I totally agree with you Jef, this is horrific, Dickensian. It reminds me of a custom there used to be in Valencia, Spain. One of the churches has an elaborate clock with a figure than comes out and strikes the hours. Poor and desperate families would take their children to look at the chiming of the hours, and when the child looked up to see the figure the parents would run away. Opposite was a hospital which would take in the children.
Another shocking aspect of the crisis is the growth of tent towns on the edges of US towns, does anyone know much about these, websites etc.
news
High School students struck and marched across Germany yesterday in protest against classroom overcrowding, lack of teachers, and the pressure of examinations.
articles
The 19th century 'Great Game' rivalry between Britain and Russia for supremacy in Central Asia is seeing a resurgence, with America taking Britain's place. The stakes are higher than ever, argues Loren Goldner.
After changes in the law to decriminalise giving up children (part of an ongoing process over the last 9 years).
Any child up to 19 can be handed over to the state (pop. 1.7M) if you take them to a hospital. 14 kids were given up in September (plus one was taken to a police station mistakenly). About half seem to be teenagers. Half are also from one family so it might not be as big a problem as it may seem. Still pretty shocking though.