I gave money + food to a homeless guy. Is that normal?

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  • Yeah, people can still brag about their random acts of kindness. Anonymity makes no difference.

    I'm in the UK, so yeah, Europe. Our welfare system is a pretty secure safety net, in general. It's rare to slip through and end up destitute without a little (or a lot) of self-destructive behaviour.

    Homelessness isn't something you can ever get rid of entirely - there will always be people who fall out of 'the system', or choose to leave it.

    I'm the opposite of you, in so much as I think charities often provide a brilliant function in society. The best ones let you know exactly where your money is going.

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    • Aha, the UK! No wonder you are the opposite of me. I'm not you, but I think the UK is open to this idea of public welfare. A major number of people agree that it takes community effort to take care of people because the life quality + economic benefits go up. There are monetary costs. They get shared through taxation. That is a huge dirty word in the US even if that action evidently can create a very stable, healthier community. We still don't have universal healthcare. In the UK? I figure it is a lot easier to get help. Here? It is truly sink or swim.

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      • "Here? It is truly sink or swim."

        I confess to not knowing the intricacies of the system in the US - but I thought some kind of provisions were available for the poor; food stamps, welfare payments, social housing etc.?

        And isn't Obamacare - or whatever it's actually called - supposed to support those that can't afford health insurance?

        Excuse my ignorance if I'm totally wrong :/

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