Homeless man with two masters degrees.

[∞]

This guy has 2 masters degrees in physics. "Work hard, make money" my ass.

8eNPAH46oI8

[ColonelCossack]

And you get millionaires like jack Petchey who flunked school because they didn't ever have to worry about money because of their parents...

[Aleenik]

Very sad. A nice example of how fucked up Capitalism is.

[Nox]

Just shows how Capitalism fucks everyone over, even people who try and adapt to the system.

[Dr Mindbender]

Wish i could say i was surprised. It just goes to show no ones job is safe.

Then there are 'leftists' who celebrate the cutbacks faced by NASA and the space program. It is guys like this that are suffering.

[CommunityBeliever]

Capitalism ≠ Meritocracy

[Klaatu]

I believe that homelessness has to do with personal psychological problems. These are people that have given up on life. Nearly all of them are alcoholics or drug addicts. That being said, it is the responsibility of both church and state to help these folks get back on their feet, get jobs, and get their lives back in order. In Detroit, we had the Lafayette Clinic, which did exactly that: helped the homeless recover from the abyss they had fallen into.

Then came REPUBLICAN governor John Engler. He CLOSED the clinic, citing costs. (or whatever other lame excuse the political right dreamed up) Result: hundreds of homeless here now in the city, literally living in cardboard boxes, drinking (and starving) themselves to death.

Way to go Engler, you CAPITALIST PIG!

[ZeroNowhere]

I believe that homelessness has to do with personal psychological problems. These are people that have given up on life. Nearly all of them are alcoholics or drug addicts. That being said, it is the responsibility of both church and state to help these folks get back on their feet, get jobs, and get their lives back in order.
You're engaging in parody here, I assume?

[RadioRaheem84]

Capitalism wastes human potential!

It's amazing how many hours, days, years of people's lives are wasted to appease the market.

The system is INHUMANE!

[Kléber]

When I was little I would go to the park to learn chess from a former grand master and PhD. He was a brilliant old man, reduced to sleeping in alleyways and relying on the community for support.

[ProletarianResurrection]

You're engaging in parody here, I assume?

Being homeless is pretty despiriting to say the least, in that situation its very, very easy to just give up and turn to drink or drugs and/or develop psychological and emotional problems. These things are often caused by homelessness as much as they might cause homelessness.

[Klaatu]

You're engaging in parody here, I assume?

I personally know a few homeless people. They have given up on life, and do need help. I meant what I said.

[Hriplostoru]

This website is really good. While Using this website we feel great. it is one of the simple and useful website.

[Bardo]

I believe that homelessness has to do with personal psychological problems. These are people that have given up on life.


So does giving up on life precede homelessness or is giving up on life caused by being homeless/hopeless? The guy in the video, for example, has a PhD in physics, sold everything he owned to save his house and is now living on the streets.It sounds to me like he hasn't given up on anything.

Some people give up on life and end up homeless because of it, but I wouldn't say homelessness in general has to do with not caring/giving up/not trying/being lazy ect.

[Commissar Rykov]

I believe that homelessness has to do with personal psychological problems. These are people that have given up on life. Nearly all of them are alcoholics or drug addicts. That being said, it is the responsibility of both church and state to help these folks get back on their feet, get jobs, and get their lives back in order. In Detroit, we had the Lafayette Clinic, which did exactly that: helped the homeless recover from the abyss they had fallen into.

Then came REPUBLICAN governor John Engler. He CLOSED the clinic, citing costs. (or whatever other lame excuse the political right dreamed up) Result: hundreds of homeless here now in the city, literally living in cardboard boxes, drinking (and starving) themselves to death.

Way to go Engler, you CAPITALIST PIG!
Learned Helplessness is caused by the situation the person is in not the reverse.

[Dzerzhinsky's Ghost]

I believe that homelessness has to do with personal psychological problems. These are people that have given up on life. Nearly all of them are alcoholics or drug addicts.

Stfu.

In regards to the OP, this is the saddest thing I've seen all day, like, fuck. It reminds me of the movie Schindler's List in which a professor/teacher of history and literature was considered a non-essential worker, not to good of a comparison but that's what it reminds me of.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

I personally know a few homeless people. They have given up on life, and do need help. I meant what I said.

