NPR

This just randomly came up on my suggestions on youtube, I watched out of curiosity and just had to share.

It is absolutely insane, I have never seen degradation like this either in person or on film anywhere in the western world. Its like some shanty town in the 3rd world. The filth, squalor, homelessness, people shooting up heroin in broad daylight in full view of the public. How do you even begin to police this? How do you solve it or give these people a pathway out? Its just a deathtrap of addiction, poverty and hopelessness.

Yeah that was a depressing watch. Especially when you consider that the USA is by far the wealthiest nation on Earth.

Carter's Choice wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 12:13 am Yeah that was a depressing watch. Especially when you consider that the USA is by far the wealthiest nation on Earth.

Agreed, its immoral and practically unforgivable that it could be that bad.

I looked up that particular part of Philadelphia (Kensington, north Philadelphia) and found that it used to be a rough, working class area, predominantly populated by Irish immigrants and their descendants. It was the home turf of the Philadelphia Irish mob who had links to the IRA. Apparently its decline is attributed to deindustrialisation and the resultant loss of jobs and the local economy.

This is some fascinating footage of the area from the early 80s, it has a Good Will Hunting type of vibe.
One of the kids on here seems to have a bona fide Irish accent. I don't derive any pleasure in viewing this stuff I just think that these are forgotten communities and issues that seem to be overlooked.

Carter's Choice wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 12:13 am Yeah that was a depressing watch. Especially when you consider that the USA is by far the wealthiest nation on Earth.

I will watch after, but was in Philly for a couple of days about 24 years ago, not in the rough area either but just felt like a bad place. Hard to describe what it was, but just wanted to get away from it!

They all seem to have better cars than me

Slick wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 7:30 am They all seem to have better cars than me

I suspect more than a few of them actually live in those cars.

Looks like Cape Town

[/quote]
I will watch after, but was in Philly for a couple of days about 24 years ago, not in the rough area either but just felt like a bad place. Hard to describe what it was, but just wanted to get away from it!
[/quote]

I was in Philadelphia for two weeks in the summer of ‘97, so around the same time as you, and I loved it. Granted, it was a little rough around the edges but I never felt that it was particularly scary or dangerous, mind you (tired cliche alert) I’ve spent a lot of time in Dundee. In fact, I thought some of the city was nice and, of course, very historic.

I had one night out with a few locals in some pretty rough bars in an area not dissimilar to those in the video but i don’t recall a feeling of threat or danger.

I’ve always wanted to go back but I wonder if my memory is clouded. I suppose I was in my 20’s and looking for, and expecting a different experience than I would now.

My god, they've lost so much hope they're driving on the wrong side of the road!

In west Philadelphia born and raised
In the Crackden was where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
And all shootin up some Speedball outside of the school
When a couple of homeless guys who Had no goods
Started defecating in my neighborhood
I trod in one little Shite and my mom got scared
She said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air'

and up to 14 million faced with the prospect of eviction at the end of the year.

209,000 covid deaths but they need to spend trillions more on the industrial military complex to keep them safe and stop people from.... dying

https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/


I’d like some of this distributed as well. He doesn’t need this much.

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:55 am https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/


I’d like some of this distributed as well. He doesn’t need this much.

I'm sure he'll leave a bit to charity when he croaks soon. Wonder how much Bezos will leave?

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:55 am https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/


I’d like some of this distributed as well. He doesn’t need this much.

Amazon have announced they are going to pay $500m (£374m) in global bonuses to their staff this year. UK staff will each get a £300 bonus, or £150 if they are part-time. Admittedly a drop in the ocean compared to the increase in Bezos’ personal wealth this year.

Sandstorm wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 8:44 am Looks like Cape Town

Without the weather, the beach or the rugby.

OK. Not the rugby then.

Lobby wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:08 am

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:55 am https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/


I’d like some of this distributed as well. He doesn’t need this much.

Amazon have announced they are going to pay $500m (£374m) in global bonuses to their staff this year. UK staff will each get a £300 bonus, or £150 if they are part-time. Admittedly a drop in the ocean compared to the increase in Bezos’ personal wealth this year.

The best argument I’ve ever seen about these issues and the capitalist system promoting assert holders so much is at what point would we have “stopped” Bezos becoming stupidly rich, if we’d made him sell out at 1 billion then we most likely wouldn’t have anything more than an efficient book seller.

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:25 am

Lobby wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:08 am

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:55 am https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/


I’d like some of this distributed as well. He doesn’t need this much.

Amazon have announced they are going to pay $500m (£374m) in global bonuses to their staff this year. UK staff will each get a £300 bonus, or £150 if they are part-time. Admittedly a drop in the ocean compared to the increase in Bezos’ personal wealth this year.

The best argument I’ve ever seen about these issues and the capitalist system promoting assert holders so much is at what point would we have “stopped” Bezos becoming stupidly rich, if we’d made him sell out at 1 billion then we most likely wouldn’t have anything more than an efficient book seller.

"Why do you think we have a winner? Hope. A little hope is good, too much is bad."

PCPhil wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 1:06 pm

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:25 am

Lobby wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:08 am

Amazon have announced they are going to pay $500m (£374m) in global bonuses to their staff this year. UK staff will each get a £300 bonus, or £150 if they are part-time. Admittedly a drop in the ocean compared to the increase in Bezos’ personal wealth this year.

