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Why does the USA have so few legal protections for ordinary people, and how can we change that?

I’m just a regular person making about $70K a year in a big city, and I’ve recently felt incredibly powerless dealing with private companies. For instance, my landlord’s auto-pay system had a glitch that excluded my pet rent and water bill. I ended up with over $1,000 in late fees. Despite hours on the phone, it turns out their system doesn’t really do auto-pay and requires a fixed amount instead of covering the full rent. It feels like a scam, and my options are to pay the fees or potentially spend a fortune on legal action.

Another frustrating experience was trying to cancel my pest control service. I had to endure a 40-minute call followed by 35 minutes of arguing, just to finally cancel. There’s no online cancellation option, and the process felt like a timeshare sales pitch.

Why do ordinary people seem so unprotected against these shady practices, and how can we change this? How does one person even start to address these issues?

RangerJosie ,

I can’t tell you. Because the mods won’t like it.

But it rhymes with Piolence.

brygphilomena ,

$1000 is likely small claims court. At least where I was, no lawyers are allowed for small claims so the landlord would have to come to deal with it himself or a representative of the payment company.

emerald ,

I think going back in time and video gaming Reagan would be a good start

thelasttoot ,

Video gaming?

some_guy ,

I just started listening to a new podcast series called Master Plan that talks about how this happened deliberately and systematically over decades. It followed the Powell Doctrine. You can hear a conversation between the primary host, David Sirota, and Brianna Joy Gray (she’s not one of my favorites, but I tuned in because it was him) on Bad Faith podcast.

capital_sniff ,

Corporations tried out binding arbitration and the people just took it with very little complaining. So why not keep eroding consumer protections or the other rights citizens fought for in the before times?

Kolanaki ,
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

That latter issue is actually being worked on, law wise, right now.

chemicalprophet ,

Capitalism.

GiddyGap ,

European countries are also capitalist countries, but they have much better consumer protections and laws. It can be done.

swordgeek ,

Open revolution is about the only avenue left.

olafurp ,

The US is incredibly bad at reining in capitalism. It also only has two parties that are both heavily influenced by lobbyists.

To fix it, not sure, calling politicians and showing up to stuff will help but it’s always going to be an uphill battle. Anyway, just vote, if you get the option to choose then vote for a third party as long as you’re not in a swing state.

The real solution is still voting reform to get more diverse opinion so if that’s on the ballot vote for it and try to get other people to do the same. The UK missed a major opportunity for voter reform.

This can happen over a couple of generations by removing winner take all representatives for a state and cause a hung parliament. Coalition talks will then be more likely to include concessions on the two state systems to get a governing coalition.

You can look at the UK as being the same only one generation ahead if things go well.

SubArcticTundra ,
@SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml avatar

Yes, IMO when there is more competition, politicians start caring about the little things besides the big things like inflation.

Landless2029 ,

I agree with one correction.

Vote even in non swing states.

There are far too many registered voters who don’t vote.

Texas could be blue every year if half the dem no shows just voted.

Also even less vote outside of the presidential election.

Maeve ,

Did not the same international business conglomerates and the same billionaires donate to both major political parties?

FireTower ,
@FireTower@lemmy.world avatar
  1. Contact local counsel. There’s probably an attorney who practices in rental law near you that does free consultations.
  2. It’s not that we don’t have protections it’s that we have an access to justice issue.
ALostInquirer ,

Have you seen the !politicaldiscussion community? This would be a good post there as well, I think!

dan1101 ,

I don’t know, but companies shouldn’t be allowed to merge if you call either of them and the wait time to speak to a person is more than 2 minutes.

Also companies should have customer conceriges, call them and explain your issue and they navigate the company infrastructure, resolve your issue, and report back.

HubertManne ,

Yeah I am seeing this more and more. You even see it business to business. We need regulation, monopoly busting, and progressive taxation.

Sabre363 ,

It’s just corporations and rich assholes running the show and they absolutely do not give a fuck about anyone but themselves, especially if the anyone is poor ordinary. The only way to solve the issue is to completely remove these entities from the equation and start making our own protections.

Professorozone ,

Because non-ordinary people make the rules.

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