Nice to hear from you. And it’s very interesting what you say about life here. I do understand what you are trying to say, but I don’t agree with you. Being a drug addict, is a choice, like anything else in life. Maybe you are more heavily influenced in that choice because of physically and emotional dependancies, but the individual is the one that takes the drugs, you’re not born with a smack needle in your arm. People can overcome anything if the desire is there. Of course there are individuals that have been drug addicts and rehabilitated themselves and gone on to have meaningful lives! Why? Because the desire to be more than just a drug addict gave them the drive to change. So they made a choice to not do drugs anymore and then they went about achieving that goal. Just because you’re a drug addict, doesn’t mean you don’t have a choice. It just means, you have more to overcome if you make a choice to change that situation.

Of course not every beggar is lazy and dumb, again it’s the choice of the individual to spend their time doing something other than what the mainstream do. Which isn’t right or wrong, it’s just a choice after all. But it means that if you don’t want to work, you have to find some other way of supporting yourself, which in the case of a beggar is by the generosity of individuals like you and me that do work. Is it wrong? No, it’s just the way they want it to be.

I don’t see this as a matter of ethics or morality, simply one of personal motivation. For those people though that have psychological problems, that is something else, because these individuals do need help and should recieve it if a society is to call itself civilised. But I’m not going to get into that debate because it’s too big for this comment space

In the end, it’s touching Pipp that you would give me money as a beggar, but I’d never be one because I would never make that choice. I’ll use the power I have in my mind and body to make my life go in other directions. But it’s really sweet of you to support me like that.

No travel plans just yet Pipp. But a trip to Budapest in on the horizon, and also a move back to London for a while I think. But that’s a whole other story!

Padwanna!

Interesting point, i do find your conclusion a bit to easy, You always have a choice, so also not to beg. Living in Amsterdam i have a different experience. A lot off the beggers that I see, seem to have either pshychological problems or drug related problems. I beleive that that way off live is not a choice but a question off bad luck and biological unbalancy. I agree with you that they do have a choice to make the best off a bad situation and just begging for money is not it. So i choose to give my money to them who choose to either make music, or give something back to the public otherwise. And like other people some off them i do like and others i don’t. I also sometimes have talks with them and sometimes that can be very entertaining and eyeopening. Not every begger is lazy and dumb, some are very interesting and intelligent. I don’t want to teach you a lesson in ethics i just find your opinion a bit right wing for my taste. I do agree that working is probably not what everybody prefers to do but if you have the capacity, talents and oppurtinity to tribute then it’s not that bad, i think. It’s true that Holland has a pretty good social system in comparisson to other countries. A lot off people who seem to need it don’t know or are not capeable to use that system to there benifit. So they find themselve in a cycle off no adress, no welfare, so that leaves them begging in the street. How is that in Australia? Got any travellingplans by the way? If i saw you begging in the street i would surely give you a dime or a cup off coffee, or i would teach how to juggle so you can be an streetartist.

Groetjes en kus Pippi