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Perseverant Poverty
Three reasons for poverty to persevere:
- Social injustice – to be born in impoverished communities augments the chances of not having access to the same opportunities to advance than those being born in more privileged environments.
- Political agendas – it is politically appealing to keep bubbles of poverty as a means to promote social policies and win elections; to organise charity fund raising events (where political endorsements are fixed and realpolitik occurs); to manipulate the image of a nation and collect aid funds.
- Personal will – some people just want to be poor. They do not want to have a job; they reject stressing themselves with projects, deadlines, promotions; having the responsibility of paying bills, taxes, mortgages etc. They just want to be left alone.
It is said that Portugal has 2 millions of poor people. This economic crisis has led many families to recourse to charity food banks; however most do not because of shame, therefore condemning their kids to malnutrition.
Our Minister of Education, Isabel Alçada (a famous Portuguese author of juvenile books), marked the beginning of the school year by addressing the students and explaining the importance of eating wholesome food and having breakfast before attending classes. Since the Ministry of Education decreased the budget for its Nutrition Programs I’d like to know how the children of low-income families will be able to eat properly before going to school.
The Portuguese government is proud of its “Magalhães” project (image below): every kid in primary school is entitled to a laptop with the compliments of the Portuguese Republic. It sounds quite technologically advanced, doesn’t it? Now imagine little children accessing the internet through these technological hand-outs with an empty stomach...
(Source: Wikipedia)
Soul Poverty
- An individual lives lavishly and eats three meals a day. He has a neighbour who is going through financial woes; and knowing this the comfortably-living being doesn’t break bread with his neighbour.
- A rich person attends charity events. Big checks are written; photos are taken. This individual has a poor relative whom is not interesting to help since helping family does not generate headlines.
- One is called a man of God, of the spirit; he is revered, he is known as being wise and the guiding light. One is a racist.
- A politician is
irresponsible for the well-being of the nation she runs. This person drives around town, in a Mercedes, while small children (with snot running down their nose, with a swollen belly covered by rags, bare footed, selling greasy fried fish-bones by the side of the road instead of being at school) wave at her with a hungry smile sealed upon their face.
Poverty is an entrapment. It is so intricate a web that it is only possible to attenuate it.
Ending it is impossible.
I now invite you to read LS' opinion on this matter: Here.
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Dissecting Society™ welcomes all sorts of comments, as we are strong advocates of freedom of speech; however, we reserve the right to delete Troll Activity; libellous and offensive comments (e.g. racist and anti-Semitic) plus those with excessive foul language. This blog does not view vulgarity as being protected by the right to free speech. Cheers
My dear Maximus…first…congratulations on suggesting this noble topic…second…congratulations on a well thought out and interesting article…
ReplyDeletePART 1
On Perseverant Poverty…
Social injustice is an interesting topic…let me turn it askew for conversation…is it really an injustice to be born into an impoverished community? Who is to blame for the birth? Who is to blame for the impoverished community? I am not sure I see birth into poverty as a social injustice…government cannot solve every problem and neither can individuals…certainly some governments in some places could be blamed but so could individuals…
Certainly some governments like “poverty”; it can keep the masses out of power easing the “threat” to the political leaders. Some leaders may even think their people deserve to suffer (some would suggest that is why Obama is making so many disastrous economic decisions)…Some like to blame everything on “the rich”…For some having “the poor” supplies them with a voting bloc…
It is true that some people choose to be poor (some of them say they are the ones who are truly “free”). It is also true that many of them want to be “left alone” however I frequently found that they are willing to take tax payer money for their expenses.
