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Pretty offensive that some seem to think middle class in other countries are worse off than the homeless in Skid Row, living in the woods of Baltimore of in the streets of San Fransisco. Offensive both to middle class in other countries and to the poor in the US themselves: in other words the poor in the US have no reason to complain about the miserable situation they are in.
Personally, I have seen no other countries that have the levels of poverty and urban decay that the US has. Pretty much ever other western country is generally a better place to live these days.
There is a big difference between what you can do, and what you do.
In the USA poor people can eat a healthy diet of fresh foods, yet most Americans [rich and poor] eat junk food.
A couple of years ago, a friend and I were both living in a rooming house that had a wide range of tenants. The tenants came from a wide range of backgrounds and education levels. I confess to being amazed at the difference in behavior and outlook between college educated people and the high school grads.
The less educated people had a poor attitude and understanding of fitness/exercise and diet, demonstrated backwards attitudes regarding race religion, and practiced numerous destructive vices. Even though there was little difference in income and spending, there were drastic differences in how efficiently and intelligently we spent our money, in our health levels, and in our understanding of the world around us. Another way of saying this is that "poor" should be understood to refer to deficiencies in things in addition to money.
Just today, an immigrant told me he felt America doesn't do enough to help people in other countries. That we should do more. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that statement.
America and Americans do a lot of charity for people around the world. But his attitude seemed to be that Americans should just give handouts to people, and keep doing it.
Just take and take without end. His mentality is sick.
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Originally Posted by drro
Pretty offensive that some seem to think middle class in other countries are worse off than the homeless in Skid Row, living in the woods of Baltimore of in the streets of San Fransisco. Offensive both to middle class in other countries and to the poor in the US themselves: in other words the poor in the US have no reason to complain about the miserable situation they are in.
Personally, I have seen no other countries that have the levels of poverty and urban decay that the US has. Pretty much ever other western country is generally a better place to live these days.
Because Americans have been doing without and footing the bill for the world for far too long.
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Originally Posted by payutenyodagimas
in terms of absolute value, yes but in proportion to GDP? no. the Europeans give more aid than americans
Israel, Egypt and Pakistan get more military aid than economic aid provided to poor countries
They can afford to. We built them up after WWII while neglecting our own infrastructure and we've spent the last 70 something years providing them with billions in defense so they could spend their money on socialism instead. When we add in all the private donations, consider many religious and non-religious US organizations give huge amounts worldwide ever year, it is frankly amazing both what is given and how ungrateful the recipients tend to be. Both overseas and in the US people don't respect what they don't do for themselves. It's a sad fact of human nature.
There are a series of YouTube videos about living in Thailand on 500 per month. The pretentious resent the heck out of it, because they think it attracts lower class, but "JJ" I think his name is does back it up. I do that, but my condo is free and clear and an annuity pays my health insurance. Something to think about if you want to retire at 50, but some of the older expats will claim you need three thousand a month, and many just went through life getting three hots a cot and a check..good for them, that they have a nice retirement at 75.....but they might as well have stayed in Americas...a lot of western stuff is expensive....if you have to eat western food only, you will be paying big. Some refuse to drink Thai beer, which includes Heineken and Tiger breweries near Bangkok...import fees are way high. Many do underestimate the differences on living off a SSDI check for 600 per month, and living off 600 per month with a few hundred thousand in savings and a background in Economics. Also, many underestimate the cost of raising kids...500 for one, does not mean 800 for you your wife and two kids. Big differences. I will post a link to JJ later.
Just today, an immigrant told me he felt America doesn't do enough to help people in other countries. That we should do more. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that statement.
America and Americans do a lot of charity for people around the world. But his attitude seemed to be that Americans should just give handouts to people, and keep doing it.
America is pretty wealthy and by having Hollywood we project the image that we are wealthy to the rest of the world.
Every TV show we have gets syndicated and exported to the rest of the world.
One time in the 1980s, I got into conversation with a lady when I lived in Scotland. She was telling me about how violent Amerca is. Once a week on her TV she was watching a 70s cop show called 'The Streets of San Fransisco', in the opening credits of the TV show, were 1960's muscle cars chasing each other through downtown San Fransisco. While the passengers of these cars hung out the car windows shooting guns at each other. She was watching this every week, so in her mind she knew exactly how life in San Fransisco is like.
The same thing happens with every sitcom Hollywood makes. The lifestyle presented shows homes that are up-to-date and nicely decorated, everyone is wearing new clothing, and the 'problems' are purely first world issues.
Well, would you mind identifying the places where $1480 will get a person an estate, cook, etc.? I'd love to know. I'm currently contemplating retiring in the Philippines where $1480 would certainly go farther than it would in the U.S. Many retirees living there indicate that $1500 a month will provide a comfortable standard of living, but none so far have indicated that it provides the luxurious level of living that you describe. Since the Philippines is commonly thought of as being one of the cheaper retirement locales, I would be interested in knowing where $1480 goes as far you say it does.
Fellow military I have heard talk about this were focusing on the PI, Guam, Brazil, Peru.
Argentina might be worth a look. Brazil ain't cheap. 30,000 die of malnutrition every year in the Phils...doesn't happen in Thailand. Family planning is at crisis Kevel in the Phils.
There is no need to try to diminish the struggle that impoverished people in rural areas or the inner city face. Being poor in every country sucks, and the US is no exception
Stating facts is not trying to diminish anything. Rather pointing out how the biased media make it seem as if we have all sorts of people starving to death and dragging around broken limbs because they do not have healthcare.
Yet that very reality exists for many people in much of the undeveloped world, so rest assured the middle class of many nations with a much lower standard of living is not as good as what resources our country offers the poor.
Whether it be starting out with no costs to have a child at a hospital, then free food, education, housing, etc., etc., etc.
Just our free vaccine system alone would be welcome in much of the world.
I wonder what a poor person in the third world would think of seeing a welfare queen screaming about her situation that was obese, had a smart phone, TV, cable, internet, etc., and they were starving to death living in a grass hut with a mud floor.
Heck, one needs to look no further than Haiti where many people still live in squalor under tarps with no running water or sewer system. Even the middle class of Haiti would love to have what the poor in America do.
In parts of India, people are being munched by crocodiles, while gathering water to carry back to the village on their heads. Do you think either of those counties poor would consider our poor to be struggling to get by
So I would disagree with your assertion that being poor in the US is not an exception, as it is clearly dependent on ones perspective.
The leftist claim white privilege when trying to be divisive, but more accurately all our citizens have an American privilege with our social programs and safety nets.
I for one thank my ancestors for having struggled to get to this country which has turned out to be the greatest constitutional republic in human history.
We retired to Ecuador, and one thing that struck me is that I've never seen a homeless person here. Whereas in wealthy SoCal where I'm from---they were everywhere.
People are happy, friendly, family-oriented here. Also no nursing homes. Family takes care of it's own.
We do live on less than $1,400 and have a maid twice a month. Still looking for that $10 masseuse though.
Average income here is just $400 a month. But most people seem to have smart phones and plenty of food, judging by the chubby locals.
Health care is free, or if you want the stepped-up version: $80 per couple.
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