The Extortion

The primary extortion which enables our society is: 'Work or Die'</P> <P> - Art Hoppe</P><P>That simple statement written several years ago by the late San Francisco Chronicle columnist confers a stunning moral indictment on every aspect of our society. Like it or not we live in a country which does not recognize the most basic human rights: food shelter clothing medical care and education much less enough time for spiritual practice or adequate leisure. </P><P>Our Constitution makes no mention of these rights. We have consistently refused from its inception to sign the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights precisely because it mandates such rights. </P><P><I>The Extortion</I> dominates the issue of homelessness especially since so many of them either can't or won't work. Clearly we must have a thorough and vigorous national debate on this question: do you believe that we should fight each other down to the last loaf of bread or do you believe in universal access to basic necessities whether one has money or not? </P><P>Some of course will insist that real economic democracy will foster laziness and sloth. If that were true only a 100% estate tax would save the children of the rich from such a fate. Unless they are somehow different from the rest of us...</P>