Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#1

Post by akkartik » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 5:53 AM UTC

Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India
washingtonpost.com

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#2

Post by dlsspy » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 6:58 AM UTC

That's pretty common here in the US, as well.

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#3

Post by grandalf » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 7:01 AM UTC

Translation: People in the US should pat themselves on the back and feel enlightened because they have a toilet and modern sanitation. Not only is having a toilet a convenience, but a statement of equality and fairness.

Articles like these help Americans feel that the US has a moral high ground, which helps sell wars.

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#4

Post by johnnybgoode » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 7:04 AM UTC

grandalf wrote: post #3

Translation: People in the US should pat themselves on the back and feel enlightened because they have a toilet and modern sanitation. Not only is having a toilet a convenience, but a statement of equality and fairness. Articles like these help Americans feel that the US has a moral high ground, which helps sell wars.

I agree that's one perfectly valid way to interpret it, and I can see how articles like this can have that effect. It does seem like the author had something else in mind, though.

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#5

Post by johnnybgoode » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 8:02 AM UTC

dlsspy wrote: post #2

That's pretty common here in the US, as well.

What is?

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#6

Post by visitor4rmindia » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 8:26 AM UTC

grandalf wrote: post #3

Translation: People in the US should pat themselves on the back and feel enlightened because they have a toilet and modern sanitation. Not only is having a toilet a convenience, but a statement of equality and fairness. Articles like these help Americans feel that the US has a moral high ground, which helps sell wars.

How in the world did you get that from the article?

I'm really chuffed about these kind of "hacks". There are a lot of initiatives in India to try and improve the lives of the rural community and it is really great.

India cannot progress by leaving the villages behind.

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#7

Post by iambvk » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 9:24 AM UTC

> About 665 million people in India -- about half the population -- lack access to latrines.

I stay in India, but I didn't know it is this severe :-(

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#8

Post by sateesh » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 10:16 AM UTC

Why would a laudable social initiative like this be titled as "hack" in HN submission. I don't mean that "hack" here has a negative connotation, but the title here stretches the definition of "hack" too far.

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#9

Post by ramchip » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 10:37 AM UTC

Just like Harvest Moon! You have to get the house upgrade before you can marry...

Re: Cool Socioeconomic hack for the day: "No toilet, no bride" in India

#10

Post by bluedanieru » Tue, Oct 13, 2009, 11:10 AM UTC

It's nice that more Indian homes will be getting toilets, but it's weird that Indian women had to basically stop putting out to get it done.