PART 2
ReplyDeleteOn Mental Poverty…
Interesting about the amount of people that are judged poor in Portugal and their feelings of shame in getting help…
For many years Metro Vancouver has had food banks etc…they are widely used across Canada…it is an interesting exercise to monitor those getting such help…almost all here are either Caucasian or native (aboriginal)…you almost never see an Asian person, South Asian person or black person (this is wildly disproportionate to the population as we have a huge portion of Asian and South Asian persons in Metro Vancouver)…Living on the streets during winter in Canada is tough but believe it or not there are quite a few that choose that lifestyle (Vancouver has the best weather in Canada so many migrate here, best numbers put our homeless at well over a thousand)…There are many shelters and lots of cheap social housing…many homeless people say they do not want to play by the rules of others…Many mentally ill people also live on the streets…this is the heavy leverage of our problems locally with this issue…along with the addictions many suffer with…yet the laws of the land (Charter of Rights and Freedoms) actually makes it difficult to help such people as their rights to choose dangerous lifestyles supersedes our capacity (responsibility) to aid them… You cannot help those that do not want to be helped and so they squalor in alleys and parks…
Portugal is in dire economic straights and it looks like tough decisions need to be made… Canada on the other hand is doing comparatively well during the global economic disaster (our banks are healthy, our debt is still manageable and unemployment is good compared to most) however we are increasingly fearful of the Obama economic catastrophe (if he is not reigned in he could cause a global depression)…
Still we do provide food to poor school children (even while their parents commonly use government money for drugs and booze)…
This begs the question…why should I spend my hard earned tax money on feeding other people’s children (while I am also paying for their education and those parents are getting the vast majority of tax breaks, most poor people in Canada pay NO taxes, particularly in British Columbia)? We also heavily subsidize university students (and now they want completely free room and board during their time of education along with free university education!!!!) I certainly did not have that…while I was getting my post secondary education I worked the entire time ending school with a net profit thus no debt! Plus I took out no cheap student loans (government subsidized).
Choosing to donate money to others is one thing but being forced to give money by government decree is another…many here have an entitlement philosophy…They do not want to work but they want to live off my money…In Canada there is amazing opportunity to thrive and succeed…however in many countries this is not true…frequently because of the governments people have chosen to elect…in Greece…other European countries and around the world (and possibly coming soon to the US if they do not discard the socialist currently in power)…
Snazzy looking lap top…I’m glad I am not paying for it…
PART 3
ReplyDeleteSoul of Poverty….
Should we help our neighbor? Certainly…however I find it far more efficient to cut out the government middle woman…that being said certainly there is a place for government helping the weak…it is all about wise stewardship…
Hmmm you chose to use the spelling “check” and not “cheque” was that pandering to your US guests ;)
Not helping relatives in your provided context is interesting…if I have relatives that I repeatedly help but they continue to make poor choices wasting resources but I have another relative that I know makes wise choices with what I give them who should I give the help to? We must be wise stewards…we must help and it must be done wisely…
If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
- - 1 John 3:17
While Churches and churches ( small “c” fakes) certainly make a lot of mistakes it is unfortunate that so much of good Church work with the disenfranchised and poor is not known or reported…My local Church regularly feeds and clothes the poor and homeless (plus provides shelter at times of severe weather etc)…hundreds at a time…
Should the wealthy cease being wealthy? No. We do have a responsibility to help others not simply out of duty but because it should simply be who we are…however wealth in itself is not evil…greed is evil…it is the love of money that is evil not the money…however such duty includes the poor…they have a responsibility to take care of themselves and those around them…for example just because you are poor does not mean you should commit crimes against others…
Everybody should practice good stewardship…be wise in generosity…likewise everybody has a responsibly to work as hard as they can and be the best citizen they can be…there should not be a “culture of entitlement”…it is just as wrong to hate the rich as the poor…yet we will always have the poor with us…
One of your best pieces Max….
Poverty is such an subjective word, like you highlighted, that I don't think it will ever end.
ReplyDeleteMoney is one thing... you can be poor financially-wise yet very happy. I've seen families who didn't have much in Latin America but who had a great social and family network and were able to get by because people helped each other. And I know some people who make tons of money but are alone and lonely...
Back in 1987 Labor Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke said: "...by 1990 no Australian child will be living in poverty.” Unfortunately that didn't come to pass with some parents spending the funds set aside for the targeted children on themselves.
