7 ms·

I've been to 43 countries, and nowhere have I seen such a blatant abundance of mentally insane homeless people than SF, LA, and NYC. The problem is so bad that

I've been to 43 countries, and nowhere have I seen such a blatant abundance of mentally insane homeless people than SF, LA, and NYC. The problem is so bad that I believe it should be considered a national state of emergency, and international embarrassment. It's one of the reasons I left NYC after 5 years, and many others are as well. I'm not going to pretend like I know what the solution is, but it starts by actually addressing it as a serious problem, which the U.S has not done. I guess politicians thinks it's normal for mentally insane homeless people to be shouting to people on sidewalks everywhere, and assaulting and even murdering random pedestrians? [1] For anyone who hasn't left the U.S - this isn't normal anywhere else in the world. What a shame that the wealthiest country can't manage its cities. [1] https://nypost.com/2022/02/13/woman-stabbed-to-death-inside-nyc-apartment-cops-say/ https://nypost.com/2022/02/13/woman-stabbed-to-death-inside-...

jdlyga 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinstitutionalisation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinstitutionalisation
- bastardoperator 5y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Health_Systems_Act_of_1980 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Health_Systems_Act_of_1... Thanks Reagan...
  - api 5y ago
    It wasn't just Reagan. It was also a reaction against the sometimes very real abuses and problems of the institutionalized mental health industry. A film called One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest help publicize the issue and generated a strong reaction against the idea of institutionalization in the US. Problem is instead of reform they just shut down the entire system. Now we have loads of people on the street who really do need continuous professional help.
  - closeparen 5y ago
    Institutionalization is a kind of arbitrary detention; left-leaning civil liberties types were against it too. I'm not an expert on this time period but the story I learned is that by the time Reagan defunded the hospitals they were already mostly empty, having lost the authority to hold all but the most extreme cases.
  - LoveGracePeace 5y ago
    As JSavageOne said, "What a shame that the wealthiest country can't manage its cities." which is correct. Blaming long term policies on any single politician from decades ago is a disingenuous.
    - bastardoperator 5y ago
      Yes, lets shift blame to the local governments! Despite the fact that Reagan passed the "Lanterman-Petris-Short Act" in California as Governor and then removed all funding for Mental Health at the State and Federal level. Hey, at least people that aren't a harm to themselves or others can die on the street in dignity now.
      - rsj_hn 5y ago
        > Despite the fact that Reagan passed the "Lanterman-Petris-Short Act" Reagan was governor. Governors sign bills. Legislatures pass them. This was a bipartisan effort and was viewed as a civil rights issue, to not hold people in confinement against their will. Lanterman was a Republican, Petris and Short were Democrats. Reagan could have vetoed it, so he shares in the responsibility, but it was a bipartisan, popular bill. > removed all funding for Mental Health at the State and Federal level. Do you really believe that all funding was removed? What is your basis for this shocking claim? It's very hard to cut government spending, and Reagan wasn't known for doing that (spending in almost every area increased under Reagan). Reagan was known for tax cuts, and since spending went up, Reagan was also known for big budget deficits (not like today, where Reagan would be viewed as a model of restraint, but compared to his predecessors the peacetime deficits were shocking). What you are saying is just wildly false. From 1983-1992, Government spending on mental health grew an average of 6.5% annually in real terms.[1] "Cost-cutting" -- really a slowing down of spending increases, happened in the 2000s, where spending on mental health grew only by 4.7% annually in real terms. This was the slowest spending growth in history for mental health. The U.S. spends an enormous amount on mental health, with dubious results. Here are two good rules of thumb when thinking about these issues if you are honestly trying to understand our history, rather than trying to score a political point and blame things on your enemies. These two should be your null hypothesis: 1. social spending always goes up. It never goes down. It does not matter who is President. Presidents don't cut social spending in any area. 2. Nothing in America happens because of one person. We have separation of powers and divided government. Everything is always a compromise reached by those in power at the time. This is a good explanation for 1, since the best way to get agreement is to buy people off with more spending. [1] https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/Downloads/HistoricalNHEPaper.pdf https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Sta...
umvi 5y ago
> but it starts by actually addressing it as a serious problem, which the U.S has not done Well it should really start at the county or state level, IMO. There are plenty of US states/cities outside of California that don't have the huge mental illness/homeless problem that SF has. So really SF County or the state of California needs to declare an emergency first before it is escalated to the national level.
pavas 5y ago
