Principia Discordia

Principia Discordia => Aneristic Illusions => Topic started by: Adios on December 13, 2010, 03:37:30 PM

Title: America the Hungry
Post by: Adios on December 13, 2010, 03:37:30 PM
"It was a little bit embarrassing," said McCarty of accessing the food pantry at the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry for the first time last month. "But you know, I have to do what I have to do to survive."

It is perhaps around the holidays, a period of celebration often centered on food, when there is no clearer reminder for many once middle-class families of what life used to taste like. McCarty, who is college educated and served in the Air Force for four years, describes herself as "an independent person," who earned $38,000 a year before the economy took a turn.

But McCarty, along with millions of others, represents a growing group of middle- and working-class individuals who are "food insecure," which means they have difficulty feeding one or more of their household members at some point last year because of a lack of money.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/12/13/food.insecurity.holidays.middle.class/index.html?hpt=C2

Hello Third World.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Adios on December 13, 2010, 04:04:42 PM
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people. This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. [...] Is there no other way the world may live?

–Dwight David Eisenhower, "The Chance for Peace," speech given to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Apr. 16, 1953.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Nephew Twiddleton on December 13, 2010, 04:11:10 PM
Sorry guys, looks like we accidentally permanent war economied your refrigerator.   :x
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Persona Facade on December 13, 2010, 04:30:16 PM
It's weird, most people do not picture America as a nation with problems feeding its people.

I was surprised as to how filled soup kitchens filled 3 years ago, and back then only served around 100-200 people during my 3 hour shifts every month (It was school volunteer work so roughly 3-6 hours every 2 months, not much). I can only imagine how much more filled these same kitchens I worked in are now if college educated people are being forced down into this situation as well.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Adios on December 13, 2010, 04:30:43 PM
Let 'em eat lead.

Defense contractors continue to reap in significant profits despite industry-wide concern that government defense spending will decrease in future congressional bill cycles.  The Washington Post reported yesterday that Northrop Grumman, who dropped out of the KC-X tanker bidding process last spring but remains a defense contracting powerhouse, took in nearly $500M in third quarter profit this year.  Chief Executive Wes Bush said that although the company expects "U.S. defense spending to be flat-to-low-single-digit growth" in the near future, Northrop has remained able to generate such profits by reducing its overhead and increasing productivity.
http://nationalsecuritylawbrief.com/2010/10/28/defense-contractor-profits-rise-as-sector-prepares-for-midterm-house-flip/
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Precious Moments Zalgo on December 13, 2010, 05:03:23 PM
Quote from: Charley Brown on December 13, 2010, 04:04:42 PM
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people. This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. [...] Is there no other way the world may live?

–Dwight David Eisenhower, "The Chance for Peace," speech given to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Apr. 16, 1953.
That's socialist talk.
                /
:redneck2:
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: BabylonHoruv on December 13, 2010, 08:33:31 PM
I work at the salvation army (well, I put in hours there for my own welfare benefits)  And there are people in there getting food constantly,  Enough that the lady in charge of giving food out is constantly grouchy from having to turn needy people away
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: East Coast Hustle on December 13, 2010, 08:54:47 PM
Waittaminute...

you're on welfare? WTF dude. You appear to be an able-bodied dude in his 30s.  :|
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 08:55:51 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hipster on December 13, 2010, 08:54:47 PM
Waittaminute...

you're on welfare? WTF dude. You appear to be an able-bodied dude in his 30s.  :|


Most able-bodied 30-somethings I know are on welfare, right now.  There seems to be a recession on.

TGRR,
Staples his ass to his office chair every morning.

PS:  Is BH one of the free market tards?  If so,  :lulz:
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: East Coast Hustle on December 13, 2010, 09:04:30 PM
Nah, unemployment != welfare.

But I do recall BH being an anarchist. An anarchist who apparently doesn't mind suckling from the state-sponsored teat.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:25:08 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hipster on December 13, 2010, 09:04:30 PM
Nah, unemployment != welfare.

Actually, a lot of people here have fallen off of unemployment and gone to actual welfare...and it's not that they don't want to work, it's just that there aren't any jobs at all.  Hell, go into a McDonalds, and the whole crew is my age.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Whatever on December 13, 2010, 09:30:37 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:25:08 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hipster on December 13, 2010, 09:04:30 PM
Nah, unemployment != welfare.

Actually, a lot of people here have fallen off of unemployment and gone to actual welfare...and it's not that they don't want to work, it's just that there aren't any jobs at all.  Hell, go into a McDonalds, and the whole crew is my age.

That may be true but you sure as hell get a lot better service!!!

Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:31:25 PM
Quote from: Niamh on December 13, 2010, 09:30:37 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:25:08 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hipster on December 13, 2010, 09:04:30 PM
Nah, unemployment != welfare.

Actually, a lot of people here have fallen off of unemployment and gone to actual welfare...and it's not that they don't want to work, it's just that there aren't any jobs at all.  Hell, go into a McDonalds, and the whole crew is my age.

That may be true but you sure as hell get a lot better service!!!



How nice.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:33:24 PM
Also, I though BH's wife was about to make it big or something?   :?
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Whatever on December 13, 2010, 09:35:19 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:33:24 PM
Also, I though BH's wife was about to make it big or something?   :?

