Posts Tagged ‘poverty’
Indefatigable
Being Third World isn’t all too pathetic. People in these deepest darkest corners of the globe are used to hardship that this global financial crisis does not cause a surge in suicide and violence rates. In a time like this, the matter of tolerance threshold becomes the level playing field.
People in the so-called Third World, more a term of political economy, are far more resilient. Their emotional and mental strength in a time of economic crisis comes from their sense of forbearance. The endurance springs from an almost total lack of material paranoia.
Repossession of homes and land will not cause sleepless nights of agony because homelessness is the norm.
Loss of healthcare policies and benefits is not a worry because there is hardly any institutionalized healthcare for the majority, anyway.
Dwindling personal savings in banks hardly cause a stir because bank savings are only for those who have extra income to keep unused.
The experience of businesses tumbling down is practically unheard of. Most businesses for the majority of the population (only for those who have, indeed, set up some form of small or medium sized enterprises), belong to the underground economy where there are no taxes paid and, hence, no credit or loans from financial institutions can be availed of.
While money is rational in its utilitarian function, there is something inherently immoral with the banking system. Money kept in banks grows for the owner while being operationally stagnant at his level. The banks consequently use it for all and sundry purposes. But that money isn’t circulated as it is where economic freedom should be. Therefore, this phenomenon only contributes to the fact that there is less currency to be used in paying services and skill. The Third World relies heavily on labor economies (services and skill). Stretch the imagination a bit more and one can easily grasp the reason why poverty is prevalent in the Third World.
The morality and legality of the underground economy should be judged against the morality and legality of hypercapitalism. Underground economies exist where economic freedom is smallest. The question of morality with underground economies should be evaluated alongside the question of morality with the banking system. For instance, the moral and legal issues of piracy of copyrighted media should be considered along with the moral and legal issues of bank loan schemes whose fine print is actually a death sentence. The dichotomy of these two phenomena may not be too far fetched when one sees it within the purview of the freedom from want, a basic human right.
During this global recession, the poor man’s mind is essentially freer. His thinking is comparatively more optimistic. He has far less to lose, after all.
In the poor man’s mind, he always sees himself at the start of the line, looking forward with hope for a better life somewhere out there. The rich, on the other hand, sees himself at the end of the line, looking back to how life used to be better. In this global economic meltdown, the tables are turned.
While the situation of the poor may be deemed bleak, poor people are never hopeless. When one eats deprivation for breakfast, a lunch of a plate of instant noodles isn’t too bad.
People in the Third World are construed as pitiable. Think again. Wretchedness is a mind thing. The name Third World has been further euphemized to developing countries. Hence, there is always some form of development that is up and coming. It is never hopeless. On the contrary, it is always hopeful.
Those who think that the term ‘Third World’ is pejorative would do well to read up more current news.
Searching for Bliss
Let us not spoil the Christmas and New Year party. These are hard times – recession and terror attacks have only made them worse. But this is the time of the year to count our blessings for being alive and for being able to think about small, big moments of happiness.
There are always reasons to celebrate. Those who have lost their jobs should be happy to have had one in the first place and for being spirited enough to look for new openings. Those who have lost their lives under various circumstances be it suicide or terror attack or accident or disease are already beyond pain. And many who are mourning loss of dear ones have no other choice but to put the chin up, find reasons to carry on and count their blessings for being alive.
Amnesia + Ignorance = Bliss, is the new formula for the happiness. The more you forget all pains, the better you are. The less you know, the less you think and better you float in happiness. Not convinced? Suppose it’s a splurge fun party, is there any reason to think about how many hungry people that money can feed? No need remember all those UN statistics about hungry and homeless. Forget it. Also what is the point of knowing all this state of the poor in the world? Awareness is not going to feed people and help planet survive. So it is best to be ignorant.
Two elections, two worlds and hope of change
Kenya is rejoicing and backing US Presidential candidate Barrack Obama. This news of rejoice is being carried out by all media channels. It is historic moment indeed. The world is all set to have first African-American President of America. It has been a long march since Martin Luther King gave that historic speech. The change is here and now. Race and colour do not really matter. This long march of Barrack Obama which began in land of blacks in Kenya will end in White house. Yet Africa and America will remain two poles. We live in polarized and disjointed world with ironical connectedness.
Few months ago media was covering another historic election in another part of the world. There was much hope that Zimbabwe will get freedom from Robert Mugabe’s regime which has bled nation for nearly 30 years! But this hope of change was imprisoned, terrorized and forced to flee from that land. People in Zimbabwe now are starving, battling cholera and inflation. Mugabe has made a joke of democracy, elections, western world, equality, economy, development, hope and everything positive. Zimbabwe, Congo, Ethiopia and many other poor nations of Africa are reeling under extreme poverty, hunger, distress and are being raped for resources. But media and world has no time to stop. American financial crisis is the biggest news of all!