I have an MA and I have been close to homelessness several times. I'm sorry but your last two posts on this subject make me extremely angry.

[Klaatu]

I have an MA and I have been close to homelessness several times. I'm sorry but your last two posts on this subject make me extremely angry.

I am confused... Are you angry at the capitalist system, which has zero compassion for those less-fortunate... or are you angry at me? :confused:

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I am confused... Are you angry at the capitalist system, which has zero compassion for those less-fortunate... or are you angry at me? :confused:

Saying "they have given up on life" has undertones of victim-blaming.

[Klaatu]

Saying "they have given up on life" has undertones of victim-blaming.

You're taking it the wrong way. I am not "blaming the victim." I am blaming the system for failure to lend a helping hand.

(please go back and carefully re-read my post)

[Lenina Rosenweg]

I am confused... Are you angry at the capitalist system, which has zero compassion for those less-fortunate... or are you angry at me? :confused:

At first both. I've calmed down and reread the posts. I am angry at the capitalist system.

I have never been homeless myself but I have been close several times (I'm okay now, thanks). I've done volunteer work in soup kitchens, I've gotten to know many homeless people. Near where I used to live (Cambridge, MA.) there were a lot of home less people. Most were either mentally ill or were chronic alcoholics. This is no excuse for society allowing them to be homeless.These are the chronic homeless.The neo-liberal ideology of self responsibility does not make sense here.

As far as short term, "structural homeless" virtually everyone I know in their 20s and 30s (and I know many) who either do not have a university degree or have a degree in a liberal arts field (something not readily useful to the ruling class) have been either homeless or very close to being homeless.In my experience this type of homelessness is vast. Unless someone has an MBA degree or is a tech person, its certain they'll experience some homelessness in their life.

One of my best friends, a very intelligent creative guy, used to find creative ways of sneaking into university dining halls to eat. This wasn't for fun but for survival. I have another good friend, an artist, who used to occasionally panhandle but would feel ashamed about it afterwards.

Thirty or forty years ago things were not like this.Now the constraints are much narrower. Its tough to survive under neo-liberalism.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

You're taking it the wrong way. I am not "blaming the victim." I am blaming the system for failure to lend a helping hand.

(please go back and carefully re-read my post)

You may not have meant it that way, but it could be misunderstood in that way.

[OhYesIdid]

I've also volunteered at soup kitchens, but around here (México) they're mostly run by the Catholic Church. The people who actually take the time to do the good work are decent and all, but it saddens me that my actions justify the hypocrisy of the vast majority.
Sentimentality my dirty hispanic ass, this is an objective matter of people suffering so that a handful might have it all. It is when seeing this that I feel socialism should have a more active role in society, instead of laying back and waiting for history to take place. I feel so frustrated at my community's general apathy, my people are so desensitized that they pass by the indigenous Tarahumara people dying in the streets without a second look, making me wonder if we are still even human. Fuck, capitalism is a murderous con.

[Klaatu]

You may not have meant it that way, but it could be misunderstood in that way.
I am not exactly sure why you found my statement to be heartless, but I can assure all here that I do not write hidden meanings into my posts. What you see is what you get.

You really have to know someone that is homeless to understand. But then since I am not trained in the field of psychology, I will retract my original statement, (that these folks have psychological problems) I will have to leave that to the experts.

[Blackburn]

klaatu,

The basic definition of homelessness, is not having a home.

Whilst there may be correlation to some folks having mental disorders/drug problems....correlation doe not equal causation.

I personally had to help a young couple in their teens who were thrown out of the girl's parents house at short notice over a domestic dispute. It turned out we could not accommodate them in our house for long. I had to help them arrange storage for their goods, animals...and then arrange for them to be split up and to go to shelters. It was heartbreaking. No drug problems, no mental disorders.

A lot of the homeless in Australia are teenagers who are unable to legally rent homes.

