Foundation Nation
Foundation Nation
S4 - E6: Exploring Fentanyl Crisis, Homelessness and Generation Z's Work Ethic
Ever wondered why fentanyl, one of the most addictive drugs, is increasingly affordable? Or how Seattle's homelessness crisis is inadvertently fostering a breeding ground for illicit drug dealing? Buckle up, as we tackle these hard-hitting questions and more. We dissect the societal implications of the drug crisis, shed light on the flaws in homeless housing programs, and propose education as a powerful deterrent to drug use.
We also examine Generation Z's attitude towards work. Job-hopping, driven by unrealistic internet portrayals and the allure of easy money from platforms like OnlyFans, has become their new normal. We note the potential pitfalls of this unstable career trajectory and the illusion of quick money. Emphasizing the value of job commitment and living in the present, we remind our listeners that life is fleeting. Join us for a meaningful conversation about societal issues that shape our time.
Hello and welcome to Foundation Nation. I'm your host, matthew Cote, along with Daniel. We're both high school educated, masters of nothing and gifted with the knowledge of well a lot. Today on the podcast, we're going to talk about some interesting recent goings on in our beautiful state and maybe even a few things going on in this amazing round thing we call home. Hello, I'm Matthew Cote, host of Foundation Nation, along with Daniel.
Speaker 2:Hello, I'm Daniel, your cohost.
Speaker 1:Alright, well, welcome to another amazing episode underneath the airport of SeaTac, washington. Today is Sunday. We were just talking about the planes taken off today, and Daniel suggested that all the planes are leaving to bring people back from vacation today, because it just seems like it's been one giant plane after another while we've been talking, so lots of planes flying over our heads during this recording today. So what I was going to talk about was you know, I spend more time outside in the summer and it's just one drug addict after another, everywhere, all over.
Speaker 2:Yeah, fentanyl has been a problem in the US because it is so cheap.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like dollars, like seven bucks, you're high for who knows how long.
Speaker 2:There is one tiny little problem this thing is super addictive and you can easily get an overdose, and overdose leads to death.
Speaker 1:Well, they don't seem to be dying.
Speaker 2:Well, I would say in general, the problem with narcotics is not the people who bring narcotics. It's about educating people. So the narcotics are bad, and this way you can prevent them from using it, and once you stop people from using it, they will not be able to sell it. Right yeah, but for some reason our schools don't do that, right, right yeah, you have to start in the kindergarten to teach people that all of this stuff is not good for health, and in 15, 20 years we should eradicate this problem, but it's not happening yet.
Speaker 1:Well, I was looking at like the fentanyl and meth and stuff and I was trying to figure out how long you know well. So well, first of all I went on my phone and I went on incognito, didn't want to, you know, attract any attention from the drug dealers or whatever, but I wanted to see. So what is the drug that you know what's the best one, or whatever? And it was the, some ice or something you know crystal, some crystal version. And then I was like, okay, how long does that one last and how much does it cost when you get high? And it was a huge range. It was four hours to 16 hours, from seven to $30, from $7 to $30. I mean, how do you stop that? Seven bucks and that's? I mean that's just ridiculous.
Speaker 2:And that's why how are they?
Speaker 1:even how are they making any money?
Speaker 2:The drug dealers seven bucks, you see, it is because of a cost of it to produce.
Speaker 1:Okay. So if they're selling it for $7, that means they're making it for a quarter, 50 cents.
Speaker 2:Probably, even less, probably like one cent.
Speaker 1:One cent for a little chunk of whatever.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:So seven bucks, man, you'd have to sell so much for seven bucks. They had 218 people died living, you know that were living on the streets in Seattle and King County just to the beginning of July this year, 218 people. 10 of those were killed by people that were on drugs and just lost their fucking mind. You know, 10%, 10%, no, no, not 10%. 10 people were killed by these people that were just high out of their minds, you know. You wonder, were they high or were they just didn't get drugs and they're pissed off, you know.
