I'm not gonna QT the ridiculousness floating around but I do want to say something about it because the myth of American exceptionalism and rugged individualism is still something people seem to believe.

And it's bullshit.

"You gotta look out for you."

No. You don't. *sighs* Should you? Sure. It's important that we take care of ourselves, even more so when we have a history of ignoring ourselves in favor of care-taking for others.

But we do better when we look out for each other.

No single person accomplishes things all by themselves, full stop.

Couple of years ago we were really struggling. The only way we survived? The help of friends and family - some who could afford to help, others who couldn't but still did.

I look around and see people donating money to total strangers. I've seen the folx in my friend group pass their last $20 around. There's people who don't know where their next meal is who will gladly share half of what they have to anyone who looks the slightest bit hungry.

I'm not rich. I won't ever get to the point where I'm making $13 BILLION in a single day. But if I did, I'd give it all away in a heartbeat if it meant people had homes and food and help for drug addiction and everything else under the sun.

No one needs that much money.

So no, "you gotta take care of you" person. I don't. I reject the idea that ignoring the suffering of the world somehow makes me safer, better off or whatever you seem to think that path will lead to.

I want to take care of others, because that's how you make the world better.

One last thing...