This brings back many memories. As a child, my parents taught me to know the difference between a “Bum” and a “Hobo” and to tell you the truth one was going to come back (which was unwanted) and the other was passing through (very desired). I can recall sitting under the shade of the mulberry tree eating sandwiches with the Hobos who had come in on a train a few miles from our house and the lack of charity from homeowners along the way, had forced them to wander further from the train tracks, into our neighborhood. I recall many a Hobo telling me about riding the rails as they received their sandwich and a glass of water and then bow their head for a moment in silent prayer and reflection of gratitude. After they had eaten, they returned the glass to the porch and made their way back to the tracks to catch another train. The Hobos always wanted to do something in return for the food, pull weeds out of the flowerbed, fix a fence, or hang a door. My mother didn’t want them to do this because she would feel obligated to give money to compensate beyond a sandwich.
As I got older the local women created a network to watch out for each other. Often my mother would make an amazing meal and pack it up for some family where the wife needed some help. We would just end up with boiled cabbage and potatoes. I never understood this as a 4-year-old until my brother was born, my mother nearly died, and she lay in bed trying to recover. A group of women came over to clean the house, cook some meals, washed clothes, help with the baby, and so on. No one complained, or said what is the government going to do? There was no church involved. It was just neighbors watching out for each other.
Years later after my time in S.E. Asia with the military, I moved to an area with a large LDS (Mormon) community. They had a church social welfare system, and they were never afraid to knock on my door to tell me they required my help either at a farm to hoe cotton, process oranges to juice, or roof someone’s house in need. I was with my neighbors and it was an interesting way to get to know them better. Most of them never needed the church welfare but many could tell you stories of how people benefited. I understand all those farms and factories are now closed. Closed by the government.
Now 5 decades later in life and I see an army of homeless veteran, homeless beggars on the street, and virtually every hotel and bed & breakfast full of noncitizens, refugees, parolees sleeping comfortably, well fed, well clothed, safe, and provided entertainment from the public trough. The government has pretty much shut down true charities, people feeding the homeless in a public park are arrested for doing so. The world seems to be upside down on its priorities.
If you are Bill Gates, Bill & Hilary Clinton, Bono, George Soros you create a charity and only seem to get richer. The people you target to help get worse off over time. But government endorses these charities, gives them a place to be experts in fields they are unqualified and provides them awards, and accolades.
Goodness, I recall as a child in 1945 when bums would be in the neighborhood. My mother would make sandwiches as they came knocking on the back door. They always asked to do something in return for her meal and tea. But we had little ourselves but much more than the bums. My Dad took a job well below a college grads standard and was grateful for the work.
The social safety net was via churches and unions/social halls. The operators of those facilities knew the people and simply ignored the down-and-out addicts. They worked for the poorest trying to get them back on their feet.
Then the government gradually took over, perhaps starting in the 60's. The faceless people passing out the dole could care less about the ones being helped. My parents would never accept anything from the government as a matter of principle. Now people actively work the system to gain as much as possible from the government. The government doesn't care about people, so those using the government don't care either. That leads to a segment trapped in perpetual poverty with children attending marginal schools because the government really doesn't care. The loss of self sufficiency in so many is tragic. Many have lost hope and live on the streets addled out of their minds. All from a society that thinks that is being kind - let government take care of it. Government doesn't care about people, only people care.
Meanwhile we have groups who have nothing better to worry about than words used. Constant redefinition designed to minimize the impact of minutia. We obviously have too many idle hands. A group of academics envisioning a better society eager to destroy a working one for a utopia that cannot happen. Perhaps we deserve a good economic collapse worldwide. The harms will happen to the least of us, but all will be set back for a period.
"A group of academics envisioning a better society eager to destroy a working one for a utopia that cannot happen." Excellent encapsulation of what happened. Living in Chicago all but a few years of my life, I saw that destruction up close and personal.
Very good, Graham. My mother (b.1907) told of the bums who would walk the alleys going from back door to back door, asking for a bite to eat and some work to do. And from out our front window, which gave onto Madison Street, Dad and Ma saw the line of bums going around the block, waiting patiently to get a handout at a soup kitchen. Almost all White males. The negroes took care of their own then, in their neighborhoods on the South Side. With today's mish-mash of races and cultures living on top of each other, and the decades long dependency on welfare, it will not be so peaceful if a collapse comes. My favorite folk song was "In Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home". Sang it scores of times.
