hire police or courts flows from the right of self-defense against aggression, it would be inconsistent and in contradiction to the very basis of the free society to institute such compulsion.
Suppose, then, that the surviving McCoy finds what he believes to be the guilty Hatfield and kills him in turn? What then? This is fine, except that McCoy may have to worry about charges being brought against him by a surviving Hatfield. Here it must be emphasized that in the law of the anarchist society based on defense against aggression, the courts would not be able to proceed against McCoy if in fact he killed the right Hatfield. His problem would arise if the courts should find that he made a grievous mistake and killed the wrong man; in that case, he in turn would be found guilty of murder. Surely, in most instances, individuals will wish to obviate such problems by taking their case to a court and thereby gain social acceptability for their defensive retaliation — not for the act of retaliation but for the correctness of deciding who the criminal in any given case might be. The purpose of the judicial process, indeed, is to find a way of general agreement on who might be the criminal or contract breaker in any given case. The judicial process is not a good in itself; thus, in the case of an assassination, such as Jack Ruby’s murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, on public television, there is no need for a complex judicial process, since the name of the murderer is evident to all.
Will not the possibility exist of a private court that may turn venal and dishonest, or of a private police force that turns criminal and extorts money by coercion? Of course such an event may occur, given the propensities of human nature. Anarchism is not a moral cure-all. But the important point is that market forces exist to place severe checks on such possibilities, especially in contrast to a society where a state exists. For, in the first place, judges, like arbitrators, will prosper on the market in proportion to their reputation for efficiency and impartiality. Secondly, on the free market important checks and balances exist against venal courts or criminal police forces. Namely, that there are competing courts and police agencies to whom victims may turn for redress. If the “Prudential Police Agency” should turn outlaw and extract revenue from victims by coercion, the latter would have the option of turning to the “Mutual” or “Equitable” Police Agency for defense and for pressing charges against Prudential. These are the genuine “checks and balances” of the free market, genuine in contrast to the phony check and balances of a state system, where all the alleged “balancing” agencies are in the hands of one monopoly government. Indeed, given the monopoly “protection service” of a state, what is there to prevent a state from using its monopoly channels of coercion to extort money from the public? What are the checks and limits of the state? None, except for the extremely difficult course of revolution against a power with all of the guns in its hands. In fact, the state provides an easy, legitimated channel for crime and aggression, since it has its very being in the crime of tax theft, and the coerced monopoly of “protection.” It is the state, indeed, that functions as a mighty “protection racket” on a giant and massive scale. It is the state that says: “Pay us for your ‘protection’ or else.” In the light of the massive and inherent activities of the state, the danger of a “protection racket” emerging from one or more private police agencies is relatively small indeed.
Moreover, it must be emphasized that a crucial element in the power of the state is its legitimacy in the eyes of the majority of the public, the fact that after centuries of propaganda, the depredations of the state are looked upon rather as benevolent services. Taxation is generally not seen as theft, nor war as mass murder, nor conscription as slavery. Should a private police agency turn outlaw, should “Prudential” become a protection racket, it would then lack the social legitimacy which the state has managed to accrue to itself over the centuries. “Prudential” would be seen by all as bandits, rather than as legitimate or divinely appointed “sovereigns” bent on promoting the “common good” or the “general welfare.” And lacking such legitimacy, “Prudential” would have to face the wrath of the public and the defense and retaliation of the other private defense agencies, the police and courts, on the free market. Given these inherent checks and limits, a successful transformation from a free society to bandit rule becomes most unlikely. Indeed, historically, it has been very difficult for a state to arise to supplant a stateless society; usually, it has come about through external conquest rather than by evolution from within a society.
Within the anarchist camp, there has been much dispute on whether the private courts would have to be bound by a basic, common law code. Ingenious attempts have been made to work out a system where the laws or standards of decision-making by the courts would differ completely from one to another.7 But in my view all would have to abide by the basic law code, in particular, prohibition of aggression against person and property, in order to fulfill our definition of anarchism as a system which provides no legal sanction for such aggression. Suppose, for example, that one group of people in society holds that all redheads are demons who deserve to be shot on sight. Suppose that Jones, one of this group, shoots Smith, a redhead. Suppose that Smith or his heir presses charges in a court, but that Jones’s court, in philosophic agreement with Jones, finds him innocent therefore. It seems to me that in order to be considered legitimate, any court would have to follow the basic libertarian law code of the inviolate right of person and property. For otherwise, courts might legally subscribe to a code which sanctions such aggression in various cases, and which to that extent would violate the definition of anarchism and introduce, if not the state, then a strong element of statishness or legalized aggression into the society.
But again I see no insuperable difficulties here. For in that case, anarchists, in agitating for their creed, will simply include in their agitation the idea of a general libertarian law code as part and parcel of the anarchist creed of abolition of legalized aggression against person or property in the society.
In contrast to the general law code, other aspects of court decisions could legitimately vary in accordance with the market or the wishes of the clients; for example, the language the cases will be conducted in, the number of judges to be involved, and so on.
There are other problems of the basic law code which there is no time to go into here: for example, the definition of just property titles or the question of legitimate punishment of convicted offenders — though the latter problem of course exists in statist legal systems as well.8 The basic point, however, is that the state is not needed to arrive at legal principles or their elaboration: indeed, much of the common law, the law merchant, admiralty law, and private law in general, grew up apart from the state, by judges not making the law but finding it on the basis of agreed-upon principles derived either from custom or reason.9 The idea that the state is needed to make law is as much a myth as that the state is needed to supply postal or police services.
Enough has been said here, I believe, to indicate that an anarchist system for settling disputes would be both viable and self-subsistent: that once adopted, it could work and continue indefinitely. How to arrive at that system is of course a very different problem, but certainly at the very least it will not likely come about unless people are convinced of its workability, are convinced, in short, that the state is not a necessary evil.

[Murray Rothbard delivered this talk 32 years ago today at the American Society for Political and Legal Philosophy (ASPLP), Washington, DC: December 28, 1974. It was first published in The Libertarian Forum, volume 7.1, January 1975, available in PDF and ePub.]