I live in Seattle, and I would say that homelessness there is also reaching a state of crisis. Sometimes I see people in pain, sometimes I ask them about how they are doing or if they need anything or if there would be something that can help them; sometimes I can help them a little. Most of the time I don't understand what's happening. You've obviously thought about this a lot more than I have so I'd like to gain some insight from you. I won't ask you about what the solution should look like since you didn't claim to know what it would be, but I'd like to learn more about what you think it would look like to actually address it as a serious problem? Honestly I don't even claim to understand what the problem actually is, just that there seems to be some sort of problem and it seems to be growing rather than getting better. Could you write a little more about this? I'm curious about your thoughts here. Here are some contrasting viewpoints I consider: - Some believe that the US does not have much of a social safety net; some believe this to be by design; some believe this to be beneficial - Some believe the US to be an individualistic society; some believe this to be beneficial in that it promotes the strong, the efficient, the productive, etc, to outcompete the weak, the wasteful, the lazy, etc. - Some in the US believe that everyone should get therapy, psychiatry, etc under the guidance of a licensed professional; some in the US believe that psychiatric issues are just excuses made by the lazy to avoid work; some in the US believe that religion will save you and it's all the work of the devil; in some well-to-do places in the US, waiting lists for psychiatric care are months-long even with really good insurance; some believe that we are also in a worldwide pandemic that has had deleterious mental health consequences for everyone, and that many have been pushed to the brink - Some believe we should increase taxes and have the government do things for people, or force people into doing things for themselves; some believe in reducing taxes and government interference; some believe people should fend for themselves and if they are losers, so be it; some believe in charity and doing good deeds; some people donate to virtue signal, some use donations for tax write-offs, and some people donate anonymously and never tell anyone and nobody else ever knows of what they did - According to some studies, the US ranks #1 in charitable giving, or generosity towards strangers; contrast this with other countries that some believe have better safety nets and more direct government action, though perhaps higher taxes - There's a saying that goes something like "charity begins at home"--some take this to be a call-to-action for your daily interactions with others you come across, including strangers since that would have the most immediate impact; some believe in a utilitarian mode of action where energy/time/money should be directed where they'd have the most effect or return the greatest value; some believe charities to be scams; some believe charities to be ineffective
DoreenMichele 5y ago
Lack of affordable housing is a major underlying cause of homelessness in the US, moreso than lack of mental health support. Early on in the pandemic, I saw some people saying things like "Housing is healthcare." And it's true. I just don't know how to get anywhere harping overly much on that, so instead I'm making sketches and notes and if I don't end up homeless again and dying on the streets, maybe I can do a pilot project. Probably not, but we all need an occupation (as was said in The importance of being Earnest).
- muh_gradle 5y ago
  Affordable housing alone will not solve this. We have to actually expand use of Kendra's Law. Homeless people in NYC that are mentally ill, using drugs, and engaging in criminal activity will not use any more additional resources provided to them. These are people that refuse help. Affordable housing would not solve for these people.
  - DoreenMichele 5y ago
    I never said affordable housing alone would solve it. I'm quite confident that doubling down on going draconian on people who have no means to fix their own problems absolutely won't make anything better. If you take that far enough, the logical conclusion is something inane like "we should just shoot all homeless people" or something. People have to be given a path back. Cutting them off will not magically cure what ails them.
    - muh_gradle 5y ago
      No but that is all you mentioned. I'm all for affordable housing. But when a homeless man commits murder, the answer to that isn't a one liner about the importance of affordable housing which is always the first and only thing that's mentioned when it comes to the homeless. There is nothing draconian about Kendra's Law by the way. It is far more humane to make sure treatment, psych beds are used, especially for people that do not have the capability of knowing when they need help.
muh_gradle 5y ago
I live in NYC and Christina Yuna Lee's death on Sunday morning has left me in complete shock. I have an older sister that is the same age and lives in that area as well. We are also Korean just like Lee for that matter. Lee's death, along with Michelle Go, is a spectacular failure by NYC in so many ways. We are living in this city pretending like Penn station isn't literally a homeless camp now with addicts shooting up heroin openly in the streets. These are people that are refusing treatment or help and destroying this city and the subway. Christina Yuna Lee's murderer had multiple charges on him, including assault charges. He should never have ever been on the street. We need to stop valuing the life of criminals above normal citizens. And we need to actually enforce Kendra's Law and build mental institutions outside of the city.
