Life on streets is difficult, but free, says anthropologist

[HeijoshinCool]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations

Evidence?

.

Twenty-five years of interacting with them on a daily basis.

[greenchair]

There are almost 8000 people living on the streets of Washington DC...

There is quite a difference between being homeless in say, American, England. As compared to Thailand, Philippines, or many Asian countries. In these countries they have access to basic needs. warmth, clothing, food. It is not that difficult to be homeless and happy in Asia. If the doctor did attempt to go homeless in America, he would certainly not have lasted 18 months. Probably why he and no other academic has attempted it.

[berybert]

He says he spent 18 months on the streets.

I say no you didn't.

[HeijoshinCool]

There are almost 8000 people living on the streets of Washington DC...

There is quite a difference between being homeless in say, American, England. As compared to Thailand, Philippines, or many Asian countries. In these countries they have access to basic needs. warmth, clothing, food. It is not that difficult to be homeless and happy in Asia. If the doctor did attempt to go homeless in America, he would certainly not have lasted 18 months. Probably why he and no other academic has attempted it.

.

The U.S. has more shelters/beds, and more food programs/soup kitchens, both government and private, of any nation on earth. Churches, and their members, are well-known for feeding the homeless. There are a huge number of non-profit and NGOs offering help to the homeless.

There are numerous organizations that "hire" homeless folk, train them in a skill while paying them, preparing them to enter or re-enter the mainstream workforce.

In life threatening medical emergencies, 911 can be called, medics will arrive, stabilize and transport the patient to an ER, where by law the staff must stabilize the patient.

While the death rate for the homeless is substantially higher than the general public, this is mostly due to poor self-care, and that is mostly due to mental illness, or serious anti-social tendencies.

There indeed have been many "academics" who have lived homeless for extended periods of time.

Edited December 20, 2014 by HeijoshinCool

[NeverSure]

There are almost 8000 people living on the streets of Washington DC...

There is quite a difference between being homeless in say, American, England. As compared to Thailand, Philippines, or many Asian countries. In these countries they have access to basic needs. warmth, clothing, food. It is not that difficult to be homeless and happy in Asia. If the doctor did attempt to go homeless in America, he would certainly not have lasted 18 months. Probably why he and no other academic has attempted it.

.

The U.S. has more shelters/beds, and more food programs/soup kitchens, both government and private, of any nation on earth. Churches, and their members, are well-known for feeding the homeless. There are a huge number of non-profit and NGOs offering help to the homeless.

There are numerous organizations that "hire" homeless folk, train them in a skill while paying them, preparing them to enter or re-enter the mainstream workforce.

In life threatening medical emergencies, 911 can be called, medics will arrive, stabilize and transport the patient to an ER, where by law the staff must stabilize the patient.

While the death rate for the homeless is substantially higher than the general public, this is mostly due to poor self-care, and that is mostly due to mental illness, or serious anti-social tendencies.

There indeed have been many "academics" who have lived homeless for extended periods of time.

"911 can be called, medics will arrive, stabilize and transport the patient to an ER, where by law the staff must stabilize the patient." Which means a hospital room and even surgery and meds if necessary.

I have a lot of experience with homeless in America. I am a regular contributor to a shelter and I was on the board of directors. I used a lot of the guys for day labor on my property. I never met one who wanted a full time job. They just wanted to work for a day or two to put some money in their pocket and then go back to staying in the shelter. Most didn't even want to work for the day. They'd rather sit on a corner with a homeless cardboard sign.

The shelter ran on donations and provided a bed, shower, laundry machines and meals. The shelter had a maximum of 30 days they could stay there (with the idea they'd find a job) and then the guys would drift on to another shelter maybe even in a different town. Most of them knew each other.

Most were scamming the system. I got involved only for the small percentage that really needed help.

[HeijoshinCool]

There are almost 8000 people living on the streets of Washington DC...