[Klaatu]

My brother allows a homeless man to live in his house, as long as he does chores. We even got him a job at a local store. This poor guy was sleeping in abandoned cars in January (and this is Detroit) He has admitted that he "has given up on life." But we hope to change his mind. :)

[Blackburn]

My brother allows a homeless man to live in his house, as long as he does chores. We even got him a job at a local store. This poor guy was sleeping in abandoned cars in January (and this is Detroit) He has admitted that he "has given up on life." But we hope to change his mind. :)

Yeah, I guess that is one of the costs of homelessness. :(

[theblackmask]

I believe that homelessness has to do with personal psychological problems. These are people that have given up on life. Nearly all of them are alcoholics or drug addicts.

This statement makes me cringe. Are there homeless people that have given up on life? Sure. Are there homeless people who are drug addicts? Yes. Perhaps there was a time when you could apply these conditions to all homeless people, but to do that now is simply wrong. It sounds like you are basing your opinion on one homeless guy that you know, when in reality economic conditions have changed to the point where anyone can end up homeless.

To hold ideas like "homeless people are lazy drug addicts" is (not that I ever like to use this word) counterrevolutionary. It ignores the harsh economic realities that many people, not just the ones who have "given up on life," face everyday. You are perpetuating ruling class ideas that are tools of oppression, and essentially spouting the same thing as the capitalists...but instead of simply telling them to get a job, you mask your maliciousness with charity.

[electro_fan]

I believe that homelessness has to do with personal psychological problems. These are people that have given up on life. Nearly all of them are alcoholics or drug addicts. That being said, it is the responsibility of both church and state to help these folks get back on their feet, get jobs, and get their lives back in order. In Detroit, we had the Lafayette Clinic, which did exactly that: helped the homeless recover from the abyss they had fallen into.

Then came REPUBLICAN governor John Engler. He CLOSED the clinic, citing costs. (or whatever other lame excuse the political right dreamed up) Result: hundreds of homeless here now in the city, literally living in cardboard boxes, drinking (and starving) themselves to death.

Way to go Engler, you CAPITALIST PIG!

huh, why is it the responsibility of the church and religious groups/cults to help the homeless,especially because the church is often responsible for fucking peoples lives up even more? in britain we have a group called the "Jesus army" which recruits homeless people, by coercion, by forcing them to join and refusing to give them food and other help except if they are prepared to be indoctrinated by the church!

while religious groups and churches can often play a good role like the salvation army etc, and for example jewish people acting as volunteers when the homeless shelters are closed over christmas, in a socialist society it really wouldn't be necessary, especially when a lot of groups doing the "helping" are quite predatory?

[Klaatu]

This statement makes me cringe. Are there homeless people that have given up on life? Sure. Are there homeless people who are drug addicts? Yes. Perhaps there was a time when you could apply these conditions to all homeless people, but to do that now is simply wrong. It sounds like you are basing your opinion on one homeless guy that you know, when in reality economic conditions have changed to the point where anyone can end up homeless.

To hold ideas like "homeless people are lazy drug addicts" is (not that I ever like to use this word) counterrevolutionary. It ignores the harsh economic realities that many people, not just the ones who have "given up on life," face everyday. You are perpetuating ruling class ideas that are tools of oppression, and essentially spouting the same thing as the capitalists...but instead of simply telling them to get a job, you mask your maliciousness with charity.

These are not my opinions. The notion that "the homeless are alcoholics and addicts with psychological problems" is the opinion of experts.
I am simply repeating what I've read about this. And I never said "homeless people are lazy drug addicts" (stop putting words in my mouth)




huh, why is it the responsibility of the church and religious groups/cults to help the homeless,especially because the church is often responsible for fucking peoples lives up even more? in britain we have a group called the "Jesus army" which recruits homeless people, by coercion, by forcing them to join and refusing to give them food and other help except if they are prepared to be indoctrinated by the church!

while religious groups and churches can often play a good role like the salvation army etc, and for example jewish people acting as volunteers when the homeless shelters are closed over christmas, in a socialist society it really wouldn't be necessary, especially when a lot of groups doing the "helping" are quite predatory?

In my community, the Catholic Church gives out non-perishible foods and clothing to the homeless, which have been donated by people.
No questions asked, no proselytizing, no lectures, no nothing, just a helping hand.