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2024.05.14 06:30 Anenome5 Society without a State - Rothbard

https://mises.org/mises-daily/society-without-state
In attempting to outline how a “society without a state” — that is, an anarchist society — might function successfully, I would first like to defuse two common but mistaken criticisms of this approach. First, is the argument that in providing for such defense or protection services as courts, police, or even law itself, I am simply smuggling the state back into society in another form, and that therefore the system I am both analyzing and advocating is not “really” anarchism. This sort of criticism can only involve us in an endless and arid dispute over semantics. Let me say from the beginning that I define the state as that institution which possesses one or both (almost always both) of the following properties: (1) it acquires its income by the physical coercion known as “taxation”; and (2) it asserts and usually obtains a coerced monopoly of the provision of defense service (police and courts) over a given territorial area. An institution not possessing either of these properties is not and cannot be, in accordance with my definition, a state. On the other hand, I define anarchist society as one where there is no legal possibility for coercive aggression against the person or property of an individual. Anarchists oppose the state because it has its very being in such aggression, namely, the expropriation of private property through taxation, the coercive exclusion of other providers of defense service from its territory, and all of the other depredations and coercions that are built upon these twin foci of invasions of individual rights.
Nor is our definition of the state arbitrary, for these two characteristics have been possessed by what is generally acknowledged to be states throughout recorded history. The state, by its use of physical coercion, has arrogated to itself a compulsory monopoly of defense services over its territorial jurisdiction. But it is certainly conceptually possible for such services to be supplied by private, non-state institutions, and indeed such services have historically been supplied by other organizations than the state. To be opposed to the state is then not necessarily to be opposed to services that have often been linked with it; to be opposed to the state does not necessarily imply that we must be opposed to police protection, courts, arbitration, the minting of money, postal service, or roads and highways. Some anarchists have indeed been opposed to police and to all physical coercion in defense of person and property, but this is not inherent in and is fundamentally irrelevant to the anarchist position, which is precisely marked by opposition to all physical coercion invasive of, or aggressing against, person and property.
The crucial role of taxation may be seen in the fact that the state is the only institution or organization in society which regularly and systematically acquires its income through the use of physical coercion. All other individuals or organizations acquire their income voluntarily, either (1) through the voluntary sale of goods and services to consumers on the market, or (2) through voluntary gifts or donations by members or other donors. If I cease or refrain from purchasing Wheaties on the market, the Wheaties producers do not come after me with a gun or the threat of imprisonment to force me to purchase; if I fail to join the American Philosophical Association, the association may not force me to join or prevent me from giving up my membership. Only the state can do so; only the state can confiscate my property or put me in jail if I do not pay its tax tribute. Therefore, only the state regularly exists and has its very being by means of coercive depredations on private property.
Neither is it legitimate to challenge this sort of analysis by claiming that in some other sense, the purchase of Wheaties or membership in the APA is in some way “coercive.” Anyone who is still unhappy with this use of the term “coercion” can simply eliminate the word from this discussion and substitute for it “physical violence or the threat thereof,” with the only loss being in literary style rather than in the substance of the argument. What anarchism proposes to do, then, is to abolish the state, that is, to abolish the regularized institution of aggressive coercion.
It need hardly be added that the state habitually builds upon its coercive source of income by adding a host of other aggressions upon society, ranging from economic controls to the prohibition of pornography to the compelling of religious observance to the mass murder of civilians in organized warfare. In short, the state, in the words of Albert Jay Nock, “claims and exercises a monopoly of crime” over its territorial area.
The second criticism I would like to defuse before beginning the main body of the paper is the common charge that anarchists “assume that all people are good” and that without the state no crime would be committed. In short, that anarchism assumes that with the abolition of the state a New Anarchist Man will emerge, cooperative, humane, and benevolent, so that no problem of crime will then plague the society. I confess that I do not understand the basis for this charge. Whatever other schools of anarchism profess — and I do not believe that they are open to the charge — I certainly do not adopt this view. I assume with most observers that mankind is a mixture of good and evil, of cooperative and criminal tendencies. In my view, the anarchist society is one which maximizes the tendencies for the good and the cooperative, while it minimizes both the opportunity and the moral legitimacy of the evil and the criminal. If the anarchist view is correct and the state is indeed the great legalized and socially legitimated channel for all manner of antisocial crime — theft, oppression, mass murder — on a massive scale, then surely the abolition of such an engine of crime can do nothing but favor the good in man and discourage the bad.
A further point: in a profound sense, no social system, whether anarchist or statist, can work at all unless most people are “good” in the sense that they are not all hell-bent upon assaulting and robbing their neighbors. If everyone were so disposed, no amount of protection, whether state or private, could succeed in staving off chaos. Furthermore, the more that people are disposed to be peaceful and not aggress against their neighbors, the more successfully any social system will work, and the fewer resources will need to be devoted to police protection. The anarchist view holds that, given the “nature of man,” given the degree of goodness or badness at any point in time, anarchism will maximize the opportunities for the good and minimize the channels for the bad. The rest depends on the values held by the individual members of society. The only further point that need be made is that by eliminating the living example and the social legitimacy of the massive legalized crime of the state, anarchism will to a large extent promote peaceful values in the minds of the public.
We cannot of course deal here with the numerous arguments in favor of anarchism or against the state, moral, political, and economic. Nor can we take up the various goods and services now provided by the state and show how private individuals and groups will be able to supply them far more efficiently on the free market. Here we can only deal with perhaps the most difficult area, the area where it is almost universally assumed that the state must exist and act, even if it is only a “necessary evil” instead of a positive good: the vital realm of defense or protection of person and property against aggression. Surely, it is universally asserted, the state is at least vitally necessary to provide police protection, the judicial resolution of disputes and enforcement of contracts, and the creation of the law itself that is to be enforced. My contention is that all of these admittedly necessary services of protection can be satisfactorily and efficiently supplied by private persons and institutions on the free market.
