Hungary outlaws homeless in move condemned by charities

[pampango]

Source: BBC

A new legal regulation has come into force in Hungary making homelessness punishable by a fine of around $600 (£384) or prison.

MPs from the ruling conservative party proposed the regulation, on the grounds that Budapest could not cope with the large number of people on the streets.

Critics, including charities for the homeless, say it is unenforceable and that hostels lack sufficient places.

The author of the law, Mate Kocsis, is an MP from the ruling Fidesz party and a district mayor in the city.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15982882

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Hope the repubs don't get any ideas from these right wingers in Hungary.

More on the Fidesz party:

Fidesz is a major conservative party in Hungary. At the 2010 election in Hungary, Fidesz-KDNP won a two-thirds majority of seats by gaining 52% of the votes, with Fidesz winning 227 seats and KDNP winning 36. Fidesz is a member of the (conservative) European People's Party (EPP).

Ideology

Currently Fidesz is considered a conservative party on social issues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidesz

[shraby]

1. Apparently they believe in getting blood from a stone.

[saras]

2. Are they privatizing their prisons?

[zalinda]

3. I'm betting that this is a ploy to make sure that the

Romani leave Hungary. Many horrible things have been done to these people, and for some reason, most countries don't want them around.

zalinda

[Lucky Luciano]

11. If you are not a gypsy, then the gypsies view you as a mark to be taken advantage of.

No doubt this due to their history of being ostracized and being forced into survival mode, but I would never trust them.

[Nihil]

13. Fixed it for you:

> Many horrible things crimes have been done to by these people, and for some that reason,
> most countries don't want them around.

:hi:

[pampango]

15. And the answer is not to arrest individual criminals, but the homeless?

Also one could apply your amended statement to many groups of people, if one just adopts the right stereotypes and guilt by association.

Many crimes have been done to by these people (Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, Irish, Muslims, Japanese, immigrants, etc.), and for that reason, most countries don't want them around. (At some point in history all those groups have been the subject of discrimination or worse based on stereotypes and guilt by association.)

"Many crimes" have been committed by every conceivable grouping of people. That doesn't give society a right to criminalize entire groups as opposed to enforcing criminal law against those individuals who break them.

[Nihil]

16. If only the individual criminals *could* be arrested and treated the same way as normal citizens ...

... but I still agree that the Hungarians shouldn't take it out
on all of the homeless and no, I most definitely do not support
the Hungarians evicting the Roma from Hungary.

:hi:

[msanthrope]

4. "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" nt

[freshwest]

17. Always money for that, just not housing. Taking 'seen and not heard' to another level.

[era veteran]

5. Where do the leftover people go?

Building a Levitt-város?
Rise of the fascist right worldwide. While the Republicans were busy destroying the world's economy the inmates have taken over the asylums.

[wcollar]

6. Rich and Poor

I think Anatole France covered this: "Another source of pride is to be a citizen! For the poor this consists of supporting and maintaining the rich in their power and their idleness. The poor must labour in the face of the majestic equality of the laws, which forbid rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

[AlbertCat]

7. Hungary outlaws homeless

Get those starving outlaws some food and shelter then!



Oh never mind.







P.S.
How do you "outlaw" homelessness.... unless you intend to provide a home for everyone?

(sounds like gypsy-bashing)

[Yo_Mama]

8. Outlaw the poor, too.

Make it crime to have an income below a certain number. The economy should just go ballistic, what with everyone having to make so much money.

[freshwest]

18. Great way to make lemonade out of income inequality! Needs to be said.

[Yo_Mama]

19. More like making soylent green out of human beings

Stories like these make it hard to believe in the human race.

[freshwest]

20. No, I was talking about your better solution. But the regressives here want to do it here, too and..

I can just see the way they'll market it now:


"See, they won't be homeless or unemployed anymore! They can live in a gated community with lots of companionship, food and work to do. This is true compassion, get with the program!"

:argh:

[Yo_Mama]

21. There are definitely people who would like that idea

We might call it a prison. Such a rude, cold word.

[freshwest]

22. I refer you to the rebuttal of the fascists. Did you see this post?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2413074&mesg_id=2413244

Naturally, I am talking about republicans whose cupidity is only exceeded by their hypocritical framing of arguments to suit their masters. In no way do I find common cause with fascists.

[Shadowflash]

9. Brilliant!

We can use that tactic to lower the unemployment rate here. Just make being unemployed illegal and, POOF, no more problem! Right? Right?

[Bozita]

10. I expect the GOPers to try something similar here

[TygrBright]

12. Betcha there's a buttload of GOPpie strategists looking at this right now and drooling...

...muttering "Damn, why didn't we think of that?"

Just watch. Our most troglodyte state leges will be considering a version of this early in the New Year.

Kafka weeps.

sourly,
Bright

[Luciferous]

14. What a dumb law.