Sorry for the jackasses in your country that are trying to enslave people. We have that here too, probably on a much larger scale.

[electro_fan]

fair enough i guess.
to be honest, i'd have thought it was fairly obvious that homeless people generally have psychological problems,either as a result of being made homeless, or as one of the factors that led to the homelessness. certainly very, very few people choose that life

[Klaatu]

fair enough i guess.
to be honest, i'd have thought it was fairly obvious that homeless people generally have psychological problems,either as a result of being made homeless, or as one of the factors that led to the homelessness. certainly very, very few people choose that life

I just got blasted for mentioning that. I should have posted reference links to avoid the storm, so to speak.

There is a third factor (besides an unfair society and self-awareness) and that is ALCOHOL. Sometimes drugs, but by far mostly alcohol.

So what can be done? I have suggested higher taxes on beer and booze (I am shooting myself in the foot here, because I like my beer) but instead of raising the tax, why not just use ALL existing tax collected on alcohol to provide state help programs for alcoholics? (But that should be the topic of a different thread.)

[Klaatu]

I would like to bring up the fact that there are people that are nearly-homeless in our cities too. These folks cannot find full-time work, and must live with friends or relatives, or live in crowded 2 or 3 family homes, or even live in rat-infested slums!

Not to take our sights off of the truly homeless, but this lack-of-wholesome-habitat situation extends much further than the (visible) guys we see living in the streets.

This is a faulty system: a system in which home and rent prices are bid upwards and upwards by rich people. Just think: if NO ONE were rich, ALL home prices would be lower and affordable. Guaranteed. This would solve the plight of the "nearly-homeless" at least. And probably of the homeless, to some extent too.

[theblackmask]

These are not my opinions. The notion that "the homeless are alcoholics and addicts with psychological problems" is the opinion of experts.
I am simply repeating what I've read about this.

OK, well have fun repeating what you hear from "experts." Today you are bashing the homeless, tomorrow you will be supporting wars because experts say it is necessary. Any "expert" that claims that homelessness is the fault of a person is obviously part of the ruling class and has a vested interest in fragmenting the working class. If you were a real revolutionary you would be more interested in eliminating homelessness than perpetuating it with charity.

Are you really that stupid that you will believe whatever "experts" you hear and believe that homelessness is the fault of the people? I'd really like to see some sources where "experts" say that homelessness is the fault of the people.

[Delenda Carthago]

Capitalism wastes human potential!

It's amazing how many hours, days, years of people's lives are wasted to appease the market.

The system is INHUMANE!
This is what its all about. A system that trashes its best material because it has no ways of using them, is a counter productive system. And counter productive systems cannot sustain, no matter how oppresive they might be.

[Klaatu]

OK, well have fun repeating what you hear from "experts." Today you are bashing the homeless, tomorrow you will be supporting wars because experts say it is necessary. Any "expert" that claims that homelessness is the fault of a person is obviously part of the ruling class and has a vested interest in fragmenting the working class. If you were a real revolutionary you would be more interested in eliminating homelessness than perpetuating it with charity.

Are you really that stupid that you will believe whatever "experts" you hear and believe that homelessness is the fault of the people? I'd really like to see some sources where "experts" say that homelessness is the fault of the people.

I'm "bashing the homeless?"

Since YOU are the expert, what is YOUR PLAN? How will YOU eliminate homelessness? And WHAT causes it?

If you have no ideas, don't bother commenting.

[∞]

The highest-rated comment for this video was:


So much respect for this man...

Fuck Capitalism

[Sensible Socialist]

These are not my opinions. The notion that "the homeless are alcoholics and addicts with psychological problems" is the opinion of experts.
I am simply repeating what I've read about this.
At least your honest about being a sheep.

[Klaatu]

These guys are fairly convincing actors in the video, but I think it's all STAGED. Who is the interviewer? What are his credentials? And let's see the job-seeker's 'degrees.' People with PhD degrees in physics and aeronautics don't normally have trouble landing jobs... besides, the guy being interviewed doesn't say he is actually "homeless" (in the way we think of 'the homeless') he is just having a bit of difficulty finding a new job. So are a lot of people these days.

