Homeless and Heartless in America

There are at least three times as many structurally sound empty or abandoned buildings in the USA than there are houseless, or homeless people. How can this possibly be described as a "civil society" when so many people are homeless and so many empty buildings stand unoccupied? There are at least 40,000 homeless in Los Angeles alone. We have an encampment on the traffic island in my community. Why do we let this persist and why do we pretend to care at all?

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I have heard that there are no homeless in Russia. Can you find a single picture of a homeless encampment in Russia that is anything like downtown Los Angeles?  In the Russian constitution, you are guaranteed a place to live. You cannot buy a house in Russia unless the seller has a place to move to. All I can find of homeless in Russia are ex soldiers sleeping on storm grates and small groups of children playing in the alleys. I cannot find pictures from Russia like those of the homeless in downtown Los Angeles.

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Homelessness is a structural feature of the present USA social organization. It will not be possible to eliminate homelessness without significantly changing the economic structure of the USA society. It can be done, but do we really care? 

And the answer would be, "apparently not."  HA.   Think about it. 

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What IS it that makes America "The Greatest Country on Earth"?  Our ability to enjoy ourselves tremendously in the midst of pain and suffering?  Our heightened sense of callous disregard for our neighbors (and family)?  Our unequaled and single minded quest to acquire material possessions; no matter what the cost to friends, family, and environment?

In the end the question is always the same:  "Who cares?"

And the answer most often is:  "Nobody.  Nobody at all"



copyright (C) 2016
William Schaeffer