pig

agreed, but this isn't about helping out the less fortunate. it's about giving money to the homeless/panhandlers/etc. i don't kid myself into thinking a buck is going to change someone's life. maybe it will help them through a day. frankly, i don't really give a shit what they do with the money. i've bought beer for them before. i've given them beer on my way home. i gave a guy a $10 cigar down in charleston, three handrolled cigarettes and a six pack of beer, then he and i did some yard work together. why? i don't know; seemed like a fun idea at the time. i don't mind giving away small amounts of money from time to time; i can afford it, and i enjoy it. i don't expect the homeless to become paragons of virtue based on my generous donation of $2. i just hope they enjoy their day a little more, when i do sporadically decide to hook them up.

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snowy

Generally, I don't give money to panhandlers. Oregon has a very good system of social services, and so if you're on the street, it's largely a choice--especially around these parts. We have so many dirty crusty old hippies that you can't tell the difference between them and the homeless sometimes, and sometimes there are just people who like that nomadic lifestyle.

I really don't carry cash, and that is largely why I don't give out money, but also because they largely don't ask for it. Most homeless here turn in cans for money instead. Honestly, I'm more likely to give them food or to give them information about where they can go--where the mission is, where DHS is, where the drop-in shelter is.

And yes, we must be understanding and care for the homeless--over half of them suffer from debilitating mental illnesses, alcoholism, and an estimated quarter of them are Vietnam veterans. I have close friends with mental illnesses, and a great-aunt who suffered from schizophrenia, and I see how easy it would be for one of them to slip through the cracks, and become one of those homeless.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

mixedmedia

I don't know, for me it has nothing to do with sympathy or whether they are on the street by force or by choice. It's just my impulse to give when I'm asked for something that, ultimately, doesn't mean that much to me. I'd give a buck to a co-worker if they asked for it. Why not a stranger on the street? So I don't buy a pack of sour skittles that day or forego the bag of chips with my sandwich at lunch. I couldn't care less.

Granted, I don't live or work in an area with a lot of panhandlers so I totally understand the necessity of limiting what you give on a limited budget. I don't understand the compulsion to be mean-spirited about it. If you don't want to, don't give. Even if they've made a choice that this is what they want to do - their way of "making a living" - I can name quite a few "real jobs" that I, personally, find to be a more distasteful way of getting by.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

pig

in a related thought, what would bother me personally is the idea that i had become so shriveled up and angry at the world that i had time to get actively pissed off at some panhandler. i just can't bring myself to get angry at them, and i really do wish they'd get to a shelter or get on their feet. but i can't make them do that; only they can. the money i do give doesn't set me back, and i just frankly rather enjoy hooking other people up sometimes, even if i know they're going to do whatever in the fuck they're going to do with the money. let 'em spend on watching chicken porn. great. hope they enjoyed it. let them cut it up into little confetti and shove it up their ass to satisfy their anal/paperplay fetish. fantastic. my life is pretty good, so why should i get angry over this kind of thing?

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guthmund

I don't understand it either. I mean, it's a dollar; it's loose change. I don't live in an area with a lot of panhandlers or homeless either, but I imagine it can get pretty irritating seeing the same faces time after time. Even then, like you said, I also imagine you can just walk on by, right? I don't have to give 'Chuck' my last dollar yet again, do I? No need to grab the high horse and furiously pontificate like some.

Get mad all they want, in the end, they're only hurting themselves...the homeless guy couldn't care less what anyone thinks of them. Frankly, I've got enough on my plate without adding my righteous indignation for the guy on the corner I choose to give my pocket change to 2-3 times a week.

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icecoast

I will "donate" about 1 out of every 10 times i see them.

