this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2026
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A Boring Dystopia
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If you're paying for something, it not free, whether it costs $1 or $1,000,000
If you want to be pedantic, at least be extra pedantic about it.
It's all about the meaning of the word get. They aren't literally getting a free ride, since the fee is not for the ride. They pay the fee to be eligible for the free ride. So they are actually paying to be on the list, not to use the service.
But if you want to go one level deeper, in a world running on a capitalist system, nothing can ever be truly free. In the end everything is funded from the economy and we all contribute to the economy in some way.
That sure was a lot to say "you're right, it is in fact not free"
And that is the insurance/tax, not the helicopter ride
The ride is never technically free, whether it's paid by insurance or taxes.