One important caveat before we begin the body of this paper: new proposals such as anarchism are almost always gauged against the implicit assumption that the present, or statist system works to perfection. Any lacunae or difficulties with the picture of the anarchist society are considered net liabilities, and enough to dismiss anarchism out of hand. It is, in short, implicitly assumed that the state is doing its self-assumed job of protecting person and property to perfection. We cannot here go into the reasons why the state is bound to suffer inherently from grave flaws and inefficiencies in such a task. All we need do now is to point to the black and unprecedented record of the state through history: no combination of private marauders can possibly begin to match the state’s unremitting record of theft, confiscation, oppression, and mass murder. No collection of Mafia or private bank robbers can begin to compare with all the Hiroshimas, Dresdens, and Lidices and their analogues through the history of mankind.
This point can be made more philosophically: it is illegitimate to compare the merits of anarchism and statism by starting with the present system as the implicit given and then critically examining only the anarchist alternative. What we must do is to begin at the zero point and then critically examine both suggested alternatives. Suppose, for example, that we were all suddenly dropped down on the earth de novo and that we were all then confronted with the question of what societal arrangements to adopt. And suppose then that someone suggested: “We are all bound to suffer from those of us who wish to aggress against their fellow men. Let us then solve this problem of crime by handing all of our weapons to the Jones family, over there, by giving all of our ultimate power to settle disputes to that family. In that way, with their monopoly of coercion and of ultimate decision making, the Jones family will be able to protect each of us from each other.” I submit that this proposal would get very short shrift, except perhaps from the Jones family themselves. And yet this is precisely the common argument for the existence of the state. When we start from the zero point, as in the case of the Jones family, the question of “who will guard the guardians?” becomes not simply an abiding lacuna in the theory of the state but an overwhelming barrier to its existence.
A final caveat: the anarchist is always at a disadvantage in attempting to forecast the shape of the future anarchist society. For it is impossible for observers to predict voluntary social arrangements, including the provision of goods and services, on the free market. Suppose, for example, that this were the year 1874 and that someone predicted that eventually there would be a radio-manufacturing industry. To be able to make such a forecast successfully, does he have to be challenged to state immediately how many radio manufacturers there would be a century hence, how big they would be, where they would be located, what technology and marketing techniques they would use, and so on? Obviously, such a challenge would make no sense, and in a profound sense the same is true of those who demand a precise portrayal of the pattern of protection activities on the market. Anarchism advocates the dissolution of the state into social and market arrangements, and these arrangements are far more flexible and less predictable than political institutions. The most that we can do, then, is to offer broad guidelines and perspectives on the shape of a projected anarchist society.
One important point to make here is that the advance of modern technology makes anarchistic arrangements increasingly feasible. Take, for example, the case of lighthouses, where it is often charged that it is unfeasible for private lighthouse operators to row out to each ship to charge it for use of the light. Apart from the fact that this argument ignores the successful existence of private lighthouses in earlier days, as in England in the eighteenth century, another vital consideration is that modern electronic technology makes charging each ship for the light far more feasible. Thus, the ship would have to have paid for an electronically controlled beam which could then be automatically turned on for those ships which had paid for the service.
Let us turn now to the problem of how disputes — in particular disputes over alleged violations of person and property — would be resolved in an anarchist society. First, it should be noted that all disputes involve two parties: the plaintiff, the alleged victim of the crime or tort and the defendant, the alleged aggressor. In many cases of broken contract, of course, each of the two parties alleging that the other is the culprit is at the same time a plaintiff and a defendant.
An important point to remember is that any society, be it statist or anarchist, has to have some way of resolving disputes that will gain a majority consensus in society. There would be no need for courts or arbitrators if everyone were omniscient and knew instantaneously which persons were guilty of any given crime or violation of contract. Since none of us is omniscient, there has to be some method of deciding who is the criminal or lawbreaker which will gain legitimacy; in short, whose decision will be accepted by the great majority of the public.
In the first place, a dispute may be resolved voluntarily between the two parties themselves, either unaided or with the help of a third mediator. This poses no problem, and will automatically be accepted by society at large. It is so accepted even now, much less in a society imbued with the anarchistic values of peaceful cooperation and agreement. Secondly and similarly, the two parties, unable to reach agreement, may decide to submit voluntarily to the decision of an arbitrator. This agreement may arise either after a dispute has arisen, or be provided for in advance in the original contract. Again, there is no problem in such an arrangement gaining legitimacy. Even in the present statist era, the notorious inefficiency and coercive and cumbersome procedures of the politically run government courts has led increasing numbers of citizens to turn to voluntary and expert arbitration for a speedy and harmonious settling of disputes.
Thus, William C. Wooldridge has written that
Wooldridge adds the important point that, in addition to the speed of arbitration procedures vis-à-vis the courts, the arbitrators can proceed as experts in disregard of the official government law; in a profound sense, then, they serve to create a voluntary body of private law. “In other words,” states Wooldridge, “the system of extralegal, voluntary courts has progressed hand in hand with a body of private law; the rules of the state are circumvented by the same process that circumvents the forums established for the settlement of disputes over those rules…. In short, a private agreement between two people, a bilateral “law,” has supplanted the official law. The writ of the sovereign has cease to run, and for it is substituted a rule tacitly or explicitly agreed to by the parties. Wooldridge concludes that “if an arbitrator can choose to ignore a penal damage rule or the statute of limitations applicable to the claim before him (and it is generally conceded that he has that power), arbitration can be viewed as a practically revolutionary instrument for self-liberation from the law….”2
It may be objected that arbitration only works successfully because the courts enforce the award of the arbitrator. Wooldridge points out, however, that arbitration was unenforceable in the American courts before 1920, but that this did not prevent voluntary arbitration from being successful and expanding in the United States and in England. He points, furthermore, to the successful operations of merchant courts since the Middle Ages, those courts which successfully developed the entire body of the law merchant. None of those courts possessed the power of enforcement. He might have added the private courts of shippers which developed the body of admiralty law in a similar way.
