Discussion with members of our local government concerning their deliberations regarding how to deal with homeless people in a region where economic good is terribly bad for those who are not members of the right caste.  My note to them says this:

Avoiding the “radical” solutions only causes the cycle to continue-when things are bad, poor hit hardest. When things are good, poor hit again. Deal with this piece of reality and maybe we can get somewhere, to a lasting solution that does not cause the displacement and increased discomfort of those who have little and are being made to live with even less. Radical solutions might be actually be the common sense solutions and they are related to the way we “do business.” There is no law of nature the says that prosperity must bring with it harm to some. Rent control, if fully understand, is anti-American when American is equated with capitalism. But a humane community would think human lives first, before profit. And that humane society would not let people suffer from economic change-change would be adequately controlled so as to do no harm. That innovation in the form of creating labor saving means for production and services necessitates putting some out of work and out of income is not an act of a god. It is an economic model that has a good degree of cruelty built into it. So, do something to bring about income security in the wake of economic change–maybe fewer hours at full pay so as to create jobs for all able to work, innovation allowing for more leisure time for all, the cost being less money in the hands of the investor class. And there is everything sensible about a living wage. If one works full time, no matter what the job, he or she should be able to live decently on the money earned. I think we all know what is and is not a decent life. Radical, in my mind is sensible and because those who make policy do not see sense in humanizing society by making the economy work for ALL, the real solutions never are discussed.