I did not post this to discuss politics, so please honor my request to not take it there.
Instead, let's discuss how to help the immediate issue: millions going hungry.
Is anyone here doing anything in their community? Does anyone have recommendations? Is just donating to a local food bank the best thing to do?
If one lives in a relatively rich area, would it be best to donate to a more distant food bank?
The reality is that most SNAP recipients are not going to go to food banks or anything like that; they're just going to use their own money and buy groceries or McDonald's.
Now, what that means is that they'll have to spend less money on other things to buy groceries. Sometimes that's concerts and fancy clothes. Sometimes it's car repairs or the electric bill; depends on the person and their situation. People in tight financial situations are typically accustomed to getting behind on bills and borrowing money sometimes, and realistically in the short term changing their grocery habits is going to be a lot more of a pain than just spending money.
3 months from now in the unlikely scenario that SNAP hasn't been renewed that's a different story.
> The reality is that most SNAP recipients are not going to go to food banks or anything like that; they're just going to use their own money and buy groceries or McDonald's... Sometimes that's concerts and fancy clothes....
I'm sorry, it seems like maybe we have very different understandings of the concept of living paycheck to paycheck, while also relying on SNAP benefits. Non-white collar employees of both Amazon and Walmart do so regularly. There is no three month cushion for millions of Americans, there is not even a one week cushion for many.
I am not saying this as snark. I just don't think that 99% of us folks on this website live this reality, so it might seem impossible. Please help us get on the same page here. Maybe I am the one who is misunderstanding, but what you said sounds a lot like "fly-over state" type mentality, that somehow does not take into account the real struggle of millions of Americans. We have a lot of real poor people here, are you really telling them to "buy less concerts and fancy clothes??"
edit: Nvm. I don't want to make this a giant thread on this post, about if poor people exist or not. I will not reply further, as I just now realized that I got baited into politics. The actual reality is that millions of Americans will now be skipping even more meals. If you don't believe that they exist, then there is nothing I can do about that. Clearly you have never been hungry, and that is a level of naivete that I wish upon everyone.
Unfortunately, (non)functioning of public support programs is inherently political. All you can do outside of politics is look to those with extra to give to those in need. Churches, restaurants, people, …. Times like this require people to give a shit about others.
I realize that. If I wanted to make this a political post:
Hey blue-haired [0] >$200k/year people: take 5% of your extra cash, drive to the nearest red county food bank, and say nothing aside from giving what you can bring and being there.
There could be no better political statement.
[0] I am referring to everyone who the folks in those red counties have been told is "the enemy, destroying America."
Why does it have to be a red county. Let the really rich bastards and tech bros pay for them. There’s a whole lot of people in the cities that need the help. No need to go far to find hungry people.
> Why does it have to be a red county.
Because the only thing that has saved me from the depths of schadenfreude and nihilism, is flirting with consequentialism.
I have only recently realized that I would rather lose one, or a thousand intellectual arguments, if that meant that the world became a better place.
In my experience, nothing can do that better than just showing up and disproving assumptions.
Thanks for posting this. It served as a call to action for me, and hopefully it will for others as well.
I did not post this to discuss politics, so please honor my request to not take it there.
Instead, let's discuss how to help the immediate issue: millions going hungry.
Is anyone here doing anything in their community? Does anyone have recommendations? Is just donating to a local food bank the best thing to do?
If one lives in a relatively rich area, would it be best to donate to a more distant food bank?
The reality is that most SNAP recipients are not going to go to food banks or anything like that; they're just going to use their own money and buy groceries or McDonald's.
Now, what that means is that they'll have to spend less money on other things to buy groceries. Sometimes that's concerts and fancy clothes. Sometimes it's car repairs or the electric bill; depends on the person and their situation. People in tight financial situations are typically accustomed to getting behind on bills and borrowing money sometimes, and realistically in the short term changing their grocery habits is going to be a lot more of a pain than just spending money.
3 months from now in the unlikely scenario that SNAP hasn't been renewed that's a different story.
> The reality is that most SNAP recipients are not going to go to food banks or anything like that; they're just going to use their own money and buy groceries or McDonald's... Sometimes that's concerts and fancy clothes....
I'm sorry, it seems like maybe we have very different understandings of the concept of living paycheck to paycheck, while also relying on SNAP benefits. Non-white collar employees of both Amazon and Walmart do so regularly. There is no three month cushion for millions of Americans, there is not even a one week cushion for many.
I am not saying this as snark. I just don't think that 99% of us folks on this website live this reality, so it might seem impossible. Please help us get on the same page here. Maybe I am the one who is misunderstanding, but what you said sounds a lot like "fly-over state" type mentality, that somehow does not take into account the real struggle of millions of Americans. We have a lot of real poor people here, are you really telling them to "buy less concerts and fancy clothes??"
edit: Nvm. I don't want to make this a giant thread on this post, about if poor people exist or not. I will not reply further, as I just now realized that I got baited into politics. The actual reality is that millions of Americans will now be skipping even more meals. If you don't believe that they exist, then there is nothing I can do about that. Clearly you have never been hungry, and that is a level of naivete that I wish upon everyone.
Unfortunately, (non)functioning of public support programs is inherently political. All you can do outside of politics is look to those with extra to give to those in need. Churches, restaurants, people, …. Times like this require people to give a shit about others.
I realize that. If I wanted to make this a political post:
Hey blue-haired [0] >$200k/year people: take 5% of your extra cash, drive to the nearest red county food bank, and say nothing aside from giving what you can bring and being there.
There could be no better political statement.
[0] I am referring to everyone who the folks in those red counties have been told is "the enemy, destroying America."
Why does it have to be a red county. Let the really rich bastards and tech bros pay for them. There’s a whole lot of people in the cities that need the help. No need to go far to find hungry people.
> Why does it have to be a red county.
Because the only thing that has saved me from the depths of schadenfreude and nihilism, is flirting with consequentialism.
I have only recently realized that I would rather lose one, or a thousand intellectual arguments, if that meant that the world became a better place.
In my experience, nothing can do that better than just showing up and disproving assumptions.
Thanks for posting this. It served as a call to action for me, and hopefully it will for others as well.
Previous small discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45787436 (13 comments)
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