How then did these private, “anarchistic,” and voluntary courts ensure the acceptance of their decisions? By the method of social ostracism, and by the refusal to deal any further with the offending merchant. This method of voluntary “enforcement,” indeed proved highly successful. Wooldridge writes that “the merchants’ courts were voluntary, and if a man ignored their judgment, he could not be sent to jail…. Nevertheless, it is apparent that … [their] decisions were generally respected even by the losers; otherwise people would never have used them in the first place…. Merchants made their courts work simply by agreeing to abide by the results. The merchant who broke the understanding would not be sent to jail, to be sure, but neither would he long continue to be a merchant, for the compliance exacted by his fellows … proved if anything more effective than physical coercion.”3 Nor did this voluntary method fail to work in modern times. Wooldridge writes that it was precisely in the years before 1920, when arbitration awards could not be enforced in the courts,
It should also be pointed out that modern technology makes even more feasible the collection and dissemination of information about people’s credit ratings and records of keeping or violating their contracts or arbitration agreements. Presumably, an anarchist society would see the expansion of this sort of dissemination of data and thereby facilitate the ostracism or boycotting of contract and arbitration violators.
How would arbitrators be selected in an anarchist society? In the same way as they are chosen now, and as they were chosen in the days of strictly voluntary arbitration: the arbitrators with the best reputation for efficiency and probity would be chosen by the various parties on the market. As in other processes of the market, the arbitrators with the best record in settling disputes will come to gain an increasing amount of business, and those with poor records will no longer enjoy clients and will have to shift to another line of endeavor. Here it must be emphasized that parties in dispute will seek out those arbitrators with the best reputation for both expertise and impartiality and that inefficient or biased arbitrators will rapidly have to find another occupation.
Thus, the Tannehills emphasize:
If desired, furthermore, the contracting parties could provide in advance for a series of arbitrators:
Arbitration, then, poses little difficulty for a portrayal of the free society. But what of torts or crimes of aggression where there has been no contract? Or suppose that the breaker of a contract defies the arbitration award? Is ostracism enough? In short, how can courts develop in the free-market anarchist society which will have the power to enforce judgments against criminals or contract breakers?
In the wide sense, defense service consists of guards or police who use force in defending person and property against attack, and judges or courts whose role is to use socially accepted procedures to determine who the criminals or tortfeasors are, as well as to enforce judicial awards, such as damages or the keeping of contracts. On the free market, many scenarios are possible on the relationship between the private courts and the police; they may be “vertically integrated,” for example, or their services may be supplied by separate firms. Furthermore, it seems likely that police service will be supplied by insurance companies who will provide crime insurance to their clients. In that case, insurance companies will pay off the victims of crime or the breaking of contracts or arbitration awards and then pursue the aggressors in court to recoup their losses. There is a natural market connection between insurance companies and defense service, since they need pay out less benefits in proportion as they are able to keep down the rate of crime.
Courts might either charge fees for their services, with the losers of cases obliged to pay court costs, or else they may subsist on monthly or yearly premiums by their clients, who may be either individuals or the police or insurance agencies. Suppose, for example, that Smith is an aggrieved party, either because he has been assaulted or robbed, or because an arbitration award in his favor has not been honored. Smith believes that Jones is the party guilty of the crime. Smith then goes to a court, Court A, of which he is a client, and brings charges against Jones as a defendant. In my view, the hallmark of an anarchist society is one where no man may legally compel someone who is not a convicted criminal to do anything, since that would be aggression against an innocent man’s person or property. Therefore, Court A can only invite rather than subpoena Jones to attend his trial. Of course, if Jones refused to appear or send a representative, his side of the case will not be heard. The trial of Jones proceeds. Suppose that Court A finds Jones innocent. In my view, part of the generally accepted law code of the anarchist society (on which see further below) is that this must end the matter unless Smith can prove charges of gross incompetence or bias on the part of the court.
Suppose, next, that Court A finds Jones guilty. Jones might accept the verdict, because he too is a client of the same court, because he knows he is guilty, or for some other reason. In that case, Court A proceeds to exercise judgment against Jones. Neither of these instances poses very difficult problems for our picture of the anarchist society. But suppose, instead, that Jones contests the decision; he then goes to his court, Court B, and the case is retried there. Suppose that Court B, too, finds Jones guilty. Again, it seems to me that the accepted law code of the anarchist society will assert that this ends the matter; both parties have had their say in courts which each has selected, and the decision for guilt is unanimous.
Suppose, however, the most difficult case: that Court B finds Jones innocent. The two courts, each subscribed to by one of the two parties, have split their verdicts. In that case, the two courts will submit the case to an appeals court, or arbitrator, which the two courts agree upon. There seems to be no real difficulty about the concept of an appeals court. As in the case of arbitration contracts, it seems very likely that the various private courts in the society will have prior agreements to submit their disputes to a particular appeals court. How will the appeals judges be chosen? Again, as in the case of arbitrators or of the first judges on the free market, they will be chosen for their expertise and their reputation for efficiency, honesty, and integrity. Obviously, appeals judges who are inefficient or biased will scarcely be chosen by courts who will have a dispute. The point here is that there is no need for a legally established or institutionalized single, monopoly appeals court system, as states now provide. There is no reason why there cannot arise a multitude of efficient and honest appeals judges who will be selected by the disputant courts, just as there are numerous private arbitrators on the market today. The appeals court renders its decision, and the courts proceed to enforce it if, in our example, Jones is considered guilty — unless, of course, Jones can prove bias in some other court proceedings.
No society can have unlimited judicial appeals, for in that case there would be no point to having judges or courts at all. Therefore, every society, whether statist or anarchist, will have to have some socially accepted cutoff point for trials and appeals. My suggestion is the rule that the agreement of any two courts, be decisive. “Two” is not an arbitrary figure, for it reflects the fact that there are two parties, the plaintiff and the defendant, to any alleged crime or contract dispute.
If the courts are to be empowered to enforce decision against guilty parties, does this not bring back the state in another form and thereby negate anarchism? No, for at the beginning of this paper I explicitly defined anarchism in such a way as not to rule out the use of defensive force — force in defense of person and property — by privately supported agencies. In the same way, it is not bringing back the state to allow persons to use force to defend themselves against aggression, or to hire guards or police agencies to defend them.
