Capitalist Breadlines

The above photo is from November the 16th, 2020. Not decades ago, not years ago, this is the scene from just four days passed at the time of this article being written. This America. This is one of the wealthiest counties in the world and people are lining up in scores to receive food that they most likely could not afford on their own. If this is not shocking to behold then I don't know what would be.

The greatest pandemic on the face of the planet within the last century has seen untold millions of Americans displaced from their jobs, their homes, and struggling to pay for even food. Many have been out of work since March, when America finally started taking the Coronavirus seriously and mandating several shut-downs and shelter-in-place orders. That is nine months of being without any form of primary income and with very little help from the federal government to ease the burden. While average Americans struggle to make ends meet the top companies and biggest billionaires saw the only profits to be had, many of these aforementioned bodies growing in wealth by the billions. Meanwhile the poorer of Americans are being evicted from their homes and left to go hungry.

Its hard not to make this situation a political issue when the son of our own sitting president tweeted on how he bore witness to breadlines in a "communist" country. He finishes off his tweet stating how such an experience revealed to him the "evils & perils of Communism/socialism". While America boasts a number of socialist policies such as schools, waste management, and public transportation, just to name a few, it is still a far cry from what could be defined as a "communist country". That effectively makes these lines we're seeing 'capitalist breadlines'.

Regardless of what kind of breadlines or policies these are, Americans are still going hungry and our ruling body is doing nothing about it. No matter our differences in political views or opinions are I think we could all agree on that food is a necessity, not a luxury. We are a country that generates a staggering amount of food waste each year, we even throw out food in the fields that aren't visibly appealing enough for our market's shelves.

While hunger in America is nothing new it has not been at this level in over a century, now more than ever is shines a glaring light on a problem that sits at the core of America. While we have had to pinch pennies to keep food on the table those at the top with the most wealth, many among whom were bailed out early in the pandemic, likely haven't spared a thought as to where their next meal will come from.