Housing, food, health care and education are basic human rights and thus should be free.

@Jexie I don't think that's what they're saying.

@Jexie It depends how it is done, for example what if you got for those basics from the government each month $1000 dollar to spend on those things. With that you still have the choice but you don't have to directly pay it.

@BlueVeins He's saying to substitute the money spent on living, lodging and food with taxes, from what I gather. And essentially you would get those things in return for free from the establishment. So basically everyone would end up being at the same economic level

@Blondily Me too!

@MayorOfCrushtown I could have added more but I think those are the most basic ones. Wouldn’t you agree?

@Jane90 I hope so!

@FreddieUK And why that?

@Luke73 Having read through the thread, you have been given enough reasons by other people as to why not everyone agrees with your socialist outlook. I agree with you that these basics should be available and affordable. However, as you have seen, many do not want to pay taxes high enough to enable everyone to have sufficient and they are quite content for there to be the obscenely rich and the poverty stricken in the same society - let's leave world poverty aside for this discussion. I have always believed in a more egalitarian society, but at my age and with experience, I realise that this is a naive view of human kind, certainly in the West.

For those of us who have the freedom to do so, we work to persuade people to vote for those who are in line with our beliefs. Your opening statement is actually part of that and this thread shows the thinking of those you (and I) need to persuade.

@Luke73 Quite a bit of tax money goes to social support. I'm not suggesting it's perfect and that everyone who receives support gets everything they need, but we also see a lot of it being stolen, and there's an ongoing conversation about what should be provided - the whole conversation about junk food on food stamps, for example.

Health care is always free at hospitals. They have to help people who come in and can't pay. Of course the rest of us and the insurance companies pick up those charges. Everything costs something in terms of materials and human effort/time.

@joe438 Now it sounds like you want to decide what people should get? Wasn't that your point why you were against it?
There will always be some bad people trying to take advantage of things but wouldn't an easier system help with that?

I've heard countless stories of people having to pay an entire fortune to pay some medical bills. Even that people don't call the ambulance because they are afraid they can't afford it.

@Luke73 it has a lot to do with mindset. say you think youll never get a decent job and it becomes a self fulfiflling prophecy. you have ot be optimistic. you may never geta lucky break but then you could some day. they say luck is being prepared for opportunity when it comes. you can try and convince a billionaire to give away a ton of money to help you, but who says it would even ever reach you personally withhow many people there are in the world. if you really want to make a difference then perhaps try and get into politics and work with the laws and stuff. how money gets spent from taxes lol. people can make a differnece. i just wouldnt know how personally. im not very ambitious. i just take whati get and and try and feel happy with what ive got. i do have a lot to be happy for though. i am willing ot work to get what i need to be happy though.

@Penny I'm not saying everyone should have a Porsche in their garage. All I'm saying is that people should have the basic human needs at least regardless of their circumstances.

Your point is not entirely right, just money doesn't make you happy, no. But if you have no money, it is much harder to achieve happiness. But I agree, people should reflect more on how privileged they are.

I don't have the answers to how it is either but that doesn't matter, shouldn't we try to make the world a better place and try to fix those issues?

@Luke73 life is tough nowadays. i remember when renting a decent apartment was easy with two people working on a tradepersons wages. now houses are like half a million dollars for just a normal house wher ei live. its nuts. but what can be done about it? you have ot be smart and be willing ot make sacrifices. like for example someone wants to live alone but cant afford a place by themselves. so find a roomate and go in on a place. i know a lady who lived in a small apartment with 4 other people. they saved enough money to buy a house together. i mean its not ideal but you do what you have to i guess. or live with your parents and save moeny. i know its hard if you dont make much but you know skip the starbucks and restaurants and youd be surprised what you can save. ive heard of programs that can get you into a motgage with like hardly any money as a down payment. theres gotta be things you can do. i mean, it doesnt seem in our power to fix the problem but we can adjust our lives to work within the system or around it. i kno whow tough life can be especially for people without a good support system. thats something a person can work on too. friendships can be very helpful.

@Penny I think your points are all valid. For example one thing you could do against high rents is to enforce that rents can't go above a certain level, that would be a good start.
And the thing with mortages is that for the same mortage, wealthy people have to pay less. That's the absurtion of capitalism, for people with wealth it's much easier to generate more.

@saragoodtimes We as a society. I think it’s only fair if the more fortunate ones support the less fortunate ones. No one can choose in what living situation they grew up in.

@saragoodtimes they can just print more money

@pdockal like all the libs, his thought is tax the rich

@saragoodtimes

I know that
Just want to see if he knows that
Somebody has to pay
And if all that was free why would people work ?????

@pdockal As a society people have to support each other.