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"I think it would be interesting for you to go and talk with them." Do you see gangs of homeless children wandering your neighbourhood? Because that's 'what it

by jariel 6y ago

"I think it would be interesting for you to go and talk with them." Do you see gangs of homeless children wandering your neighbourhood? Because that's 'what it used to be like'. I am not denying that real problems exist. I am not denying that individuals face real, life pain, of the timeless kind. I'm saying that materially, on the whole, everything is better. Way better. In the Victorian era there would be homeless children wandering the streets. 50 years ago there were still orphanages. We really don't have that anymore: nearly all babies/very young children are adopted. 'Homelessness' is not a lack of wealth or resources - it's a) a social disorder and b) civic dysfunction. FYI I live across the street from a Women's shelter and there are homeless in my neighbourhood. It's complicated. 'Everything is Better'. For the first time in history we can really say that we have excess material surplus of every kind.

sebmellen 6y ago
Yes, again, I'm not disagreeing with any of what you're saying. But for those barely clinging on to society, and those who haven't had the chance to accumulate real wealth, life is still pretty hard. Or, at least, a millennial may find life seems hard in comparison with the Baby Boomer generation. Many Baby Boomers lived stable, tracked lives in the postwar economy, and have now accumulated vast generational wealth. If there's a generation that grew up in a bubble, it's the Baby Boomers, and you'll see this typified by the "in my day, I worked my way through college and bought a house while working my job at the coffee shop" sentiment. Millennial and younger generations just don't have this chance at stability and building wealth at a young age. Also, drug addiction, lack of any care for mental illness (even sanatoriums), and homelessness of the kind we see now are unique problems that started around the same time as the "war on drugs."

by jariel 6y ago

sebmellen 6y ago

Yes, again, I'm not disagreeing with any of what you're saying. But for those barely clinging on to society, and those who haven't had the chance to accumulate real wealth, life is still pretty hard. Or, at least, a millennial may find life seems hard in comparison with the Baby Boomer generation. Many Baby Boomers lived stable, tracked lives in the postwar economy, and have now accumulated vast generational wealth. If there's a generation that grew up in a bubble, it's the Baby Boomers, and you'll see this typified by the "in my day, I worked my way through college and bought a house while working my job at the coffee shop" sentiment. Millennial and younger generations just don't have this chance at stability and building wealth at a young age. Also, drug addiction, lack of any care for mental illness (even sanatoriums), and homelessness of the kind we see now are unique problems that started around the same time as the "war on drugs."