U.S.

Homelessness Is 'Hooey,' Says The New York Post

The New York Times's very excellent (and poorly teased) story about homelessness in New York City has just been handed a devastating rebuttal from The New York Post.

By Brian Feldman
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This article is from the archive of our partner .

The New York Times's very excellent (and poorly teased) story about homelessness in New York City through the eyes of a child has just been handed a devastating rebuttal from The New York Post, who have the courage to argue that the city is "too generous."

The Post's editorial board writes:

Yes, the family’s housing has problems, including mice and reports of sexual assaults and other crimes. But the Times and Elliott, like much of the liberal establishment, seem to think it’s the city’s job to provide comfortable lives to outrageously irresponsible parents. In this case, that’s a couple with a long history of drug problems and difficulty holding jobs.

So, to recap: the city is at fault for deciding that having a roof over one's head is "comfortable" living, rather than just a basic necessity, and also, who cares about the leering possibility of violence, sexual or otherwise? New York's social safety net is guilty of "providing so much that neither the father nor mother seems much inclined to provide for their kids."

We would call this editorial a masterful piece of trolling, except that 'trolling' is when someone says something that they don't necessarily believe, just to get a rise out of someone. The editorial board of The New York Post is not trolling.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.