ReplyDeleteMuch has been said and huge amounts spent on the needy, particularly on the Aboriginal community. So much so, as my father did say, “They should all be millionaires by now.”
Where do these funds go, one can only make an educated guess. Administration costs, perhaps fraud and mismanagement, to name a few.
What will it take to relieve those in abject poverty from further suffering? If the powers to be can't work it out, Heaven help us all, particularly the needy.
Take Care,
Peter
All well done and your last paragraph makes it so graphic and poignant, Max, that I want to shed tears.
ReplyDeleteThe problem of poverty is so complex because of the complexity of our institutions, governments, and all the other structures built into our lives.
If only people would act on conscience instead of because their house of worship gives to charities and they will get approval for the giving. If only we were not so profit-motivated and greedy. If only we could find the security in ourselves to know when "enough is enough" and stop overstriving for material wealth. If only the fear-mongers would stop shouting and attend to real issues of the human condition. If only we could establish justice at every level of (international) society.
The human condition leaves much to be desired, but we must not give up hope.
Dear Max;
ReplyDeleteYour dilemma is not so different at all from my country. Your impoverished society is the same as ours.
Politicians capitalized on them to farther their self-vested interest. What is the logic behind giving each learner with a laptop and manipulate them in school with a hungry stomach?
Hello LSus :D!
ReplyDeletePART I
"My dear Maximus…first…congratulations on suggesting this noble topic…second…congratulations on a well thought out and interesting article…"
Thank you so much, darling *bowing*!
"(..) I am not sure I see birth into poverty as a social injustice…government cannot solve every problem and neither can individuals…certainly some governments in some places could be blamed but so could individuals…"
Your lack of certainty is correct: poverty is not a social injustice (one could claim to be a karmic injustice, but this would be ignorant. Poverty, or even wealth, is karmic justice); however the fact that one doesn't have access to the same opportunities due to having been born in the "wrong" side of the fence...is socially injust.
Government responsibility is a theme for another article lol...wouldn't you say? ;)
"Certainly some governments like “poverty”; it can keep the masses out of power easing the “threat” to the political leaders."
Absolutely.
"It is true that some people choose to be poor (some of them say they are the ones who are truly “free”). It is also true that many of them want to be “left alone” however I frequently found that they are willing to take tax payer money for their expenses."
There are all types of "poor" people and many reasons why they choose to be so.
LS,
ReplyDeletePART II
"Interesting about the amount of people that are judged poor in Portugal and their feelings of shame in getting help…"
Do you reckon? Sometimes I think the numbers are being manipulated for socialist purposes. However, there are many poors in Portugal...I am simply not sure about the 2 million figure...
"For many years Metro Vancouver has had food banks etc…they are widely used across Canada…it is an interesting exercise to monitor those getting such help…almost all here are either Caucasian or native (aboriginal)…you almost never see an Asian person, South Asian person or black person (this is wildly disproportionate to the population as we have a huge portion of Asian and South Asian persons in Metro Vancouver)"
That is interesting. Portugal doesn't account for the ethnicities seeking help in food banks: it only knows how many people attend those help centres; not how many of each ethnicity. Although sometimes they sort it by nationalities (when pertinent).
"There are many shelters and lots of cheap social housing…many homeless people say they do not want to play by the rules of others…Many mentally ill people also live on the streets…"
It is the same here.
"You cannot help those that do not want to be helped and so they squalor in alleys and parks…"
True.
"Portugal is in dire economic straights and it looks like tough decisions need to be made… Canada on the other hand is doing comparatively well during the global economic disaster (our banks are healthy, our debt is still manageable and unemployment is good compared to most) however we are increasingly fearful of the Obama economic catastrophe (if he is not reigned in he could cause a global depression)…"
Canada does not have the same history as Portugal; I'd even dare saying it is not even comparable.
You are deeply paranoid when it comes to President Obama, LS...specially because the Republicans ran the country and ruined its economy; so let's not pretend that the problem is solely the current administration, all right?
