General Discussion

Lyric

(12,675 posts) Thu May 14, 2015, 02:59 PM May 2015

Do you believe that everyone deserves food and housing, regardless of ability to work? [View all]

I don't mean caviar and mansions, and I also don't mean scant beans and rice in a hovel. I mean an adequate amount of everyday-type foods and an apartment, house, or mobile home that fits the needs of the family, neither too large nor too small, with vital utilities (water, power, heat) included. The kind of living situation where there are no treats or luxuries or privileges for the able-bodied unless you work for them, but nobody ever starves or dies of cold/heat either.

71 votes, 1 pass \| Time left: Unlimited
	Yes. These things are a human right, and should be provided for everyone in a society as wealthy as ours.
	60 (85%)
	Yes, but only for families with children, elderly people, and people with disabilities or illnesses.
	0 (0%)
	No, society should not function this way. Food and housing are privileges that must be earned.
	1 (1%)
	Other (please explain below)
	10 (14%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

155 replies

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Highlight:

Do you believe that everyone deserves food and housing, regardless of ability to work? [View all] Lyric May 2015 OP

I would also include medical care to that list. 99Forever May 2015 #1

Yes get the red out May 2015 #13

Agree with this! It should not be tied to income (or lack thereof). n/t Avalux May 2015 #18

YEs! Yes! Yes! bvar22 May 2015 #22

Hell yes.... daleanime May 2015 #151

+1 nt steve2470 May 2015 #23

Most have these basic items already yeoman6987 May 2015 #102

Housing is not provided to or even subsudized for an awful lot of impoverished people, tblue37 May 2015 #115

I am horrified that anyone here doesn't consider food and shelter to be basic human rights. nt tblue37 May 2015 #116

I agree but I assumed everyone here already agreed with that. Lyric May 2015 #140

Sounds like the Welfare State as we used to know it before Bill and Newt agreed to unmake it leveymg May 2015 #2

Perfect parody of purity. Love it. NCTraveler May 2015 #9

It's the truth. Ken Burch May 2015 #117

Thanks. I sorta like having one, leveymg May 2015 #132

I agree that welfare reform was a terrible mistake. Lyric May 2015 #142

Deserving regardless of ability work, and regardless of which side of an imaginary red and blue lin LanternWaste May 2015 #3

Not all disabilities are visible ones Warpy May 2015 #4

how would these things be provided Romeo.lima333 May 2015 #5

Take from the rich? RobertEarl May 2015 #7

agreed and corporations too get rid of the tax loop holes that allow corporations to pay 0 taxes Romeo.lima333 May 2015 #35

The same way they are provided in most civilized countries. And even ones we don't consider sabrina 1 May 2015 #15

Makes me sad every time I think of that. nt. polly7 May 2015 #31

Me too Polly. I notice the silence on Libya these days, as those civilians we supposedly went to sabrina 1 May 2015 #150

Nice to see you too Sabrina! polly7 May 2015 #153

there's 43 million people in poverty in 2013. so the government does what buy 43 million homes Romeo.lima333 May 2015 #56

There is an interesting analogy to be drawn here. hifiguy May 2015 #62

True. truebluegreen May 2015 #81

Why is that happening in the most wealthy country on earth? Have you been attention to sabrina 1 May 2015 #66

I'd add: taking them FROM Americans who CREATED THAT WEALTH IN THE FIRST PLACE! arcane1 May 2015 #78

Abe Lincoln didn't buy it either hifiguy May 2015 #106

Do each of those people living in poverty live alone? No one in families? Should each child & infant uppityperson May 2015 #96

Basic housing and food often reminds particular individuals of Russia... LanternWaste May 2015 #17

Actually it only reminds very propagandized Americans of Russia. To the vast majority of the sabrina 1 May 2015 #48

+1 truebluegreen May 2015 #82

We can do better than two-year olds in rural counties drinking soda from their baby bottles. Starry Messenger May 2015 #19

i dont believe i said anything about rationing Romeo.lima333 May 2015 #32

Then wtf do lines in Russia have to do with providing food and housing? Starry Messenger May 2015 #36

cause im assuming the government would be the ones running it and with a congress like this Romeo.lima333 May 2015 #41

The government runs lots of programs that do great with realistic funding levels Starry Messenger May 2015 #46

and congresses like this one will be something that will be a reality to any program like this Romeo.lima333 May 2015 #61

