Compassion anyone?

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

I cannot understand this whole SNAP debacle that is being played out and talked about. I do not understand how ANYONE can be against feeding the hungry. I am willing to concede that there will be waste and fraud. I cannot imagine what system(s) would not have *some* waste and fraud. That said, waste and fraud are bad, but, let's not go throwing the baby out with the bath water, eh?

Food is NOT an option for people. Neither is water. These two things are HUMAN RIGHTS as far as I am concerned. Nobody, anywhere, should be deprived of access to food and water. And you know what, these things, in their most basic form (ie. basic food staples, not fancy food feasts), should be free. That's right, free. For *every single person*.

I understand that to some cold-hearted demons out there, people only deserve food and water if they *work* for it. Well fuck that. Work is not the pre-requisite, IMO, for food or water. Those should be denied to NOBODY.

I have a question to ask folks here, and I'm not sure I will be able to stomach the responses, but here goes:

Under what circumstances should a hungry person be denied food/water?

Comments

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I read "Americans" as "Africans". The point stays. Electricity is not essential for survival.

So why is it that you're comparing the US to my country?

Why should you compare two utilities that are done in two fundamentally different ways (as you've yourself acknowledged), and which vastly differ in terms of their significance for sustaining human life? Where's the common ground for that comparison?

[cheezyfish.livejournal.com]

So why is it that you're comparing the US to my country?

I'm not... Paft was. I was pointing out that you can't compare the two countries.

Why should you compare two utilities that are done in two fundamentally different ways (as you've yourself acknowledged), and which vastly differ in terms of their significance for sustaining human life?

The question was, does profit limit access to utilities. Lack of private water works makes a direct comparison difficult does it not? Also, I would argue that clean water coming out of my facet is not necessary for my survival.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

"Also, I would argue that clean water coming out of my facet is not necessary for my survival."

What? Do you mean you can get water elsehwere, or are you some sort of superhuman that doesn't need water to live?

[cheezyfish.livejournal.com]

780 million people do it. Millions die unfortunately, but most live on. Also, a whole lot of Americans, maybe a majority, rely on themselves to get that clean water to their facet.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

"Millions die unfortunately, but most live on."

So....it IS necessary for survival, for some. You wanna play the lottery with your life and the lives of others? Seems unkind....

[cheezyfish.livejournal.com]

I do not lack the technical knowledge to make my water safe. Nor do I like the fact that almost a billion people live without clean water. Third world living is a great way to die earlier.

You wanna play the lottery with your life and the lives of others?

No, you are making logical leaps here. I'm saying people do survive without drinking water sent to their home. That doesn't mean I think its okay that they have to.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

So clean drinking water IS important to continuing life.
The only way to get clean drinking water is not, necessarily, to have it sent to your home. I never said that was the only way.

But the solution is NOT to privatize water.

[cheezyfish.livejournal.com]

But the solution is NOT to privatize water.

The solution to what?

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

how to get people clean drinking water

[cheezyfish.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that it is, however "profit" has little to do with it.