So my USA

[Moondoggy]

friends is this clip loaded or real?

https://youtu.be/HRqQ6-ANjL4

[330ci]

Don't see why it would be fake to me, I know 3 areas within an hour of me I can go to and find a similar scene

[JasoninDenver]

X2. Not nearly as bad in Denver, but it definitely exists, as it does in or near pretty much every urban area.

The area of Philadelphia was actually in a documentary series (Intervention) on addiction a year or so ago. Sad.

[Al1969]

Very sad. We’re quickly becoming a “third world” country.

[Thug]

This really isn’t limited to urban areas. There’s a lot of opioid addiction in rural places.
The US is pretty broad and there’s definitely many places (especially in south) that’s borderline third world country status.

[Rashid.bk]

Definitely real and normal around inner cities. Not too surprised but haven't seen it this bad since the 80s in the East NY or the Bronx.
Craziest thing on that video was someone using a "working pay phone", thought those were extinct let alone having coins to use it(sarcasm), but honestly surprised. This place looks like hell on earth.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Al1969

Very sad. We’re quickly becoming a “third world” country.

You could realistically argue it's always been that way whether we admit it or not.

Between 1945 and 1980 was perhaps our largest growth of a middle class and after that it started shrinking again. Now we're back to the gilded age with the extremely rich, and parts of the country third world-esque.

Globalization decimated massive areas that never recovered. The opioid epidemic is a symptom, not a cause of the mess we see now.

And then Covid hit, and those on the margins soon fell over the cliff.

[brandrea]

That’s hard to watch.

[huncho]

it's the same by madison square garden here. tons of drug fiends leaning over and homeless, and that's in the heart of the biggest city on this planet

[SDGT3]

That's Philadelphia, here in CA it's 10X worse with LA and San Francisco being the capitals. I have thoughts on the cause but this thread would be locked in 2 seconds.

[daveathall]

Depravation and poverty in most (if not all) cities in this world. That video was heartbreaking.

[Spectre38]

Unfortunately its all too real. Portland Oregon is getting to be like this, as is Seattle.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by SDGT3

That's Philadelphia, here in CA it's 10X worse with LA and San Francisco being the capitals. I have thoughts on the cause but this thread would be locked in 2 seconds.

I was about to say, parts of LA look the same.

I really have no words

Well, I guess I do. Seeing this, combined with global warming, terrorism, wars, economic struggles, millions of refugees trying to get to Europe and the US, it makes me glad I am going to die (relatively, like 20 or 30 years) soon. Yes, there are some positives, I hear about new-clean energy sources, advancements in medicine and other areas, but just from my limited view it gives the impression the bad is outpacing the good. I think the human species might be entering another dark age (comparing it roughly from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance in the 16th century. Only time will tell. For all of you with children I hope I am wrong and they can fix all the ways we have screwed up.

[SDGT3]

Paul,

I often think the same way with the exact words you used, "dark ages". I want to stay positive about the future, but there's just so many negative elements in all societies and cultures these days that it just wears on one's soul. I hope I'm wrong.

[jatco]

Could be downtown Vancouver on Hastings near Main St. It's not unusual in any major city..unfortunately.

[Dr. Robert]

Beam me up Scotty, this planet sucks.

[jatco]

Originally Posted by Dr. Robert

Beam me up Scotty, this planet sucks.

Yours and ours time will come....

[SMD]

Unfortunately, this is what passes for compassion in our country. There is a lot of history to this issue going back many decades, but it is political at its core so off topic for TRF.

[NYC6]

I’ve been to quite a few places around the globe in the military and civilian life. Damn near all of them scenes like aren’t too hard to find once you get off the “tourist trail”. America is still the gleaming light many from around the planet come to to better their lives. I’ll stop it here before I get political.

[Moondoggy]

Very sad. Honestly looks like a movie set.

[pickettt]

It’ll be more widespread in the very near future.

[donas]

It's hard to comment on that video without turning this thread into something that would be closed. Yes, it's real...and sad. The really bad/sad part is the amount of effort it would take to try and get most of those people out of that situation. Between the addiction and just all around comfort in their situation, it would be a real fight to get them out of it.

