[ExI] fax machines and chatgpt

[William Flynn Wallace]

The problem with addiction is just like any other problem that involves
change in thinking or behavior.  It's like the psychiatrist joke:  How many
of them does it take to change a light bulb?  Only one, but the bulb has to
want to be changed.

I do wonder just how many of the homeless really want to change.  If their
addiction is strong, like as in heroin, and they are getting their fixes,
they may put up with any conditions to keep things like they are.

And then there are the mentally ill.  In LA 25% are mentally ill.  What are
they going to do, since many if not most of them cannot hold a job?  The
movement in psychiatry for decades now has been to move patients from big
institutions to local ones and I don't think that has worked very well.
Then there are the mentally retarded:  below 70 IQ are about 3% of the
population, and  a small number are in institutions - primarily the ones
below about 55.  IQ 60 and above can hold jobs.  Mentally retarded,
alcoholic, and drug addicted - the triple whammy.

Do the mentally ill, such as thousands of them in SF, get any treatment at
all?  Spike?

bill w

On Fri, Aug 4, 2023 at 11:51 AM Adrian Tymes via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> On Fri, Aug 4, 2023 at 9:41 AM BillK via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
>> The homeless problem can be solved. Basically by providing affordable
>> housing and supporting people while they recover.
>> See:  <
>> https://calmatters.org/commentary/2023/02/homeless-california-housing-solution-data/
>> >
>>
>> The problem that the US has is historical. The attitude that it is not
>> a government concern. That it is up to people to look after themselves and
>> arrange their own housing, medical care, etc. Now the cost to society
>> of dealing with the homeless has become more than the cost of solving
>> the crisis.
>>
>
> It might be better to say "patched" or "alleviated", as "solved" implies a
> one-time permanent solution.  As you note, like police, fire fighting, and
> medical service, this would be an ongoing expense from the government to
> prevent a larger collective expense paid collectively.  We're all paying
> the cost anyway, so if it can be a lower cost by going through taxes, less
> expensive is less expensive.
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