The problem isn't homeless people who are addicts, it's politicians who are addicts.
Homeless and about-to-become homeless addicts are at the bottom of the food chain, with extremely limited agency. Their choices are basically improve (v. difficult), tread water (slightly less difficult) or die (not difficult at all.)
Politicians who are addicts can create and enforce disastrous irrational policies on an entire country.
Self-indulgence and law-breaking are one of the most popular benefits of privilege, and the fact that many "serious people" hide this behind a veneer of upper class respectability doesn't change how toxic this culture is.
I guarantee that any country that institutes mandatory drug tests for politicians, CEOs and senior executives, the entire financial industry, lawyers and judges, and other senior officials, is suddenly going to find itself making much more rational and sane decisions.
If anyone thinks I'm exaggerating, here's the former Chancellor of the UK.
Ignoring the pretty weak evidence of slo-mo video, which could make anyone look out of it, and some circumstantial at best "evidence" (my brother's keeper and all that), there have been more high profile and damaging cases of British politicians addicted to drugs. Prime example, Prime Minister Anthony Eden[1] who botched the Suez Crisis:
> Robert Carr served as Eden's Parliamentary Private Secretary and I have been much influenced by his comments:
> ‘I find it difficult to accept the judgement that Anthony's health did not have a decisive influence at least on the conduct of his policy. I agree that he might well have pursued the same basic policy had he been well, but I find it very hard to believe that he would have made such obvious miscalculations in its execution both in the political and the military spheres.’
> Lord William Deedes, the distinguished journalist, who was also a Minister in Eden's government, accurately said on television in 2004 that during the Suez crisis, Eden ‘under prescription had, as many did, and still do, barbiturates, I think, to assist rest and sleep etc. and amphetamines sometimes for a little bit of a pick up’, and agreed that this was what was called ‘uppers and downers’.31 That combination is contained in Drinamyl, identified by Eden's own doctor as the drug he was on. Drinamyl is now very rarely used, as the medical profession have become more aware of their effect on judgement, energy and mood. Deedes’ account, however, contrasts with Eden's wife's view that he was not taking ‘uppers and downers’ and was only taking anything like it (Benzedrine) in the last fortnight before he resigned.
Homeless and about-to-become homeless addicts are at the bottom of the food chain, with extremely limited agency. Their choices are basically improve (v. difficult), tread water (slightly less difficult) or die (not difficult at all.)
Politicians who are addicts can create and enforce disastrous irrational policies on an entire country.
Self-indulgence and law-breaking are one of the most popular benefits of privilege, and the fact that many "serious people" hide this behind a veneer of upper class respectability doesn't change how toxic this culture is.
I guarantee that any country that institutes mandatory drug tests for politicians, CEOs and senior executives, the entire financial industry, lawyers and judges, and other senior officials, is suddenly going to find itself making much more rational and sane decisions.
If anyone thinks I'm exaggerating, here's the former Chancellor of the UK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wo3hDtDs7g