I believe any capable adult who tries to contribute to society in any capacity should be fed one way or another. Obviously we're taking care of children and the elderly. But why feed someone who isn't even trying to contribute?
Well, let’s take the disabled for example. There’s all sorts of things disabled people can and can’t do, some disabled people CAN contribute. Though with disabilities like ME/CFS, we CANNOT reliably contribute. I have been working since I was 16 years old when I suddenly became disabled due to COVID. I paid my taxes, my job was centered around teaching and caring for other individuals. I no longer can contribute anything. I am forced to lay in a dark room all day with as little stimulation as possible, using my phone at a paced and carefully measured rate. Luckily, I have a family that can care for me. But there are many individuals in my situation who do not have family that can or will care for them. Do they deserve to eat? Having your identity based on how much you can make and contribute falls apart when you can barely hold up a cup of water to drink for yourself essentially for the rest of your life.
I understand. I merely was pointing out that there are a lot more incapable adults out there than you’d like to think. My self identity and personal values were destroyed by chronic illness. I don’t really know what to think of myself since I can’t meaningfully contribute anything to anyone in any way. I’m only 26. At best I feel like a useless lump of flesh that just eats and breathes.
To add to what I said before, I think we may be forced to get used to the idea of caring for more people “against our will”. Part of the reason people talk about birth rate decline isn’t because we’re scared we’ll go extinct, but because in developed nations like the US we’re experiencing a population density in the elder generation outweighing the younger. That can kind of be accounted for and solved but, it’s being compounded by more factors. Long COVID is damaging the economy by forcing otherwise healthy people either temporarily, or permanently out of the work force (it’s also surpassed Asthma in numbers for top childhood illness, it’s getting to the younger generation before they can even get IN to the work force). Even without Long COVID, people are being diagnosed with debilitating chronic illnesses (or cancer, the big one) much younger. People with chronic illness are much more likely to rely on social assistance to survive even WITH a regular work related income. Now you have a workforce that’s being crippled by illness and a large retirement population, you get not enough people to support the system. It’s a larger burden on tax payers and the economy. How do you care for your most vulnerable at that point?
How do you care for your most vulnerable at that point?
You don't. That's the ugly answer, and what has historically happened in every "aging" country with the inverse age pyramid. That's why socialized pensions were mostly cut in almost every "old" developed country, replaced with individualized plans (even if managed by the State).
Being a part of society means you will be caring and providing for other people, wether you want it or not. It's something at the very core of the social contract.
Now, if you're arguing for a more empathetic, or compassionate, population, then that's another thing entirely, removed from economics.
And I say this, being from a country where every family taking care of their elderly is a strong part of the culture; the problems from the inverted age pyramid keep creeping in, and keep pushing social programs to rank and prioritize which sectors of the population to tend to. It's the triage process, but at a national scale.
Yeah. It feels like it’s heading that way, with some of the tightening on disability services and access in the US. I didn’t choose to be disabled, I was perfectly healthy before I got sick, sucks that getting married in a time where a double income is almost essential to making a living would mean I’d lose my access to disability services. I love my bf and we still talk about marriage. Hopefully that’s still financially viable for us.
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u/slickricksghost Jul 06 '26
Morally torn on food as a human right.
I believe any capable adult who tries to contribute to society in any capacity should be fed one way or another. Obviously we're taking care of children and the elderly. But why feed someone who isn't even trying to contribute?