The phrase bread and circus has pretty negative connotations for most people. But it's never had negative associations for me.
My ex was a history buff who was particularly interested in the Roman Empire. It is most likely from him that I got the idea that the Roman policy of "bread and circus" was a pragmatic and humane means of dealing with intractable problems.
My understanding is that poor people could go to the colosseum for free, sit in the "cheap seats" and also get some kind of basic food for free. It would be a little like if we let poor people into sports stadiums for free and also threw in one free hot dog and drink. Meanwhile, other people could pay for better seats and better food.
"Idle hands are the devil's workshop." Giving poor people a place to be that kept them from being bored, frustrated and angry and making sure they got at least one meal a day strikes me as brilliant.
It gets dissed as a "band-aid solution" that doesn't deal with the real problem. In fact, it's viewed as a band-aid solution in place of real solutions, as an excuse for blowing off real solutions.
But the reality is that there are two parts to the equation of poverty: systemic issues plus personal issues. It's a thorny problem because no one controls the full equation.
Society often blames poor people. Society often feels the poor are just not trying hard enough.
But poor people typically blame the system. They are trying their best and it still isn't working, so they feel it's not them.
The reality is that you need both pieces of the equation to go right in order to actually resolve the problem. Either side of the equation can prevent things from being resolved. In fact, even if both sides are doing all the right things, it can still take years to resolve it or even fail altogether.
The world simply doesn't have slam-dunk solutions for some of the of types of personal problems that are the root cause of intractable poverty. Mental illnesses, learning disabilities and addictions are all thorny problems under the best of circumstances.
I spent about two decades as a military wife with health problems and special-needs kids. During that time, I learned that a tall glass of water, a bite to eat and/or a ten minute nap could be the difference between wanting to go postal and feeling like "The sun will come out tomorrow."
So it was my long standing policy to deal with difficult periods with a policy of "bread and circus." I sought to keep everyone in the family fed, hydrated and entertained.
During extremely stressful periods, I actively let people off the hook for being jerks and actively broke up arguments with the assertion "We aren't going to do this right now. We can have this conversation some other time." Meltdowns were met with food, drink and a suggestion that it was time for some sleep rather than being met with punishment.
While my adult sons and I were homeless together, this long standing policy stood us in good stead. It helped us muddle through very difficult circumstances without going insane while we worked at resolving underlying problems so we could eventually get our lives back.
Whether you are homeless or trying to find solutions for this problem space, it's a useful best practice to keep in mind. Focusing on keeping people adequately fed and entertained so life is not pure drudgery while enduring the long, slow process of resolving intractable underlying problems is a foundation stone for success.
This is part of the idea behind Pocket Puter. A smartphone or tablet is a terrific lifeline while homeless because the internet facilitates both practical solutions -- research, job hunting -- but also cheap entertainment.
Watching fee videos, playing free games and hanging out online were all part of having a virtual life at a time when I mostly didn't have a real life.