| > Which sort of presumes that there are other places said people can shuffle off to. I think in general society and government does and should presume that people can figure out most solutions to their own problems. Our instutitions provide a framework for people to figure out how to live, and help them do with things that require scale, but I don't think it's reasonable to say that the government needs to give everyone a "designated place to go". > Actual homelessness is something that doesn't occur much anywhere else I've seen in the world to the same level as it does in USA. There are a few things uniquely driving homelessness in the US: * The opioid epidemic thanks to Purdue pharma. * The deinstitutionalization movement was stronger here than in other countries. * Not having free healthcare. Outsourcing, automation, and the shift to an urban service-oriented economy is probably part of it too, but I don't think that's a huge driver. Most of the homeless stories I hear start with one of: "I got hurt at work, and was prescribed Oxycontin. I ended up addicted and when the subscription ran out, I ended up on heroin..." "I was mentally ill and unable to hold down a job because of it..." "I got cancer and once all the medical bills piled up, I ended up deep in debt and couldn't afford to pay rent..." |