Speaker 2:Well, once you're high, starts to wear out, you start looking for new dose, and if you don't have any money, you try, you go find it. Yeah, and that's why petty crime is very high. Yeah, because all they need is seven bucks. Yeah, so basically, you can steal anything, no matter what it is, yeah, and sell it, and it's going to be just enough for one dose.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm sure there's probably guys with trucks down the streets, you know, just waiting to buy whatever they bring them, you know.
Speaker 2:Yep, and that's why all of these areas where spontaneously all the homeless people kind of leave all of these tents and stuff, they are actually centers of such activities.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, the deputy mayor of Seattle says that fentanyl and meth have completely saturated the homeless ecosystem. Mm-hmm, Basically they're not homeless people anymore like they used to be many years ago. They're all complete drug addicts.
Speaker 2:So I would say at least 10% of all of the homeless are not homeless but professional drug dealers.
Speaker 1:That just live inside them or live with them, yep.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep. And because policies in Washington state, and especially in Seattle, allowing them to live worry-free and even supplying them with money and alcohol and even drugs, it just makes sense to use these campsites for such activities.
Speaker 1:The biggest thing that I've heard on the news about homeless drug issues is they had those. They developed or gave or created a program for those Narcans you know where they could give them so they don't overdose or freak out or have a heart attack or whatever. But it doesn't seem like they got a handle on it. Oh, as a matter of fact, I just read something the other day I think it was yesterday the whole homeless program where they home people in like old hotels and stuff. It went completely bankrupt and shut down the program because they just didn't have their shit together and everything got confused and like their financials were a mess and they just their funding and everything. So now that whole program that was housing like 300 people beyond these people that we're talking about is closed. So those people will be on the streets, if not already.
Speaker 2:Well, on all of these housing programs for homeless there is a problem. Local government, state government gives money for these programs and if you look on allocation of funds, it is usually not 100% goes to homeless people With at least some portion. In some states it is up to 70% of funds goes to administration cost.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And bonuses and accelerators and bullshit.
Speaker 1:And I think that's what they're finding out with that whole program for the housing the homeless people that the money was just so disorganized. I don't know if it was stealing it or if it was just super poor management, but either way, the program is done, bankrupt, closed and all those people are now going to be homeless or are homeless again. So you know, but you got to look at it it's a little bit the program's fault and it's also a little bit the people's fault. You know, because you know the homeless people that were in there. They, they. You can only give them so much time and opportunity to get their shit together. And if they don't, you know what do you do? You know it's just not. It's not a forever program. It's a we're going to help you program to get it together, to get out there and get a job and get your shit together. It's not like this isn't your life forever. We're going to support it, everything you know.
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Speaker 1:I wanted to talk about the. My one of my most trying subjects is the our young workforce. I thought this was this was just completely crazy. So something that started a while ago maybe even before COVID, I think was people would get a job and then get a better job and then get a better job, and they'd never stick around long enough to learn enough of you know quality work or just have some loyalty or anything like that. And now a lot of younger workers are that were job hopping. It seems to have lost at Sigma and I think that's fine.
Speaker 2:The thing is that particular generation, what is it called the generation Z? I think they are what they're calling it looking for themselves, so I mean looking for their place in the world, and they're like, okay, this job is good, but maybe another one is better, so I need to continue to look for my dream job or whatever. Oh, I'm chasing. Some younger workers are chasing money Right, simply even $20,000 a year. It's like it's worth chasing for, yeah, but I do not know, especially in an IT environment when they have such high salaries, $20,000 may make a difference or may not, but employers, they are actually looking. If people are hoping, are hoping from one job to another, and that that is not a welcome site.
Speaker 1:I think a lot of the Gen Z are, you know, they're 20s, you know, and I think they're completely overwhelmed with the internet and the idea of you could make a video or do a podcast or and just make millions of dollars every day all the time. You know, and it just, I think the internet sells it as something super easy and informs them of that. That's one thing, and then another is informs them of of other things and they they just don't have the attention span like they need.