It should be noted, however, that in the anarchist society there will be no “district attorney” to press charges on behalf of “society.” Only the victims will press charges as the plaintiffs. If, then, these victims should happen to be absolute pacifists who are opposed even to defensive force, then they will simply not press charges in the courts or otherwise retaliate against those who have aggressed against them. In a free society that would be their right. If the victim should suffer from murder, then his heir would have the right to press the charges.
What of the Hatfield-and-McCoy problem? Suppose that a Hatfield kills a McCoy, and that McCoy’s heir does not belong to a private insurance, police agency, or court, and decides to retaliate himself? Since under anarchism there can be no coercion of the noncriminal, McCoy would have the perfect right to do so. No one may be compelled to bring his case to a court. Indeed, since the right to hire police or courts flows from the right of self-defense against aggression, it would be inconsistent and in contradiction to the very basis of the free society to institute such compulsion.
Suppose, then, that the surviving McCoy finds what he believes to be the guilty Hatfield and kills him in turn? What then? This is fine, except that McCoy may have to worry about charges being brought against him by a surviving Hatfield. Here it must be emphasized that in the law of the anarchist society based on defense against aggression, the courts would not be able to proceed against McCoy if in fact he killed the right Hatfield. His problem would arise if the courts should find that he made a grievous mistake and killed the wrong man; in that case, he in turn would be found guilty of murder. Surely, in most instances, individuals will wish to obviate such problems by taking their case to a court and thereby gain social acceptability for their defensive retaliation — not for the act of retaliation but for the correctness of deciding who the criminal in any given case might be. The purpose of the judicial process, indeed, is to find a way of general agreement on who might be the criminal or contract breaker in any given case. The judicial process is not a good in itself; thus, in the case of an assassination, such as Jack Ruby’s murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, on public television, there is no need for a complex judicial process, since the name of the murderer is evident to all.
Will not the possibility exist of a private court that may turn venal and dishonest, or of a private police force that turns criminal and extorts money by coercion? Of course such an event may occur, given the propensities of human nature. Anarchism is not a moral cure-all. But the important point is that market forces exist to place severe checks on such possibilities, especially in contrast to a society where a state exists. For, in the first place, judges, like arbitrators, will prosper on the market in proportion to their reputation for efficiency and impartiality. Secondly, on the free market important checks and balances exist against venal courts or criminal police forces. Namely, that there are competing courts and police agencies to whom victims may turn for redress. If the “Prudential Police Agency” should turn outlaw and extract revenue from victims by coercion, the latter would have the option of turning to the “Mutual” or “Equitable” Police Agency for defense and for pressing charges against Prudential. These are the genuine “checks and balances” of the free market, genuine in contrast to the phony check and balances of a state system, where all the alleged “balancing” agencies are in the hands of one monopoly government. Indeed, given the monopoly “protection service” of a state, what is there to prevent a state from using its monopoly channels of coercion to extort money from the public? What are the checks and limits of the state? None, except for the extremely difficult course of revolution against a power with all of the guns in its hands. In fact, the state provides an easy, legitimated channel for crime and aggression, since it has its very being in the crime of tax theft, and the coerced monopoly of “protection.” It is the state, indeed, that functions as a mighty “protection racket” on a giant and massive scale. It is the state that says: “Pay us for your ‘protection’ or else.” In the light of the massive and inherent activities of the state, the danger of a “protection racket” emerging from one or more private police agencies is relatively small indeed.
Moreover, it must be emphasized that a crucial element in the power of the state is its legitimacy in the eyes of the majority of the public, the fact that after centuries of propaganda, the depredations of the state are looked upon rather as benevolent services. Taxation is generally not seen as theft, nor war as mass murder, nor conscription as slavery. Should a private police agency turn outlaw, should “Prudential” become a protection racket, it would then lack the social legitimacy which the state has managed to accrue to itself over the centuries. “Prudential” would be seen by all as bandits, rather than as legitimate or divinely appointed “sovereigns” bent on promoting the “common good” or the “general welfare.” And lacking such legitimacy, “Prudential” would have to face the wrath of the public and the defense and retaliation of the other private defense agencies, the police and courts, on the free market. Given these inherent checks and limits, a successful transformation from a free society to bandit rule becomes most unlikely. Indeed, historically, it has been very difficult for a state to arise to supplant a stateless society; usually, it has come about through external conquest rather than by evolution from within a society.
Within the anarchist camp, there has been much dispute on whether the private courts would have to be bound by a basic, common law code. Ingenious attempts have been made to work out a system where the laws or standards of decision-making by the courts would differ completely from one to another.7 But in my view all would have to abide by the basic law code, in particular, prohibition of aggression against person and property, in order to fulfill our definition of anarchism as a system which provides no legal sanction for such aggression. Suppose, for example, that one group of people in society holds that all redheads are demons who deserve to be shot on sight. Suppose that Jones, one of this group, shoots Smith, a redhead. Suppose that Smith or his heir presses charges in a court, but that Jones’s court, in philosophic agreement with Jones, finds him innocent therefore. It seems to me that in order to be considered legitimate, any court would have to follow the basic libertarian law code of the inviolate right of person and property. For otherwise, courts might legally subscribe to a code which sanctions such aggression in various cases, and which to that extent would violate the definition of anarchism and introduce, if not the state, then a strong element of statishness or legalized aggression into the society.
But again I see no insuperable difficulties here. For in that case, anarchists, in agitating for their creed, will simply include in their agitation the idea of a general libertarian law code as part and parcel of the anarchist creed of abolition of legalized aggression against person or property in the society.
In contrast to the general law code, other aspects of court decisions could legitimately vary in accordance with the market or the wishes of the clients; for example, the language the cases will be conducted in, the number of judges to be involved, and so on.
