So what's better for the world?

[wolfwings]

• Giving a single parent struggling with two jobs to make ends meet welfare.
  
• Handing the keys to an apartment to a homeless man for free indefinately.
  

Pick one.

Welcome to logic versus emotion when you start dealing with power-law statistical problems. Enjoy the headache.

Comments

Wow

[catwoman69y2k.livejournal.com]

This could be a meme of sorts...

I would say the single mom. I think the homeless man would be more likely to cause more problems. Granted, I have met many a homeless man that was truly down on his luck and was drug/alcohol free. However, the single mom strikes a different cord to me.

-Kat

Re: Wow

[wolfwings.livejournal.com]

Statistically, giving the homeless guy an apartment for free actually ends up costing less for the same benefit than giving the mother welfare. Because getting the homeless guy off the street prevents millions of dollars in medical bills over the course of a year when they get plastered and pass out on the street and catch pneumonia and other illnesses over and over again. And this isn't theory, this is what actually happens in documented cases. Ask anyone in an emergency room that has a homeless population nearby.

Yes, it's a very nasty idea to many people, even myself. There is a very large amount of instutionalized learning that creating any kind of dependancy for a small group of people is bad. But the simple fact is that a lot of problems are caused by a couple of bad apples. And 'bottling up' those bad apples somewhere removes a much larger burden. And the most effective way to contain such a bad apple is to create an artificial, but healthy dependancy.

It's a prime example of the goods, and evils, of truely rational cost effectiveness over emotional morals.

Re: Wow

[wolfwings.livejournal.com]

And feel free to Meme-ify this query if you feel like it. :-)

[lionman.livejournal.com]

How's this for a helping hand?

http://www.angelfoodministries.org/

It's wonderful.

[wolfwings.livejournal.com]

And for the majority of people, helps enough to let them get their own life in order. :-)

[devidarkwolf.livejournal.com]

I'm all about the balance of emotion and logic. I guess I would have to examine the lives of both people, see who suffered mroe and who needs what more...

I'd only give the house to the homeless man if I could trust that he could keep it and turn his life around. Otherwise... then I'd give the mother welfare.

Arrrgh, my brain hurtses now! :3

Now, what about other issues...

[wolfwings.livejournal.com]

...like the medical and police expenses the homeless man may acrue over his lifetime of homelessness? Someone that you would not give the free apartment to (as most would refuse to do) often times costs millions of dollars per chronically homeless person, compared to tens of thousands to simply house them indefinately. This can make housing them vastly cheaper, but that goes against almost everyone's 'moral' instinct. My own included. =^.^=

[dragoon1221.livejournal.com]

So, you're a fan of Malcolm Gladwell's articles in The New Yorker as well?

Re: Now, what about other issues...

[devidarkwolf.livejournal.com]

An argument like that would certainly sway me, if I was told before I made the decision! :P

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Fascinating.

[jaffa-tamarin.livejournal.com]

Define "better for the world".

Logically, we should shoot the homeless man. And probably the single parent's kid(s), too. If you're only looking at the economics, it's stupid to provide any kind of welfare support for anyone who contributes less than their upkeep cost.

Of course, humans do have this inconvenient moral sense that might get upset if we started being that ruthless.

[dragoon1221.livejournal.com]

I find your ideas intriguing and would like to inquire about subscribing to your newsletter.

[sebkha.livejournal.com]

Counterexample: most Hollywood movies contribute less than their upkeep cost.

[lironess.livejournal.com]

Why do we keep calling the single parent a "Mom"?

[dragoon1221.livejournal.com]

Because generalizations tend to go with what is true in the majority of cases.

Oh, and fuck Political Correctness. Seriously.

Re: Now, what about other issues...

[aerowolf.livejournal.com]

So take that savings and apply it toward welfare, and suddenly you can do both.

[lironess.livejournal.com]

Apparently my sense of irony is better developed than yours. Seriously. :P