- 0xy 5y ago
  NYC residents repeatedly vote for no bail policies for violent offenders. Isn't the city getting exactly what they voted for?
- keyboardCowBoy 5y ago
  Let me guess this person had a long rap sheet and was out on some low bond that was probably paid by a group backed by VP Kamala Harris ? Let's face it, what is happening today is the cause of NYC liberal policies. And if you say being hard on crime isn't the solution then what has NY been doing about the out of control crime, homelessness and mental issues? They had years and years to come up with something and now people are being being murdered left and right.
legitster 5y ago
I like to point out that it's not that much worse in cities, it's just more apparent. A small town with a couple of people living in vans might quietly exceed the per capita homelessness rate of a city with a giant tent city.
- daniel-cussen 5y ago
  Yeah but living in a van means they're not as wretchedly homeless as the campers in the city.
  - lazide 5y ago
    Eh, some of those vans (and the conditions around them) are pretty wretched. At least in the city there is someone to notice a dead body.
MrYellowP 5y ago
> The problem is so bad that I believe it should be considered a national state of emergency, and international embarrassment. Mate, pick a number ... --- - Highest incarceration rate in the world. - Highest percentage of obese people. - Highest divorce rate. - Highest rate of illegal drug selling. - Most car thefts per year. - Highest amount of rapes per year. - Highest amount of reported murders. - More police officers than anywhere else. - Spends more on healthcare than any other place in the world, which is completely bonkers considering what's offered. - More people taking drugs, for whatever reason, than anywhere else. - Student loan debt. - The vast majority of all pornography comes from the US. - Bad literacy rate. - A military budget exceeding many countries combined. - Over 90% of all media owned by a handful of people. - A military-industrial complex paying politicians to invent lies for war. - 50% of private and public schools teach Abstinence instead of actual sex education. --- ... and get in line. (not sure all of those are still accurate, but sadly it's most likely)
- JSavageOne 5y ago
  Eliminating easily preventable murders like this one should be considered higher priority than anything else. Divorce rate and obesity of course are issues, but to put them above murder? Come on.
- thethirdone 5y ago
  >(not sure all of those are still accurate, but sadly it's most likely) I felt the need to fact-check these because I felt they were not accurate. Below are the results of about 2 minutes per bulletpoint. > Highest incarceration rate in the world. True > Highest percentage of obese people. US is #12 > Highest divorce rate. US is #3 > Highest rate of illegal drug selling. Might be true. Not super easy to get numbers on this. > Most car thefts per year. US is #11 per capita. Probably #1 in raw cases, but that data was not super easy to find. > Highest amount of rapes per year. True, but per capita like #12 > Highest amount of reported murders. Per capita nowhere close to true. Raw numbers #6 > More police officers than anywhere else. Not true at all per capita or raw. > Spends more on healthcare than any other place in the world, which is completely bonkers considering what's offered. Just true. > More people taking drugs, for whatever reason, than anywhere else. See above drug selling. I couldn't actually find stats that specifically distinguish the two. > Student loan debt. True > The vast majority of all pornography comes from the US. US does about a quarter of all pornography, but has a much higher gdp than other countries producing porn. UK produces about twice as much porn per gdp. > Bad literacy rate. US has a literacy rate of 99%. I would not call that bad. > A military budget exceeding many countries combined. True > Over 90% of all media owned by a handful of people. > A military-industrial complex paying politicians to invent lies for war. Not sure how to fact check either of these > 50% of private and public schools teach Abstinence instead of actual sex education. It's hard to find hard numbers for this. Abstinence is taught as the most effective method of preventing pregnancies and STDs, but other sex ed is present (often in addition to abstinence) in at least 60% of schools. So I would say this is not true because of the "instead"
908B64B197 5y ago
> this isn't normal anywhere else in the world. You might be disappointed [0]. And that's in a place where they have “Universal” socialized healthcare. I mean, a lot of the people on the streets are natives, so I guess they don’t really count as real citizens anyways. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdTlZbUb14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdTlZbUb14
- JSavageOne 5y ago
  That does look pretty bad. I've never actually been to Canada. In any case, the U.S, especially NYC, SF, LA, and Seattle is still worse than anywhere I've been in this regards.
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    Definitely is; NYC wasn't as bad as the west coast cities you named, but it's been a few years since I visited. Part of the reason is the “temperate” climate in those coastal cities making it possible to live in an RV or camp most of the year. The other one is that there’s a policy of not preventing the encampments in the first place (check out Santa Monica for instance).