"…why should I spend my hard earned tax money on feeding other people’s children (while I am also paying for their education and those parents are getting the vast majority of tax breaks, most poor people in Canada pay NO taxes, particularly in British Columbia)?"
Because you want to share with your neighbour who is in dire straits.
This issue is not that linear: some parents work, pay their bills, their taxes or/and social security and yet do not have the sufficient means to feed their children properly...don't they deserve aid? We should not assume that all people getting state aid are cons, drug addicts and/or alcoholics...there are also good working people in need of extra assistance.
"many here have an entitlement philosophy…They do not want to work but they want to live off my money…"
Yeah, we have those too...and those folks are used by the Right Wing to attack the social policies of every government in office (be it Right or Left, since none of them has the guts to end certain social programs that encourage indolence).
"(and possibly coming soon to the US if they do not discard the socialist currently in power)…"
Oh please...all this Tea Party schizophrenia is really getting to you *nodding*.
"Snazzy looking lap top…I’m glad I am not paying for it…"
LOL LOL come visit Portugal and you will...(through the indirect taxes every tourist, and citizen, pays).
LS,
ReplyDeletePART III
"Should we help our neighbor? Certainly…however I find it far more efficient to cut out the government middle woman…that being said certainly there is a place for government helping the weak…it is all about wise stewardship…"
Isn't this comment of yours contradicting what you said in the beginning of this conversation? Yes, I believe it is...you sound like a Republican: sometimes they claim that the government is meddling too much, sometimes it accuses the same government of not being involved enough...what's it going to be, man?
If people would help each other more; if each family would take care of its own; the government wouldn't have to try doing such a lousy job at helping the less fortunate.
"Hmmm you chose to use the spelling “check” and not “cheque” was that pandering to your US guests ;)"
LOL expect the unexpected... ;)
"Not helping relatives in your provided context is interesting…if I have relatives that I repeatedly help but they continue to make poor choices wasting resources but I have another relative that I know makes wise choices with what I give them who should I give the help to? We must be wise stewards…we must help and it must be done wisely…"
As long as you choose to help a relative first before helping a stranger (who might end up doing the same; but since he/she generates headlines, many choose to help a stranger).
"While Churches and churches ( small “c” fakes) certainly make a lot of mistakes it is unfortunate that so much of good Church work with the disenfranchised and poor is not known or reported…My local Church regularly feeds and clothes the poor and homeless (plus provides shelter at times of severe weather etc)…hundreds at a time…"
This section of the article spoke not of helping the poor, but of people of the Church or church who have character deviations when they should be the representation of God on earth.
"Should the wealthy cease being wealthy? No. We do have a responsibility to help others not simply out of duty but because it should simply be who we are…however wealth in itself is not evil…greed is evil…"
I agree.
"…for example just because you are poor does not mean you should commit crimes against others…"
Or live in squalor...
"Everybody should practice good stewardship…be wise in generosity…likewise everybody has a responsibly to work as hard as they can and be the best citizen they can be…there should not be a “culture of entitlement”…it is just as wrong to hate the rich as the poor…yet we will always have the poor with us…"
You need to come to Portugal and teach that to our politicians.
"One of your best pieces Max…."
Thank you for your generosity, LS *bowing*!
LSus, I absolutely loved your comment for which I thank you a million times :D! This was a good theme to debate with you!
Cheers
Hi Zhu :D!
ReplyDelete"Money is one thing... you can be poor financially-wise yet very happy. I've seen families who didn't have much in Latin America but who had a great social and family network and were able to get by because people helped each other."
True. I have seen that in Africa too.
"And I know some people who make tons of money but are alone and lonely..."
Also true.
Zhu, thanks a lot for your input :D! I believe we agreed upon something this week LOL ;).
Cheers
Hi Peter :D!
ReplyDelete"Back in 1987 Labor Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke said: "...by 1990 no Australian child will be living in poverty.” Unfortunately that didn't come to pass with some parents spending the funds set aside for the targeted children on themselves."