Baraka_Guru

Can we discuss the other side of the issue now? We've thusfar only looked at personal reasons for homelessness. While there are many things we can argue regarding these (such as problems with "get a job"), we haven't mentioned problems inherent in the system that cause homelessness; namely, the cost of housing and healthcare. I don't live in the U.S., but I'm guessing that it must be hard for low-income families. Imagine not being able to find low-income housing and having health issues to boot. As a Canadian who grew up in a small town, I have trouble empathizing with people in dire situations. Healthcare has always been "free," and as a member of the lower-middleclass, low-income housing was never a need. Aren't there things governments could be doing better to help the homeless regarding these issues?

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—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Halx

Some of them make more than me.

In any case, I'm more likely to hand them my leftovers after dinner at a restaurant than actually giving them money. If I gave money to everyone who asked for it, I'd be pretty fuckin broke.

I have a friend who hands some guys 5's and 10's when he's asked. I don't think that's very economical.

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Seaver

Well you'd be surprised how much funding goes to social programs that these people could easily get.

Texas is very conservative, however 60% of our budget goes to social programs. Medicare, Medicaid, Texas Assistance for Needy Families, et al provide all but free healthcare for the poor. No there's no universal health care, but if you make less than 28k a year you'll qualify, so that's no excuse.

Austin has a huge homeless problem because it's liberal and people give lots of money to beggers. The city pays for free housing for those who apply, you get 6 months free of rent and utilities. Two years ago they had to drop half of the housing. Why you ask? It wasn't budget issues, it's because 4 out of 5 rooms are unoccupied. The homeless don't apply because you are given 6 months to find a job, they don't want a job.

I talked to a begger one day as we were in line at HEB (grocery store). He said he makes usually $7-15 per hour begging, all tax free. I make $7.50/hr at one job, and am unpaid at my other (internship). I work two jobs, and go to school (paying it in full myself).

THAT is why I don't give them money. Yes, my hard work will (hopefully) pay off. He, at the moment, is much much much more wealthy than I am and he refuses to work.

Public funds devoted to people down on their luck go unused because the stipulation that they must find a job within 6 months. 60% of our budget go to social welfare programs which ensure that people who need it don't go wanting.

Yes, some of the homeless have mental problems. I pay my taxes, and when I have money will donate to charities. Until then I refuse to give money who make more than I do by doing nothing.

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Infinite_Loser

I always give panhandlers change if I have it, as chances are that they need it much more than I do. It doesn't matter to me what they do with it thereafter.

On a side note, I pray some of you guys and gals don't end up homeless and have to suffer through some of the responses given in this thread

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Baraka_Guru

Well, according to what many us believe when it comes to beggars, he was most likely lying.

It's good to know that Texas has good programs. I've heard many good things about Texas in general. However, is it safe to assume this is the case across the country? I doubt it.

As some evidence, I found this data on the housing crisis that occurred in Toronto. It was one of many factors of homelessness, yet look how much of an impact it had:

• Between 1996 and 2001, Ontario lost 44,780 rental units, of which 17,515 were in the greater Toronto area, where the population increased by 9.6% over that time period.
  
• Between 1997 and 2001, Toronto rents rose by 31% - more than double the 14% rate of inflation for the same period. Today, only 20% of private rental apartments rent for less than $800 a month.
  
• Since 1997, the increase in monthly rent for an average two-parent, two-child family rose $225. Among conventional one-bedroom units, average rent rose $220 over six years, to $894 in 2002.
  
• In the past three years, 873 new rental-housing units were built in the Toronto area (3% of new housing construction), as compared to 28,492 for the home-ownership market (97% of new housing construction).
  
• In Toronto, 49% of all households are tenants. Since 1996, the overall supply of rental housing actually decreased by 5,000 units.
  
• While vacancy rates in Toronto have climbed to about 2.4% this is not as heartening as it may appear. For units at the low end ($400 to $800) the vacancy rate is at about 1%, while the vast bulk of the vacancies are in the $1,200 to $1,600 range. As an indication of how tight the rental market has become, in 1996 units under $800 made up more than 65% of the market; today they make up only about 20% (49,100 of 250,500 units).

