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The Forum > Article Comments > The everyday natural disaster nobody sees > Comments

The everyday natural disaster nobody sees : Comments

By Dan Haesler, published 9/12/2010

For those born into poverty, every day is a natural disaster. Yet in this case, society often appears to turn a blind eye.

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Alas, every time there is an attempt to fix education we get Howard style culture wars.
We are already regressing into a 2 tier system with dogmatic style that suits religious types and lets all children be equal on one hand, and exclusive clubs where scions can get to know each other and plan their lives of community leadership on the other.
Poverty requires education, but also an equitable society where talent can earn rewards, and laziness is similarly rewarded appropriately. We've just had 12 years where more wealth is earned playing with money on computers, or buying-sitting-selling than can reasonably be earned by actually working (Tradies being a notable exception).
Until we shift from the current regressive economic policy to a progressive one that ceases to reward abject greed...poverty will continue to increase. e.g. We need simple corporate laws that mandate that no exec can be paid more than 30 times the lowest workers. We need to end the Directors boys club that controls 95% of Australia's wealth. We need to stop sending our natural resources overseas for puny profits that are owned mostly by foreigners. And for any of that to stand a chance, we need a free media again. The Foxification of our media and culture is proceeding scarily fast.
Remember, in a historical poverty is human kinds natural state...it takes cultural discipline and real leaders (not profiteers) to make it happen.
Posted by Ozandy, Thursday, 9 December 2010 7:50:33 AM
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DAN WAILS: The effects from the fallout of this disaster include sub-standard living conditions, poor education, poor health and higher levels of crime.

DAN BEMOANS: For those born into poverty, every day is a natural disaster. Yet in this case, society often appears to turn a blind eye.

oh oh.....I've got A GREAT idea.... yes yes...

*poverty*...yep.. terrible problem (who defines it ?)

Let's just TAKE from those who have wealth...and GIVE it to those who have little yep...that will absolutely 100% *fix* the problem.

Then...when those who made the money and provided countless jobs for countless people say "Hmmmm...not much incentive here anymore... I'm moving the company to country X"
-we will just yell at them that they are...

"Greedy compassionless capitalist pigs who need a thorough going RE-EDUCATION time".

Yes YESS...that's bound to work!

There are soooo many problems with his definition of terms, his criteria for defining, his standard for evaluating...that it beggers belief.

SUB STANDARD LIVING CONDITIONS.

WHO's "standard" ?

hmmmm o....k....but what about the socially redeeming impact of A LOVING supportive FAMILY !

POOR EDUCATION? hmmmm.. does it depend on the educator or the student's motivation ? Give an umotivated child a good educator and you get.....?

POOR HEALTH.... ?

Due to......lack of a public health system we can all access ?

How does poor health otherwise occur ? Ok...poor food, bad diet...SMOKING...DRINKING...DRUGS I'm amazed how how many 'low income' families can do all!

HIGH CRIME LEVELS. Is this because of err..lack of food? or..lack of desirable trinkets? Do crime levels exist in higher socioeconomic areas ? Yep. damn..I guess the 'lack of food' thing is wrong then.

CHRISTIAN SOLUTION.

New people (not new LAWS) make new societies. Acts 2:42-47
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2&version=NIV
Posted by ALGOREisRICH, Thursday, 9 December 2010 9:17:50 AM
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"It means giving the young people power to identify their strengths and form a new context in which to live their lives."

Well met Sir. Great article.

One wonders at the complex psychology that underscores the hypocrisy of those that urge compassion yet act in selfish, immature, ineffective, bigoted and socially damaging ways.

Thanks to ALGOREisRICH we have a template of sorts. Stereotypes are the calling card of the non-critical thinker in these matters. Fascinating to see a straw man constructed in an evidence vacuum. The ancient riposte "Are you trying to convince yourself?", comes to mind.

Nonetheless, if one pees off a Xtian fundamentalist, one is doing the right thing.

Thanks for addressing this important issue, Dan.
Posted by Firesnake, Saturday, 11 December 2010 6:29:22 AM
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The author might have considered poverty in other countries like India or the Philippines. In these countries extreme poverty provides slave labourers. It is one thing to think poverty dreadful, but if it provided you with a bevy of slaves you might try to justify the status quo, or perhaps even argue that poverty is advantageous to humanity.
Posted by Fester, Wednesday, 15 December 2010 6:01:38 PM
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