The cost to the federal government is presently $500 billion dollars a year for child poverty Starry Messenger May 2015 #69

Well, we just paid thieving bank$ter/donors hundreds of billions of dollars to stick in their pocket jtuck004 May 2015 #43

agreed trouble is congress Romeo.lima333 May 2015 #63

Read Stress Test, by Timothy "Killer" Geithner, and think of the thousands who have died in poverty jtuck004 May 2015 #68

Russia started from the classic Royalty to Peasant model... Spitfire of ATJ May 2015 #44

When you try to run the retail economy like the army supply system, it does 1939 May 2015 #75

"everyone began to hoard it and it disappeared from the shelves." Spitfire of ATJ May 2015 #77

Not a business model, just a behavior model 1939 May 2015 #138

I lived in Michigan..... Spitfire of ATJ May 2015 #139

Uh, plenty of countries manage to do this. The difference is, they don't give all their Arugula Latte May 2015 #86

As someone one asked, "Am I my brothers keeper? Yes. Tierra_y_Libertad May 2015 #6

I absolutely do! JustAnotherGen May 2015 #8

I would also include medical including mental health care and dental as basics. Bluenorthwest May 2015 #10

Food, water, shelter, medical care, access to education, safety, and equal treatment in petronius May 2015 #11

+1 leftstreet May 2015 #26

Agree. Arugula Latte May 2015 #87

If a society can't provide for all as it allows some people to be very wealthy and wasteful... hunter May 2015 #12

Yes. LeftOfWest May 2015 #14

If anyone answers no, then I'd ask why do we feed/house convicts? closeupready May 2015 #16

Yes with a but.... theboss May 2015 #20

That's so loaded with preconceptions/prejudicial bias about people with mental illness. HereSince1628 May 2015 #24

I have first hand experience of street people hifiguy May 2015 #27

The post I responded had -no- conditioning about varying seriousness of mental disorder HereSince1628 May 2015 #49

People who take their meds regularly and can be monitored by hifiguy May 2015 #57

The answer is properly-funded mental health facilities with professional staff providing care Maedhros May 2015 #29

"(I don't think I'm expressing this well)" Spitfire of ATJ May 2015 #54

Yes of course. lpbk2713 May 2015 #21

Food, housing and basic medical care hifiguy May 2015 #25

I don't consider housing a human right. Buzz Clik May 2015 #28

What? RobertEarl May 2015 #45

Do you understand the concept of charity? Buzz Clik May 2015 #50

Eh? RobertEarl May 2015 #55

Whatever. Buzz Clik May 2015 #64

And you're a-okay with leaving it all to mercurial charity in the "richest" country on the planet. Arugula Latte May 2015 #95

We both know I said nothing of the kind. Buzz Clik May 2015 #109

And if that "charity" is nowhere to be found, then what? arcane1 May 2015 #79

"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" Arugula Latte May 2015 #92

Nothing goes with Dickens quite like a glass of ... Buzz Clik May 2015 #111

I keep saying this with every one of these upaloopa May 2015 #30

I'm more than happy to pay additional taxes LanternWaste May 2015 #34

The surprisingly simple way Utah solved chronic homelessness and saved millions Bluenorthwest May 2015 #39

We do the same thing in our county. upaloopa May 2015 #53

How much does your county spend on roads? RobertEarl May 2015 #40

You don't think we should tax the rich? Starry Messenger May 2015 #42

I know all about the Millionaires tax. upaloopa May 2015 #58

Well, that's sad for them. Starry Messenger May 2015 #65

We need to have the power upaloopa May 2015 #71

It's been done before. It is realistic. Starry Messenger May 2015 #72

You are in Santa Barbara County? I thought you were in SLO. Cleita May 2015 #98

Yes Santa Barbara is where work. upaloopa May 2015 #104

It's going by small working class communities, poor communities. Cleita May 2015 #108

Our county should be taxing the many people who have vacation homes here. Cleita May 2015 #94

That's because the county shouldn't be doing it alone. Local governments Cleita May 2015 #83

Big fan of everybody doing something! One_Life_To_Give May 2015 #33

That model is dying at least as it has existed for a few generations. TheKentuckian May 2015 #144

