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News & ArtsFriday, August 28, 2009
Crime Protect Yourself
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 8:37 AM
he had money; he had a key. But what Michelle Adame didn't know was that the man who posed as the owner of a home she wanted to rent is an alleged scam artist.This story is on the cover of the paper. What is such a petty story doing there? It is, of course, a part of the ideological apparatus that reinforces the importance of property, protecting your little property, worrying about it, losing sleep over it. The ideal subject (or inhabitant) of the state: one who is always keeping an eye on the little things he/she owns—the car, the cash, the lawn, the walls. No peace is possible with all of these malicious forces that are just dying to deprive you of your precious property.Paul Bakovich, playing the role of landlord and telling Adame about his day fixing leaking water pipes and evicting nonpaying tenants, also had taken cash from five other potential renters — for a home he didn't own, according to King County prosecutors.
The scam went on for more than two weeks, until Adame, desperate to reclaim her $900 deposit and on her way to meet with Bakovich, stumbled upon sheriff's deputies willing to help.
On the other end of the ideological spectrum are the reports on the booming national deficit. Its enormous size, its future inflation, its doubling, tripling, quadrupling. Again, the ideal subject: one who is losing sleep over it, worrying about it, panicking, collapsing on knees, shaking terribly, crying horribly, biting nails. What are we supposed to do about the budget deficit? How can we balance things out. This balance is so important to me.
On one end: worry about your little property; on the other end: worry about the big budget deficit; altogether: so sad, so deadening.
2
I totally agree with the first part of your post; I don't know why such petty things are placed on the cover a newspaper. On the other hand, I do think that articles about the state of our national deficit and other national issues are excellent pieces to have on the front of a paper. It's a great way to raise public awareness and direct city/state/countrywide discussion of the topic. And regardless of who's discussing, I think it's better then the petty stuff.
Either way though, it's all very deadening as you say... But hopefully the petty stuff disappears, and the crucial stuff gets fixed. Maybe in my lifetime...
Either way though, it's all very deadening as you say... But hopefully the petty stuff disappears, and the crucial stuff gets fixed. Maybe in my lifetime...
4
Really, it's an interesting story, and a warning to others about similar scams that are going on. As in the Stranger, not every story has to be weighty and important.
Of course, if it were your $900 that was stolen we'd be reading a 5,000-word philosophical tract about capitalism, the middle class, blah blah blah...
Of course, if it were your $900 that was stolen we'd be reading a 5,000-word philosophical tract about capitalism, the middle class, blah blah blah...
5
My little property—that is to say, my home—adds a great deal to the quality of my life. I have a great deal MORE peace by having it than by being homeless, thank you very much, Charles. I would say that I worry about it far less than I feel grateful for it.
6
I don't know, I think this fits in rather nicely with your sunshine noir piece from earlier in the week. The greatest noir stories don't start large; they start small and get smaller.
8
Paul Krugman tells me not to worry about the debt (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08…). I believe him. I don't worry about my stuff much either, although I always lock my bike, and if I were in Michelle Adame"s situation, I'd be sorely pissed. And Charles, has there ever been a Marxist society where people didn't have some measure of personal stuff? Even in Cuba or the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin, didn't people at least own the clothes on their backs and other personal effects? If someone stands in line for a loaf a bread, seems like they would expect that bread is theirs.
9
My precious cash allows me to sleep in a dry bed-the same one every night-and eat tasty nutritious food every day. It is medium of exchange currently in use where I live and as such is highly useful to me.
Your hipness is rapidly being overwhelmed by your pretensions. People getting ripped off in a scam that they might not have heard about yet is not necessarily petty news.
Your hipness is rapidly being overwhelmed by your pretensions. People getting ripped off in a scam that they might not have heard about yet is not necessarily petty news.
10
I'd imagine it's prominence on the front page of the newspaper, also further digs at Craigslist ads that can't be trusted (and ultimately, are part of the demise of the newspaper -- losing much money in classified ad revenue to Craigslist). Does this help to undercut Craigslist?
11
WTF are you talking about Charles? Get your head out of your ass.
This is a valuable story. If there are scammers out there taking peoples money, the loss of which would certainly cause a loss of sleep, or even a loss of a place to sleep, then people should know about it so they can protect themselves. I'd hope the article includes info on how to avoid the scam.
I own a home and it doesn't cause me any loss of sleep, but certainly could. We all have things we value. Money, property, love, pets, job etc. We would all suffer to an extent at the loss of those valuable things. The more valuable we consider it the more we would suffer at it's loss. We're willing to risk that suffering due to the value we get from the thing. I get substantial value from my home. Investment, comfort, privacy, etc. Thus I'm willing to risk substantial loss.
Frankly, you're starting to argue like a Republican. You bitch and moan about something (ownership? capitalism? what? I don't even know) but you offer no solution, no proposals, no alternative.
This is a valuable story. If there are scammers out there taking peoples money, the loss of which would certainly cause a loss of sleep, or even a loss of a place to sleep, then people should know about it so they can protect themselves. I'd hope the article includes info on how to avoid the scam.
I own a home and it doesn't cause me any loss of sleep, but certainly could. We all have things we value. Money, property, love, pets, job etc. We would all suffer to an extent at the loss of those valuable things. The more valuable we consider it the more we would suffer at it's loss. We're willing to risk that suffering due to the value we get from the thing. I get substantial value from my home. Investment, comfort, privacy, etc. Thus I'm willing to risk substantial loss.
Frankly, you're starting to argue like a Republican. You bitch and moan about something (ownership? capitalism? what? I don't even know) but you offer no solution, no proposals, no alternative.
12
Renters who get scammed. why are they clogging up the front page of my newspaper? They serve only as fodder for my philosophical displays, wow, look how petty they are, worrying about having a roof over their heads.
Man why can't they go to college and read Althusser and write phony bullshit about Marx like normal people do?
Man why can't they go to college and read Althusser and write phony bullshit about Marx like normal people do?
13
I can see his point. None of this personal property means shit when you go to that big apt. complex in the sky.
14
That's great keekee but most people still like to have a roof to keep the rain off their heads and walls to keep the heat in during the winter months in those intervening years between now and your trip to the big apt complex in the sky.
You know, assuming there's an apartment complex up there, rather than infinite stars and galaxies.
Feel free to give up all those trivialities, like shelter, clothes, whatever else, if you like. Nobody's stopping you.
You know, assuming there's an apartment complex up there, rather than infinite stars and galaxies.
Feel free to give up all those trivialities, like shelter, clothes, whatever else, if you like. Nobody's stopping you.
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