Labour parties, like socialist parties, like to make vain promises such as this one *nodding*. Oh, parents, parents...sometimes they make wrong decisions....
"Much has been said and huge amounts spent on the needy, particularly on the Aboriginal community. So much so, as my father did say, “They should all be millionaires by now.”"
lol your father was right. Over there it is the Aboriginal community, here it is the Gypsy community...what can I say, Peter? *shrugging*
"Where do these funds go, one can only make an educated guess. Administration costs, perhaps fraud and mismanagement, to name a few."
Absolutely. And I would add one more factor: beneficiary fraud as well. Many who benefit from state grants are people who do not need it...preventing those who do from getting aid.
Peter, thank you so much for your input :D!
Cheers
Hey Lynda :D!
ReplyDelete"All well done and your last paragraph makes it so graphic and poignant, Max, that I want to shed tears."
Thank you, my dear *bowing*!
"The problem of poverty is so complex because of the complexity of our institutions, governments, and all the other structures built into our lives."
Absolutely.
"If only people would act on conscience instead of because their house of worship gives to charities and they will get approval for the giving. If only we were not so profit-motivated and greedy. If only we could find the security in ourselves to know when "enough is enough" and stop overstriving for material wealth. If only the fear-mongers would stop shouting and attend to real issues of the human condition. If only we could establish justice at every level of (international) society."
Hear! Hear!! Well said, Lynda!
"The human condition leaves much to be desired, but we must not give up hope."
No, we must never give up hope...
Lynda, such a marvellous comment for which I thank you immensely :D!
Cheers
Hey Amity :D!
ReplyDelete"Your dilemma is not so different at all from my country. Your impoverished society is the same as ours."
Poverty reaches all nations and all levels of society, my friend.
"Politicians capitalized on them to farther their self-vested interest. What is the logic behind giving each learner with a laptop and manipulate them in school with a hungry stomach?"
I guess some politicians ignore the reality of certain things...that's all that comes to mind right now.
Amity, thank you so much for your input :D!
Cheers
Is it impossible or improbable with our current way of thinking?
ReplyDeleteHello Maximus…
ReplyDeleteWow these are books like the old days!
PART 1
“Your lack of certainty is correct: poverty is not a social injustice (one could claim to be a karmic injustice, but this would be ignorant.”
- Hmm you used small “k” karma so you may be meaning it in more of the western sense? However if one does hold to Karma (high cap) I think it is inescapable to conclude that the person is “getting what they deserve”. Of course I do not believe in “high cap” Karma so I don’t have to defend that position…
“Poverty, or even wealth, is karmic justice); however the fact that one doesn't have access to the same opportunities due to having been born in the "wrong" side of the fence...is socially injust.”
For something to be “socially unjust” means that it is a social imperative, where would the imperative come from that would suggest that our parents must all be socially equal? Our rights should all be equal but that does not mean that mean that all parents are equally good parents by either nature or nurture. Thus there will always be the “disadvantaged” however, frequently such persons become the most successful in the nation including monetarily.
PART 2
ReplyDelete“Portugal doesn't account for the ethnicities seeking help in food banks: it only knows how many people attend those help centres; not how many of each ethnicity. Although sometimes they sort it by nationalities (when pertinent). “
- The question often arises as to why it is almost always Caucasians that are homeless. Typically the answer is that the person did would not or could not live by proper cultural standards and decided upon the freedom of the streets. For the clinically mentally ill this is particularly tragic as their capacity to make such decisions is challenging. Before we had the Charter of Rights and Freedoms we had very few homeless people but after the implementation of the Charter it became far more difficult to “force” help upon such persons.
“You are deeply paranoid when it comes to President Obama, LS...specially because the Republicans ran the country and ruined its economy; so let's not pretend that the problem is solely the current administration, all right? “
- LOL speaking of mentally ill! That I am not, no I am not paranoid and I do not think that there is a “hidden agenda” or “conspiracy”. President George W Bush was very poor in regards to the economy (however the Democrats owned both Houses and they were extremely bad fiscally). President Obama is an economic disaster, almost everything that could be done wrong he has done wrong. That is a fact of record not paranoia. Obama with the Democrats in control were the perfect storm, and the current election seems to prove my point, most people get it. He is a train wreck with the economy and health care.