There are other problems of the basic law code which there is no time to go into here: for example, the definition of just property titles or the question of legitimate punishment of convicted offenders — though the latter problem of course exists in statist legal systems as well.8 The basic point, however, is that the state is not needed to arrive at legal principles or their elaboration: indeed, much of the common law, the law merchant, admiralty law, and private law in general, grew up apart from the state, by judges not making the law but finding it on the basis of agreed-upon principles derived either from custom or reason.9 The idea that the state is needed to make law is as much a myth as that the state is needed to supply postal or police services.
Enough has been said here, I believe, to indicate that an anarchist system for settling disputes would be both viable and self-subsistent: that once adopted, it could work and continue indefinitely. How to arrive at that system is of course a very different problem, but certainly at the very least it will not likely come about unless people are convinced of its workability, are convinced, in short, that the state is not a necessary evil.

[Murray Rothbard delivered this talk 32 years ago today at the American Society for Political and Legal Philosophy (ASPLP), Washington, DC: December 28, 1974. It was first published in The Libertarian Forum, volume 7.1, January 1975, available in PDF and ePub.]
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2024.05.14 06:28 Remotive [Hiring][Full Remote] 8 Full Remote jobs at tech companies - May 14, 2024

Job Title Company Salary Full Remote in...
Senior Accountant Harborglobal - Canada
QA Engineer (Manual) The Wise Seeker - China
Senior QA Engineer Penguin Formula - Brazil
Senior Staff Bioinformatics Scientist, Translational Bioinformatics Grailbio - USA
COBOL Software Development Analyst Peraton - USA
Mainframe Systems Integration Testing Engineer Peraton - USA
Snowflake Admin Architect ClifyX - USA
AWS Data Lake Technical Lead My3Tech - USA
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2024.05.14 06:27 SeraphUriel Urgent help needed - Query regarding 10th CGPA conversion

Hey everyone,
I’m in a bit of a pickle and could use your collective wisdom. I’ve received an offer letter for an MBA program at IIM Kashipur, but I’m stuck on a technicality regarding my 10th-grade CBSE marks calculation.
According to the CAP instructions, I converted my all subject GPAs to marks using the CBSE conversion rule and calculated my percentage from the aggregated marks, which came out to be 91.827%. My GPAs are 10,10,10,10,9,9 and my Aggregate marks calculated are 551/600.
However, my certificate shows a CGPA of 9.6, which translates to 91.2% when multiplied by 9.5.
There’s a slight discrepancy between the percentage calculated from the aggregated marks and the CGPA on my certificate. This is crucial because I need to verify my certificates for the admission process, and I have to resign from my job by Thursday(16th May 24) based on this admission.
Has anyone faced a similar issue? How did you resolve it? I have sent a mail to the admissions team with my concern but there has been no reply yet. I have tried to call the admission office from the number on the website, but no one is answering. Is there anyway to contact them? Can they reject my admission based on this?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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2024.05.14 06:21 No_Argument2217 Girlfriend of 4 years that I was planning proposing to flushed away her future with me by sleeping with a bunch of guys and "partying" away her savings. SUPER LONG

I currently (40M) had my ex (35F) completely destroy our relationship while I was working out of town for a few months. This happened a year ago and wish I had these stories as a resource while going through it. I have just started to use Reddit and been reading the experiences of others here and have decided to share my story in hopes it will maybe help others. That way some good may come from some of the worst times of my life.
A little backstory for context for the story and insight to some of the decisions I made. When I turned 30 I left the major city in my Province (it is like a state if you are an American) because buying just a simple house is over a million dollars and I don't make near enough to afford that. My goal was to move to somewhere more rural to buy a house, meet someone, get married and have a child or two. It was my only dream I had and believed I could attain it. I lived out in the bush on my step dads property in a run down trailer I bought so I could save money for the first 3 years. I had my dog but the loneliness of living in the middle of nowhere had got to me. By then I had saved a fair amount of money, so I decided to move into the town. It was nice, it cut my commute down by 40 minutes, I had started to make a few friends and no longer felt so isolated. It was through my friends I met my future ex. Let's call her Kali. She had a long term boyfriend when we first met. Their relationship ended a couple of years after meeting her and we started dating a few months after.
We mostly had a great relationship for the next 4 years. The only thing was it was on again off again. She would dump me after I did anything really special for her for a week and beg me to take her back. It was like clockwork. I used to think it was because of her depression and that she didn't believe she deserved to be truly happy. Nowadays I actually think she might have been cheating the whole time and just felt guilty about it when I did nice stuff for her but I will never know the truth. I don't care what the reality is anymore anyway, Time has a funny way of making stuff like that irrelevant. We did have one bigger break of about 5 months. When it happened I took time off work to travel in my RV the whole time. From spring to summer. I really didn't like the town I lived in and decided to use that time to check out the rest of my Provence to figure out where I wanted to restart my life. She was basically the only reason I stayed for so long. I did have a decent job and family close by but most people I met there were not good people. Lots of drug users, liars, and general scumbags. I had only a few real friends there. After I got back and had decided where I was going to move to she had decided she wanted me back. She begged me to stay and be with her. She told me that she wanted to get serious. We started making real progress about getting married, having kids and looking at buying a house. Everything was coming up Milhouse and I couldn't be happier. So You can probably guess this is when my tale becomes interesting for you and life got real bad for me.
My career is seasonal. I work from spring to the end of fall and can go on unemployment insurance or find work. My dad had asked if I could help on his farm breeding horses that winter when I had still planned to leave my town. I had promised him that I would because it would give me a place to stay before people in my field of work would be looking for employees. This had been agreed upon before me and Kali had got back together. Now I have always been a man of my word. It's something I take great pride in. I have always hated liars. I don't mind a little embellishment to make a story more fun or if two people's stories are different as long as they both believe that was how the events happened. Everyone remembers things slightly off. She was upset that I had intended to keep my word to my dad but I had every second weekend off. The town my dad is in was only a 2 hour drive. So I told her I would be back twice monthly for weekends and that it would only be for 4 months. For the first two months everything seemed fine. During this time I started to look at rings to pop the question and booked an expensive spa for two days in May to propose. There was only one weird thing that happened during the first two months. On one of my visits she confided in me that her brother's wife had cheated on him and that their newborn baby was most likely not his. I was shocked that she not only knew but didn't plan to tell him. She said she didn't want to tell him for fear of breaking up the family. I told her that he has the right to know and that she was being a bad sister by knowing and not telling him. I also informed her if he found out she knew and didn't say anything that he would most likely kick her out of his life. She made me swear I wouldn't tell him. Even though I thought it was wrong I did agree to not say anything. It did get me wondering how she could not only not tell him but stay friends with someone that could do that to her brother. I think that's when I started to question her morals. The third month she asked that I didn't come out because she was "sick". I told her I didn't care, I could still come out and take care of her. She convinced me that she didn't want me to come so I just worked on the farm instead. I switched weekends so I could come out the next instead of in two weekends. The weekend she was "sick" her phone was off the whole time, lasting into the week. She told me her phone went through the washing machine. She was actually on a bender but I didn't learn that till later.