Now take all of this and consider another factor: for years, real wages have been stagnant if not eroding.

Things have certainly changed since then. The rental market has opened up, to say the least. I'm unsure about the low-rent units. But what does it matter if you're already homeless and out of work? Or, homeless and working part-time at minimum wage...

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Infinite_Loser

I'm not singling you out here, but I don't understand this at all. You're not giving to the poor because there are poorer people in third world countries? I would've thought that being exposed to cases of extreme poverty in third world countries would make you more willing to address the poverty situation in your own country.

Edit: Granted, I'm not stating that you should start a full-on "War against poverty", but rather you show compassion to the people who are less fortunate than yourself.

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pig

i just want to take an aside to recognize this moment when infinite_loser and i agree on something. this has been another great moment in hook-up history.

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ItWasMe

Tell them it's because the cheapest food here is also the worst for you. Ramen noodles, fast food, and pizza are fattening. Not that fast food is that cheap, but if I had no kitchen that's what I'd be eating (if anything).

I help with spare change on a case by case basis. I value our veterans, but I get really irritated when people use that as the reason people should help them... One man approached me at a restaurant for money. He couldn't have been older than about 25. He said he was a veteran, but looked perfectly healthy. He was irritated at my offer to buy him food (with my debit card). I turned down the request for money, feeling uneasy to let him see what I had.

I did help a lady once who didn't ask me for help. My sister and I were standing in line for a free movie preview. Free, so there was a long line. The old lady behind us in line looked like she was homeless or very low income, by her general appearance. I sent my sister across the street to McDonald's to get a few breakfast burgers. I ate one in line, worrying about how to give her one without insulting her. Because I could have been wrong about her appearance. I finished mine, and turned to chat with her. Told her that I'd forgotten to eat breakfast, and was so hungry I ordered more than I could eat. I asked her if she remembered to eat breakfast. She said she forgot, too, and was very happy to have the rest of my bag.

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .


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Carno

Are you serious? If you dangled $500 in front of a bum and told him to shower, shave and get a hotel room, you really think he is going to do all that? Or do you think he is going to say whatever it takes to get the money and then do whatever the fuck he wants with it? Are you really that naive?

Also, what is this nonsense about teaching a bum how to cook? What good is knowing how to cook if you live under a bridge?

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pig

dude carno: sterno. its not just for drinking anymore. which makes me want a fried fucking bologna sammich something fierce right now.

thanks for the reminder!

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Carno

What the heck are you going to "teach" them how to cook? Filet mignon?

How does homelessness = not knowing how to cook? I don't think people become homeless by not knowing how to cook, so I don't understand why one would assume that a bum doesn't know how to cook.

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pig

i'd teach them how to make beef jerky. not only do i really like homemade beef jerky, but i'd think that shit would keep pretty well.

oh, you mean seriously? i have no fucking idea.

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Carno

Maybe we could start a program where the bodies of dead bums are turned into Soylent Green and fed to other bums?

Eh? Good idea, huh?

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mixedmedia

I think it's always important when having these kinds of discussions to realize that many (if not most) of the people you see panhandling on the streets are there BY CHOICE. They travel, they don't work "regular jobs," they are drop-outs from society. Just because a person is begging on the street doesn't mean they are pitiable and just need a hand-up from a kind soul to get them back on their feet. Not to belittle the very real fact that there are true homeless people - those who are not able to work, or work enough to feed, clothe and shelter themselves and/or their family, including the mentally ill.

Where I live, virtually all of the people we would call "homeless" are of the former variety and I'm going to venture to guess that many people begging on the streets in other places are, as well.