This brings back many memories. As a child, my parents taught me to know the difference between a “Bum” and a “Hobo” and to tell you the truth one was going to come back (which was unwanted) and the other was passing through (very desired). I can recall sitting under the shade of the mulberry tree eating sandwiches with the Hobos who had come in on a train a few miles from our house and the lack of charity from homeowners along the way, had forced them to wander further from the train tracks, into our neighborhood. I recall many a Hobo telling me about riding the rails as they received their sandwich and a glass of water and then bow their head for a moment in silent prayer and reflection of gratitude. After they had eaten, they returned the glass to the porch and made their way back to the tracks to catch another train. The Hobos always wanted to do something in return for the food, pull weeds out of the flowerbed, fix a fence, or hang a door. My mother didn’t want them to do this because she would feel obligated to give money to compensate beyond a sandwich.
As I got older the local women created a network to watch out for each other. Often my mother would make an amazing meal and pack it up for some family where the wife needed some help. We would just end up with boiled cabbage and potatoes. I never understood this as a 4-year-old until my brother was born, my mother nearly died, and she lay in bed trying to recover. A group of women came over to clean the house, cook some meals, washed clothes, help with the baby, and so on. No one complained, or said what is the government going to do? There was no church involved. It was just neighbors watching out for each other.
Years later after my time in S.E. Asia with the military, I moved to an area with a large LDS (Mormon) community. They had a church social welfare system, and they were never afraid to knock on my door to tell me they required my help either at a farm to hoe cotton, process oranges to juice, or roof someone’s house in need. I was with my neighbors and it was an interesting way to get to know them better. Most of them never needed the church welfare but many could tell you stories of how people benefited. I understand all those farms and factories are now closed. Closed by the government.
Now 5 decades later in life and I see an army of homeless veteran, homeless beggars on the street, and virtually every hotel and bed & breakfast full of noncitizens, refugees, parolees sleeping comfortably, well fed, well clothed, safe, and provided entertainment from the public trough. The government has pretty much shut down true charities, people feeding the homeless in a public park are arrested for doing so. The world seems to be upside down on its priorities.
If you are Bill Gates, Bill & Hilary Clinton, Bono, George Soros you create a charity and only seem to get richer. The people you target to help get worse off over time. But government endorses these charities, gives them a place to be experts in fields they are unqualified and provides them awards, and accolades.
I am sure it is me. I just don’t get it.
It's not "just you"; and thanks for reminding me of the distinction between bums and hobos.
Goodness, I recall as a child in 1945 when bums would be in the neighborhood. My mother would make sandwiches as they came knocking on the back door. They always asked to do something in return for her meal and tea. But we had little ourselves but much more than the bums. My Dad took a job well below a college grads standard and was grateful for the work.
The social safety net was via churches and unions/social halls. The operators of those facilities knew the people and simply ignored the down-and-out addicts. They worked for the poorest trying to get them back on their feet.
Then the government gradually took over, perhaps starting in the 60's. The faceless people passing out the dole could care less about the ones being helped. My parents would never accept anything from the government as a matter of principle. Now people actively work the system to gain as much as possible from the government. The government doesn't care about people, so those using the government don't care either. That leads to a segment trapped in perpetual poverty with children attending marginal schools because the government really doesn't care. The loss of self sufficiency in so many is tragic. Many have lost hope and live on the streets addled out of their minds. All from a society that thinks that is being kind - let government take care of it. Government doesn't care about people, only people care.
Meanwhile we have groups who have nothing better to worry about than words used. Constant redefinition designed to minimize the impact of minutia. We obviously have too many idle hands. A group of academics envisioning a better society eager to destroy a working one for a utopia that cannot happen. Perhaps we deserve a good economic collapse worldwide. The harms will happen to the least of us, but all will be set back for a period.
"A group of academics envisioning a better society eager to destroy a working one for a utopia that cannot happen." Excellent encapsulation of what happened. Living in Chicago all but a few years of my life, I saw that destruction up close and personal.
Very good, Graham. My mother (b.1907) told of the bums who would walk the alleys going from back door to back door, asking for a bite to eat and some work to do. And from out our front window, which gave onto Madison Street, Dad and Ma saw the line of bums going around the block, waiting patiently to get a handout at a soup kitchen. Almost all White males. The negroes took care of their own then, in their neighborhoods on the South Side. With today's mish-mash of races and cultures living on top of each other, and the decades long dependency on welfare, it will not be so peaceful if a collapse comes. My favorite folk song was "In Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home". Sang it scores of times.