Crying Out for Basic Necessities
Advocating For Human Flourishing
Things are getting expensive. Quickly.
People throughout our “developed” country are struggling to pay the necessities. It is unacceptable that millions of people are unable to pay for the simplest things like food. Living paycheck to paycheck is dehumanizing and restricts people from leading full and flourishing lives.
So what is the solution?
We live in such an advanced country that we should be able to provide for people. There is no reason why people shouldn’t have their basics provided for, no matter who they are. This isn’t an argument about human rights, it’s an issue of justice. As Martha Nussbaum says:
The basic intuitive idea… is that we begin with a conception of the dignity of the human being, and of a life that is worthy of that dignity — a life that has available in it “truly human functioning” (Frontiers of Justice, p. 74).
I propose that one of the ways we can achieve true human functioning is by creating a society that provides the following for free:
- Housing
- Water and Food
- Transportation
Housing
Both owning and renting are at an all-time high. It’s becoming more difficult for an individual to be able to afford a place to live, with no relief in sight. Therefore, the government ought to expand social housing significantly. It should be a reasonable option to choose social housing. Part of this reform will require structural shifts in how cities are designed — Barcelona’s superblocks are a great example. Another part is ensuring that social housing is beautiful. Well-designed infrastructure leads to human flourishing. Using interesting design philosophies and high quality materials rather than cheap pre-fabrications may be more expensive in the short-term but has long-lasting positive effects.
What if I don’t want to live in social housing? I like to live in private housing in a quiet area.
I’m not calling for the abolition of private housing altogether. Housing will be a mix of both social and private housing. The point is that there is no reason that people are homeless or worried about soon becoming homeless. There should be plenty of social housing so that people have the option of choosing to live there without having to stress about losing the roof over their head.
Water and Food
There is absolutely no reason that people should be scared about whether they will be able to put food on the table or if they can pay the water bill. It is absolutely unacceptable that 12 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS experience food insecurity and that MILLIONS MORE can’t pay their water bills in the USA. We are talking a country with the highest GDP — 20.9 trillion — and tens of millions of people are struggling with FOOD AND WATER. That is a clear sign of systemic failure. At the very least, people should be given some form of stipend for the bare minimum of food and water based on their household size. No one should have to worry about food and water ever. Everyone should be cared for.
That sounds a lot like food stamps and food lines.
It definitely depends on implementation. Food lines are not the end of the world if you have a wide array of distribution centres. The minimal implementation I’d advocate for is basically a cheque from the government every month that depends on the number of people in your household. What is more important at the end of the day, your personal convenience of not waiting in line or that 12 million households are experiencing some form of food insecurity.
Transportation
Living in car dense areas is terrible for your health. Cars are also terrible for the climate and are a huge contributor to climate change. The truth is that people still need to get around and cars are a convenient way — especially in North America where public transportation is garbage outside metropolitan areas and mid-tier at best within large cities. The solution is to transition to more light rail transit and buses for travelling within a city, and offering that public transport for free (which some cities are working on). Travelling from city to city can be done on larger coach buses or high speed rail.
What about groceries and shopping in general? A car allows for personal transport of all those items with ease.
We integrate regular needs into the social housing systems. The first level of the building will have grocery stores, convenience stores, basic retail, book stores, coffee shops — whatever really works for that context. Most things you want will be provided for you right where you live, eliminating the need for transport at all. To accommodate for shopping at further places, buses can be expanded in size, potentially with storage areas.
Who’s Paying the Bill
It’s a fair question to ask how this is being financed as we live under a capitalist organization of the economy. You can’t just print money, or you’ll burn your nation. One of the ways is by changing up how the budget is spent. For example, the USA spends $750 billion on military yearly. Another way is by increasing the tax rates on the top corporations and the richest people. All the people at the top have a bunch of accountants finding loopholes to get out of paying taxes. Close the loopholes and increase the tax rate at the same time. All of a sudden money will be flowing into the budget.
Concluding Thoughts
But in some form all are held to be part of a minimum account of social justice: a society that does not guarantee these to all its citizens, at some appropriate threshold level, falls short of being a fully just society, whatever its level of opulence (Frontiers of Justice, p. 75).
We ought to be constructing a society around how to best improve people’s lives, not in subservience to an economic philosophy. Our top concern shouldn’t be GDP, it should be the quality of life of those at the bottom of society. The lowest standard of living should not be low. If this is the “first world” why do millions still struggle with putting food on the table.
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare (Jeremiah 29:7).
As we improve the welfare of those who live in the city, we improve their lives and our lives. These basics of housing, food, water, and transport are only the tip of the iceberg on how we can seek the welfare of the city. Until systemic changes can occur, the individual needs to step in and act. Consider getting involved with helping those who struggling with homelessness and food insecurity. Act for the benefit of the social order you live in rather than only for your own self-gratification.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world (James 1:27).
Love God. Fight oppression. Seek liberation.
