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What garbage has to do with the social gap? with " The Indignants"?
We wanted to venture into the streets of New York to show poverty.
Lines of Americans who rely on community dinners
in the richest country in the world...
and incidentally we discovered the incoherent the absurdities of an economic system
that many are questioning today in its most important business district,
in walt street.
We did the report together with Cristian Diaz and Jennifer Ulloa.
Neon lights in Times Square, is the great showcase
the postcard image of consumption
in the city that practices the most, New York.
Temptations, goods and services that move a lot of money
in the financial capital of the world.
But this report is not about consumption is about these who don't have access to all of this
some because the are not able, others because they don't want it.
In the same city, just minutes away there is another country
they are the shadows of citizens that everyday meet together in the bank food
Americans who depend on a free breakfast, a free lunch or free dinner to survive
More than a million in this city, and four million who are about to fall
and a statement reiterated by those affected:
"The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. That is the problem and something has to happen (change)"
The same day we met the need created by the current economic model
we realized its excesses
we walked with people who have purchasing power, but they feed on the squander
because they are more disgusted of the waste than the garbage
they immerse in the black plastic bags to find the treasure that is shared among all
even with occasional pedestrians..
"Look at the amount that is here"
"Awesome. Do you want one? Yes"
"Here's one. This one is for you. Thanks"
"There's more, do you want another one? Thanks"
"There are more huh! If you can take more, take more!"
"Give me one of these. huh? this one? Yes, that one"
"Of course"
Could this be one of the reasons why thousands of citizen
are protesting in the financial district of New York?
The strong need to live with the great wealth. What is their relationship?
OUTRAGE: The causes of discomfort.
This is the New York’s Stock Market building It has become the economic concentration symbol
and awakes every day surrounded by the police, no longer because of a terrorist thread
now it is because of an increased social discontent.
The 400 richest families in the U.S. have a fortune equivalent
to that of the 150 million poorest Americans or half of the population
That's why these protesters say they represent 99% of the population versus 1%
and majority of the people are behind them.
Respectful publications acknowledges the brutal disparities of an economic model
that today threatens the middle class with families wrecking in a perfect storm...
called recession.
"The salaries of workers are not enough to buy food and all expenses to live every day"
"We have to do these things to survive"
They wait in line for free food. It is charity.
Churches and nongovernmental organizations provide meals to prevent that more Americans
fall into poverty.
"It takes place every Friday, and they give you fruits, vegetables and bread"
"Do you save money with this? Yes, 30 or 20 dollars per week"
There are also community dinners,
dozens of community kitchens that receive government help and private help
We have been told that employees serve very well here
because they know they may soon be part of the line too.
More than 60 % of Americans admit to depend on their next paycheck to continue fighting
The food is free, and does not require any paperwork.
"The last years our clientele has increased by 30%"
"and most of the guys I see every day are young people, children, single mothers"
"and it breaks my heart because it seems that this economy will not improve"
"It's getting worse and my fear is that the lines of people will be longer next year."
It is the ration for survival.
Dining here allows us to pay for other expenses, the rent or medical bills...
in a country where 50 million people have no medical insurance.
It is hard to believe, but nearly one and a half million New Yorkers
depend on it, they eat this way.
They are the people behind the statistics
and what the president has referred to as
the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
The number of poor people is also a record:
46 million... the equivalent to the population of Colombia.
United States is a reference. Is his economic model staggering?
We asked Lorenzo:
"All I can tell is look what is happening down in walt street"
"and the protest about", he says.
But before going to the protesters
and to find out why this historical protest is spreading all across the country
we wanted to go out for a walk at the night.
There is Juan, in the dark, next to small and medium businesses.
while some are struggling to eat, others throw the food, and much more.
"Chocolate, milk, eggs, meat and the salami and cheese packages."
"and pizza... these people also throw the pizzas in boxes"
"And at the 86th, they are also throwing things in boxes."
"Things that have not expired? that have not expired? Yes, have not expired."
"Even boxes with batteries, a month before they expire."
He has found a radio, a toaster and it is only the beginning.
And with Juan there are Deirdre and Paris,
she is a college student with a new blanket.
They have come out to search through the garbage
Along with Janet, a Spanish teacher
And they don’t do this for necessity, they do so for conviction,
to reject the over consumption, to reject the squander.
They are part of a movement called “The Freegans”
"There are throughout the city and the entire country"
"many people are upset with our system,"
"they don’t want to buy something that is available, that can be collected"
They come two to three times a week and they sustain themselves
without buying in a supermarket.
"Avocado... avocado, and are perfect huh! They are ripe, very ripe"
"A good guacamole for tomorrow... for breakfast"
"Avocados... incredible. Regularly how much they cost? A lot, I think two dollars each"
"A lot, I think two dollars each"
"This is very expensive here. Yes, it costs a lot"
"Well, in Chile as well."
The price paid by the consumer considers these margins of waste.
Packaged and labeled food in the garbage, a couple days before they expire.
New Yorkers throw away 50,000 tons every day. This is what these men collect.
In just a week the volume equivalent to the surface of the largest and highest building of the city...
The Empire State.
The food wasted by consumers throughout the United States
totals a 54 billion dollars,
It’s a bit less than the gain of copper for Chile... in 20 years.
...and we're talking about food that is safe to be eaten
"This bread has a dated October 10th, today is October 7th."
"And this is for October 9th"
"The cost for this one is $3.99... and this one also costs $3.99"
Even pedestrians take the chance, hesitant at first, incredulous at the end
when they see what is in the garbage.
Janet has 7 years as Freegan and she has never been intoxicated by food
We have been walking no more than 5 blocks.
"What have we found here? are they donuts? Yes, donuts and Bowels. Breads."
"All fresh. Cooked today"
"All fresh because if Dunkin Donuts is advertising that everything is fresh every day"
"they will obviously throw all that remains at night... Yes"
"And it is perfect to eat... Yes"
"Completely good to be eat, it’s still fresh."
In our walk we have found David, another Freegan that suddenly has joined us.
He is a musician by profession and also has purchasing power.
"I go twice a week and I find almost everything I need, I just buy milk and juices."
How is it possible that the same system that generates hunger and marginalization
produces this surplus and throws it?
A social and environmental crime some people say, because the involved processing chain
of human and natural resources is wasted
and involves more ground clearance to accommodate to more landfills and more pollution.
Greenhouse gases among others.
The shops, restaurants and homes ...what they throw away
could feed more than 900 million people starving, twice...
Who is the madman, that is the question? The one that throw it or the one that collect it?
Juan seems to have lost everything but his sanity.
"I believe the world is going crazy"
"People is like..... I don’t understand, I have never have too many things myself."
"I do not waste things"
"At home, if I have a bread that becomes hard to eat, I put it in the toaster and eat it warm"
"I won’t waste it. Here? Here they waste everything."
The nonsense of the current system is the great banner of these protesters.
A protest which is beyond the U.S. borders and objects to the model that has been used and exalted.
Not to eliminate it, but to correct it.
99% vs.1% That is the banner in this event.
A 1% with excessive power in relation to most people.
That's why they ask for more fairness, for more social justice.
The claim here is not meant for a class struggle, there is no violence here,
but they demand a substantial change to the prevailing model
in a country where the gap between rich and poor people
has grown at the expense of the middle class,
where the recession threatens more cuts in public spending
and where financial institutions in particular and large companies
generally have a little counterpoise.
They ask that people in power have more respect for the power of the people.
"We know that the whole world is watching us and those who want to govern us are paying attention too."
It is David against Goliath or the high concentration of money and power how people say here.
But David or the ordinary citizens knows that he represent the majority and has more votes than Goliath.