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View Full Version : The Winds of Capitalism Blow Cold



Sabocat
28th January 2004, 12:53
Yet another example of profits before people.


Struggling to survive without heat

By Sean Petty

WHEN BRUTALLY cold temperatures and arctic winds hit the Northeastern U.S. last week, the media advised people that it was dangerous to go outside unless they had to. But for tens of thousands of people in New York City without heat in their apartments, staying at home brought no relief.

Since October 1, the city's non-emergency hotline has received more than 100,000 calls complaining of heat or hot water problems, according to the New York Times. Seven deaths were blamed on the record cold. Two of the victims were homeless men. One froze to death under a bridge, and the other died a fire that he had started to keep warm in an abandoned building.

The rest: http://www.socialistworker.org/2004-1/483/...02_NoHeat.shtml (http://www.socialistworker.org/2004-1/483/483_02_NoHeat.shtml)

Individual
28th January 2004, 17:01
I agree that this is greedy of the capitalist corporations running this country. However I also want to point out that this is nature running its course. This is in no way good, or satisfying news. However there are some things that we can not control. Elderly people, and even some younger people, have very fragile bodies that are succeptable to things of this degree. Cold weather is nature taking its course. Imagine the hundreds of thousands of people in these areas, and then think about if none of them had any heaters. The outcomes would be truly worse. I believe the answer to this problem would be a winter safe shelter for elderly and underprivelaged people in large population areas with frigid winters. Or find a way to protest extreme energy pricing to run the heaters.. However there is a lot of politics behind energy.

I do agree though that this a problem.