There was a good article in "Mother Jones" a couple of months ago that explained how Vinca May 2015 #37

I think it was this article DawgHouse May 2015 #67

Absolutely, along with medical care. polly7 May 2015 #38

No, and I don't like the framing. I think we have a duty, a strategic necessity, to make sure jtuck004 May 2015 #47

"ability to work" is different than "desire to work". Let's at least make the conversation frankieallen May 2015 #51

Why not make it more interesting? leftstreet May 2015 #93

If you work hard and do a good job, you won't be frankieallen May 2015 #147

Shoo. truebluegreen May 2015 #103

How busy of a day do you think all those hedge fund assholes who got gov't $ Starry Messenger May 2015 #112

No, but that has nothing to do with the question frankieallen May 2015 #145

It is the essence of the motivation for asking such a question. Starry Messenger May 2015 #149

ok, I am curious how, can you explain? frankieallen May 2015 #154

You see people who don't want to work. LWolf May 2015 #155

If someone has the ability to and they do not have a big stash of money to provvide their needs Thinkingabout May 2015 #52

Might end up we cant provide for everyone IN OUR CURRENT trade status randys1 May 2015 #59

Totally in favor of "Mincome" truebluegreen May 2015 #60

If you think not everyone deserves food and housing, then you think SheilaT May 2015 #70

All Gubermint program should be Progressive Cryptoad May 2015 #73

Too many of our citizens are happiness-disabled by the rich and/or non-caring. BlueJazz May 2015 #74

A major difference that separates us from Republicans HockeyMom May 2015 #76

And even a little extra for a movie and dinner out now and then. Cleita May 2015 #80

Message auto-removed Name removed May 2015 #84

Just like Jesus always said. He hated poor hungry people, right? arcane1 May 2015 #85

speedy, aren't you? uppityperson May 2015 #88

LOL Likewise! arcane1 May 2015 #91

Let the poor starve and die of exposure! gollygee May 2015 #89

Absolutely IVoteDFL May 2015 #90

I'm going to split hairs here. dawg May 2015 #97

Cool! Im sick of the 8 to 5 grind Elmergantry May 2015 #99

You might get a little bored and depressed daredtowork May 2015 #129

But dont forget the free medical care and wi-fi. Elmergantry May 2015 #131

Free wifi? daredtowork May 2015 #133

~eyeroll~ Marrah_G May 2015 #130

From an existing in the universe point of view, no The2ndWheel May 2015 #100

Help those that need help and require those who are able to help themselves seveneyes May 2015 #101

Your such a killjoy! Elmergantry May 2015 #105

Could you honestly devise such a house and food model? brooklynite May 2015 #107

And wi-fi Generic Brad May 2015 #110

I have family members that would quit work tomorrow if the government paid for everything FLPanhandle May 2015 #113

I'm sorry your relatives are such morons, but most people would look upon it as an Cleita May 2015 #114

But what the OP is proposing is much better than welfare today FLPanhandle May 2015 #118

Count me in! Elmergantry May 2015 #121

Except I think your odds are not correct. Cleita May 2015 #122

I'm fine with short term safety nets to help people get thier lives together and get back to work FLPanhandle May 2015 #123

Some people need lifetime. Cleita May 2015 #128

Not sure if you are being obtuse on purpose or not. FLPanhandle May 2015 #135

You are right. No point in going further with you because your mind is Cleita May 2015 #136

Working would be for chumps Elmergantry May 2015 #119

Actually inability to work should be taken into consideration... Oktober May 2015 #120

It's not worth the effort of trying to determine who is faking. Cheese Sandwich May 2015 #125

Well... That certainly is... Lazy... Oktober May 2015 #126

It's too hard to determine who is actually deserving of help. Cheese Sandwich May 2015 #124

I love the question Omnith May 2015 #127

I refuse to argue semantics over this. Love is all there is. Hiraeth May 2015 #134

Yes, but I don't think it has anything to do with "deserve" lumberjack_jeff May 2015 #137

My own opinion is yes, and here's why. Lyric May 2015 #141

a litle too far left / progressive even for me John_Doe80004 May 2015 #143

In Kansas City even dogs are required to be provided with leftyladyfrommo May 2015 #146

If Takers cant support themselves, why should I? Telcontar May 2015 #148

Yes, although.... Adrahil May 2015 #152