Homeless America by Chris Hedges

[AK47bp]

Mental health and addiction aside, maybe if we didn't "need" all the things we "need" we wouldn't have the issues we have.

Life doesn't need to be as complicated or as full of "things" as it is. Perhaps today's issues are a function of modern living and what is seen as advancements in society. Maybe the reality is that we've all created this situation with the an illusion of what life should be - bigger, better, sexier when in reality so little of that truly matters.

Humans are so stupid and as a species they appear miserable, never happy with just being and so far away from what nature intended. Everyday I watch the deer that live on my property and they seem so content, so at ease with their lives. There are some I've come to know who have been with me for years browsing on the plants, bearing young, resting under shady trees together. That to me seems like a wonderful life. Yeah... I know... I'm being silly still, I bet there weren't any homeless Native Americans/First Peoples back before ol' whitey showed up and poisoned everything with their big ideas that the status quo just wasn't good enough.

/day dreaming rant

Now I want to be one of KQ’s deer. Sounds wonderful.

[buttahflake]

Indeed, the Kenmore washer and dryer we purchased 19 years ago are still kicking ass! Yes they are basic white top-loaders, I could give a fuck!

[KQ]

Indeed, the Kenmore washer and dryer we purchased 19 years ago are still kicking ass! Yes they are basic white top-loaders, I could give a fuck!

I've got a 40yo Westinghouse fridge in my shop that is still keeping things cold.

[buttahflake]

Dude aren’t you in Naples Florida like every month posting pics of your bike?

Or is that someone else.

Middle class sure, but those plane tickets and time off work can’t be cheap.

That’s my brothers bike, and I purchase the cheapest tickets available to visit my folks twice a year.

[ex-powderbroker]

Am I like the only, middle-class person in here? I’m still driving the 18 year old car that, ex-pow sold me when he moved to Canada. Thanks bro! Took me three years of squirreling away money to afford a new bike. I’ve never been out of country, the home we own is way under $200,000, shall I continue?

man, i am so glad to hear that car is still going. you gotta come up and see these trails one day though…. and my brand new 2008!

i may not be rich but i’m glad to be attached enough to reality to be grateful for what i have and not make stupid comments about how homeless people deserve it.

[buttahflake]

Dude, my wife fights me on who gets to drive it, she loves driving the six speed manual! She has serious clutch skills.

[Ted Striker]

Also I haven’t observed much of the homeless families side of it because they usually aren’t out in the open as much.

Your bro's lucky to have your family's support.

Here's a sad story about a family that stayed under the radar. They lived across the street from my brother, and fell on some sort of hard times (not aware of the specifics) resulting in them living in their car in a neighbor's driveway. A few people on the block helped them in whatever ways they could (mostly food), but their water was from a hose, and they had to use the restrooms in the park. The kid (or maybe it was kids) still attended the elementary school (on the same block), and at least one parent still went to work. Aside from those close neighbors, nobody even knew they were homeless.

My brother said there were none of the typical clues that they were drunks/users/crazy. Just financial fuckups.

One day they were gone, and nobody knew what eventually happened to them, but once on that trajectory it's pretty difficult to recover without a lot of help/intervention. They must've had a default (mortgage or rental) that resulted in an eviction. At that point there wouldn't have been a single landlord/management company that would've approved their application. Since each application eats up $50ish in screening fees, they certainly couldn't afford to risk too many kicks at that can.

[KQ]

Your bro's lucky to have your family's support.

Here's a sad story about a family that stayed under the radar. They lived across the street from my brother, and fell on some sort of hard times (not aware of the specifics) resulting in them living in their car in a neighbor's driveway. A few people on the block helped them in whatever ways they could (mostly food), but their water was from a hose, and they had to use the restrooms in the park. The kid (or maybe it was kids) still attended the elementary school (on the same block), and at least one parent still went to work. Aside from those close neighbors, nobody even knew they were homeless.

My brother said there were none of the typical clues that they were drunks/users/crazy. Just financial fuckups.

One day they were gone, and nobody knew what eventually happened to them, but once on that trajectory it's pretty difficult to recover without a lot of help/intervention. They must've had a default (mortgage or rental) that resulted in an eviction. At that point there wouldn't have been a single landlord/management company that would've approved their application. Since each application eats up $50ish in screening fees, they certainly couldn't afford to risk too many kicks at that can.

It's a sick sad world.

[mcphee]

Am I like the only, middle-class person in here? I’m still driving the 18 year old car that, ex-pow sold me when he moved to Canada. Thanks bro! Took me three years of squirreling away money to afford a new bike. I’ve never been out of country, the home we own is way under $200,000, shall I continue?

*cough* bullshit *cough*

[riser4]

Your bro's lucky to have your family's support.

