- Joined
- Nov 11, 2013
- Messages
- 33,522
- Reaction score
- 10,826
- Location
- Between Athens and Jerusalem
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Conservative
Not that long ago a very poor person might lack sufficient food for adequate nutrition, might die from lack of medical care, might live in a dangerous tenement, tent or shack without heat and insulation and children had to miss school and go to work. Now, even the poorest can obtain a fairly place to live, obtain sufficient food, get medical care and children don't miss school due to a need to work to support their family. That is success.
The homeless are still in a terrible situation, but that is largely a failure to adequately address their mental health and/or substance abuse problems, not because there aren't resources for them. The problem for the homeless is that they mentally and practically lack the ability to obtain what they need to improve their situation.
Its not success when it leaves people unskilled and unwilling to take care of themselves, that isn't compassionate. And as far as the homeless its complicated but NOT because of lack of opportunity or programs. Short of FORCING them to do what the govt wants, that problem is going nowhere.