content: Instead of earning $7.50 an hour and living in poverty he's doing something legal that actually helps him provide for himself.  He's not providing for himself. Providing for yourself is when you create more value than you consume. This guy isn't creating any value, he's fooling people into thinking that he has no assets and needs help.  Isn't the whole point of capitalism and free market that people are free to do what makes them the most money?  Yes. And one very important market function is communicating information about fraud. Like, for example, following a "homeless" guy with a camera and discovering that he's actually pretty well off and doesn't need charity.  Just pointing out the irony as I'm sure the guy upset considers himself a true advocate of the free market... when that is exactly what this is. When begging gets you more money than low skill jobs - you get beggars.  No irony. He's correcting the imbalance by making people more wary of beggars.