Gifts from rich highlight plight of world's poor

Yahoo! News ^ | 11/30/06 | Ana Nicolaci da Costa

[Wormwood]

But it's a decision for each country to make for itself, not be imposed by us.

We're in complete agreement.

[DManA]

Fettering economic growth will help the poor exactly how?

unfettered economic growth is not solely to blame

[Kenton]

Whatever, Jedi Master. Just don't whack at me with your light saber.

[Hendrix]

No I did not see that. I don't like Bill O.

[Hendrix]

"Now ask those same factory workers if they would prefer the current system or one where they can organize for greater benefits and standards of living. If it was good enough for us, after all, it is good enough for them."

And ask them if when they do that, the company will just move to someplace where they don't have to deal with unions and thus they would lose their jobs. Union are a very bad Marxist idea. They are causing every company that uses them to go broke and the unions and their leaders are always corrupt. They are not needed.

[taxed2death]

"The rich get richer because they continue to do what made them rich... ditto the poor."

Nutshell."

Not really. If you pick rice in a paddy and make $40.00 a month and that is what it takes to feed your family, then compare that to a person who makes $120,000.00 a year and is able to invest $20,000.00 of that money per year your logic is flawed at best.

[Wormwood]

If you pick rice in a paddy and make $40.00 a month and that is what it takes to feed your family, then compare that to a person who makes $120,000.00 a year and is able to invest $20,000.00 of that money per year your logic is flawed at best.

The idea that all peasants deserve their squalor seems to be a rather popular one these days.

[Hendrix]

"I think the right to organize in labor unions is fundamental. But it's a decision for each country to make for itself, not be imposed by us. It wasn't until the 1930's that labor rights became established in the U.S., after a century of industrialization."

But it should also be the right of any company not to have to use the unions as well, and that is not the case. In other words, if the workers want to form a union, the company should have the right to fire all of them on the spot and hire new non-union workers.

The 1930's is right when this country went left and implimented a lot of the popular liberal Marxist ideas, including unions, social security, etc.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"You could take all the monet from the rich and give it to the poor. In less that 10 years the rich would have it back."

Give a man a Monet, he'll be cultured for a day. Teach a man to paint, and he'll soon have a whole gallery.

(Sorry -- I know it's just a typo, but I couldn't resist.)

[Hendrix]

Where's the bad logic? The person laying brick should get a job that pays 120k and invest. If the brick layer keeps laying brick, he will be poor. Your example affirms the point made by the prior poster.

[Hendrix]

"The idea that all peasants deserve their squalor seems to be a rather popular one these days."

The free market decides who gets what--not the government. We have a very mobile society. If a peasant does not want to be a peasant, he or she is free to choose a higher lifestyle.

[L98Fiero]

"The free market decides who gets what--not the government. We have a very mobile society. If a peasant does not want to be a peasant, he or she is free to choose a higher lifestyle."

Shh, there are socialists about.

[Hendrix]

Yes, there are people who think the government should determine how much people make and if they make too much, the government will tax it away from them and give to others who did not make enough.

[taxed2death]

Maybe there are no bricklaying jobs in the marshes of India / SE Asia. Your oversimplification of the subject proves nothing.

[L98Fiero]

The story of Robin Hood is one of the most damaging stories bestowed up the western world. It taught our children that the rich are evil and stealing from them is honorable.

[Hendrix]

The countries without jobs are the countries with failed governments that are not on a free market capitalistic system. There is no over simplification about that. When we provide jobs people like you complain that they are slave wages. Of course, as more jobs come into those countries, the supply of labor goes down and the wages go up. That is how the economics system works.

[Hendrix]

Yes, they used to tell the same stories about Jesse James (he would steal from the rich and give to the poor). I bet Robin Hood was a low life thief and his life story is just a glorification or fiction.

The left bases its whole ideology on envy (class warfare). If someone has more than you, you should be happy for them.

[taxed2death]

First, I'm not complaining, I am stating a fact. It's a rather easy concept to grasp....................if 100% of your effort each week is towards putting food on your table and a roof over your head, it leaves nothing else (time / money) to "invest" in. You do not have an instrument to create wealth such as "investments". YOU can sit there and blame failed governments all you want but the fact remains the same. Just because you do not choose to acknowledge that fact won't make it go away.

[Hendrix]

I don't think you understand some very basic things about economic systems. When you live in a highly mobile, free market capitalistic system like America, you have the option and choice to earn any amount you want.

If you live in other countries that are not on a free market system, you don't have this option, but pointing that out does nothing, so what is your point? However, when our companies go to those countries and provide jobs (that would be very low paying here in the US but very good paying for those countries), people like you complain that it is not enough even though it is a lot more than those people could ever earn without those jobs. People in those countries will never make high wages until more and more jobs come into those countries, and that is cannot be forced by governments or unions. It has to be done by the market. If you don't understand that then you need to go to the library and check out every economics book you can find and try to learn some very simple things about basic markets and economics.

[Hendrix]

"if 100% of your effort each week is towards putting food on your table and a roof over your head, it leaves nothing else (time / money) to "invest" in."

Again, if this is the case, then you are working in the wrong job. Go gain the skills to get a job that the market will pay more for and you will earn more and have extra money to invest.