It always amazes me that people who have seen the poverty in some countries do not support a certain social welfare. Do not confuse socialism and the strange idea people in the west have of comunism. In holland we had a very social structure and it works perfect for me and my country
Sam you have travelled more than me, though I hope to do much more in the near future. I'd take eating over democracy if it got down to it. Though if the US press is right, N.Korea is not too high on the eating scale either.
I think glynch is putting US at the bottom of top tweny nations for poor people, which could very well be the case, I do not know for sure.
Exactly, what is the point of voting if you are starving or live in a tin hut? Democracy is only important when the basic human needs are met in life.
As big a critic as I am of US policies -- especially with regard to healthcare -- I'd be hardpressed to come up with 19 countries that would be significantly better to be born in. As for worst? Man....any longtime war torn nation would take the cake. Seirra Leon is particularly ugly....but there are just too many that are close.
Only if you look at poor people as a group instead of looking at individuals. When I last saw the statistics, (about 4 years ago) the US had the lowest number of "chronically impoverished" people. I believe that statistic was for people who remained below the poverty level for more than 5 years. As a general rule, poverty in the US is a temporary condition. (The largest group is new immigrants.) While the poor in most of the EU (let's face it, that's all glynch is really comparing) have their needs slightly better met than in the US, a far higher percentage of their poor are "chronically impoverished" and don't have opportunity to leave that poverty. D&D. Help shouldn't cut off the bootstraps.
Just to give an idea what top 20 countries glynch talked about. Here is a top 50 list I found. Data from 2005: http://www.finfacts.com/biz10/globalworldincomepercapita.htm # in $ per capita, or GNI COUNTRY_NAME 2004 2005 RANK Luxembourg 56380 65630 1 Norway 51810 59590 2 Switzerland 49600 54930 3 Denmark 40750 47390 4 Iceland 37920 46320 5 United States 41440 43740 6 Sweden 35840 41060 7 Ireland 34310 40150 8 Japan 37050 38980 9 United Kingdom 33630 37600 10 Finland 32880 37460 11 Austria 32280 36980 12 High income: OECD 33547 36715 13 Netherlands 32130 36620 14 Belgium 31280 35700 15 High income 32132 35131 16 France 30370 34810 17 Germany 30690 34580 18 Canada 28310 32600 19 Australia 27070 32220 20 European Monetary Union 27921 31914 21 Italy 26280 30010 22 Hong Kong, China 27130 27670 23 Singapore 24740 27490 24 New Zealand 19550 25960 25 Spain 21530 25360 26 Greece 16730 19670 27 Israel 17360 18620 28 High income: nonOECD 16341 17656 29 Slovenia 14820 17350 30 Portugal 14220 16170 31 Korea, Rep. 14040 15830 32 Malta 12100 13590 33 Saudi Arabia 10170 11770 34 Antigua and Barbuda 10130 10920 35 Czech Republic 9170 10710 36 Trinidad and Tobago 9070 10440 37 Hungary 8370 10030 38 Estonia 7080 9100 39 Seychelles 8170 8290 40 St. Kitts and Nevis 7750 8210 41 Croatia 6820 8060 42 Slovak Republic 6480 7950 43 Palau 7120 7630 44 Mexico 6930 7310 45 Poland 6140 7110 46 Lithuania 5840 7050 47 World 6338 6987 48 Latvia 5460 6760 49 Lebanon 6040 6180 50
No, I'd say out of say the 200 countries of the world we would be in roughly the top 30-50 which is a disgrace IMHO given our wealth. Similarly the great and glorious state of Texas, which is usually down there in education, health care etc. with Mississsippi, Alabama, So.Carolina and the otherpoorest states of the Union. Texas is about the middle of the 50 states per capita income. Therefore, IMHO a case can be made that Texas, is the most selfish of the 50 states.
