First World Problems

pblakeney

If ever there was proof the the First World that we live in is seriously messed up, then it is this.

http://www.local10.com/news/police-char ... s/29510268

I fear for the future as I can see this Country progressing (regressing) along the same path.

BelgianBeerGeek

That is one seriously screwed up law.

veronese68

That really is depressing.
My mother goes on a weekly soup run in London and they have been moved a couple of times being told they can't give out food in certain places. So it looks like we are heading down a similar road.

crescent

Apparently he was challenged by the police officer with "Drop that plate right now!" :shock:
It's laughable yet tragic in equal measure.

pblakeney

Veronese68 wrote:

That really is depressing.
My mother goes on a weekly soup run in London and they have been moved a couple of times being told they can't give out food in certain places. So it looks like we are heading down a similar road.

As I feared.
We are just past the trick or treat season (Halloween) and will soon have the holiday time (Christmas). Thankfully we have not yet had the American version of Thanksgiving foisted on us. Yet.
The 51st State indeed.

veronese68

Maybe we should have our own thanksgiving on July 4th to celebrate getting rid of the septics.

MountainMonster

Veronese68 wrote:

Maybe we should have our own thanksgiving on July 4th to celebrate getting rid of the septics.

Americans are septics? Gee, thanks for that.

finchy

^^^
Septic tank = yank (in cockney English). You should spend more time in Laaahndaaan then you'd know these things.

MountainMonster

Ahh, gotcha. Never had a need for slang, I prefer to speak properly

pblakeney

MountainMonster wrote:

Ahh, gotcha. Never had a need for slang, I prefer to speak properly

Gotcha?
Slang.

ballysmate

PBlakeney wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

Ahh, gotcha. Never had a need for slang, I prefer to speak properly

Gotcha?
Slang.

Well spotted, me ol' china!

Manc33

"I can see the day coming when even your home garden is gonna be against the law"

- Bob Dylan "Union Sundown"

MountainMonster

PBlakeney wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

Ahh, gotcha. Never had a need for slang, I prefer to speak properly

Gotcha?
Slang.

More of a conjunction, than slang.

pblakeney

MountainMonster wrote:

PBlakeney wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

Ahh, gotcha. Never had a need for slang, I prefer to speak properly

Gotcha?
Slang.

More of a conjunction, than slang.

Gotcha = A conjunction with Got & ya. Ya is slang, or foreign at best.
Gotyu may have been a better conjunction.

PS:- I am just messing, and messing is slang.

Back on topic, the battle continues - http://gawker.com/90-year-old-hero-bust ... 1655437427

tangled_metal

Reminds me of the complaints when a slightly upmarket apartment building in a slightly les upmarket area embedded spikes in the corners of the entrances to the building. They were like rounded bullet tips sticking up about an inch or two and the purpose was to make it uncomfortable for the homeless to sleep on. Those entranceways were a place the homeless used to get out of the bad weather which was not the image the apartment owners wanted. Being in the UK I believe th Guardian paper picked up on it and got all bleeding heart liberal on it insisting they remove them.

i must be the only one to actually remember that now, the way news moves on all Guardian readers will have moved on and forgotten about those poor homeless without those two or three doorways to sleep in.

This example does seem a bit low I reckon. If the homeless don't got to soup kitchens in buildings then they have to be fed where they are. I thought it was not unusual in US cities to see food vans feeding the homeless where they were. Persecuting people trying to help their fellow humans is a good sign of a broken society.

tangled_metal

In a small provincial town in the North of England I know of this old lady who has lived homeless in the grey old town for probably decades now. She has become a bit of a character in the town, although she has always shunned public areas being a bit of a private person. One of her popular hideaways is a little pedestrian alleyway by the side of a small provincial bank or building society. I have seen the people working in that place coming out with a mug of tea, handing her a cup and spend their breaks just chatting away like they were work colleagues. Biscuits too got changed hands. It was a bit unusual seeing as she had all her stuff in a heavily laided supermarket trolley and excess bags. I guess she made a bit of money recycling.

Anyway if we had these local bye-laws over here those bankers would get caught out too. Hey!! Just realised it must have been a mutual. I mean bankers with hearts?!!!! Never happen surely??!!!

