4 ms·

Elon Musk calls homelessness a 'lie' and 'propaganda'

26 points by tastyface 2y ago

cc101 2y ago
I am a campground host for a US Forest Service campground where I often meet homeless people. I wrote this comment on a recent HN post: < America, you don't know who your homeless people are. I'm a Forest Service camp host. Homeless people are common guests there. They greatly differ from the popular image of the homeless as destitute, dirty, criminal, and living in appalling hovels. Most of them are clean and well-behaved. They just don't have a place to live. Some are on Social Security, some on pensions, and some work. The image of the homeless American presented in this article is so striking that most of us miss how common homelessness is among people like you and me. > For my own part I can't afford to live in my own country. I bought a house in Mexico before prices skyrocketed. In the American context I am homeless. Do I meet Musk's image of homeless? I'm a retired research geologist for the USGS and a graduate of Stanford. Being destitute, dirty, criminal, and living in appalling hovel does not describe me.
rasengan 2y ago
The majority of people are always living on the brink of homelessness. Just a few paychecks is really the distinguishing line, especially without a support network.
b3ing 2y ago
So what does he think about homeless veterans?
nothercastle 2y ago
It’s because homeless is a huge group of people and a conversation can never be effectively had if nobody can even agree on the definition of the word. To some it means the criminals and addicts that roam our streets and commit crimes with impunity. For others it’s the person down on their their luck couch surfing or living in their van and working at fast food. When ever people have a conversation between opposing groups each only talks about their type of homeless person as if the whole population looks like that.
Frederation 2y ago
Wow, that boy is destined to greatness.. until he doesnt lol
Frederation 2y ago
Also, dont comment on the state of homelessness, speak about the ludicrous notion of his being a bastion of nobility.. Dont get sucked into that crap.
quantified 2y ago
> [Trump's] campaign has promised to “end the nightmare” of the “dangerously deranged” with a plan to “open large parcels of inexpensive land, bring in doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, and drug rehab specialists, and create tent cities where the homeless can be relocated and their problems identified”. Good luck with that. If we can get physical and mental health care, I'll give up my housing because I can't get both as a housed person without 100 hoops. Except it might not be the best and brightest that he attracts.
- jfengel 2y ago
  If he wants to throw several tens of billions to hire all those medical and social workers, fantastic. Well done. It's gonna put a dent in his plans to balance the budget, but it would be in an excellent cause. If you're gonna spend all that money, we can do better than tents. So I can't help but suspect that those "large parcels of inexpensive land" are far away from civilization (and the attendant jobs, grocery stores, cultural programs, communities, etc.), impossible to leave, and suspiciously short on doctors and psychiatrists.
  - lawn 2y ago
    So the camps aren't only for the immigrants, but for the homeless too.
sidibe 2y ago
Before you criticize, know that Elon was endowed with more knowledge in every field than the experts in each field. He is able to share definitive takes about any subject ~4 times an hour while being father of 11, CEO of a handful, and #1 at a popular grindy game. Homeless is very likely just a made up issue so the government can try to part him from more of his $400 billion. It's just a bunch of drug addicts (and not the good responsible kind that just does ketamine)
m463 2y ago
I think ambiguity is used a lot for political ends. for example, two people can want "justice" but have two different and conflicting goals. I can see how "homelessness" might be twisted when funding is involved. Silicon valley isn't without similar ambiguity. Like "advertising" or "telemetry" or "processing"

26 points by tastyface 2y ago

I am a campground host for a US Forest Service campground where I often meet homeless people. I wrote this comment on a recent HN post: < America, you don't know who your homeless people are. I'm a Forest Service camp host. Homeless people are common guests there. They greatly differ from the popular image of the homeless as destitute, dirty, criminal, and living in appalling hovels. Most of them are clean and well-behaved. They just don't have a place to live. Some are on Social Security, some on pensions, and some work. The image of the homeless American presented in this article is so striking that most of us miss how common homelessness is among people like you and me. > For my own part I can't afford to live in my own country. I bought a house in Mexico before prices skyrocketed. In the American context I am homeless. Do I meet Musk's image of homeless? I'm a retired research geologist for the USGS and a graduate of Stanford. Being destitute, dirty, criminal, and living in appalling hovel does not describe me.

rasengan 2y ago

The majority of people are always living on the brink of homelessness. Just a few paychecks is really the distinguishing line, especially without a support network.

b3ing 2y ago

So what does he think about homeless veterans?

nothercastle 2y ago

It’s because homeless is a huge group of people and a conversation can never be effectively had if nobody can even agree on the definition of the word. To some it means the criminals and addicts that roam our streets and commit crimes with impunity. For others it’s the person down on their their luck couch surfing or living in their van and working at fast food. When ever people have a conversation between opposing groups each only talks about their type of homeless person as if the whole population looks like that.

Frederation 2y ago

Wow, that boy is destined to greatness.. until he doesnt lol

Frederation 2y ago

Also, dont comment on the state of homelessness, speak about the ludicrous notion of his being a bastion of nobility.. Dont get sucked into that crap.

quantified 2y ago

> [Trump's] campaign has promised to “end the nightmare” of the “dangerously deranged” with a plan to “open large parcels of inexpensive land, bring in doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, and drug rehab specialists, and create tent cities where the homeless can be relocated and their problems identified”. Good luck with that. If we can get physical and mental health care, I'll give up my housing because I can't get both as a housed person without 100 hoops. Except it might not be the best and brightest that he attracts.

jfengel 2y ago
If he wants to throw several tens of billions to hire all those medical and social workers, fantastic. Well done. It's gonna put a dent in his plans to balance the budget, but it would be in an excellent cause. If you're gonna spend all that money, we can do better than tents. So I can't help but suspect that those "large parcels of inexpensive land" are far away from civilization (and the attendant jobs, grocery stores, cultural programs, communities, etc.), impossible to leave, and suspiciously short on doctors and psychiatrists.
- lawn 2y ago
  So the camps aren't only for the immigrants, but for the homeless too.

sidibe 2y ago

Before you criticize, know that Elon was endowed with more knowledge in every field than the experts in each field. He is able to share definitive takes about any subject ~4 times an hour while being father of 11, CEO of a handful, and #1 at a popular grindy game. Homeless is very likely just a made up issue so the government can try to part him from more of his $400 billion. It's just a bunch of drug addicts (and not the good responsible kind that just does ketamine)

m463 2y ago

I think ambiguity is used a lot for political ends. for example, two people can want "justice" but have two different and conflicting goals. I can see how "homelessness" might be twisted when funding is involved. Silicon valley isn't without similar ambiguity. Like "advertising" or "telemetry" or "processing"