The Reality of Homelessness..

By Joe Ingino One of the greatest aches in my heart is the fact that we live in one of the richest countries in the world. Yet, we have people living on the streets under all kinds of harsh weather conditions. How can this be? Have we lost our civic duty? Have we lowered our social standards to such lows that we have become numb to the pain and suffering of fellow Canadians?I hate to think so. I look around and see many people running for council. I do not see disassociation or social numbness. On the contrary, I see a lot of passion, but no resolve. As new candidates, many do not have the experience and/or knowledge of how the political machine works. Therefore, they may be unaware of many of the realities involved. We look at all those elected, and you tend to wonder how they can sleep at night knowing a fellow citizen is suffering on the street. Many quickly dismiss those less fortunate as suffering from some form of mental illness or, possibly, substance abuse. Whatever the situation, we as citizens are still responsible. Any one of those in need could one day be one of us.As they say during war or disaster, it is too late to prepare once it happens. Well, if my previous statement stands true, what is happening? It is as if the Canadian social and civic mentality is suffering from some sort of neurosis. By definition, neurosis is a general term for a mental and emotional condition that can involve high levels of stress, anxiety and emotional distress without necessarily causing a loss of contact with reality.With this said, we generally know about the problem. We see the problem. Yet, we think we are doing something about it while, in reality, the problem continues to grow. To soothe our psyche, we tend to become more prone to viewing foreign aid as a solution to someone else's problems while ignoring our own. As neurosis implies, doing nothing can contribute to a sense of national frustration and depression. Interestingly, such social conditions may also contribute to problems involving substance abuse, crime and family breakdown. The civic mind is exhausted.Overcoming neurotic tendencies and emotional distress can involve practicing emotional regulation, reframing unhelpful thoughts and building daily resilience.In other words, the old saying, "SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP," may appear to some to be the easiest pill to swallow.Sadly, that attitude ignores the problem and redirects our attention toward giving money to wars such as the one in Ukraine, conflicts in Africa and other international causes. But then one has to understand international politics and the complex interests involved in that arena. Bottom line: We are becoming nothing short of modern-day slaves to misinformation, information overload and a general lack of true understanding of society. To justify giving billions in foreign aid to countries involved in foreign wars, while Canadians suffer at home, is something I find difficult to understand. Imagine what we could do in Canada with a billion dollars.But wait. After politicians, administrators and contractors get their hands on that billion, how much would actually reach those in need? Those in need might end up seeing very little of it. Okay, Joe, if this stands true, then could we also question whether the billions we give to foreign countries are subject to waste, mismanagement or corruption? Take Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Various estimates and claims have circulated publicly concerning his personal wealth to the tunes of millions. How could this be? Wait a minute.If his country is at war, would you not think that he would invest everything possible in his cause? Instead, he visits countries such as Canada and the United States seeking billions of dollars in support.What is wrong with that picture? On the other side of that international coin, we are constantly distracted by fears of a possible world war and the threat posed by Russia. Now, let's get something clear. If Russia has struggled to take over a neighbouring country, what makes people believe it could easily expand a war across continents?We as Canadians need to stop living in fear. We need to seriously address our own social problems. We need to take control of our country. We need educated, knowledgeable and well-versed people to lead.As it stands, no matter the party, too many politicians appear to be in it for themselves. If they suffer from the same political habits and attitudes, how can we expect a different outcome? You hear talk of elites wanting to create a "global village."I think not.I personally envision a future in which governments could, one day, be assisted or even administered in part by Artificial Intelligence entities. These entities would receive human input from people around the world, while decisions could theoretically be based more heavily on logic, evidence and facts rather than personal interests, ignorance or political bias. Of course, such a system would raise enormous questions about accountability, ethics, human rights and who ultimately controls the technology. Still, it makes you wonder. Could AI become part of the medicine for our social neurosis? What do you think?