Garden of Thought E.307 Essay 1

Essay 1 is the first of what may become a more regular feature: me doing a solo show, talking about something I've thought a lot about but never decided upon the right way or place to present it. While most GoT shows are apolitical, that's not entirely the case. My politics and those of guests, come through at times. I consider myself a Centrist. That doesn't mean I'm in the Center of every issue. I might be extremely Conservative about many and pretty Progressive or Liberal about others. But for many issues, I recognize they are complex and no one ideology has answers. I believe most people fit in this spectrum. And within this spectrum, there is room for compromise to not have the perfect be the obstacle of the good, or just the better.I've been very up front about certain issues. It's no secret how pro-Ukraine I am in supporting it's struggle against Russia. This essay addresses one of the lies that has subsided but will likely rear it's head again: the myth that we would spend these billions at home on mental health and homelessness. The figure I recall being bandied about was 50 billion dollars. So, that is what I fixated on.What did elements of both Left and Right say? What are my thoughts on their motives?More importantly, what would it take to cure homelessness in the United States? Assuming this is some permanent solution, would 50 billion dollars come close? We use math. Then we use common sense on some inconvenient realities like Not In My Backyard and the costs of infrastructure, treatment and ongoing expenses beyond just building a glorified internment camp in some imaginary unused/unowned hectary of land.Let's see how I do. Let's see what I left out. Let's find out if you like this content.