Sorry but I think this video interview is FAKE. And if anything, it speaks more about the recession than it does homelessness.

[electro_fan]

It might not be fake - people who have masters' degrees etc may have other problems such as communication skills problems that prevent them from finding work, and there's also the fact that they may have a lack of experience. when i worked in a warehouse earlier this year, there were several people with PhDs who'd been unable to find work in their field (or else their field wasn't one that lended itself to getting a job easily)

[Commissar Rykov]

These guys are fairly convincing actors in the video, but I think it's all STAGED. Who is the interviewer? What are his credentials? And let's see the job-seeker's 'degrees.' People with PhD degrees in physics and aeronautics don't normally have trouble landing jobs... besides, the guy being interviewed doesn't say he is actually "homeless" (in the way we think of 'the homeless') he is just having a bit of difficulty finding a new job. So are a lot of people these days.

Sorry but I think this video interview is FAKE. And if anything, it speaks more about the recession than it does homelessness.
It is fake that someone with two Masters Degrees is homeless? Go take your fucking bullshit and spout it somewhere else. I grow tired of this fucking Bourgeois Snobbish attitude towards the poor and I don't expect it at Revleft of all places. You are the worst kind of scum.

[gendoikari]

This guy has 2 masters degrees in physics. "Work hard, make money" my ass.

8eNPAH46oI8

I have a BS in physics.... wow am I fucked.

[Thirsty Crow]

OK, well have fun repeating what you hear from "experts." Today you are bashing the homeless, tomorrow you will be supporting wars because experts say it is necessary. Any "expert" that claims that homelessness is the fault of a person is obviously part of the ruling class and has a vested interest in fragmenting the working class. If you were a real revolutionary you would be more interested in eliminating homelessness than perpetuating it with charity.

To be honest, this framework of total personal responsibility vs. total victimization you are trying to impose here is not so helpful since the user in question was undoubtedly not involved in any argument even resembling "bash the homeless for the weakness etc.".
I don't think the issue can be reduced to such a simple dichotomy. Of course, homelessness is a symptom of this contemporary class society: it is a product of certain social forces. But to deny that there are factors involved here except from conscious and malevolent class domination is to deprive ourselves from vital knowledge we can use as arguments put forward in the political domain.

So, no, not all "experts" are mere puppets repeating the lines whispered into their ears by the ruling class.

[Mark V.]

These are not my opinions. The notion that "the homeless are alcoholics and addicts with psychological problems" is the opinion of experts.
I am simply repeating what I've read about this.

The theblackmask asked this, but I'll ask again, what sources are you using? Because the ones I found from the Washington Post and National Coalition for the homeless say that while it is a contributing factor it is not the factor for a majority of the homeless. In particular, The National Coalition for the Homeless stated that it was the third, not first, largest cause for homelessness. I would post a link but I don't have 25 posts yet...

Anyways, I would just like to read more on this subject than what can be found through a google search, thats why I'm asking.

On the video, I find it very believable that a person with a Masters Degree and such a high level of training could be homeless. Even by the flawed numbers of the US government, unemployment for people with Bachelor's Degrees and up is from 4.5 to 5%. The fact that even one of these people with such intelligence and training are not able to find work and help society shows how screwed up Capitalism is. Work hard and advance in life my ass.

[Klaatu]

It is fake that someone with two Masters Degrees is homeless? Go take your fucking bullshit and spout it somewhere else. I grow tired of this fucking Bourgeois Snobbish attitude towards the poor and I don't expect it at Revleft of all places. You are the worst kind of scum.

(A) I'm not proving it is fake, I am getting the impression it is faked. Anyway, so what? Seems to me that you and a few others here on this thread are the ones being duped, by believing everything you see on YouTube. Ever hear of activists acting out a part? Is that at all possible?:rolleyes:

(B) you need to get a job yourself and you will be a lot happier ;)

[Klaatu]

The theblackmask asked this, but I'll ask again, what sources are you using? Because the ones I found from the Washington Post and National Coalition for the homeless say that while it is a contributing factor it is not the factor for a majority of the homeless. In particular, The National Coalition for the Homeless stated that it was the third, not first, largest cause for homelessness. I would post a link but I don't have 25 posts yet...