So I head out the following weekend. As soon as I arrive I start getting super sketchy vibes. I was already weirded out about the stuff with her brother and ghosting me for 4 days as we talked/texted multiple times a day normally. At first she acts great to me, cooks me steak and we go out to the bush to have a fire in the snow. At the fire she really started drinking heavily. She then mentions a guy she had been hanging with lets call him Brad. So alarm bells start going through my head. We go back to her house and she keeps drinking. I wanted to keep a clear head so I only had three beers all evening. She put her phone down unlocked because of how drunk she was and I took it to the bathroom with me to look up texts between them. I felt so guilty for doing it at first but once I see the text between the two of them the guilt is replaced with rage. I go to her room to confront her and she breaks down. First, how dare I go through her phone, this never would have happened if I would have broken my promise to my dad, nothing really happened between them, blah, blah, blah. I was furious and drove off. She blows up my phone the whole time. I don't answer. Ten minutes after I left her mother called me. She lives at her moms house. I took the call and her mom said she is freaking out and has harmed herself. I decide to go back and she has a bandage wrapped around her arm. Her mom hid all the sharp objects she could find. She was having a full on panic attack and begs me to not leave. I told her I would stay if she told me the truth. She admits to hooking up with him one time just that last weekend when she asked me not to come out. It kind of matches the messages and I believe her. I stay there till she falls asleep. Once she does I send Brad a text saying that she has a boyfriend with some screen shots of our conversations me and her have had that week. I was about to drive back to the farm when the dude called her phone. I pick up the call and tell him I am her boyfriend. He asks if that was a joke and I assure him it is not. He said he didn't know and actually apologized. I tell him that I'm pissed but if he didn't know I couldn't blame him. I should have asked him more questions but I was tired, not thinking straight and just wanted to go back to the Farm even though it was two am by this point. I get home and crash. Turned my ringer off because I know once she wakes up she will start calling like crazy. After getting the horses in for the night I decided to look at my phone for the first time all day. Around thirty missed calls and a ton of texts. I decide I need another day before I talk to her. Now while the whole day all I can think about is that it was just one time, she seems to be genuinely remorseful about it, how I'm 39 and really want children before I get too old. I took a call from her the next day on Sunday in the morning. She is still wasted. She hadn't stopped drinking since I was there Friday. We talk and I tell her that I am really upset but am willing to give us another chance. I still was in love with her and wanted to have kids, get married and buy a house with her. It was the dream I felt I worked so hard for. She was so happy I took her back and swore to me nothing like this would ever happen again. Basically I was a fool lol.
So I decided on my next set of days off to borrow my stepdads summer home on the river so we can have the place to ourselves. I grab food that she loves so I can cook her dinner and try to make it very romantic. I want to rekindle my love with her so I wanted to go all out on an amazing weekend. I pick her up and she is already a little drunk. I kind of wanted to hang sober but I don't wanna mess up with her so don't say anything thinking we can do a sober day when I take her out to go shopping and dinner the next day. When we get there she gets hammered. Kali had brought a big of bottle fireball on top of a bunch of white claws. I again didn't really drink that night. Once she was drunk and tired I carried her to the bed. As Kali is in my arms she looks up at me and says in slurred words "I don't know why you even felt threatened by Joe" I ask "what did you just say?". "I don't know why you even felt threatened by Brad" she replied. I put her to bed and my mind starts racing. Now her ex before me has a really close name to the one she said first but I also know she has a friend named Joe I only met a couple of times. They were not close or even hung out but were more like acquaintances. I go in her purse to look at her phone again but the battery is dead and I can't find her charger. I have an Iphone so I can't charge it up to look. I didn't sleep that well that night with everything going on in my head. I woke up at 6 am to her being very loud on the phone. I went out to the living room and she had drank all the booze left over from the night before. I ask her who she was on the phone with and she tells me an uber to leave. I ask why is she going to leave? Kali tells me she is upset that I tried to get into her phone. Guess I didn't put it back in her purse. Must have been out of sorts and forgot. I tell her I can drive her once I go to the washroom and get some clothes on. I go to do that, come out of the washroom to see Kali has already left. She was so drunk that she had left half her stuff behind. I decided to have breakfast before bringing her stuff to her house. After breakfast I packed her stuff into my SUV and noticed it had snowed that night. I could see her footprints out into the driveway. While Dropping off her stuff I noticed there were no footprints leading to her house, so I tried calling Kali. No answer. I left her stuff in the snow and decided to drive by her brothers and sisters house to see if there were footprints going into any of their houses but there were none. I sent her a nasty text about knowing she didn't go home, to go be with Brad or Joe or whoever and never call me again. It was a lot more profane than that but that's the gist of it. Cleaned up the house my stepdad lent me and back off to the farm yet again. The next day she blows up my phone and again I wait another day to talk to her. She tells me that she went home but I know that can't be true from the snow, but she says I must have been mistaken. She apologizes for getting drunk and leavening and that she is going to stop drinking after her birthday in two weeks. She has rented a hotel in the town I'm in for her birthday and wants to spend it with me. I agree just because I have to know the truth and want to look at her phone to make sure I am not crazy. She had gaslit me to the point I was questioning what I saw with my own eyes. A couple of days later I decided to send Joe a message on Facebook to see if he would give me the truth. I get a text from her telling me not to bug her friend and that she is embarrassed. I apologize and tell her I am excited about her birthday soon.
