Earlier quoted context omitted.
Best example ever is Haiti.
Yeah, Haiti and Dominican Republic are on the same island and started in the same place 50 years ago. They're now on wildly different projectories.
Once poor, always poor?
111–120 of 358 posts
Re: Once poor, always poor?
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is money really the issue? In many places, everybody gets a free education, and even university is free. So everybody could simply become a doctor or a lawyer and expect an income above the poverty line - at least if money was the only issue.
If everyone could become a doctor then doctors would simply be poor. Of course, the number of new doctors per year is capped, so not everyone can be a doctor.
Re: Once poor, always poor?
#113> Cultural norms can also encourage poverty cycles. I often wonder about these. Growing up I watched friends whose families had what you might describe as a cultural distrust of institutions, including schools, or even anyone who seemed to “think they’re better than us” (translation anyone who did well in school or a career). They constantly made self defeating choices and seemed destined to have the same problems/ p…
I sometimes think, one way to break this cycle is to send the all the kids to boarding school or military school. It could put them in an environment free from their background circumstances. It is of course a harsh thing to do, but I think maybe it could work.
https://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-039-School-of-the-...
I’m surprised it didn’t catch on more. Maybe others on here were involved and can shed some light on why this initiative stalled?
Re: Once poor, always poor?
#114> Cultural norms can also encourage poverty cycles. I often wonder about these. Growing up I watched friends whose families had what you might describe as a cultural distrust of institutions, including schools, or even anyone who seemed to “think they’re better than us” (translation anyone who did well in school or a career). They constantly made self defeating choices and seemed destined to have the same problems/ p…
Poor people are taught to distrust everything and everyone, and to think strictly short-term because nothing you can't hold in your hands here and now can be trusted to be real, this prevents them from moving to the middle class.
Middle class people are taught to get a most expensive degree (sinking them forever in debt) and get a stable job with benefits, and buy a house, which all prevents them from making good money by getting an inexpensive degree in area they like, and/or contracting and making top $, and investing into the stock market.
Upper class people are taught to be gentlemen and do the respectable things expected from one: follow their parents' role in the company, or do civil or military service, or do other bullshit, which prevents them from becoming the like of Elon Musk and moving even further up.
Poor are not alone: beliefs and cultural norms of all classes alike are built to prevent people from succeeding just because doing otherwise would result in too much of a dog-eat-dog society. Trick is to learn to ignore norms of your class and follow your own way.
Re: Once poor, always poor?
#115Re: Once poor, always poor?
#116The average number of children per Nigerian woman was something like 5 in 2019. No shit they’re always going to be poor. I would even be poor breeding at that rate.
Re: Once poor, always poor?
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or they could have generational wealth. This whole thing reminds me of the ugliness that was the anti-welfare propaganda of the 70's
It could also be that they prioritize their car and have a budget adjusted for it.
Re: Once poor, always poor?
#118Given the generally accepted ideal of equality in the rich and educated world it strikes me as crazy that we continue to work hard to keep refugees out of our islands of wealth instead of structurally working on improving the chances of all people on earth. We seem to just turn a blind eye to this huge inequality or even increase and abuse it when it suits us. For example: Why don't we apply our minimum wage laws to…
Not to burst the bubble, but there's a reason why Elon Musk asked for a breakdown of costs for such a plan a few weeks ago. Throwing money at foundations doesn't automagically solves the problem. Sometimes it happens that if you donate clothes to some African communities, corruption will take over and your donation will not reach the hands of those in most need. The clothes will instead be sold into the illegal marke…
Re: Once poor, always poor?
#119> Cultural norms can also encourage poverty cycles. I often wonder about these. Growing up I watched friends whose families had what you might describe as a cultural distrust of institutions, including schools, or even anyone who seemed to “think they’re better than us” (translation anyone who did well in school or a career). They constantly made self defeating choices and seemed destined to have the same problems/ p…
Poor people are used to being victims so it's hard to trust other people. When you look at it deeper, if these are poor minorities in a white mans world, no matter what there will never be trust. Hard to trust the same people who are oppressing you. Many policy maker are born well off, so it's hard to relate. When the social workers are driving in BMW's and talking to you like you're retarded... It's ongoing. I have…
Re: Once poor, always poor?
#120The average number of children per Nigerian woman was something like 5 in 2019. No shit they’re always going to be poor. I would even be poor breeding at that rate.
It's a Catch 22. Are they poor because they have too many children or are they having too many children beacsue they are poor?