There is quite a difference between being homeless in say, American, England. As compared to Thailand, Philippines, or many Asian countries. In these countries they have access to basic needs. warmth, clothing, food. It is not that difficult to be homeless and happy in Asia. If the doctor did attempt to go homeless in America, he would certainly not have lasted 18 months. Probably why he and no other academic has attempted it.

.

The U.S. has more shelters/beds, and more food programs/soup kitchens, both government and private, of any nation on earth. Churches, and their members, are well-known for feeding the homeless. There are a huge number of non-profit and NGOs offering help to the homeless.

There are numerous organizations that "hire" homeless folk, train them in a skill while paying them, preparing them to enter or re-enter the mainstream workforce.

In life threatening medical emergencies, 911 can be called, medics will arrive, stabilize and transport the patient to an ER, where by law the staff must stabilize the patient.

While the death rate for the homeless is substantially higher than the general public, this is mostly due to poor self-care, and that is mostly due to mental illness, or serious anti-social tendencies.

There indeed have been many "academics" who have lived homeless for extended periods of time.

"911 can be called, medics will arrive, stabilize and transport the patient to an ER, where by law the staff must stabilize the patient." Which means a hospital room and even surgery and meds if necessary.

I have a lot of experience with homeless in America. I am a regular contributor to a shelter and I was on the board of directors. I used a lot of the guys for day labor on my property. I never met one who wanted a full time job. They just wanted to work for a day or two to put some money in their pocket and then go back to staying in the shelter. Most didn't even want to work for the day. They'd rather sit on a corner with a homeless cardboard sign.

The shelter ran on donations and provided a bed, shower, laundry machines and meals. The shelter had a maximum of 30 days they could stay there (with the idea they'd find a job) and then the guys would drift on to another shelter maybe even in a different town. Most of them knew each other.

Most were scamming the system. I got involved only for the small percentage that really needed help.

.

I did neglect to include in my first reply (#3) that substance abuse was also in the top five reasons for homelessness.

And the ones, I'm sure you know NeverSure, that worked for a few days and moved on, were using the money to support their particular vice.

Thanks for the post. A drop of reason and intellect based on experience, in a sea of emotional-oh-they-need-our-help comments based on hearsay.

EDIT: dam spellchequer

Edited December 20, 2014 by HeijoshinCool

[lil fluffy clouds]

I've been there for years on end in my life but more in the wilderness, and I can tell you what I learnt, that the whole world is homeless, because quite simply 98% of humanity does no know how to live in harmony with them selves or the natural quintessential planet, divorced from reality, stuffed in a box, moving on a treadmill, home is a far distant memory in this mechanised society....

It's really more of a question of who feels alienated......

[maidee]

he spend 15 months in manilla ...

and what kind of visa did he use?

did he have a work permit ? as it was for his thesis

and did he have many hundred thousands of baht in his account ?

did he have to report every 90 days ?

[ableguy]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

Spoken like a true keyboard warrior who knows sweet FA about the subject on which he is writing. Try doing some research before you write your trivialising bombastic nonsense.......

Could you perhaps enlighten me as to which of your catagories these people fit into ??

They look like they just ate at mcdonalds, a gourmet delight for street souls.

[ableguy]

I've been there for years on end in my life but more in the wilderness, and I can tell you what I learnt, that the whole world is homeless, because quite simply 98% of humanity does no know how to live in harmony with them selves or the natural quintessential planet, divorced from reality, stuffed in a box, moving on a treadmill, home is a far distant memory in this mechanised society....

It's really more of a question of who feels alienated......

You sound like a potential suicide case.

[Thai at Heart]

3000 homeless in bangkok. As though living in a tin hut over a klong represents having a home.......

[SiSePuede419]

"...98% of humanity does no know how to live in harmony with them selves or the natural quintessential planet..."

What he said!

But remember: Every coin has two sides. A front. And a back.

Our Smart phone technology is causing us to rapidly evolve into a meta organism that is the sum of our connected parts.