Still, I fail to see what is so deplorable about choosing this life for yourself. What harm does it do to you? Really. In real terms, and let's not quibble about the extra pennies you pay in taxes to cover their health expenses because it's very likely, if these folks were living "normally," that they would still be assisted by government programs. It can't be that you're jealous of their lifestyle, can it? I sure as hell am not, and I don't care how much money they are making.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Jetée

I agree that it is a farfetched method and an extreme alternative to just doling a few bills, but I posted it because I have actually witnessed it work. I don't believe I stated in my 'hypothetical situation' that the beggar would recieve any money from me at all; it is in reality, a crutch that serves to aid the individual that so happens to be brought about by spending some money. Hypothetically, I would only propose to the beggar an alternative to their current lifestyle. In my experience when living in NY, MD, and FL, I personally approached eight homeless men, women, and one teen if they would like an opportunity to work. Most said no right away and walked away, while a few made suspicious inquiries as to my motives, yet requested more iinformation. Of the nine approached, seven had actually submitted to some financial and supplementary aid within a period of five months. Of those seven, I have certain knowledge that five of them have rebuilt their lives and are faring quite well with their former/new families, while one is still struggling to obtain a steady grasp on a normal life again, yet it was only the one other homeless man who couldn't firmly regain a foothold on life, and subsequently passed away after relapsing on drugs. So, it would seem as though my method of total moral involvement as opposed to a mere fleeting gesture of pity towards the disadvantaged does not seem to be that ludicrous or naive. I have no disillusions about their situation and their perspective on life, but to deny them the opportunity to work to regain what was lost to them, all the while having concerned citizens there to support them along the way, well... I could not stand to take such an apathetic approach.

This was merely used as a 'for instance' example that if said "bum" could gain some useful skills in life that were denied to him because of how modern society negatively views him, then he could perhaps stand a chance to shake off the yoke of impoverishment that he has been burdened with for so long. I'm sure that a bum who can do five tricks as opposed to none will eventually be the given opportunity for something better by applying greater resources.

Oh, well.. that is only my approach to the communities in which I have lived.
I do it because I was once in that very situation when I was a child myself, when no one else would turn a blind eye towards me and stop to even exchange a simple pleasantry. If not for the kindness, generosity, and compassion of our fellow man, I would not be here to debate the situational "what-if" occurence of encountering yet another panhandler.




These are the life lessons that have become instilled
within my character after numerous ground-shattering
yet enlightening experiences within my own life.
...Or... perhaps, I am just that naive.

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

Carno

Not giving someone $2 is hardly denying them the opportunity to regain what they once had, so you can stop with that nonsense.

I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree, because I really can't agree with anything you are saying.

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Jetée

Heh... Agreed.

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—Mohandas K. Gandhi

abaya

Since when does "compassion" involve giving spare change to random people on the street? What I was saying was that I felt compelled to give money to people with lost limbs and therefore totally and clearly disabled in 3rd world countries. I did not say that I don't believe in HELPING people in general, in the US.

Before I moved to podunk middle-class college town for grad school (almost no homeless people at all, and where I gave money to the Red Cross and other charities instead), I held volunteer positions where I helped teach GED lessons for homeless teenagers, as well as tutored English lessons in low-income housing for Somali refugees who were on and off the streets. If I saw either the teens or refugees on the street, no, I would not give them money. But yes, I would give them several hours from my week to try and give them skills that would get them out of their situation. To me, that's more "compassionate" than flipping a quarter to some dude every day, but each to his own.

If I have the chance to live in or near a big city again, I would actively look for a similar kind of volunteer situation, and still refuse to give people money on the street. Reykjavík is a big city, but it doesn't count because the social services are so strong here that there are virtually NO homeless people, period. Yes, poverty exists here, but they are not out on the street thanks to 40% income taxes, which I gladly pay. If taxes increased to 40% in the US in order to help less-fortunate people, I would gladly pay that as well. But I am just not going to hand out money to random people who "appear" to be in need, with 4 working limbs to help get them to a place where they can get food or learn skills, when I have no idea what their situation really is.

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ozahs

Rarely, if ever. I'll give to street musicians or performers because at least they are out there trying. And I've given food several times, but I find it difficult to give them money.