Diluted by immigrants is more like it. Last I noticed, Christianity doesn't teach welfare for the lazy. And there are very few that would qualify as "having nothing but the shirt on my back". Should a Christian making $20 hr, give $5 to someone making $10?
Bad luck caught me before the new moderate,less sarcastic glynch could reedit. Forget the crack about Southern Christianity.
Originally Posted by Deji Right now? The worst place to be born right now, is by far Zimbabwe. I cover it as part of my job. The place has 2000% inflation. People with salaried jobs can't afford bus fare. Infrastructure is collapsing, there are police shooting people for trying to illegally mine for diamonds and gold, the government is extremely corrupt and shoots opponents in the street, and if you can find food, it's only on the black market, and only a few millionaires can afford it. People are checking dying family members anonymously into hospitals because no one can afford medical care and to avoid having to pay the costs associated with burial. Meanwhile a few government officals are getting rich from illegal gold and diamond smuggling. Average people are eating rats. Zimbabwe sounds pretty grim. I'd still pick probably Haiti. Alll the top soil is gone and they have nothing else. A total environmental disaster.Zimbabwe still has resources and top soil as far as I know. Good government of some form could still probably turn in around some. Why are you covering Zimbabwe? Minerals? Certainly not its stock exchange or futures market.
Well, if your referring to average income of the inhabitants of Texas, then the poor Mexicans that come here aren't likely to strike it rich, so the "pool" is diluted. Mexico is essentially exporting their poverty problem. Unless, the numbers you refer to are derived from social security numbers.
Actually a case could be made that Mexcio bears the expense of educating these people and feeding them prior to their coming here. Leonel Castillo, BTW for those who remembe him the ex comptroller or whatever you call it of the City of Houston and an Ex INS head (the Immigration dept under Carter, I beleve) explained how Mexcian immigration works. ( I expect like the original Italian and Irish immigrants to this country.) When a poor family,perhaps a large extened family in deep Mexico living on a couple of buck a day pools or essentially bets all of their life savings on the kid to send to the US, they don't pick the oldest as traditional. They send number 2, 3 or 4 is the smartest, and can work 18 hrs or maybe 20 hrs a day in the hot sun day after day without breaking down. A lot is being bet on that bus boy,consturction worker in Houston, Dallas etc. Do you think all Mexcians are that tough and durable? Of course not.
Actually a case could be made that Mexcio bears the expense of educating these people and feeding them prior to their coming here. Leonel Castillo, BTW for those who remembe him the ex comptroller or whatever you call it of the City of Houston and an Ex INS head (the Immigration dept under Carter, I beleve) explained how Mexcian immigration works. ( I expect like the original Italian and Irish immigrants to this country.) When a poor family,perhaps a large extened family in deep Mexico living on a couple of buck a day pools or essentially bets all of their life savings on the kid to send to the US, they don't pick the oldest as traditional. They send number 2, 3 or 4 whomever is the smartest, or who can work 18 hrs or maybe 20 hrs a day in the hot sun day after day without breaking down. A lot is being bet on that bus boy,consturction worker in Houston, Dallas etc. Do you think all Mexcians are that tough and durable? Of course not. WE are getting the cream of the Mexican working class either intellectually, physically or both. I am lucky to be married to the descendat of one. BTW,excuse the typos. I need to get away from this cordless keyboard that explains some of the errors, which I lose patience to keep editing.
Top 30-50??? You'd rather be born poor in Slovania? Singapore? Israel? Greece? Hong Kong? Italy? Ireland? UK? That's based on a quick scan of Heath's list. I'm not excusing the US treatment of it's poor, by any means. And it's a disgrace that the US isn't doing better. But other countries are not doing a vastly superiour job either.
They might want to consider redrawing the national boundaries according to ethnic and tribal groups. New countries will be created and current ones will cease to exist. Hopefully, that will end some of the wars there, especially the ethnic and tribal wars, and stable governments will hopefully form to meet the needs of the people.