Here's a sad story about a family that stayed under the radar. They lived across the street from my brother, and fell on some sort of hard times (not aware of the specifics) resulting in them living in their car in a neighbor's driveway. A few people on the block helped them in whatever ways they could (mostly food), but their water was from a hose, and they had to use the restrooms in the park. The kid (or maybe it was kids) still attended the elementary school (on the same block), and at least one parent still went to work. Aside from those close neighbors, nobody even knew they were homeless.

My brother said there were none of the typical clues that they were drunks/users/crazy. Just financial fuckups.

One day they were gone, and nobody knew what eventually happened to them, but once on that trajectory it's pretty difficult to recover without a lot of help/intervention. They must've had a default (mortgage or rental) that resulted in an eviction. At that point there wouldn't have been a single landlord/management company that would've approved their application. Since each application eats up $50ish in screening fees, they certainly couldn't afford to risk too many kicks at that can.

There's a lot more people under the radar than people realize. Which skews the numbers because we typically only see certain specific categories, the ones that bring out Fred's true colors.

[buttahflake]

You don’t know me and you never will.
Take a lap. I would call you a beater but you don’t even ski.

[mcphee]

Better than you

Your wife’s a lawyer and sponsors your lifestyle.

[buttahflake]

I highly doubt it, if you don’t get out of shape once or twice a day skiing bumps on Superstar, you might be Donna Weinbracht.
You’re the incel who chased Benny out of here, sad little man.
This weird little man and his constant doxing of mags gets old quick.
Like I said, you don’t know me.

[fastfred]

There's a lot more people under the radar than people realize. Which skews the numbers because we typically only see certain specific categories, the ones that bring out Fred's true colors.

Go fuck yourself and every one else can suck my dick

My brother is your neighbor you piece of shit

There are plenty of people willing to help there ate endless services available

You just need to show up and homeless people refuse to show up

[skaredshtles]

<snip> the home we own is way under $200,000, shall I continue?

The house is *currently* worth way under $200K? That's actually impressive.

[buttahflake]

It might be worth more now, needs a roof, can you float me 30g?

[skaredshtles]

I highly doubt it, if you don’t get out of shape once or twice a day skiing bumps on Superstar, you might be Donna Weinbracht.
You’re the incel who chased Benny out of here, sad little man.
This weird little man and his constant doxing of mags gets old quick.
Like I said, you don’t know me.

Is your wife really a lawyer?

[skaredshtles]

It might be worth more now, needs a roof, can you float me 30g?

So wait - you *purchased* it for way under $200K? How long ago was that?

[Peruvian]

The house is *currently* worth way under $200K? That's actually impressive.

Particularly in the same neighborhood at film maker, Ken Burns.

[hatchgreenchile]

Time to bump the lower/middle/upper class thread?

I've had a few stints with local nonprofits, both with a street outreach program and a 12+ month transitional program for homeless men. It's mentally draining at best, and fucking brutal when promising individuals fall back into their worst habits. Some come back and try again, but some just fall off the face of the earth.

We don't fund successful programs, and pay the people behind them, nearly enough.

[buttahflake]

Particularly in the same neighborhood at film maker, Ken Burns.

He lives way below his means, for real. He’s just a regular guy.

[mcphee]

I highly doubt it, if you don’t get out of shape once or twice a day skiing bumps on Superstar, you might be Donna Weinbracht.
You’re the incel who chased Benny out of here, sad little man.
This weird little man and his constant doxing of mags gets old quick.
Like I said, you don’t know me.

Didn’t chase Benny out of here. He threw a tantrum after I used his own words against him, much like what i do with you.
Quit being a puffed up lying sack of shit, I’ve never doxxed anyone.

ETA: you would ski circles around me, I’ll give you that.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Let’s not beat up on buttah he doesn’t understand his privilege.

I think KQ is on the right track here, our lives are literally filled with unnecessary shit. Everyone takes too much. Everyone sees this and it’s held up as an ideal. For some people it’s just too overwhelming, couple that with mental health issues and a predisposition to substance abuse and I can see how we wound up here. I’m not sure that this problem, in this country, can be fixed. It’s a symptom of the greater decline of this democratic/capitalism experiment. Enjoy it while you can and be kind to others and don’t take too much


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[Ted Striker]

Time to bump the lower/middle/upper class thread?

I've had a few stints with local nonprofits, both with a street outreach program and a 12+ month transitional program for homeless men. It's mentally draining at best, and fucking brutal when promising individuals fall back into their worst habits. Some come back and try again, but some just fall off the face of the earth.

We don't fund successful programs, and pay the people behind them, nearly enough.

Bolded part is soooo true.

Literally everyone I've met who've worked or volunteered with homeless people for a good amount of time eventually burned out due to the emotional toll. For every success there are multiple failures.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Bolded part is soooo true.

Literally everyone I've met who've worked or volunteered with homeless people for a good amount of time eventually burned out due to the emotional toll. For every success there are multiple failures.

That bolded part is true because for the most part people don’t care about the homeless. They only care because they don’t like to see it and it makes people feel better about themselves to think that it couldn’t happen to them.


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