“This issue is not that linear: some parents work, pay their bills, their taxes or/and social security and yet do not have the sufficient means to feed their children properly...don't they deserve aid? We should not assume that all people getting state aid are cons, drug addicts and/or alcoholics...there are also good working people in need of extra assistance.”
- Certainly I have no problem with the state helping those truly in need with my tax dollars, this I strongly support (plus I do so with volunteer time and with my own money besides taxes). Definitely the disabled should get assistance but there are many people that also have an entitlement mentality, people that expect money even if they do not deserve it.
In Canada we have “progressive” income taxes (the more you make the more you pay) with the poor paying no taxes (even sales taxes are rebated). However as a practical example in the East End of Vancouver (Downtown East Side) on “Welfare Wednesday” (the last Wednesday of the month when the welfare cheques come in to people) the streets are a disaster. It is horrendous as thousands of people consume massive amounts of illegal drugs and alcohol flooding the streets in crime, violence and terrible dangerous behaviours (evening East LA I have never seen such a thing). Within a day or two most of those people have no money left. Yet there is little we can do to help them as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms ties our hands as a national community. There is plenty of opportunity but not everybody wants to enjoy it…
More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Eastside
I recommend this BC government web page; it is very interesting and accurate. Checkout the graphics on the numbers of people served:
http://www.bchousing.org/aboutus/activities
PART 3
ReplyDelete“Yeah, we have those too...and those folks are used by the Right Wing to attack the social policies of every government in office (be it Right or Left, since none of them has the guts to end certain social programs that encourage indolence).”
- The current situation in Metro Vancouver is unsolvable by the government. It has sunk billions of dollars into assistance including many thousands of dollars I subsidized housing. Poverty is not solvable by the government. No matter how much cash is thrown at it the situation will not be fixed (such as in Africa). Those that are ill and cannot help themselves should be helped but there are many that refuse to be helped and hate society yet they have full rights as citizens. Not an easy situation…
“Oh please...all this Tea Party schizophrenia is really getting to you *nodding*. “
- Now the mental illness of choice is schizophrenia?…you know…when a person starts using ad hominem attacks the debate is over…character assassination is not the way to go…
“Snazzy looking lap top…I’m glad I am not paying for it…"
LOL LOL come visit Portugal and you will...(through the indirect taxes every tourist, and citizen, pays).”
- LOL LOL Well it seems we may not be going to Europe next year, we like many we know may opt out for a year as Europe seems to be spiraling out of control (thankfully the German’s and English seem to be hanging on). People do not want to travel to such unstable places and do not want to aid and abet horrid economic practices…now that the government is changing in Washington we may go to Hawaii…actually they also have a bad homeless problem…it is a amazing how many homeless people can get a ticket to the Islands to live….
PART 4
ReplyDelete“Isn't this comment of yours contradicting what you said in the beginning of this conversation? Yes, I believe it is...you sound like a Republican: sometimes they claim that the government is meddling too much, sometimes it accuses the same government of not being involved enough...what's it going to be, man?”
- ROFL I am not and never have been a member of any political party (plus being Canadian I am not a Republican…and I am not sure what it means to sound like one). While my comments were parsed into three parts because of the Blogger limitations in comments the thoughts should be taken as one cohesive message. We must love our neighbor, how do we do this?
If they are in dire circumstances we should help them. Yet what does this look like with delegation of responsibilities to the state vs the individual? As you know I donate funds and my time and skills to various charities and encourage others to do so. Plus my tax dollars go to helping the needy (and also not so needy, thus how do we define “dire circumstances” which leads to the start of my article on this topic, what is poverty?)
