Reason I’m asking is because I have an aunt that owns like maybe 3 - 5 (not sure the exact amount) small townhouses around the city (well, when I say “city” think of like the areas around a city where theres no tall buildings, but only small 2-3 stories single family homes in the neighborhood) and have these houses up for rent, and honestly, my aunt and her husband doesn’t seem like a terrible people. They still work a normal job, and have to pay taxes like everyone else have to. They still have their own debts to pay. I’m not sure exactly how, but my parents say they did a combination of saving up money and taking loans from banks to be able to buy these properties, fix them, then put them up for rent. They don’t overcharge, and usually charge slightly below the market to retain tenants, and fix things (or hire people to fix things) when their tenants request them.

I mean, they are just trying to survive in this capitalistic world. They wanna save up for retirement, and fund their kids to college, and leave something for their kids, so they have less of stress in life. I don’t see them as bad people. I mean, its not like they own multiple apartment buildings, or doing excessive wealth hoarding.

Do leftists mean people like my aunt too? Or are they an exception to the “landlords are bad” sentinment?

  • dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works
    110·
    20 days ago

    I agree, there are lots of options. I’m asking you for the leftist allowable top list.

    If I put it in the stock market and make money for nothing, I’m a parasite. If I buy a vacation house and rent it the other 2/3 of a year I’m not using it, I’m a parasite. If I save it and suddenly accrue more than some magic limit, then someone is on the street and I don’t liquidate to them I’m a Taylor Swift parasite.

    So I’m asking you: What am I allowed to do with extra money above and beyond what I need to survive the winter, pay for my healthcare, and house myself and my family? 🤔

    • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
      51·
      20 days ago

      I’ll let you know after the next leftist meeting lmao.

      Real talk though, save it, donate it, or spend it. Burn it for all I care. Just don’t buy real estate you don’t plan on living in.

      • dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works
        19·
        20 days ago

        Do you agree with my spending assessments? I don’t think it’s quite so cut and dry as you’re laying out

        I appreciate that there is not an annual meeting of all leftists, and I honestly consider myself a lefty except for this weird fetishisation of how money can be spent by middle class people. It’s nonsense.

        • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
          5·
          20 days ago

          I think your spending assessments are exaggerated for effect, but ultimately sort of the embodiment of “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism”, a leftist slogan that, while maybe oversimplified, I mostly agree with.

          I’m not fetishizing anything though. I’m just saying it’s unethical to profit off of your ability to deny access to a basic human need.

          • dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works
            12·
            20 days ago

            I wasn’t exaggerating anything except the bank account limit.

            There are plenty of locations where owning an extra residence is not denying a basic human need, and more to the point there is a level of “wealth” that is basically the whole run of 6 figures to 7 figures where you probably can’t retire, you can cover college for kids, and you’re on board with most leftist concepts. On that train yeah it does sometimes make sense to buy property. I hope one day to afford something like that. But I refuse to see a place that is mostly safe to park money while the next president lights stuff in fire to put me on the same level as rental companies buying every property on the market.

            • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
              31·
              20 days ago

              You’re putting a lot of words in my mouth lol. Obviously a megacorp that owns thousands of single-family homes is much much worse than you renting out your vacation home. Both things are unethical in my opinion, as long as things are in a state where people are without homes, but the megacorp is orders more unethical than someone renting out a single vacation home.