PS it was an independent bank, one of those ones generally based around a town or region that kind of disappeared.

Manc33

If I was homeless and they put those lumpy spike things on the ground I would just get hold of a piece of plywood and be sleeping right there where I always have. You could even get little recesses drilled (or cut) into it so it slots into the lumps and doesn't slip around on them.

Sirius631

This typifies the attitude of the majority of U.S. citizens to those in need. They see those in need as unworthy and unsightly, almost criminal, who failed to live up to the American dream of being entrepreneurs and rich.

If all those people who are in a job but are unable to afford health care went on strike for a living wage then those who opposed Obama over free heath care would get a shock when their housekeepers walk out.

MountainMonster

Sirius631 wrote:

This typifies the attitude of the majority of U.S. citizens to those in need. They see those in need as unworthy and unsightly, almost criminal, who failed to live up to the American dream of being entrepreneurs and rich.

If all those people who are in a job but are unable to afford health care went on strike for a living wage then those who opposed Obama over free heath care would get a shock when their housekeepers walk out.

I'm guessing you have never been around in America much, except for tourist areas? Those in need get a hell of a lot of support in the U.S., and the general community certainly doesn't shun them. I remember only a handful of times I've seen a homeless person spat in the US, however, I've seen that almost weekly since being here in the UK. The amount of people I also see walk past someone begging in the UK and blatently ignoring them is also cause for concern, in the states 1 out of every 5 (rough estimate) donates to beggars, where it is certainly 1 to every 50 or 100 here!

Sirius631

MountainMonster wrote:

Sirius631 wrote:

This typifies the attitude of the majority of U.S. citizens to those in need. They see those in need as unworthy and unsightly, almost criminal, who failed to live up to the American dream of being entrepreneurs and rich.

If all those people who are in a job but are unable to afford health care went on strike for a living wage then those who opposed Obama over free heath care would get a shock when their housekeepers walk out.

I'm guessing you have never been around in America much, except for tourist areas? Those in need get a hell of a lot of support in the U.S., and the general community certainly doesn't shun them. I remember only a handful of times I've seen a homeless person spat in the US, however, I've seen that almost weekly since being here in the UK. The amount of people I also see walk past someone begging in the UK and blatently ignoring them is also cause for concern, in the states 1 out of every 5 (rough estimate) donates to beggars, where it is certainly 1 to every 50 or 100 here!

Just going by the polls. Obama tried to give much needed basic medical support to all, and there were deafening cries of 'socialism'.

MountainMonster

Sirius631 wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

Sirius631 wrote:

This typifies the attitude of the majority of U.S. citizens to those in need. They see those in need as unworthy and unsightly, almost criminal, who failed to live up to the American dream of being entrepreneurs and rich.

If all those people who are in a job but are unable to afford health care went on strike for a living wage then those who opposed Obama over free heath care would get a shock when their housekeepers walk out.

I'm guessing you have never been around in America much, except for tourist areas? Those in need get a hell of a lot of support in the U.S., and the general community certainly doesn't shun them. I remember only a handful of times I've seen a homeless person spat in the US, however, I've seen that almost weekly since being here in the UK. The amount of people I also see walk past someone begging in the UK and blatently ignoring them is also cause for concern, in the states 1 out of every 5 (rough estimate) donates to beggars, where it is certainly 1 to every 50 or 100 here!

Just going by the polls. Obama tried to give much needed basic medical support to all, and there were deafening cries of 'socialism'.

One of the signatures of the states is the ridiculously low tax rates compared to most countries. That will be why people don't like the idea, as it would jump taxes to extortionate rates, by American standards. That is a huge difference to saying we don't support our vulnerable, or implying that we look down upon them.

Also, I can't find the link now, but the amount of taxation needed to support a fully functioning public health programme similar to the NHS would have left people much more out of pocket than paying for their own private health insurance. If I remember correctly the ones with the lowest income would have about 2-300 dollars less every month if the NHS was instated due to rises in taxes, compared with paying 70 or 80 for a family policy of private health insurance.

Those are probably the bits the outside world don't ever get to hear, as you will only be fed the "Solialist" side, and it makes us look like we only look out for ourselves, which is by far and wide not true.