When I was in LE, my department established a program to help a group of individuals as a pilot program. It was a big deal at the time, on 20/20 and various other shows. Long story short, out of the 25 or so people, not a single one was willing to follow through and maintain a job and crime free life. This was with virtually everything provided to them: counseling, transportation, a place to live, jobs, etc. Every single one of them gave it up to go back to the street.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by donas

It's hard to comment on that video without turning this thread into something that would be closed. Yes, it's real...and sad. The really bad/sad part is the amount of effort it would take to try and get most of those people out of that situation. Between the addiction and just all around comfort in their situation, it would be a real fight to get them out of it.

When I was in LE, my department established a program to help a group of individuals as a pilot program. It was a big deal at the time, on 20/20 and various other shows. Long story short, out of the 25 or so people, not a single one was willing to follow through and maintain a job and crime free life. This was with virtually everything provided to them: counseling, transportation, a place to live, jobs, etc. Every single one of them gave it up to go back to the street.

All I’ll say is I’m not surprised

[donas]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

All I’ll say is I’m not surprised

That's all that can be said on this forum .......but that's enough

[Kyle3130]

The “brass tacks” of this situation in our society is that parenting is a tremendous responsibility. Most people now a days don’t want any part of that sacrifice and this is the end result. I’ve lost friends and family members to substance abuse and the common denominator is negative peer influence and lack of accountability from parents. It’s extremely sad that no one loved these people enough or helped them love themselves enough to not make those choices.

[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by Kyle3130

The “brass tacks” of this situation in our society is that parenting is a tremendous responsibility. Most people now a days don’t want any part of that sacrifice and this is the end result. I’ve lost friends and family members to substance abuse and the common denominator is negative peer influence and lack of accountability from parents. It’s extremely sad that no one loved these people enough or helped them love themselves enough to not make those choices.

not the sole reason, there are many I would imagine, but seriously this sh*t can creep up on you and before you know it, well guess what these unfortunate individuals are infact the majority.....happens.

If there was ever a post that was given the green light to become political it would be this.....I know I know it's a no no.

[Chester01]

Originally Posted by SMD

Unfortunately, this is what passes for compassion in our country. There is a lot of history to this issue going back many decades, but it is political at its core so off topic for TRF.

Sad that so much that’s really not political gets political. My guess it’s the news that strives to turn anything and everything into a political argument to score viewers and of course politicians are happy to pick that up and run. Turning very complicated and nuanced issues into low resolution sound bites are what the news and politicians thrive on. Sad, as most things are really not political.

[GB-man]

I mean this guy drove around in the hood for a month and showed you highlights of drug addicts. Unless I’m missing something this is nether new or shocking. There are similar scenes playing out in nearly every country under the sun minus a few places that are hardly countries and more like wealthy cities created for economic purposes.

The opioid crisis in the US is largely the fault of major drug companies who knowingly pumped OxyContin through various criminals pretending to practice medicine.

[RyanJ]

Take any big city... People will be dropping thousands on a new wallet while a few blocks down the road people will be shooting up on the sidewalk...

Some think this is a recent thing but, in reality, the only thing that is recent is the invention of technology to show these scenes instantly across the world.. What used to be easy to hide is not so easy anymore.

[Richard6129]

Originally Posted by donas

It's hard to comment on that video without turning this thread into something that would be closed. Yes, it's real...and sad. The really bad/sad part is the amount of effort it would take to try and get most of those people out of that situation. Between the addiction and just all around comfort in their situation, it would be a real fight to get them out of it.

When I was in LE, my department established a program to help a group of individuals as a pilot program. It was a big deal at the time, on 20/20 and various other shows. Long story short, out of the 25 or so people, not a single one was willing to follow through and maintain a job and crime free life. This was with virtually everything provided to them: counseling, transportation, a place to live, jobs, etc. Every single one of them gave it up to go back to the street.

This exactly. Years ago, I worked as a manager in a grocery store in the downtown area. We had a large homeless population, some of whom were undoubtedly addicts. We would post "Help Wanted" positions but none would apply. However, these same folks would invariably be the ones that would shoplift or panhandle . While a few wanted to try to get clean, most seemed content with their situation and would rather get high than be a "productive "member of society. Why were they like this? Poverty, education, family situation, mental illness, happenstance or a combination. One thing I think is not talked about is that most of these people made the choice to try drugs. They were likely not forced to by anyone. To say it's because of bad parenting or Big Pharma is not accurate. God forbid my kids become like this. Thankfully, they are educated and have common sense enough not to become involved with this. If we could eliminate addiction, that would be fantastic. But you can only help those that want to be helped. Most are unfortunately content with their circumstances.