Homelessness and Capitalism

[Snake of Eden]

"Take this woman, for example, it's just a matter of time before she's in the hospital with a non-healing diabetic ulcer. She'll have a few weeks hospital stay, which is a $100,000 interaction with the health-care system, and then she'll go home to no housing and then she'll be back in the hospital again."

But nooooo. How come you want give people free housing that's communism and it is sooo evil.

‘She’s in grave jeopardy’: Homeless woman, 63, with diabetes in life-and-death situation, says Halifax doctor | SaltWire

She stood up to her knees in snow, struggling to chew a few frozen almonds down. The 63-year-old woman coughed; her eyes welled as pieces of almond fell ...

www.saltwire.com

Fuck Canada, fuck capitalism.

 

[Illcryaboutitlater]

The need to CTB was always there since i can remember, but it got worse every time i was homeless with my mentally ill mother many times as a kid then for 2 and a half years as a teen young adult, then i started to realize how my life was predestined.

Fuck America too and any western countries that dont fucking get it. Ive done everything i was supposed to do by society standards and im going to be facing homelessness again probably by next month. Just cause i lost a job after becoming a head of household after my abusive ex left me in a rut.

 

[Shadowplay]

Yes Canada is a free market utopia and this is capitalism's fault. Totally.

 

[stellabelle]

Low income or reduced fee housing should be available to everyone.
We say "work for it" - well, a lot of us have - and many of us have had bad living situation after bad living situation, bad to worse, slight improvement, and then bad to worse again.

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

I think there will come a point where everything will be paid for by governments, with a universal basic income or something similar. In exchange for staying traceable and within the system. Stay compliant and get your life taken care of, essentially.

I imagine first there'll be all sorts of anarchy and a financial collapse or something though.

 

[Green Destiny]

Capitalism truly is a root of pure evil in western society. It's nothing but greed and squeezing money out of everyday people that can barely afford to pay for a 5 square ft apartment and feed themselves.

 

[Mocktezuma]

I think there will come a point where everything will be paid for by governments, with a universal basic income or something similar. In exchange for staying traceable and within the system. Stay compliant and get your life taken care of, essentially.

I imagine first there'll be all sorts of anarchy and a financial collapse or something though.

yep but the reason this might eventually be implemented will to slow down the inevitable failure of capitalism. But it still wont solve the core issues of this fucked up system.

 

[summers]

Capitalism is designed to concentrate wealth into fewer and fewer hands. I several very simple solutions that would at least halt this process, if not reverse it:

1. Inheritance is capped to some amount (let's say $100,000 usd). This would be total, divided among the spouse and all children. The rest gets taken in taxes. All substantial gifts given whilst the main earner was alive (let say over $20k total), like cars, houses, boats, planes, etc..., would count toward the $100k.

2. No investment in residential real estate. People may only own 2 one-family houses, or one multi-family unit (3 apartments max). They have to live in the multi-family unit. All high-density, multi unit developments would be taken over by the government (no payment to current owners/investors), and rent would be at a not-for-profit level. That is, rent would be what it costs to maintain the property. Future development of high density residential areas would be done/directed by the government,

3. No public ownership of companies (ie, no corporations/stock). Businesses could be LLCs/Limited. If companies need money to expand, they can issue debt (bonds).

This isn't quite as eloquent as I would like, but that would take a whole essay per issue to fully dive into.

 

[Pluto]

This isn't quite as eloquent as I would like, but that would take a whole essay per issue to fully dive into.

I almost agree, but we need to learn from the horrors of Communism. Having masses of power and resources in the hands of an unstoppable government backfires badly when the next Joseph Stalin comes along.

 

[Shadowplay]

No homelessness in with mass starvation and gulags. Problem solved.

 

[summers]

I almost agree, but we need to learn from the horrors of Communism. Having masses of power and resources in the hands of an unstoppable government backfires badly when the next Joseph Stalin comes along.

Agree 100%. That's why I don't think the means of production should necessarily be in the government's hands. At the same time, maybe some non-biased AI could be developed that takes greed and a want for power out of the equation. Humans suck - AI is going to rule us all, one way or another...

 

[NumbItAll]

Hot take: idk what would solve homelessness because I'm dumb and it's too complicated. There will always be immeasurable suffering though because life is a horrifying disaster. :)

 

[summers]

Hot take: idk what would solve homelessness because I'm dumb and it's too complicated. There will always be immeasurable suffering though because life is a horrifying disaster. :)

I think several things would make a huge difference in homelessness:
1. Eliminate investment in residential real estate. Houses and apartments are for living in, not making profits.
2. Limit the amount and types of properties people and companies can own. People could only own a three family unit, and have to live there. Companies could only own commercial properties, not residential.
3. SUBSTANTIALLY increase mental health services for people.
4. Provide training and job placement for unemployed and homeless people.

 

[lostundead]

I think several things would make a huge difference in homelessness:
1. Eliminate investment in residential real estate. Houses and apartments are for living in, not making profits.
2. Limit the amount and types of properties people and companies can own. People could only own a three family unit, and have to live there. Companies could only own commercial properties, not residential.
3. SUBSTANTIALLY increase mental health services for people.
4. Provide training and job placement for unemployed and homeless people.

Sounds reasonable, you have my vote!

 

[summers]

Sounds reasonable, you have my vote!

Thanks. Unfortunately, these changes would literally start a civil war in most countries. People never want to let go of their wealth and power.

 

[rationalis]

Maybe Covid will mutate into something to solve the Human problem.

 

[lotus11]

Low income or reduced fee housing should be available to everyone.
We say "work for it" - well, a lot of us have - and many of us have had bad living situation after bad living situation, bad to worse, slight improvement, and then bad to worse again.

YEP this is meeee...cant afford to buy my own place, always there are problems, never had anywhere good to live. If its not the flatmates if its the landord and if its not that its the place itsself. Most recently I havnt been able to find a place to live at all, been living in hostals for months. This last week I had to give in and go back to live with my parents because I simply couldnt find/ afford a place to live. Im 30 years old and live with my parents in the middle of nowhere for me is quite literally like I died and went to hell. Hopefully will manage to kill myslf soon and I wont have to endure this any more

 

[stellabelle]

YEP this is meeee...cant afford to buy my own place, always there are problems, never had anywhere good to live. If its not the flatmates if its the landord and if its not that its the place itsself. Most recently I havnt been able to find a place to live at all, been living in hostals for months. This last week I had to give in and go back to live with my parents because I simply couldnt find/ afford a place to live. Im 30 years old and live with my parents in the middle of nowhere for me is quite literally like I died and went to hell. Hopefully will manage to kill myslf soon and I wont have to endure this any more

I know exactly how that feels.

Crappy family. Crappy people who don't help. Thieves. People that force you into shit you don't want to do. They forced me to be there, then wondered why I wanted to commit suicide. Because of them. Their ignorance. Their control freak bullshit. Forcing me to hand over "stuff" and wasting time and money instead of helping me get through school or stay in school. People say I had "choices" but I don't think she was ever going to stop ignoring me, acting childish and pushing me to stay in a place I hated with people I hated the most.

I put my life back together and they destroy it again and again.

Life is not worth it.

They were just gimme gimme gimme gimme people. Backstabbers. Eroding my self esteem and life to the garbage.

 

[Sherri]

Saw a documentary about homeless people in LA. So sad that one of the richest countries have thousands of homeless even on main streets.