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But HDI is overrated tho', they use a lot of outdated data and estimates.
Quote:
Originally Posted by radiolibre99
Many people haven't traveled to LATAM and it shows. I've traveled and lived with working class people who've shared their homes with me as a student. Whoever said Argentina has the potential is smoking some good weed because while I was there it looked like Chile in the 90s. It was modern but very outdated.
Chile on the other hand clearly looked like it had the best potential to reach first world status. It was cleaner, more modern and safer than Argentina.
Just the little time I spent there I noticed how well run the country is and could easily believe the figures that say chile is the least corrupt Latin American country.
But yes it did seem as though it was still difficult for people to not live paycheck to paycheck. The only positive thing I can say about that is that I didn't see any of the extreme poverty you'd see in Brazil or even the level of poverty I saw in Argentina. The poverty was similar to what I see in Los Angeles, California where the wages are low and the COL high. Chile is similar to an Eastern Europen country, a city like Prague might suffice as a comparison, no? Poverty is still there but it's slightly different. It's not enough to call Chile third world. If these labels had any real meaning anymore it would be somewhere between first and third. A second world country but closer to first then third.
Chile is on a different plain with its problems. It's passed the problems that still afflict other LATAM nations.
I'm pretty sure poor people in USA has a way higher purchasing power than poor Chileans. Also, the Czech Republic is much richer and developed. Chile is at the level of Hungary or something like that.
But HDI is overrated tho', they use a lot of outdated data and estimates.
I'm pretty sure poor people in USA has a way higher purchasing power than poor Chileans. Also, the Czech Republic is much richer and developed. Chile is at the level of Hungary or something like that.
Oh yes, I am sure, but I was specifically referring to Los Angeles, CA which has one of the worst inequalities between rich and poor in the States. Mostly due to housing costs being five times the national average while wages remaining stagnant causing the worst disconnect between wages and housing costs. If you truly lived here you'd see a level of poverty that you might not see elsewhere in Middle America, at least for a functioning city. I am not talking about a decimated city like Detroit but for a rich city like LA. But of course, LA is not terribly poor like a third world country at all though.
I stand corrected about the Czech Republic and was only mentioning Prague. I don't know much about Hungary but by the looks of the pics it seems Hungary could be poorer. I'd have to do some research.
IMF data:
Czech Republic: 31,549
Hungary: 26,222
Chile: 23,460
World Bank data:
Czech Republic: 32,167
Hungary: 25,069
Chile: 22,071
Ah, ok, well the it roughly equates to Hungary I guess. But my main point was that it's transitioning from third to the first, and stuck somewhere in between much like an Eastern European country.
To the poster who sent me a terrible message with the rep point, I am not Chilean. I am an American from Texas who's parents are of distant Greek/Bohemian Czech decent. I only have an affinity for Chile because it was the country I stayed in the longest and had the most fun in. So yes I am bit biased toward it but that was because it was the one I felt the most safest in. I really grew to like it as a favorite travel destination.
All Latin American countries have their issues but the stats don't lie either. It's commonly known among people that the country is just more stable. I don't know why this angers some Argentinean people? You would think you would be proud of a Latin American country transitioning out of the third world.
To the poster who sent me a terrible message with the rep point, I am not Chilean. I am an American from Texas who's parents are of distant Greek/Bohemian Czech decent. I only have an affinity for Chile because it was the country I stayed in the longest and had the most fun in. So yes I am bit biased toward it but that was because it was the one I felt the most safest in. I really grew to like it as a favorite travel destination.
All Latin American countries have their issues but the stats don't lie either. It's commonly known among people that the country is just more stable. I don't know why this angers some Argentinean people? You would think you would be proud of a Latin American country transitioning out of the third world.
I'm happy that Chile has transitioned out of this status. If only more Latin American countries would follow suite.
The main problems are archaic systems that run on nepotism and corruption- unless those systems are dismantled and changed, many of these countries will not progress. A prime example is what just happened in Brazil with Dilma- they ousted her and replaced her with some corrupt dinosaurs who have mastered nepotism to the Max.
Mexico has the same problem, but with entrenched violence.
I'm happy that Chile has transitioned out of this status. If only more Latin American countries would follow suite.
The main problems are archaic systems that run on nepotism and corruption- unless those systems are dismantled and changed, many of these countries will not progress. A prime example is what just happened in Brazil with Dilma- they ousted her and replaced her with some corrupt dinosaurs who have mastered nepotism to the Max.
Mexico has the same problem, but with entrenched violence.
But the problem is that Chile had a really brutal and strict dictatorship, I know so did Argentina and Brazil, but Chile's dictatorship still rules in the form of law. It's shadow still haunts the political system there. Argentina threw out the junta and is much more democratic. The closest I can think of to get someone to picture it is kind of like South Korea.
Wages may be low in LA countries but so it's the cost of living. It's easy to find half decent restaurants specially in peru and the cost for a decent portion is less than $3. Most lower and working class people build their own houses with (material noble), in stages and in the end they end up with half decent houses where they probably spent less than $10K to build.
There is high demand for workers of all types in most of LA unemployment in in peru is under 5%.
As opposed with "developed" countries such as Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Their unemployment reaches 40% to 50%. Of course this was not always the case, but that's today's ugly reality.
Look at these unfortunate italians immigrating to germany because of lack of work and low wages.
Argentina went from the world’s 14th highest per-capita gross domestic product in 1900 to 63rd today.
I have to give the edge to Chile, their government run things better. Argentina is a mess with a 30% inflation rate. Chile is under 3% and steady.
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