jdlyga 5y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinstitutionalisation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinstitutionalisation

bastardoperator 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Health_Systems_Act_of_1980 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Health_Systems_Act_of_1... Thanks Reagan...
- api 5y ago
  It wasn't just Reagan. It was also a reaction against the sometimes very real abuses and problems of the institutionalized mental health industry. A film called One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest help publicize the issue and generated a strong reaction against the idea of institutionalization in the US. Problem is instead of reform they just shut down the entire system. Now we have loads of people on the street who really do need continuous professional help.
- closeparen 5y ago
  Institutionalization is a kind of arbitrary detention; left-leaning civil liberties types were against it too. I'm not an expert on this time period but the story I learned is that by the time Reagan defunded the hospitals they were already mostly empty, having lost the authority to hold all but the most extreme cases.
- LoveGracePeace 5y ago
  As JSavageOne said, "What a shame that the wealthiest country can't manage its cities." which is correct. Blaming long term policies on any single politician from decades ago is a disingenuous.
  - bastardoperator 5y ago
    Yes, lets shift blame to the local governments! Despite the fact that Reagan passed the "Lanterman-Petris-Short Act" in California as Governor and then removed all funding for Mental Health at the State and Federal level. Hey, at least people that aren't a harm to themselves or others can die on the street in dignity now.
    - rsj_hn 5y ago
      > Despite the fact that Reagan passed the "Lanterman-Petris-Short Act" Reagan was governor. Governors sign bills. Legislatures pass them. This was a bipartisan effort and was viewed as a civil rights issue, to not hold people in confinement against their will. Lanterman was a Republican, Petris and Short were Democrats. Reagan could have vetoed it, so he shares in the responsibility, but it was a bipartisan, popular bill. > removed all funding for Mental Health at the State and Federal level. Do you really believe that all funding was removed? What is your basis for this shocking claim? It's very hard to cut government spending, and Reagan wasn't known for doing that (spending in almost every area increased under Reagan). Reagan was known for tax cuts, and since spending went up, Reagan was also known for big budget deficits (not like today, where Reagan would be viewed as a model of restraint, but compared to his predecessors the peacetime deficits were shocking). What you are saying is just wildly false. From 1983-1992, Government spending on mental health grew an average of 6.5% annually in real terms.[1] "Cost-cutting" -- really a slowing down of spending increases, happened in the 2000s, where spending on mental health grew only by 4.7% annually in real terms. This was the slowest spending growth in history for mental health. The U.S. spends an enormous amount on mental health, with dubious results. Here are two good rules of thumb when thinking about these issues if you are honestly trying to understand our history, rather than trying to score a political point and blame things on your enemies. These two should be your null hypothesis: 1. social spending always goes up. It never goes down. It does not matter who is President. Presidents don't cut social spending in any area. 2. Nothing in America happens because of one person. We have separation of powers and divided government. Everything is always a compromise reached by those in power at the time. This is a good explanation for 1, since the best way to get agreement is to buy people off with more spending. [1] https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/Downloads/HistoricalNHEPaper.pdf https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Sta...

umvi 5y ago

> but it starts by actually addressing it as a serious problem, which the U.S has not done Well it should really start at the county or state level, IMO. There are plenty of US states/cities outside of California that don't have the huge mental illness/homeless problem that SF has. So really SF County or the state of California needs to declare an emergency first before it is escalated to the national level.

