LBC Radio caller shocks listeners by describing how he can't afford to eat - Polidicks

[QUOTE=outlawpickle;46676171]I'm touched that the guy refused any charity. I always get upset when people think giving one person a lump sum of money is going to solve anything. If anything, please refer this call to lawmakers and show it to your friends, awareness will help so much more than one guy getting $50k in charity and while it tears at my heart that this guy is struggling, I'm absolutely amazed at the clarity he has about his situation, its truly admirable to turn down cash when you could use it the most. And its a damn shame that our society doesn't even meet the minimum required to provide for our own citizens.[/QUOTE] Yeah charity is so stupid right. Money must be taken and redistributed by force. Long live socialism! [editline]9th December 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Perfumly;46675903]I can't believe billionaire CEOs have the gall to live in such extravagance with the whole world in so much suffering. People like that have no conscience.[/QUOTE] There's always someone else to blame isn't there? Did you even stop to think that you're living the life of a billionaire CEO compared to most people on this planet? If you were willing to lower your quality of life just a little bit you could probably help thousands of people over a lifetime. But you're not willing, aren't you?

[QUOTE=snookypookums;46674695]Some of our supermarkets here practise a pretty cool thing where they use the vegetables that people don't buy (but are still viable, but perhaps just ugly looking or misshapen) to make stuff which they then sell in the hot foods counter. It's pretty awesome because they win - they get to not have any wastage and we get some awesome food too. It's a godsend for working bachelors like me. :smile: Another cool thing is that within the last 2 hours of the day, baked goods like what you describe are given at quarter price or (if you ask nicely) even free. Stuff's still good. Sometimes the store even lets the employee take stuff home too, even the curries and things from the hot foods section. P.S. Some of the Punjabi community in my area also practise something called a "[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langar_%28Sikhism%29"]Langar[/URL]". Anyone can go and eat for free and have as much as they like. While not a Sikh, I occasionally volunteer sometimes when I have some free time and I learn some awesome recipes too.[/QUOTE] I've worked in the cafe of a Sam's Club and the Chinese department of a local grocery store chain, and we did all sorts of food-saving things. At Sam's Club, we took all of the non-cooked foods (like the ready-to-bake pizzas and wraps and stuff like that) that expired in a day at the end of the night and sent them to a local food pantry instead of hoping they would sell in their last day. At the grocery store, we took all the peppers and onions that didn't sell and used them in our Chinese food. It was really good for us because the Chinese department isn't actually profitable, the store makes its profit in the other aspects, so it makes it a bit more profitable and on top of that it's much less waste.

[QUOTE=MoonlessNight;46677065]Yeah charity is so stupid right. Money must be taken and redistributed by force. Long live socialism! [editline]9th December 2014[/editline] There's always someone else to blame isn't there? Did you even stop to think that you're living the life of a billionaire CEO compared to most people on this planet? If you were willing to lower your quality of life just a little bit you could probably help thousands of people over a lifetime. But you're not willing, aren't you?[/QUOTE] I am, I don't think you know me

I live in a similar situation, I have no health problems neither does anyone in my family yet I suffered a seiziure from low blood sugar

[QUOTE=Ruski v2.0;46676189]I'm a conservative and believe that whilst the current government has its faults, it is doing as much good as it can. This story and listening to the clip almost makes me ashamed that my government has put such an onus on cutbacks. If America can live in debt then so can we; taking care of people is #1. We should means test benefits so we avoid the extremes of families receiving £20,000 and this poor man whom receives nothing. I wish I could give him a job. He won't take money so he deserves one.[/QUOTE] Means testing? Really? You mean that really degrading practice they applied to disability benefits where folk were forced to prove they can't stand and shit?

[QUOTE=Chaoss86;46676772]Anyone here know that this situation has happened before just before the collapse of the Roman empire. As heartbreaking as his story is, it is (and has been) very common over the last few years but is only now being pushed into the public spotlight. It is good that more of these stories are being made public actually as hopefully it means something will get done about it.[/QUOTE] Plenty of these stories have been put up but no one cares, especially the Conservatives as all they want to do is poke holes at Labours Mansion tax and pretend they're the greatest thing ever for lowering Stamp Duty (which is an unfair system in the first place but lets not get into that). David Clapson, Denis Jones, Ian Bell and Mark Wood all died of starvation due to delayed or cut benefits. When Mark Wood died he weighed [B]35 kilos[/B] and was living off just 40 pounds a week. The Tories don't care, all they want to do is pander to the old and the rich. Yesterday I genuinely heard George Osborne say that "tough decisions have to be made, including cutting benefits of working age people", honestly I'm speechless. The Tories have literally taken this country backwards and I'll be glad to see the back of them come the election.

[QUOTE=MachiniOs;46678941]Plenty of these stories have been put up but no one cares, especially the Conservatives as all they want to do is poke holes at Labours Mansion tax and pretend they're the greatest thing ever for lowering Stamp Duty (which is an unfair system in the first place but lets not get into that). David Clapson, Denis Jones, Ian Bell and Mark Wood all died of starvation due to delayed or cut benefits. When Mark Wood died he weighed [B]35 kilos[/B] and was living off just 40 pounds a week. The Tories don't care, all they want to do is pander to the old and the rich. Yesterday I genuinely heard George Osborne say that "tough decisions have to be made, including cutting benefits of working age people", honestly I'm speechless. The Tories have literally taken this country backwards and I'll be glad to see the back of them come the election.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't be so optimistic. The media have done a fantastic job of smearing the entire Left for the last 5 years. Labour are led by an uncharismatic Aardman character, the Lib-Dems are traitors and nothing they can ever say will redeem them, and the Greens, Respect, etc, are all totally invisible because they've not said anything silly enough yet. I'm voting Labour in the election because I know no other non-Right party even has a chance, but I'm expecting 5 more years of Tories with a possible UKIP coalition, honestly. [editline]9th December 2014[/editline] This country could be totally run into the ground, the NHS privatised, and Stephen Fry shot by the Tories, and people would still vote for them because they've always voted for them. The people who have left-wing views, for one reason or another, won't vote or won't vote for their interests. Unless we get a massive 'PLEASE JUST FUCKING VOTE THIS TIME' campaign going, there's no chance of a big majority Left government.

It's all fucked and it's the fucking unions fault if only David was elected leader.

Too bad the people that actually need to hear this are all sociopaths who would just be happy they're not in that situation.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;46679460]Too bad the people that actually need to hear this are all sociopaths who would just be happy they're not in that situation.[/QUOTE] why should they not be happy that they're not in that situation? that's a little rude to call everyone who's happy about having a home a sociopath.

really shapes the debate when the people you are damning aren't the statistics on a page, but a real person

Seeing things like this makes you realize how lucky you're to be able to eat every day and being able to sleep under a roof in a comfy bed

This is what frustrates me about this crap, I support people who need aid since they are striving for a job and can't afford anything. The ones that piss me off is when people who don't want a job or won't work for one try to live off of government support.