[–] McPocketNukes 1 point 8 points 9 points (+9|-1) ago
While it might mean the death of many through starvation it would save more lives down the road than it would eliminate in the short term.
No one starved to death during the great depression, even the deadest-deadbeat will magically find himself motivated and able when the options are get your shit together or starve.
People are still suffering from the effects of the malnutrition caused by the great depression. That kind of damage is generational.
[–] A_M_Swallow 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
People did starve in Medieval times. This is why workhouses and Magdalene asylums were built to look after single mothers.
[–] Titanbikes4ever ago
Magdalene asylums came about in the late 18th century through the 19th century
[–] BlueDrache ago
How you starve at Medieval Times is beyond me ... they're literally throwing food at you while the knights are jousting.
[–] 0fsgivin 2 points 5 points 7 points (+7|-2) ago
Pretty sure lots of people died from malnutrition related causes. And yea I think some actually did just straight up starve. Suicide rates absolutely rose. Disease deaths as well. Hungry, cold people (heating became a serious problem for many) get sick and die more often.
The great depression killed tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands easily. It's just the government didn't have a lot of that kind of record keeping at the time so exact figures are hard to come by.
[–] McPocketNukes 1 point 2 points 3 points (+3|-1) ago (edited ago)
No, suicide rates increased, otherwise there were no significant elevated mortality rates and some health indicators even improved. People can take care of themselves, and communities come together to help people actually in need.
They found declines in deaths due to pneumonia, flu and tuberculosis and increases in deaths from heart disease, cancer and diabetes. But none of those causes of death were associated with bank suspensions, and only the increase in deaths from heart disease could plausibly relate to the economic depression, the scientists write.
Two causes of death did correlate with the pattern of bank suspensions: suicide rates rose but motor vehicle accidents declined, so much so that they outweighed the increase in suicides.
But there was more going on in the 1930s than just and economic downturn. The 20th century was a period of great change, particularly in terms of sanitation and health care, two factors that could account for much of the decrease in mortality during the Great Depression.
[–] Diogenes_The_Cynic ago
So many men were missing teeth from malnutrition caused by the great depression that it became a problem during the draft for wwii. Truman cited how so many guys couldn't join the army because of missing teeth as his reason for the federal school lunch program.
People starved till teeth were falling out.