The arguments that governments don't do enough, or we should give and not care what destructive behavior follows do not make sense to me. The social welfare systems in the US are extensive, and not confined to Texas. They are, in fact, in EVERY state. As far as the cost of healthcare contributing to homelessness, that is simply untrue. It is illegal for a hospital to turn away a patient just because they have no health insurance. MN has three separate taxpayer funded medical programs for low income citizens, and we are not alone.

Most people living on the streets are there either because they choose to live that way, or they consistently make choices that prevent them from conforming to mainstream society. There's a myriad of agencies and programs (both government and privately funded) out there to help people get back on their feet after a setback. The ones that benefit from these programs are the ones that are willing and able to work, or if they are disabled they are willing to abide by the rules. Beds in shelters are denied to those who insist on disruptive behavior (substance abuse, sex, fighting, etc).

The bottom line for me, though, is that I don't want to enable destructive behavior. And it is not about moral judgments either. How do I know that the next fix won't result in a cardiac arrest or HIV infection? Am I supposed to feel good about contributing to that? Should I feel good about contributing to the destruction and death of an individual who doesn't care if they live or die?

that's my 2 cents

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n0nsensical

Never. It's MY drug money, dammit!

snowy

Michael Pollan wrote a great piece on this fact in this week's New York Times Magazine: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/ma...ne&oref=slogin

Here is a bit from the article:

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Baraka_Guru

Okay, this conclusion of this article seemed a bit silly to me. Is it suggesting that people on a really tight budget will only live off of things such as pop and chips? There is more to the problem than this. For example: what social group typically has a problem of poverty? One answer is single mothers. What's a single mother to do when she's working two jobs and raising two kids? Convenience foods are cheap and fast. But to say that healthy food isn't cheap isn't quite true. Rice, oats, beans, canned meats, frozen vegetables... these are all pretty cheap, aren't they? But you do need to prepare them. Also, when you're stressed out because you're not sure if you can pay the rent this month (yet again), junk food is also comfort food.

"...the most rational economic strategy is to eat badly — and get fat." The most rational? Poppycock.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

longbough

When I was a college student I made the mistake of giving money to a panhandler one day. Of course I'd see him again off campus on the street but this time he'd target me every time. And then he'd curse me out if I ignored him... go figure.

Later I'd carry around fresh fruit or bread for myself - but if I saw a panhandler I'd offer them some food instead.

Years later I got over my "upper class guilt." There are other ways to give back to the community or the poor than tossing a few coins at a stranger. Volunteer work and public service take more dedication and are more effective ways of addressing the situation.

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Jimellow

I do, within reason.

I once gave a panhandler money on the pretense that it was to help support his child, but later found out he just went to the bar and spent it on alcohol.

Regardless, if I make the decision to give them some money, and do, the money is then theirs to do with as they please. It seems silly to give someone money, but take offense when they use it a way other than was intended. If I give someone a few bucks and they blow it on beer, that's their decision, and perhaps it's also why they remain homeless; but ultimately, it's their life to live.

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Sultana

I'm consistently surprised to see how much "It's their life, their decisions to do with the mony what they want " attitude...without the focusing on they are *Begging* for money they didn't earn (btw, is there a real difference between beggars and panhandlers?). I'm talking about the folks who just walk up and ask for money.

Really. Some complete stranger can just walk up to you guys (general "you", of course) and request a donation, and do whatever they want with what's given without you guys feeling like there is any sense of accountability (not talking about mentally ill here)? And it's considered bad to not just give as asked?

Seems rather like enabling to me.

I've gone hungry and been without necessities(not homeless though), and it never even occured to me to ask a stranger for a hand out.

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At night, the ice weasels come." -

Matt Groening

My goal? To fulfill my potential.

sillygirl

I'm with you on this. I don't give money. I do, however, give food/water. I've had a couple get insulted over it, and I've also seen tears in the eyes of a man who I bought a sandwich for at a grocery store.