Speaker 2:You know, the problem is it is all good while you're young, but once you pass a certain age you are no longer relevant to all of these ways of making money. Your, your, your income will drastically change from everything to nothing.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:The same goes with girls who use only fans Like oh, I am earning so much money, I don't need nobody, right? Once they hit certain age, all of that money goes away, right, yeah, and now they will have to think about other means of getting that income. Well, I think we just have to wait a little bit.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, in 120 years, every single person on this planet will be gone. Yep.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:In 120 years, every single person that's living today will be gone and a whole, nother, whole, nother chunk of people will be here, you know. So if you think you're special, you know, or more special than everyone else, you know, you know really we're all quite equal and just different in our own way. But as far as you know it's it's just enjoy what you have while you have it and try to be an, you know, an honest, hardworking person. And I think bouncing around is I don't think, I don't think that's a good thing. I think you know, focus on your work, get your pay figured out and then enjoy life. You know bouncing around can be. I think. I think the Gen Z, in my opinion, has got it all wrong. I think they're they're weakening our industry, they're weakening our country. I don't think that there's a positive thing that comes out of them chasing more money. You know.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm hoping that once they grow up a little bit older they will figure it out and we'll get their stuff together. Like, for example, my son. He didn't want to jump from company to company. Yeah, but he had to, because company actually two companies will straight out bought by another company. Yeah and they just laid off everyone, everybody. Oh wow, yeah, they bought the company because they liked the product.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but they don't like the people.
Speaker 2:People will. They would have to pay him a lot, so they just buy the product and transfer everything overseas, where everything is cheaper.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it happened twice to him.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, what is the products? Sorry.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I don't know some some sort of computer stuff programming. Oh okay, they're just working on some sort of a software. Yeah that is used for something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, some people just love that sitting in front of the computer. You know, programming and doing their creation of computer stuff, and yeah, it's just, and they don't have a problem for 15 hours a day sitting in front of their computer just pounding out computer programs.
Speaker 2:Hold on After they are done working. Yeah, they continue playing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2:It's like, okay, I'm done with work, now I'm going to play.
Speaker 1:Well, when you do too much of anything, it just it gets crazy. I remember when I was fishing in Alaska, I was long line and and the days when you fish in Alaska, you know to compare to like playing video games when, when I'm out fishing, when I was out fishing, we would fish for 1820 hours, 22 hours, something like that, every day, catch all the fish. Sometimes when we're off loading, it would. It would be like a 30 hours of offloading. It was just you're, you're in a complete trance, you know.
Speaker 1:But I remember going to sleep for the after the sometime during the first week, and I went to sleep and all night long I was, I had my, my arms and legs, I was sitting on the top bunk and I was pushing fish away and fish were falling on me in the night. I was just so overwhelmed with catching fish all day long that, you know, in the night I was like exercising, you know, kind of like crawling, you know, but upside down and fish were falling on me. I wake up exhausted, you know, and it's just yeah. When you do too much of anything, it'll destroy you, you know. It's just overwhelming.
Speaker 2:Yes, but you cannot do anything about it, because they're like I'm okay still, yeah, I still have some health left.
Speaker 1:So yeah, well, I think I think what people need to do is, when they are jumping around from job to job, or or, or, or, whatever it is, and they're kind of seeking out what looks best for them in their career, I think they should be honest and honest with the people that are hiring them and telling them that.
Speaker 2:Well, they have to have it in their resume. Yeah, that they quit so many jobs or moved from.
Speaker 1:No, I know that they can show 15 jobs in a year. I get that, but what I'm saying is they should have. They should also say I'm looking for my career. You know, this might last a year, it might not. So far I haven't found what I'm looking for, and that should be something that they should say, because companies don't hire people to work for a small amount of time. You know, most companies hire people, and the training could take a year, you know. So I think it's important that they voice what they're looking for in life and a career before they get hired. Anyway, that's just me, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, on the other hand, employer can persuade the employee to stay with them if they like them and, for example, they want to go. They can just give them what they want. So they stay, right, right, usually it's money problem. Usually, most of the time, it is a money problem because you're basically doing the same thing in another company, right? So that's not a big deal.
Speaker 1:Well, whoever pays more, gets more.
Speaker 2:On the other hand, okay, google was paying the most, yeah, but they laid off like a whole bunch of people, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, it's it's competitive market out there these days, all right. Well, I'm Matthew Cote. This is Foundation Nation, along with Daniel.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, have a good day, guys. Goodbye.
