Many people here unfortunately do have a job and thus have no labor, at least the variety that produces income and a livelihood. We have an incredible unemployment rate (officially) at 37.7% for the whole country, but the ethnic minority communities suffer far worse levels. According to EU documents the Gypsy unemployment rate is an astounding 78.5%! These unemployment rates have steadily climbed over the last 30 years and show no sign of stopping. Even more critical than the unemployment rates, are the statistics that show 55.1% of the entire population live below the human poverty line. When the annual average income is less than $1800.00 per year, you can imagine what that really means.
Below is the most condemning visual you can imagine. It shows the world’s population by fifths, and how much of the world’s resources each fifth consumes. This balloon is a result of a “more for me” mentality that covers the West. Notice please that the poorest 3/5ths of the world’s population consumes only 6.6% of the world’s resources. That means almost 4 BILLION people live on 6.6% of the world’s resources . . . I am thankful for Labor Day and that I have labor to perform today. That I can have something for my family, but also for many other families. "For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”
3 comments:
You, confused...nawww...! Actually, the last person in the world I'd expect to talk about poverty did just that-my gynecologist. She turned 40 this year and decided to take an "exciting" vacation to Nicaragua. I could tell by the look on her face she meant every word when she told me she'd never, ever be afraid to live anywhere in this country again because the trip was so harrowing. She could not believe the level of poverty, and that it was everywhere as though someone might cut her throat for a peanut butter sandwich. I was able to share a little about your family, and I could better appreciate the things you must see on a daily basis.
Dude, doesn't this chart actually show the population of the world by 5ths and the percentage of the world's GPD that each fifth produces?
I didn't see the source data, but that's what it says to me. That is, the richest twenty percent of the world produces 82.7% of the world's stuff.
I'm not arguing against your point per se, but I'm curious what the graph really means.
Ciao!
You can go here jeff and read the article:
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2001/12/wade.htm
But I am pretty sure is shows the inequality of wealth, not the inequality of the production of wealth. But you may find that I am wrong, it won't be the first time nor the last time. The IMF is where I found this article. Cheers Jeff!
Post a Comment