Homelessness and Indifference I was in San Francisco this week, after several years. The rise in human distress was visible and disturbing. This article on West Coast homelessness confirmed what a few hours downtown had suggested. The U.S. has a social safety net problem, and the West Coast is at the frontline of a tidal wave of tragedy. What is missing is admission, as a society, that there are fundamental human rights --- of which the right to a life of dignity is basic.

Probing deeper into the problem, U.S. capitalism is premised on the proposition that those unable to stay above the line are not the responsibility of government. But this is shockingly short-sighted. The rising tide of homeless, mentally ill, predators, and exploitative business practices of all kinds, are creating a reservoir of tragedy that is slowly spilling into the open.

http://www.startribune.com/homeless-explosion-on-west-coast-pushing-cities-to-the-brink/455479433/