pavas 5y ago

I live in Seattle, and I would say that homelessness there is also reaching a state of crisis. Sometimes I see people in pain, sometimes I ask them about how they are doing or if they need anything or if there would be something that can help them; sometimes I can help them a little. Most of the time I don't understand what's happening. You've obviously thought about this a lot more than I have so I'd like to gain some insight from you. I won't ask you about what the solution should look like since you didn't claim to know what it would be, but I'd like to learn more about what you think it would look like to actually address it as a serious problem? Honestly I don't even claim to understand what the problem actually is, just that there seems to be some sort of problem and it seems to be growing rather than getting better. Could you write a little more about this? I'm curious about your thoughts here. Here are some contrasting viewpoints I consider: - Some believe that the US does not have much of a social safety net; some believe this to be by design; some believe this to be beneficial - Some believe the US to be an individualistic society; some believe this to be beneficial in that it promotes the strong, the efficient, the productive, etc, to outcompete the weak, the wasteful, the lazy, etc. - Some in the US believe that everyone should get therapy, psychiatry, etc under the guidance of a licensed professional; some in the US believe that psychiatric issues are just excuses made by the lazy to avoid work; some in the US believe that religion will save you and it's all the work of the devil; in some well-to-do places in the US, waiting lists for psychiatric care are months-long even with really good insurance; some believe that we are also in a worldwide pandemic that has had deleterious mental health consequences for everyone, and that many have been pushed to the brink - Some believe we should increase taxes and have the government do things for people, or force people into doing things for themselves; some believe in reducing taxes and government interference; some believe people should fend for themselves and if they are losers, so be it; some believe in charity and doing good deeds; some people donate to virtue signal, some use donations for tax write-offs, and some people donate anonymously and never tell anyone and nobody else ever knows of what they did - According to some studies, the US ranks #1 in charitable giving, or generosity towards strangers; contrast this with other countries that some believe have better safety nets and more direct government action, though perhaps higher taxes - There's a saying that goes something like "charity begins at home"--some take this to be a call-to-action for your daily interactions with others you come across, including strangers since that would have the most immediate impact; some believe in a utilitarian mode of action where energy/time/money should be directed where they'd have the most effect or return the greatest value; some believe charities to be scams; some believe charities to be ineffective

DoreenMichele 5y ago

Lack of affordable housing is a major underlying cause of homelessness in the US, moreso than lack of mental health support. Early on in the pandemic, I saw some people saying things like "Housing is healthcare." And it's true. I just don't know how to get anywhere harping overly much on that, so instead I'm making sketches and notes and if I don't end up homeless again and dying on the streets, maybe I can do a pilot project. Probably not, but we all need an occupation (as was said in The importance of being Earnest).

muh_gradle 5y ago
Affordable housing alone will not solve this. We have to actually expand use of Kendra's Law. Homeless people in NYC that are mentally ill, using drugs, and engaging in criminal activity will not use any more additional resources provided to them. These are people that refuse help. Affordable housing would not solve for these people.
- DoreenMichele 5y ago
  I never said affordable housing alone would solve it. I'm quite confident that doubling down on going draconian on people who have no means to fix their own problems absolutely won't make anything better. If you take that far enough, the logical conclusion is something inane like "we should just shoot all homeless people" or something. People have to be given a path back. Cutting them off will not magically cure what ails them.
  - muh_gradle 5y ago
    No but that is all you mentioned. I'm all for affordable housing. But when a homeless man commits murder, the answer to that isn't a one liner about the importance of affordable housing which is always the first and only thing that's mentioned when it comes to the homeless. There is nothing draconian about Kendra's Law by the way. It is far more humane to make sure treatment, psych beds are used, especially for people that do not have the capability of knowing when they need help.

muh_gradle 5y ago

I live in NYC and Christina Yuna Lee's death on Sunday morning has left me in complete shock. I have an older sister that is the same age and lives in that area as well. We are also Korean just like Lee for that matter. Lee's death, along with Michelle Go, is a spectacular failure by NYC in so many ways. We are living in this city pretending like Penn station isn't literally a homeless camp now with addicts shooting up heroin openly in the streets. These are people that are refusing treatment or help and destroying this city and the subway. Christina Yuna Lee's murderer had multiple charges on him, including assault charges. He should never have ever been on the street. We need to stop valuing the life of criminals above normal citizens. And we need to actually enforce Kendra's Law and build mental institutions outside of the city.

