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It helps that they have less civil rights in Europe. Or less civil liberties. In America the state is very restricted in how it can deal with the homeless.

mdp2021 4y ago
Please explain. You may give the idea Europe can deal with the problem through some unclear authoritarian action.
- Ferrotin 4y ago
  The U.S., specially certain states, has what other countries would call extreme limits on its ability to deal with mentally ill vagrants. An inability to involuntarily institutionalize them, or even throw out the stuff they abandon on the sidewalk. It isn’t from lack of money spent on these people. So you see them riding the BART in San Francisco, making a nuisance of themselves, while also, the city spends a ton of money and has homeless shelters. Also, the basic ability of police to hassle people is less.
baggachipz 4y ago
Social safety net == "less civil rights' and "less civil liberties"? Wow, I'd love to hear how one could ever arrive at that conclusion.
andrewaylett 4y ago
I'm not sure exactly what sort of "dealing with" you're imaginging, but the lack of homeless folk on our public transport isn't because they've been locked up, it's because they're (for the most part) sleeping in a building. For reference: https://www.gov.scot/publications/homelessness-scotland-update-30-september-2021/pages/5/ https://www.gov.scot/publications/homelessness-scotland-upda... Only 1% of Scotland's homeless were intentionally homeless, and 4% reported sleeping rough the previous night -- a total of 690 across Scotland. Which is still 690 too many. And yes, it's not free of charge to the public purse, but it's significantly cheaper than not providing support and then needing to deal with the consequences.
rsynnott 4y ago
While it'll obviously vary by country, in general the state "deals with" homelessness by offering free or subsidised housing (preferable) and/or temporary and emergency accommodation. Not sure what's particularly anti-civil-liberties about that.
juunpp 4y ago
What are you even talking about?

mdp2021 4y ago

Please explain. You may give the idea Europe can deal with the problem through some unclear authoritarian action.

Ferrotin 4y ago
The U.S., specially certain states, has what other countries would call extreme limits on its ability to deal with mentally ill vagrants. An inability to involuntarily institutionalize them, or even throw out the stuff they abandon on the sidewalk. It isn’t from lack of money spent on these people. So you see them riding the BART in San Francisco, making a nuisance of themselves, while also, the city spends a ton of money and has homeless shelters. Also, the basic ability of police to hassle people is less.

baggachipz 4y ago

Social safety net == "less civil rights' and "less civil liberties"? Wow, I'd love to hear how one could ever arrive at that conclusion.

andrewaylett 4y ago

I'm not sure exactly what sort of "dealing with" you're imaginging, but the lack of homeless folk on our public transport isn't because they've been locked up, it's because they're (for the most part) sleeping in a building. For reference: https://www.gov.scot/publications/homelessness-scotland-update-30-september-2021/pages/5/ https://www.gov.scot/publications/homelessness-scotland-upda... Only 1% of Scotland's homeless were intentionally homeless, and 4% reported sleeping rough the previous night -- a total of 690 across Scotland. Which is still 690 too many. And yes, it's not free of charge to the public purse, but it's significantly cheaper than not providing support and then needing to deal with the consequences.

rsynnott 4y ago

While it'll obviously vary by country, in general the state "deals with" homelessness by offering free or subsidised housing (preferable) and/or temporary and emergency accommodation. Not sure what's particularly anti-civil-liberties about that.

juunpp 4y ago

What are you even talking about?