Michael Shellenberger

It's like a complete reversal.

No, of course. I mean, it's really... I mean, you say of course, but like... No, I know. Well, no, I know. I wrote San Francisco because it was literally like... Because I knew drugs. Like, you know... Me too. I know drugs. You know, I made three friends from high school. I became homeless addicts. Two are dead. It's like, you know, I'm, you know, I happily avoided personally all the hard ones.

No, of course. I mean, it's really... I mean, you say of course, but like... No, I know. Well, no, I know. I wrote San Francisco because it was literally like... Because I knew drugs. Like, you know... Me too. I know drugs. You know, I made three friends from high school. I became homeless addicts. Two are dead. It's like, you know, I'm, you know, I happily avoided personally all the hard ones.

No, of course. I mean, it's really... I mean, you say of course, but like... No, I know. Well, no, I know. I wrote San Francisco because it was literally like... Because I knew drugs. Like, you know... Me too. I know drugs. You know, I made three friends from high school. I became homeless addicts. Two are dead. It's like, you know, I'm, you know, I happily avoided personally all the hard ones.

But you saw your friends, like, you know, you'd leave you. Wow, you guys have the same math. You know, it's like, that's bad. What time did you go to high school? Greeley, Colorado. Yeah. You know, yeah. So, you know, my parents are psychologists. I remember just being around my aunt had schizophrenia. You know, I've told the story a long time, so I don't want to bore you.

But you saw your friends, like, you know, you'd leave you. Wow, you guys have the same math. You know, it's like, that's bad. What time did you go to high school? Greeley, Colorado. Yeah. You know, yeah. So, you know, my parents are psychologists. I remember just being around my aunt had schizophrenia. You know, I've told the story a long time, so I don't want to bore you.

But you saw your friends, like, you know, you'd leave you. Wow, you guys have the same math. You know, it's like, that's bad. What time did you go to high school? Greeley, Colorado. Yeah. You know, yeah. So, you know, my parents are psychologists. I remember just being around my aunt had schizophrenia. You know, I've told the story a long time, so I don't want to bore you.

But basically, it was like it was just kind of like, so wait, everyone just thinks that this is like a housing problem. Like, that's just crazy. So, you know, you sort of needed to I needed to go do all those interviews. But I mean, really, the first homelessness epidemic, the first time that we're modern homelessness was in the early 80s.

But basically, it was like it was just kind of like, so wait, everyone just thinks that this is like a housing problem. Like, that's just crazy. So, you know, you sort of needed to I needed to go do all those interviews. But I mean, really, the first homelessness epidemic, the first time that we're modern homelessness was in the early 80s.

But basically, it was like it was just kind of like, so wait, everyone just thinks that this is like a housing problem. Like, that's just crazy. So, you know, you sort of needed to I needed to go do all those interviews. But I mean, really, the first homelessness epidemic, the first time that we're modern homelessness was in the early 80s.

And it was just, it was basically all it was was a combination of the emptying, the final closure of all the mental hospitals where they literally, literally dumped people on the streets. Like I thought that that was, that sounded like an exaggeration when I first started. They literally were putting, you know, schizophrenics and stuff on the streets. And then the crack epidemic.

And it was just, it was basically all it was was a combination of the emptying, the final closure of all the mental hospitals where they literally, literally dumped people on the streets. Like I thought that that was, that sounded like an exaggeration when I first started. They literally were putting, you know, schizophrenics and stuff on the streets. And then the crack epidemic.

And it was just, it was basically all it was was a combination of the emptying, the final closure of all the mental hospitals where they literally, literally dumped people on the streets. Like I thought that that was, that sounded like an exaggeration when I first started. They literally were putting, you know, schizophrenics and stuff on the streets. And then the crack epidemic.

Like that's all it was. It was just those two things. And then, of course, then, you know, left-wing mayor of San Francisco and others are like, oh, well, we can't, like, we can't, like, require that people not camp outside. They're poor. The left, in reaction to Reagan, then took up homelessness as something that they claimed was caused by Reagan.

Like that's all it was. It was just those two things. And then, of course, then, you know, left-wing mayor of San Francisco and others are like, oh, well, we can't, like, we can't, like, require that people not camp outside. They're poor. The left, in reaction to Reagan, then took up homelessness as something that they claimed was caused by Reagan.

Like that's all it was. It was just those two things. And then, of course, then, you know, left-wing mayor of San Francisco and others are like, oh, well, we can't, like, we can't, like, require that people not camp outside. They're poor. The left, in reaction to Reagan, then took up homelessness as something that they claimed was caused by Reagan.

Like, I mean, he'd been in office for, like, whatever, two or three years, and they would just make ridiculous claims, you know, the Reagan budget, you know, that's why he's on the street. Yeah. So it really gets used – so it becomes viewed by the left early on as a political propaganda tool. I also blame the comics, by the way. I mean, and just I'll name them.

Like, I mean, he'd been in office for, like, whatever, two or three years, and they would just make ridiculous claims, you know, the Reagan budget, you know, that's why he's on the street. Yeah. So it really gets used – so it becomes viewed by the left early on as a political propaganda tool. I also blame the comics, by the way. I mean, and just I'll name them.

Like, I mean, he'd been in office for, like, whatever, two or three years, and they would just make ridiculous claims, you know, the Reagan budget, you know, that's why he's on the street. Yeah. So it really gets used – so it becomes viewed by the left early on as a political propaganda tool. I also blame the comics, by the way. I mean, and just I'll name them.

Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg. They did this whole thing. You may remember Comic Relief. Yeah. Where they framed the whole thing as a problem of poverty, which is just – it's just – It's just such a disservice to the people on the street who need an intervention.