Food, shelter and clothing are basic material needs. There are also basic emotional and psychological needs and many problems as a result of these not being met in childhood (or later). Emotional and psychological issues can't be dealt with as long as basic material needs are not met - some physical stability is required! The current state of affairs is very handy for keeping huge sections of the population in a state of abject stress, depression and division - this of course just inflates and complicates mental-health! This is not a result of natural social processes. Any adjustment of the system from within is just playing around with variations of extrotion and misery. The fact of the matter is that there is enough to go around and to cover the basics for all. Scarcity is an artifical state of being, and it is a mindset that has penetrated to the core.

Very very messy.

But for all that, it is a system on the verge of collapse, not least because no one is satisfied (not the 'rich' either, else they would cease the exploitation. Such 'rich' people too have a scarcity mindset.), plus people are becoming awake to their dissatisfaction and constructive alternatives are begining to appear and make their presence felt.

Signs that the 'system' is feeling the pinch can be seen in an analogy with a human being 'Control Freak'. When all is under control, the CF is calm and as relaxed as can be. When things start to be shaken up - eg the CF is challenged, the CF reacts by exerting more control (more police, more restrictive laws etc). It is when the CF beings to feel that the control is slipping out of grasp - this is where we are now - then the acts of exerting control become more and more pronounced and imperative (and transparent and ridiculous). We see this in false flag operations, scare and division tactics and all the other various knee-jerk reactions by the system and it's unthinking minions. We seem to be in the final period - perhaps the most turbulent of all as the CF will sooner perish than relinquish control. We will not be destroyed when it implodes/explodes or whatever it may do :D - what reality does an artificial mental construct built on fear and control actually have beyond the myth of consensus reality? Sure it feels real, but that's not the same as having an actual existence.

I think one of the best things we can do is not to give our power away to a system that benefits from a population stuck in the victim mentality. Regardless of situation, if we see ourselves as victims, we are playing into the hands of the system, and we then actually become partially responsible for keeping it going.

It's a fine game with fine lines IMO!

PS. I think this applies to many things, the issues of 'renting' as much as the issue of 'work', 'education', 'self-image/esteem' etc.