Right, wasn't there a screen play and it was signed for a movie or something?
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Juana on December 13, 2010, 09:38:04 PM
This all makes me feel like I need to get off my ass and get involved with food pantries and the local soup kitchen. I have it pretty good and there are a hell of a lot of people who don't and don't have anyone to fall back on. And I'm going to.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: BabylonHoruv on December 13, 2010, 09:40:32 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hipster on December 13, 2010, 09:04:30 PM
Nah, unemployment != welfare.

But I do recall BH being an anarchist. An anarchist who apparently doesn't mind suckling from the state-sponsored teat.

I'm an Anarchist with a wife and kid to feed who puts that above my ideology.

I'm not opposed to taxes anyways, I'm an old school Anarchist, Libertarian Socialist, not Libertarian Capitalist.

But yeah, I am an able bodied guy in my 30's and rather frustrated that I am on welfare.  It's not from lack of trying to find employment.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: BabylonHoruv on December 13, 2010, 09:42:41 PM
Quote from: Niamh on December 13, 2010, 09:35:19 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:33:24 PM
Also, I though BH's wife was about to make it big or something?   :?

Right, wasn't there a screen play and it was signed for a movie or something?

Yeah, deal fell through.  still possibility of making it big, but it's nowhere near as likely as it was recently.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Whatever on December 13, 2010, 09:46:05 PM
Quote from: BabylonHoruv on December 13, 2010, 09:42:41 PM
Quote from: Niamh on December 13, 2010, 09:35:19 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:33:24 PM
Also, I though BH's wife was about to make it big or something?   :?

Right, wasn't there a screen play and it was signed for a movie or something?

Yeah, deal fell through.  still possibility of making it big, but it's nowhere near as likely as it was recently.

I'm sorry about that!  I know y'all were pretty excited!
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: BabylonHoruv on December 13, 2010, 09:49:54 PM
Quote from: Niamh on December 13, 2010, 09:46:05 PM
Quote from: BabylonHoruv on December 13, 2010, 09:42:41 PM
Quote from: Niamh on December 13, 2010, 09:35:19 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2010, 09:33:24 PM
Also, I though BH's wife was about to make it big or something?   :?

Right, wasn't there a screen play and it was signed for a movie or something?

Yeah, deal fell through.  still possibility of making it big, but it's nowhere near as likely as it was recently.

I'm sorry about that!  I know y'all were pretty excited!

It's still a distinct possibility, just not until spring.  That's been the usual pattern for it, its always a few months away, has been for the past 3 years.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Cain on December 14, 2010, 10:44:15 AM
Sorry to hear that.  These things can be drawn out and painful as hell.  I have a friend who has been in negotiation with ABC for well over 9 months now about the show she's pictching, she's gotten interest from a studio affiliated with ABC and even had a pilot filmed...but they're stalling for some reason.  Originally I thought they were looking at using it as a mid-season replacement (this was in the summer), but now I don't have a clue what they're doing.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: BabylonHoruv on December 14, 2010, 09:58:00 PM
studio's do things the rest of us cannot understand.

Back to the topic of helping the hungry and homeless, anyone thinking of donating to the salvation army donate food and.or money, they take donations of everything, but donations that aren't food or money usually end up being disposed of.  I've thrown out way more books than I am comfortable admitting.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on December 14, 2010, 11:32:19 PM
I'm pretty close to waiting in line for a food box, myself. Sucks, but I don't qualify for unemployment due to being self-employed.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Suu on December 15, 2010, 02:27:52 AM
Self-employment is fucking evil. In Rhode Island, 1099 work is considered self-employment because you technically don't pay taxes, and I got screwed out of a serious chunk of change in 2008 because of it. I was unemployed for 6 months with no benefits, and when Herbert and I tried to file for food stamps, we were denied because he "made too much money".

They don't look at your bills, only your income, and the lady at the office yelled at us to get a cheaper apartment. (With what fucking money, cunt?) I guess she saw the last name and got pissed when she saw two decent looking white people come in. I did bring up the point that he was Puerto Rican, and asked, rather harshly and angrily, if that would make a difference, and uh...Not so happy about that moment in my life, but when the government basically denies your right to basic human needs such as food during a difficult time, it wasn't below me to pull the affirmative action card at that moment. I was reduced to tears. We were STARVING so we could pay rent...living off of a big ass bag of rice and generic SPAM. That destroyed our relationship probably most of all...Every time I had to ask him for cash to go to Boston for a job interview I thought he was going to bite my head off. It was so hard. Shit, if it wasn't for Richter moving in when he did, we probably would have lost the apartment.

So every time some conservative asshole tells me I haven't lived a hard life, and that I have no real reason to complain...I let them know, I fucking do. That was not a fun time in my life, and even though I know things could have been worse, I try to not even THINK about what would have happened if we lost the apartment, considering it's taken me 2 years to get some sort of stability back in my damn life.
Title: Re: America the Hungry
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on December 15, 2010, 02:41:00 AM
Oh, totally. It is vastly easier and safer to work for someone else than to run your own business. There's no safety net, at all.