Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site psivax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!psivax!friesen From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory,net.politics Subject: Re: Extent of hunger in America Message-ID: <803@psivax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 21-Oct-85 23:38:44 EDT Article-I.D.: psivax.803 Posted: Mon Oct 21 23:38:44 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 26-Oct-85 07:35:17 EDT References: <203@gargoyle.UUCP> <3913@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> <215@gargoyle.UUCP> Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA Lines: 43 Xref: linus net.politics.theory:1357 net.politics:10999 In article <215@gargoyle.UUCP> carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes) writes: > >Jan Wasilewsky writes: > >> An *egg* only costs a dime; at *minimum wage*, it embodies >>100 seconds of work; it provides enough protein for some hours >>(and you don't even have to cook it). >>Carbohydrates and fats are even more accessible. > >>Whatever nutritional problems exist in this country, they cannot, >>in fairness, be called "hunger". If you can earn, receive, steal >>or borrow a dime an hour, you can't (except voluntarily) go >>hungry. > >But millions of Americans *cannot* earn, beg, borrow, or steal even >that much. They include children, the elderly, the mentally and >physically ill, the disabled, and the unemployed. If they had any >adequate sources of income, very few of these would still be hungry. >How does Jan square this with his belief that food automatically >distributes itself in nations where there is high food productivity? > Oh barf! *Anyone* who is not totally immoblized or incarcerated can earn *at* *least* 0.25 an hour by begging! (In fact the figure is probably closer to a full dollar). All that is necessary is to stand/sit/lie at a busy street corner and ask everyone if they can spare some change.(Or if you are mute, write a sign) You would be amazed at how many people will give out a quarter! Just one person per hour will net enough to buy over two eggs. A mere four givers per hour will net a dollar. And I have seen many mentally and physically ill people doing just this. Admittedly this generates barely sufficient funds to buy food, but it *does* do that much. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not in favor of a pure capitalist economy, and I support government anti-poverty programs. I would like to see all the beggers able to get thier needed food in other ways. I just found your statement above to be too wild to let pass without some comment! -- Sarima (Stanley Friesen) UUCP: {ttidca|ihnp4|sdcrdcf|quad1|nrcvax|bellcore|logico}!psivax!friesen ARPA: ttidca!psivax!friesen@rand-unix.arpa