The best argument I’ve ever seen about these issues and the capitalist system promoting assert holders so much is at what point would we have “stopped” Bezos becoming stupidly rich, if we’d made him sell out at 1 billion then we most likely wouldn’t have anything more than an efficient book seller.

"Why do you think we have a winner? Hope. A little hope is good, too much is bad."

No idea what point you’re making,

Several reasons. Lack of community, common purpose/religion, a sense that nothing can get better.

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:55 am https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/


I’d like some of this distributed as well. He doesn’t need this much.

I'm more shocked by his height.

Northern Lights wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:46 pm

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:55 am https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/


I’d like some of this distributed as well. He doesn’t need this much.

I'm more shocked by his height.

Northern Lights wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:46 pm

Bimbowomxn wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:55 am https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/


I’d like some of this distributed as well. He doesn’t need this much.

I'm more shocked by his height.

That’s why he wants some of Bazos’s cash, he’s a little short this month.

Of course his definition of rich may be 5 million while Biden’s appears to be an annual income of $400K which laughable when tech billionaires are being used as an excuse to “tax the rich”.

I suspect a few cities there are like that. I follow an instagram account called Cheap Old Houses. It's mostly fixer-uppers in small towns that have shrunk due to movement of people / closing of a major industry / etc. Occasionally, you'll see something inner city that's up for sale for crazy cheap prices, like 5-10k. The comments that follow, even in small cities, tend to say something like: "I'm from ________, that's a bad part of town."

Syracuse has a few on the page under 10k, someone knowing the area saying about one "it's a war zone".

Tattie wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:09 am

I will watch after, but was in Philly for a couple of days about 24 years ago, not in the rough area either but just felt like a bad place. Hard to describe what it was, but just wanted to get away from it!
[/quote]

I was in Philadelphia for two weeks in the summer of ‘97, so around the same time as you, and I loved it. Granted, it was a little rough around the edges but I never felt that it was particularly scary or dangerous, mind you (tired cliche alert) I’ve spent a lot of time in Dundee. In fact, I thought some of the city was nice and, of course, very historic.

I had one night out with a few locals in some pretty rough bars in an area not dissimilar to those in the video but i don’t recall a feeling of threat or danger.

I’ve always wanted to go back but I wonder if my memory is clouded. I suppose I was in my 20’s and looking for, and expecting a different experience than I would now.
[/quote]

Yep fair enough Tattie, and you spent more time than me, so you would of got a better feel. Actually didn't particularly scared, just more felt it was not a place I wanted to stay at, it was hard to describe. And that was in the area of the Liberty Bell, it was the one city in USA that I didn't like. Who knows maybe I was having a couple of off days, and so judged it harshly.

The problem in LA is worse, homelessness around areas like Venice beach, Santa Monica and inner parts of LA is truly astounding. It looks like refugee camps and its no wonder so many celebrities are moving away from Los Angeles. The June 2020 count of Homeless people within LA city limits was 66,430 people an increase of 12.7% from 2019.

Years ago on my J1 summer, we got the train from Philadelphia to Toronto and passed Baltimore on the way. Being young and innocent, we had images of John Hopkins university and Leafy New England in our heads.

I'll never forget the silence amongst us as we passed the houses made out of corrugated iron and heaps of domestic water lying in the streets. The squalor was impossible to believe. The only thing I've seen that's comparable in a developed country would be the township we saw near Cape town airport.

Told you. Everywhere looks like Cape Town.

So, I disappeared down a Philadelphia rabbit hole and discovered this atrocity. In 1985 the Philly police dept bombed (yes, actually bombed like they are a branch of the military in a warzone) civilians that were part of a militant black organisation known as MOVE. Half a dozen kids/pre teens were killed in the bombing - the city settled some lawsuits over the years for financial compensation but no-one was held criminally responsible for the decision of the Philadelphia police force to bomb US citizens.

Insane_Homer wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:36 am 209,000 covid deaths but they need to spend trillions more on the industrial military complex to keep them safe and stop people from.... dying

Great post IH. IMO money spent on armed forces would be better spent on education & healthcare. I can see the sense of having a powerful military for purposes of defence but beyond that a healthy, well educated population is a more noble goal than being a "world policeman".

Nobody liked my lyrics *sulks*

Yeeb wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:04 am Nobody liked my lyrics *sulks*

I actually laughed when I read them and thought it was some of your best ever work, across multiple forums. Sorry I didn't reply as I was out and about and on my phone.

Carter's Choice wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:52 am

Yeeb wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:04 am Nobody liked my lyrics *sulks*

I actually laughed when I read them and thought it was some of your best ever work, across multiple forums. Sorry I didn't reply as I was out and about and on my phone.

Ta - validated !

Multiple forums though? I only wrote it on here, I rarely go on PR now as it’s impossible to post from a phone - and apart from investing forums (where I am non-yeeb) I don’t view forums. Or is somebody pinching my work ?!

(It’s not park life standard I know but it’s the only song about philly I know of)

Reminds me of downtown Wellington, NZ on a Sunday morning