This is an enormously complex issue that I am passionate about. I care and want to help others, those who really need it. How do we decide that, who needs it? We need to decide that because it is one of the major reasons so many economies are in such horrible situations (we cannot help everybody, government cannot do everything but burgeoning debt loads are a result of governments trying to overreach). Currently England owes so much debt that the annual interest (just the interest) is larger than the annual budget for their entire military! Without that debt, deficit and interest how many schools and hospitals could be built? How many teachers and nurses helping others?
The US is in such dire economic straights that it can barely sell any of its Treasury Bonds now…so they are now printing more money which builds inflation and decreases the value of the currency globally…is this to decrease the value of the debt? Why does this matter? Is it a Republican or right wing issue?
This is an issue for all, for us to help the truly needy we need prosperity. Socialism does not grow prosperity; it grows debt and poverty, stifles innovation, hard work and unemployment…Socialism looks good and compassionate short term but the problem is it cripples the economy and communities long term…
PART 5
ReplyDeleteCurrently the best way we have to grow wealth is capitalism, it can be ugly but it is still the best idea we have for economics (socialism and communism are utter failures, it seems the Cold War is now being fought with a Fifth Column, socialists and communists from within. Have people not been reading the papers? How many people are fleeing to Cuba and North Korea for opportunities and freedom? Economic and political socialism and communism are dead ends).
So we use the free market, supply and demand, competition as the engine for economic development. Innovation, work ethic freedom and liberty are catalysts for prosperity. Government bailouts, takeovers, corrupt health system plans, extreme indebtedness from excessive spending those kinds of things are dead ends. However government does have a role with some regulation (law enforcement).
When this gets momentum then more money is available for worthy tax dollar spending…helping those who truly need it. But the real help should come from individuals; I am often amazed how many people on the left think that there should be no volunteers (in the ’90’s the left wing provincial government here in British Columbia tried to shut down most volunteering! They thought that everybody should be paid and of course in a union.)
So for the left to have what it says it wants it needs the ideas of the right to pay for it and the right needs the left to remember to help those that cannot help themselves. However I am not convinced that the right is heartless or that the left is compassionate…
This gives some interesting insight into this topic:
http://philanthropy.com/article/Who-Gives-More-Democrats-or/49377/
PART 6 of 6
ReplyDelete“As long as you choose to help a relative first before helping a stranger (who might end up doing the same; but since he/she generates headlines, many choose to help a stranger). “
- Hmmm interesting postulation…I am not sure of its veracity…
“This section of the article spoke not of helping the poor, but of people of the Church or church who have character deviations when they should be the representation of God on earth. “
- Ahh I see…sorry…well I am a broken sinner needing God’s grace to grow…and be transformed. So mea culpa…I am guilty, I am a screwed up sinner, God help me…
“You need to come to Portugal and teach that to our politicians.”
- LOL Well I am scared now of supporting that lap top computer program! LOL
Great conversation!!!!
Max:
ReplyDeleteIt is a sad situation, and a tough problem to solve. When I was a kid, and I came from a very poor household, at least the school furnished us with a good hot lunch for about a quarter, and a small carton of cold milk for an extra nickle. It was nutritious and delicious. There were many kids like me, whose parents barely scrapped by, pinching their pennies, and I swear us kids ate better at school than at home. But as time passed, the schools could no longer afford to sell hot lunches. It was a sad day for under privileged children everywhere.
I truly wish I had the answer to poverty, or knew somebody that does. But I don't. Oh, there are lots of folks out there in the big world who think they have all the answers. But it has been my experience that those who tell us they have the answers to our problems are most likely the very people who caused our problems in the first place. I know that sounds cynical, but that's how the world appears to me.
Keep sounding the foghorn my friend. With so many dangers lurking all around us, in every dark shadow and around every blind turn, we need a constant wake-up call, and your articles serve that purpose quite nicely.
Happy trails.
Hey Max! how are you sweetie? Sorry for not coming here, I had a crazy week. Had to play for my city (bowling) at the Asian Intercity. Didn't win but I had fun. :)
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful week. *hugs*