Anyways, I would just like to read more on this subject than what can be found through a google search, thats why I'm asking.

On the video, I find it very believable that a person with a Masters Degree and such a high level of training could be homeless. Even by the flawed numbers of the US government, unemployment for people with Bachelor's Degrees and up is from 4.5 to 5%. The fact that even one of these people with such intelligence and training are not able to find work and help society shows how screwed up Capitalism is. Work hard and advance in life my ass.

Sorry I don't recall the source. I am not an activist in this area, I am activist on environmental causes. Like I said, I retracted my comment about the "psychological causes" and stated that I would simply "leave that question to the experts."

Sure it's possible to have degrees and be homeless. But the guy did not say he was (unless I missed it) He only stated that he is having trouble landing a job in his field.

Besides, like I said, these guys could be acting activists, or they could be for real, it probably doesn't matter anyway. Raising awareness is their goal, no matter what their method is. Kudos to them for that.

As for the name-callers on this thread, grow up!

[Commissar Rykov]

(A) I'm not proving it is fake, I am getting the impression it is faked. Anyway, so what? Seems to me that you and a few others here on this thread are the ones being duped, by believing everything you see on YouTube. Ever hear of activists acting out a part? Is that at all possible?:rolleyes:

(B) you need to get a job yourself and you will be a lot happier ;)
How about you grow up and stop acting like a child? Get a job, eh? I didn't know we let Republicans here on these forums. Typical Reactionary scum go fuck yourself.

Having been homeless myself before even though I had a job and was working fulltime it was beyond my control. As you would say though it is because I can't adapt, I'm lazy and I am obviously mentally ill and have given up on life. Get bet you Social Darwinist Fuck.

[∞]

Why do my threads always end up in flames?

[Blackscare]

These guys are fairly convincing actors in the video, but I think it's all STAGED. Who is the interviewer? What are his credentials? And let's see the job-seeker's 'degrees.' People with PhD degrees in physics and aeronautics don't normally have trouble landing jobs... besides, the guy being interviewed doesn't say he is actually "homeless" (in the way we think of 'the homeless') he is just having a bit of difficulty finding a new job. So are a lot of people these days.

Sorry but I think this video interview is FAKE. And if anything, it speaks more about the recession than it does homelessness.


There is such a thing as being overqualified. The problem with having very advanced degrees is that if you can't find work in the field of work you've specialized your education into, your degree is more or less a strike against you on the job market. People have it in their minds that if you get some great degree you're basically then qualified for everything "under" that on the job totem-pole by default, but workers are only useful insofar as they can most efficiently convey surplus-capital into the hands of their bosses. So, if you need some aeronautical shit done, you need someone like this guy. He can demand a better salary because there are a great deal less people in the job market with his set of skills than that of a day-laborer. But if you need someone to haul trash or manage a taco bell, you don't need degrees or advanced skills, in fact you'd rather an employee not have such qualifications lest they demand raises, promotions, etc. If all you need is someone to wash dishes or something, why on earth would you hire someone accustomed to working under drastically better conditions than you're willing to provide? At the very least you know that you're employing a person with options, someone who could get a job offer and leave at the drop of a hat.

[Klaatu]

How about you grow up and stop acting like a child? Get a job, eh? I didn't know we let Republicans here on these forums. Typical Reactionary scum go fuck yourself.

Having been homeless myself before even though I had a job and was working fulltime it was beyond my control. As you would say though it is because I can't adapt, I'm lazy and I am obviously mentally ill and have given up on life. Get bet you Social Darwinist Fuck.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Looks like you haven't "adapted" yet. So keep on trying you'll get there :laugh::laugh::laugh:

[Klaatu]

It appears that there are certain people on this thread (not mentioning names) that have an acute lack of reading-comprehension skills.

