christmas video

NewMexicoRam wrote:

This is an eternal problem. Yes, we need to help, but even handouts, as this gentleman engaged in, is not the answer.

I’m not giving excuses for the problem. But just criticizing people isn’t the answer either.

Well, I think a handout is where you start. Then you look at affordable or even free housing and you do what it takes to get enough for everyone who needs it. Many homeless are that way because they suffer from a debilitating mental illness and this country sucks at treating mental illness. As a physician you know there simply aren’t enough resources or trained mental health professionals in the US. Family physicians instead of psychiatrists are expected to take on more and more of the burden for the treatment of mentally ill patients and imo that shouldn’t be their role.

But, the economic system we have creates an underclass of people so there will always be a certain amount of poverty and homelessness as long as the system exists. I know it’s not going anywhere but as a society we at least need to take care of the those it crushes under its treads.

wv wrote:

NewMexicoRam wrote:

So, are there ANY countries out there WITHOUT homelessness?

I don’t think so.

I’ve been to Canada, England, India, Thailand, Belize, and Haiti.

All had homelessness.

I guess ALL nations have failed. NO nation has an answer.

This is an eternal problem. Yes, we need to help, but even handouts, as this gentleman engaged in, is not the answer.

I’m not giving excuses for the problem. But just criticizing people isn’t the answer either.

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Well, we agree that ‘charity’ or to use your word ‘handouts’ are not the answer. The answer would be change the unjust-system to a just-system.
“Homelessness” to me, btw, doesnt literally mean without a home — when i use the word i just mean ‘poverty stricken’. Gandhi said poverty is a type of ‘violence’ inflicted on people by a system. I agree.

And yes, some nations do a much better job dealing with inequality/poverty than others.

“Charity . . . is the opium of the privileged.” ― Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah

“Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.” Saint Augustine

w
v

Has any country, anywhere, been able to show us what a “just” system is?
I don’t think we disagree that the underprivileged deserve attention, it’s just how do we get there that really helps them up?

Poverty is subjective by nation so true comparisons do not exist. This list http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=69 has Taiwan listed at only 1.5% living in poverty.

wv wrote:

bnw wrote:

Poverty is subjective by nation so true comparisons do not exist. This list http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=69 has Taiwan listed at only 1.5% living in poverty.

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Sure its difficult to compare different nations and i dont put a lot of stock in comparisons, but my own leftist-approach would be to create policies that reduce inequality. Period. Not that complicated. Gross-Inequality ‘itself’ is wrong, to this particular ‘leftist’.

I wouldnt eliminate ‘all’ inequality, i mean i dont mind folks making a few million dollars and being comfortable if thats what they want, but what we have in America is unsustainable and pathological in my view. So, I’d change it. I’d take from the super-billionaires and redistribute it.

w
v

That is your fantasy but reality is different. The super rich (define that how?) merely place their wealth out of reach. No different than rich corporations. That is why Trump wants to get that money held offshore back to the US to invest here. Perhaps this is a fantasy that we share, stop these foolish wars and invest in our nations infrastructure and people? I believe Trump wants to hit that road hard from the beginning. Fantasy? We’ll soon find out.

Well fantasy is what it is until it happens. If wv says he was antagonized by my use of the word fantasy then I’d like him to say so.

This is IT on arguing. This is the way it works here: a mod jumps in and that is the end of it. No public bickering no matter how “right” you think you are.

What WV thinks of the language is completely irrelevant. It’s a mod determination. Period.

I’ve deleted posts and closed threads now to get you to get one thing: like it or not, accept it or not, the rules say when a mod says move on, you do. We are not here to endlessly argue with every complaint.

Next step is banning. You keep arguing and I take that step.

Go back to actual real posting and things are fine. Lock horns again over mod issues in public and they’re not.

link to rules: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/board-rules-policies/

Originally written June 30, 2014

The mods take it that the very act of posting here means implicit agreement with these rules.