3 ms·

While the real solution would be to provide a real social safety net to prevent that from being an incentive in the first place. The US, where you have to be dy

by weeksie 13y ago

While the real solution would be to provide a real social safety net to prevent that from being an incentive in the first place. The US, where you have to be dying of AIDS to get social services. America shits me to tears. As someone who has lived all over the world, the absolute cruelty of the American system never fails to baffle me. I love a lot of things about the US but the idea that the suffering that lead this man to contract the disease in the first place is just what he deserved because he was unlucky enough to be poor . . . well, words fail me.

sliverstorm 13y ago
America shits me to tears Is this some new turn of phrase I haven't heard before?
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- weeksie 13y ago
  It's an Australianism. I lived in Sydney for a very long time :)
tomrod 13y ago
I'm hesitant to ascribe perverse incentives as a function of the American social system only. I spent some time in Southeast Asia. The government-supplied social net of the US is absolutely fantastic in comparison, though culturally I found that there the social safety net is the extended family. One didn't need to be a certain socioeconomic level to get help if necessary.
diydsp 13y ago
I agree a real nationalized healthcare system is in order, with many improvements possible. In the meantime though, you should know: You don't have to actually be dying of AIDS to get social services, such as public housing, in America. In NYC, a single person is eligible for public housing if their income is less than $48,000. [1] For reference, the median income in NYC is $49,461. [2] That implies nearly half of NYC is eligible for public housing, not to mention a myriad of other social services. Contracting AIDS entitles one to social services in addition to what is normally available. [1] http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/assistance/income.shtml http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/assistance/income.shtml [2] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/nyregion/rich-got-richer-and-poor-poorer-in-nyc-2011-data-shows.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/nyregion/rich-got-richer-a...

by weeksie 13y ago

sliverstorm 13y ago

America shits me to tears Is this some new turn of phrase I haven't heard before?

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
weeksie 13y ago
It's an Australianism. I lived in Sydney for a very long time :)

tomrod 13y ago

I'm hesitant to ascribe perverse incentives as a function of the American social system only. I spent some time in Southeast Asia. The government-supplied social net of the US is absolutely fantastic in comparison, though culturally I found that there the social safety net is the extended family. One didn't need to be a certain socioeconomic level to get help if necessary.

diydsp 13y ago

I agree a real nationalized healthcare system is in order, with many improvements possible. In the meantime though, you should know: You don't have to actually be dying of AIDS to get social services, such as public housing, in America. In NYC, a single person is eligible for public housing if their income is less than $48,000. [1] For reference, the median income in NYC is $49,461. [2] That implies nearly half of NYC is eligible for public housing, not to mention a myriad of other social services. Contracting AIDS entitles one to social services in addition to what is normally available. [1] http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/assistance/income.shtml http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/assistance/income.shtml [2] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/nyregion/rich-got-richer-and-poor-poorer-in-nyc-2011-data-shows.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/nyregion/rich-got-richer-a...