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mixedmedia

Aren't we all being enabled in some way?

Nope, no accountability, but I've alreadly expressed that I don't resent their way of life. And, they aren't all junkies and alcoholics.

Your last statement I think is an important point. Most people are not going to live the transient lifestyle no matter how bad things get. There's only a certain percentage of people who will end up this way - and I am not referring to true homeless or mentally ill people - but the people that used to be referred to as "hobos." I can live with that percentage of people dropping out and getting by with handouts on the street. And sure, some of them are assholes and rude, but so are a lot of people with jobs and homes. *shrug*

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

hagatha

I give money to women. When i see them, I think that could be me,or my mother, or my sister, or my friend-- all it would take was one or two breakdowns and you've got nothing.
We kick our mental patients out of instituations and say 'here, you're free, go take on that world". Yeah, living in a tenament where you're locked out from 9 - 5 and sharing a living space with god knows who.
When there is no real hope in your life and you've got nothing, wouldn't you spend every last bit of money on some drug to at least make the pain bareable? I think I can spare a loonie (one Canadian dollar) for that.

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Carno

You already said you don't live in an area where there are a lot of bums... I wonder if your opinion would change if a bunch of bums decided to live near you...

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Infinite_Loser

The biggest problem I have with people is that they're sometimes disillusioned when it comes to the homeless (Once again, I'm not singling you out). Whenever I hear the statement "People are homeless because they choose to be!" I simply want to slap the person who said (Or typed) it. Yes, some people are homeless and hungry by choice but, then again, most are not. Anyone can end up homeless. I don't try to qualify anyone's actions, as it's hard for me to say what I would do if I were homeless (I'd probably start begging as well).

You know... I'd love to see a couple of people here stripped of their 'wealth' and left on the streets of a foreign country to fend for themselves. I'm pretty sure that'd change their tunes.

(Oh, and for the record, I realize that not all panhandlers are homeless. However, I also believe in divine retribution. If the person truly isn't in need of that money, then it'll catch up with them.)

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mixedmedia

Well, you may wonder. And please don't take this the wrong way, but I can tell you most definitively that you and I have vastly different ways of looking at this issue (and others) - ways that are based on our own personal assumptions, tolerance levels and values. Due to this fact, I don't think it's likely that my feelings would change drastically if I were around more bums. Just as yours would not if you were around fewer bums.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Carno

What the fuck does a foreign country have to do with anything? I've seen poor people in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico. Poor people in third world countries are in a whole different class than poor people in the United States.

Also, I have a feeling that those who said they wouldn't blindly give money to beggars would easily find a way to get a job and get back on their feet. If I were homeless I wouldn't beg for money. I'd walk my ass to McDonalds and get a fucking job.

Huh? Because we have different opinions, your opinion wouldn't change if you lived near more bums? I don't understand.

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mixedmedia

And, just for the record, just because I am not living in an area with a high population of transients does not mean I am never in these areas. Everytime I go downtown I am asked for money. And I lived near downtown for 8 years in a home in which it was not unusual to regularly find transients sleeping in or simply traversing the backyard. It's never bothered me.

Uh, no dude. Because we have different ways of looking at the world and the people in it. I don't think I made it difficult to understand. In fact, I think I said it quite plainly.

And to go a little further with it, it's a little insulting to infer that I would be "more like you" if my situation were a little different. I am quite definitely who I is.

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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Infinite_Loser

I think you read a bit too much into what I was saying. I'd simply like to see a few people placed in an unfamiliar area and left to fend for themselves. It doesn't have to be a foreign country, as that was simply an example.

If life were only that simple, eh? The biggest problem the homeless face is that employers typically don't want to hire them. It's always easy to say what you would do when you don't have to do it, hence why I'd like to see you stripped of whatever wealth/possessions you own and forced to live on the streets. I'd be quite interested to see what would happen.

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I believe in equality; Everyone is equally inferior to me.