The weekend of her birthday comes so I go to meet her at the hotel. She brought her sister and other friend along. It actually is a really fun time. The girls did coke the first night into the second evening. I don't really like it but I figured she can let loose especially if she is going to stop drinking after her birthday. I also knew by Saturday night that they would all crash hard so it would give me time to look at her phone so I could know the truth. As I mentioned the weekend was really fun so I felt bad about going into her phone yet again. I did it anyway and my whole world came crashing down. Now I figured that I would maybe see Brad or Joe texts and Facebook messages. Seemed like Brad was done but Joe and her were totally hooking up. I also found out that she had slept with 3 other guys. I also saw she was using coke all the time now. She did it maybe three times a year when we dated but now it was every weekend. It looked like she started using regularly right before I left for the farm. Joe helped get it for her too, out of all the guys he was the one she hung with the most. Turns out he was also a meth head who was trying to quit for her. She also went to his house the morning she left the other weekend to hook up and buy coke. I was floored. I just staired and took screen shots till the early morning. I decided I wasn't just going to dump her but I wanted to ruin her life not realizing she was already doing that all by herself but hindsight is 20 20. So I started coming up with a plan of what I was going to do. I woke up the next morning and acted like everything was fine and went back to the farm. I was still so upset and didn't want to harm myself or others so had a family friend take my firearms for a while. I don't think I would have used them on myself or others but I knew I wasn't thinking clearly and didn't want them in my house while I was like that.
I didn't have to see her till I moved back because the next set I had off I had tickets for a concert in the city I used to live in. During that time all I thought about was how I was going to do something to ruin her life. I came up with some small things but my main plan was to pretend like we were fine and ghost her when my contract was up with my boss next winter. I had promised him another year after kali and I had gotten back together. Just typing it out makes me look back and cringe that I was so crazy. When I went to the city for the concert I told my best friend, my brother and a few others my plan. No one liked it and thought I should just go no contact, cut her straight out of my life. That probably was the smart thing to do but emotion was clouding my judgement. Also you all would get this story. They even informed me that because I would be lying to her, that I would be compromising my morals and turning into a worse person they didn't recognize. I either didn't see it that way or care. I have a hard time recalling what my brain was thinking during that time. All seems like a haze now that it's been a year. I think I was really upset that my dream and all I had worked for was ruined. A friend later said I may have been in love with the dream and not her. Maybe that's the reason I kept up all this insanity.
My time on the farm had come to an end and I was moving back to the town me and my ex lived in. I was set with my plan, excited to implement it and have what I considered just. But you know what they say of the best laid plans. My ex wanted to go to hang at her brothers as a welcome home party. I went but ended up drinking. Heavily drinking, to the point of black out. I don't remember much from that night but have had it recounted for me. I woke up in the drunk tank. Guess I couldn't lie and play it cool then huh? The story I was told later is, while at her brothers I had gotten drunk and loud. Kept waking up the new baby and we were asked to leave. So we caught a cab and I confronted her in the cab but all I could do was call her a lying, cheating, whore on repeat. She got upset and ran into the house locking me out. I had a bunch of my stuff in her house so I went to the door and demanded she let me in. All the while still only referring to her as the aforementioned 3 words. She told me to leave but my jacket and wallet were inside. It was below freezing at night still and probably wouldn't have made it home in the state I was in. I then kicked in her door to keep calling her LCW and grab my stuff. She was on the phone to the police, so I was taken away by them. One of the lowest points in my life. It still brings me so much shame to this day but it is what happened and I am not going to sugar coat it. I never laid a finger on her and I am so happy that I hadn't. Laying hands on women in that way is one of the scummiest things a man can do. I had to go back to her house once they let me out because my stuff was still there. I apologized to her mom who had been at her boyfriends that evening promising to repair the door for her. Kali begged me to talk to her and like an idiot I didn't just leave. I told her I saw everything and she only admitted to Brad and Joe. Lying about them and the others the whole time. Even when I brought up the screen shots she still couldn't come clean. I left just shaking my head. There is still a ton to this story but this is long enough. I could do a part 2 if there is interest. Catching you folks up to where I am now and the messed up things that happened in between.
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2024.05.14 06:14 KetloBafaro How can I view the application I applied on jobs? I want to see the application proposal content.

I can see which jobs I applied to but can not find any way to see what I have wrote in my proposal. Does this function exist in Behance?
submitted by KetloBafaro to behance [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 06:10 cmredd OpenAI new release

https://twitter.com/heykahn/status/1790071051172331807
OpenAI's new release: Can translate a conversation real-time with no lag between 2 people back and forth in each of their native languages.
2 questions;
1) Teachers: are you worried at all about how this will impact your jobs/work going forward?
2) English aside, is there much point anymore in learning a high-relevance language (6 UN languages) *if* the aim of learning was primarily to increase likelihood of earning potential/career prospects?
Or in 10 years time, given tech like this will be even better and essentially everywhere, will having, say, "C1 in Chinese" on your be CV effectively pointless?
submitted by cmredd to languagelearning [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 06:05 PerryThePlatypus04 [Uni (2nd year paper) psych/stats] Should I use t-tests or ANOVAs to analyse my data

Hey guys!
I have a research proposal due tomorrow and I am just doing the final touches and realised that I think my lab dem gave the wrong stat test to use. For some background info I am looking into how different levels of vehicle automation affect various things. I essentially have 1 independent variable that has 6 levels and then 3 dependent variables with continuous data and 1 dependent variable that is a proportion being represented as a percentage. My lab dem told me to use independent samples t-tests to analysis if they're statistically significant but I feel like an ANOVA makes more sense since i have more than 2 independent variable levels? Also how do I analyse if my dependent variable that is a percentage is statistically significant? Any and all help is appreciated!! Thank you so much <3
submitted by PerryThePlatypus04 to HomeworkHelp [link] [comments]


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