0xy 5y ago
NYC residents repeatedly vote for no bail policies for violent offenders. Isn't the city getting exactly what they voted for?
keyboardCowBoy 5y ago
Let me guess this person had a long rap sheet and was out on some low bond that was probably paid by a group backed by VP Kamala Harris ? Let's face it, what is happening today is the cause of NYC liberal policies. And if you say being hard on crime isn't the solution then what has NY been doing about the out of control crime, homelessness and mental issues? They had years and years to come up with something and now people are being being murdered left and right.

legitster 5y ago

I like to point out that it's not that much worse in cities, it's just more apparent. A small town with a couple of people living in vans might quietly exceed the per capita homelessness rate of a city with a giant tent city.

daniel-cussen 5y ago
Yeah but living in a van means they're not as wretchedly homeless as the campers in the city.
- lazide 5y ago
  Eh, some of those vans (and the conditions around them) are pretty wretched. At least in the city there is someone to notice a dead body.

MrYellowP 5y ago

> The problem is so bad that I believe it should be considered a national state of emergency, and international embarrassment. Mate, pick a number ... --- - Highest incarceration rate in the world. - Highest percentage of obese people. - Highest divorce rate. - Highest rate of illegal drug selling. - Most car thefts per year. - Highest amount of rapes per year. - Highest amount of reported murders. - More police officers than anywhere else. - Spends more on healthcare than any other place in the world, which is completely bonkers considering what's offered. - More people taking drugs, for whatever reason, than anywhere else. - Student loan debt. - The vast majority of all pornography comes from the US. - Bad literacy rate. - A military budget exceeding many countries combined. - Over 90% of all media owned by a handful of people. - A military-industrial complex paying politicians to invent lies for war. - 50% of private and public schools teach Abstinence instead of actual sex education. --- ... and get in line. (not sure all of those are still accurate, but sadly it's most likely)

JSavageOne 5y ago
Eliminating easily preventable murders like this one should be considered higher priority than anything else. Divorce rate and obesity of course are issues, but to put them above murder? Come on.
thethirdone 5y ago
>(not sure all of those are still accurate, but sadly it's most likely) I felt the need to fact-check these because I felt they were not accurate. Below are the results of about 2 minutes per bulletpoint. > Highest incarceration rate in the world. True > Highest percentage of obese people. US is #12 > Highest divorce rate. US is #3 > Highest rate of illegal drug selling. Might be true. Not super easy to get numbers on this. > Most car thefts per year. US is #11 per capita. Probably #1 in raw cases, but that data was not super easy to find. > Highest amount of rapes per year. True, but per capita like #12 > Highest amount of reported murders. Per capita nowhere close to true. Raw numbers #6 > More police officers than anywhere else. Not true at all per capita or raw. > Spends more on healthcare than any other place in the world, which is completely bonkers considering what's offered. Just true. > More people taking drugs, for whatever reason, than anywhere else. See above drug selling. I couldn't actually find stats that specifically distinguish the two. > Student loan debt. True > The vast majority of all pornography comes from the US. US does about a quarter of all pornography, but has a much higher gdp than other countries producing porn. UK produces about twice as much porn per gdp. > Bad literacy rate. US has a literacy rate of 99%. I would not call that bad. > A military budget exceeding many countries combined. True > Over 90% of all media owned by a handful of people. > A military-industrial complex paying politicians to invent lies for war. Not sure how to fact check either of these > 50% of private and public schools teach Abstinence instead of actual sex education. It's hard to find hard numbers for this. Abstinence is taught as the most effective method of preventing pregnancies and STDs, but other sex ed is present (often in addition to abstinence) in at least 60% of schools. So I would say this is not true because of the "instead"

908B64B197 5y ago

> this isn't normal anywhere else in the world. You might be disappointed [0]. And that's in a place where they have “Universal” socialized healthcare. I mean, a lot of the people on the streets are natives, so I guess they don’t really count as real citizens anyways. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdTlZbUb14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdTlZbUb14

JSavageOne 5y ago
That does look pretty bad. I've never actually been to Canada. In any case, the U.S, especially NYC, SF, LA, and Seattle is still worse than anywhere I've been in this regards.
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  Definitely is; NYC wasn't as bad as the west coast cities you named, but it's been a few years since I visited. Part of the reason is the “temperate” climate in those coastal cities making it possible to live in an RV or camp most of the year. The other one is that there’s a policy of not preventing the encampments in the first place (check out Santa Monica for instance).