The joke is how most "feel good" news stories are dystopian when you peel back the curtain even a little.
Like, when you see the news stories that are "high school robotics team designs wheelchair for disabled student whose insurance wouldn't pay for one."
Like, that's not a feel-good story. That's a nightmare. Why the fuck wasn't insurance paying for it? Why are we happy that this kid has to use a jank-ass and probably dangerous MacGuyver chair designed by literal children?
Similar are the stories like "student raises funds to pay off entire school's lunch debt." I'm sorry, what? Lunch debt? Why is there a lunch debt, and why did a student have to raise funds to pay it?
Why does this problem exist in the first place?
Moreover, why are there no news stories about what happens when the lunch debt DOESN'T get paid?
The joke is "School heroically raises funds to ensure no one has to be thrown into the orphan crushing machine this month."
Why isn't the journalist asking the question "why is there an orphan crushing machine, and why do we have to pay to keep orphans from being crushed in it?" Well, the machine is important, you see. In order to keep the machine running, we must supply it with orphans to crush. "But what does the machine DO?" It crushes orphans. "Then why are we letting it?" Because it stops running if we don't.
Almost all of these stories are emblematic of a systemic failure to care for people, with catastrophe narrowly avoided by a singular act of charity. And when that act of charity doesn't come, there's no news story about the orphans who got crushed when the machine didn't get paid. In particular, the specific "orphan" part of the joke is pointing out the fact that so often these stories are focused on schools and children, and how we're just plastering over our failure to care for and protect our children by pretending this is heartwarming.
‘You’re what America is all about’ yeah still having to take care of your dying handicapped son at 96 because health care is so shit is very much what America is all about
Idk if I'm missing something (and I totally understand that US health insurance is awful and predatory) but in this video they don't mention finances or struggle, per se... Just that the son has to get bloodwork twice a week.
Is there anything about this particular video that's "orphancrushingmachine"?
Well here in Sweden we have several different transport services provided to the elderly and sick without charge. The local government has an obligation to make sure citizens have access to healthcare.
My dad is currently undergoing treatment for cancer and most of the treatment is done at home, a team of nurses visit him a couple of times per week to administer most of the treatment.
He said his son has cancer, which costs way too much. The fact that an elderly man must take care of his elderly son is terrible and a struggle in itself.
I agree with all of your points, just saying they never actually talk about there being any financial struggle here, just a speeding ticket he doesn't think is accurate.
Not a hill I want to die on since I hate American healthcare but I was confused.
As someone else in this thread said: "The OP video is also absolutely that. It's insulting for the judge to even say "you are what America is about, helping your son go do his blood work even at 90". Why on earth is a 90 year old needing to drive his son for Healthcare? Because for the 90% America is about exploiting you until you die, because there is no system, only private rich corporations."
Also, this guy likely shouldn't have gotten pulled over in the first place. He shouldn't even have to drive in the first place. In many other countries, it is 100% free to get medical services to come pick you up and drop you off before and after a visit with a nearby hospital. He shouldn't have been summoned to court and this whole thing never should have even taken place. America should not be about 90 year olds having to do this shit to take care of their 60 year old children. Both him and his son should be taken care of by well paid hospital staff that pick them up, perform all checkups, and drop them off back home. The orphan crushing machine is that this dude has to drive his dying son to a hospital, gets pulled over by some corrupt cop, gets summoned to court, and has to deal with all this bullshit that he never should have had to deal with in the first place.
I think I was banned for some reason from that sub because I voiced my annoyance on how it was filled with OCM-like stories and it was just "I survived cancer" with the bell being rung every second post.
The OP video is also absolutely that. It's insulting for the judge to even say "you are what America is about, helping your son go do his blood work even at 90". Why on earth is a 90 year old needing to drive his son for Healthcare? Because for the 90% America is about exploiting you until you die, because there is no system, only private rich corporations.
It's how a lot of conservatives genuinely think, that these feel good situations only come out of toil and suffering. It's why they loved "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" for so long.
It's not malice, just stupidity. They don't see the harm in perpetuating these systems because they don't think that much about it.
Best example for me was the teacher fighting cancer and all of his colleagues pitched in their paid leave to let him receive financial support while getting treatment. Absolutely stomach churning
Why isn't the journalist asking the question "why is there an orphan crushing machine, and why do we have to pay to keep orphans from being crushed in it?"
because the stations won't hire them if they do. Most Media stations now a days only want you to say whats on script and not whats on your mind. Real journalism has been murdered by Oligarchs in an attempt to paint them in a positive light. There are very few real journalist
I... Didn't realise how much I needed this dose of sanity. Thank you for sharing my new favourite sub!
It has perpetually pissed me off, but I didn't realise it was a widely recognised issue!
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u/BicFleetwood Feb 27 '25 edited Feb 27 '25
The joke is how most "feel good" news stories are dystopian when you peel back the curtain even a little.
Like, when you see the news stories that are "high school robotics team designs wheelchair for disabled student whose insurance wouldn't pay for one."
Like, that's not a feel-good story. That's a nightmare. Why the fuck wasn't insurance paying for it? Why are we happy that this kid has to use a jank-ass and probably dangerous MacGuyver chair designed by literal children?
Similar are the stories like "student raises funds to pay off entire school's lunch debt." I'm sorry, what? Lunch debt? Why is there a lunch debt, and why did a student have to raise funds to pay it?
Why does this problem exist in the first place?
Moreover, why are there no news stories about what happens when the lunch debt DOESN'T get paid?
The joke is "School heroically raises funds to ensure no one has to be thrown into the orphan crushing machine this month."
Why isn't the journalist asking the question "why is there an orphan crushing machine, and why do we have to pay to keep orphans from being crushed in it?" Well, the machine is important, you see. In order to keep the machine running, we must supply it with orphans to crush. "But what does the machine DO?" It crushes orphans. "Then why are we letting it?" Because it stops running if we don't.
Almost all of these stories are emblematic of a systemic failure to care for people, with catastrophe narrowly avoided by a singular act of charity. And when that act of charity doesn't come, there's no news story about the orphans who got crushed when the machine didn't get paid. In particular, the specific "orphan" part of the joke is pointing out the fact that so often these stories are focused on schools and children, and how we're just plastering over our failure to care for and protect our children by pretending this is heartwarming.
Go on /r/mademesmile, and almost all of the stories there are /r/orphancrushingmachine stories just without the curtain peeled back.