[Klaatu]

There is such a thing as being overqualified. The problem with having very advanced degrees is that if you can't find work in the field of work you've specialized your education into, your degree is more or less a strike against you on the job market. People have it in their minds that if you get some great degree you're basically then qualified for everything "under" that on the job totem-pole by default, but workers are only useful insofar as they can most efficiently convey surplus-capital into the hands of their bosses. So, if you need some aeronautical shit done, you need someone like this guy. He can demand a better salary because there are a great deal less people in the job market with his set of skills than that of a day-laborer. But if you need someone to haul trash or manage a taco bell, you don't need degrees or advanced skills, in fact you'd rather an employee not have such qualifications lest they demand raises, promotions, etc. If all you need is someone to wash dishes or something, why on earth would you hire someone accustomed to working under drastically better conditions than you're willing to provide? At the very least you know that you're employing a person with options, someone who could get a job offer and leave at the drop of a hat.

That is a good point. The guy might be over-qualified.

This is what we need to hear from posters: good ideas and solutions, not childish banter.

[Martin Blank]

Warning to Commissar Rykov for flaming and trolling Klaatu's profile.

[Martin Blank]

Now that the admin stuff is out of the way, I'd like to add my thoughts.

This economic depression has deeply impacted those who are highly skilled workers, such as teachers, to the point where I can completely believe that someone with a MA and a PhD would be homeless. My wife has a double MA in Sociology and statistics, and was teaching at a community college as an adjunct professor, getting as many classes as possible per semester. The most she ever brought home in a month was about $1,200. And this was at one of the best community colleges in the Detroit area. If it wasn't for my Social Security and other sources of income, we would have been homeless, living in our car. So I would not discount this interview being legitimate. Not at all. All the ruling classes are really hiring for these days are managers (they don't have to be intelligent, just capable of following orders from their bosses) and private security -- which should tell you everything about the state of the capitalist system at the moment.

[Misanthrope]

Really sad. What a strong individual, amazing what he did for his parents and how he stays optimistic. Of course, there are more severe cases of poverty in the world due to capitalism's failings but still very sad.

[Astarte]

More and more people with higher degrees are finding that there is no work in their line of specialties anymore. It is becoming more and more difficult to just "go to college, get a degree and find a good job" - proletarians use to rely on the university-mechanism to sort of pull themselves up to a more salaried "petty bourgeois" i.e. less labor intensive profession; an academic, an engineer, a scientist, etc...

Today this prospect is rapidly vanishing and many layers of the population are finding even though they have these higher university degrees there is no upward social mobility. I believe this was a big issue in Egypt back in January if I am not mistaken.

[Klaatu]

It seems that there are two distinctively separate classifications of homeless people:

(type A) These that are long-term homeless, who literally live in abandoned cars or under bridges, many of which are alcoholics or addicts.
They are the permanently homeless, and are the type I have been talking about. I have met a few type A's, one of which was living in a
cardboard box behind my brother's bar. He was brutally murdered by a gang.

(type B) Those that have found themselves in a bad situation due to job loss, bankruptcy, divorce, and have no one to turn to for support.
They are only temporarily homeless, get back on their feet by themselves, and completely recover financially (I have almost been there myself, through a divorce. Lucky for me, I had family to turn to)

Apparently I was misunderstood by some folks here who have taken offense to my comments. Rest assured I did not mean to offend
anyone's unfortunate jobless condition! And it looks as though the OP's intent was to show a type B homeless man looking for a job,
not a type A homeless man (which would have been the topic of an entirely different thread.)

[∞]

Now that the admin stuff is out of the way, I'd like to add my thoughts.

This economic depression has deeply impacted those who are highly skilled workers, such as teachers, to the point where I can completely believe that someone with a MA and a PhD would be homeless. My wife has a double MA in Sociology and statistics, and was teaching at a community college as an adjunct professor, getting as many classes as possible per semester. The most she ever brought home in a month was about $1,200. And this was at one of the best community colleges in the Detroit area. If it wasn't for my Social Security and other sources of income, we would have been homeless, living in our car. So I would not discount this interview being legitimate. Not at all. All the ruling classes are really hiring for these days are managers (they don't have to be intelligent, just capable of following orders from their bosses) and private security -- which should tell you everything about the state of the capitalist system at the moment.

You must get pissed when all the derps talk about "lazy people mouching off social security".
Right Wingers are so out of touch with reality.