Joann, you said: "Everyone can improve their lives if they will work hard."
The report I saw last night featured a young Indian boy. Both his parents had died. He/his grandparents had borrowed some money, a relatively small amount, when he was nine years old. And in return this boy had to work on silk looms, for around 12 hours a day.
After working for more than four years, he and his grandparents still owed more than they had borrowed. He would be enslaved till he was 21 or 22, it would take another ten years to pay off the debt, because he was paid such low wages, only around 15 pence per day (just over one British penny an hour), for around a 12 hour day.
Do you dispute that a young boy, not even a teenager, working for around 12 hours a day, seven days a week, wasn't working hard?
You say if people work hard they will improve their lives. This boy undoubtedly worked hard, and yet he was unable to improve his life or his grandparents lives. And would likely never be able to do so, because while he was working, he was not attending school. So even in ten years time, when the debt was paid, he would not be able to get a better, more highly paid job, because he had been denied his education by a system of bonded labour - modern day slavery. So even after ten years, he would only go on to earn a subsistence wage, even if he continued to work hard, he would not be able to improve their lives, because he would be stuck in the poverty trap.
Joann said: "Is poverty a choice? or a predicament?"
Did that boy choose to be poor? Did he choose for his parents, his financial providers, to die? Did he choose -- at the age of nine --to be left in a situation whereby he would become the earner for his family, he would have to go out to work to support himself and his grandparents?
I really don't think you have "Been there. Done that" Joann.
"I believe that the power to change your life is within you, you only have to trust God and strive hard," then that's an incredibly naive and blinkered belief you have Joann, because if you would open your eyes you would see that there are many millions of people around the world who are striving hard and their lives aren't changing. Or indeed there are people who are striving hard, and then end up making their lives worse, people who believe what you say about people having the power to change their lives, so they borrow money and pay 'agents' and 'snakeheads' i.e. gangmasters, they are told they will get well paid labouring or waiting or kitchen or nannying jobs, and instead they are sold into prostitution.
If all it takes, to improve one's lot in life is to strive hard, when why are some of the people who work the hardest, the longest hours, for the least pay, some of the poorest people on the planet.
"I had my share of poverty, but I chose not to be enslaved," poverty is relative, and I doubt you've experienced the kind of poverty that leads desperate people to do desperate things.
"I know what some people are going through, but I believe that it is better to teach a man to fish rather than give them fish daily." No Joann, I don't think you know what some people are going through. I agree that it is better to teach a man to fish than give them fish.
But it's all very well to say that people just need to learn to fish, when it's not that simple, when the system some of these people find themselves in is that they been 'taught to fish', but they've had to borrow money (which they don't have) to pay for the fishing lessons. And in order to repay that debt, they have to go out fishing for 12 hours every day, seven days a week. And they have to hand over two thirds of their catch to their fishing teacher. But sometimes they don't even catch enough fish to feed themselves and their family. But still the fishing teacher wants some fish. And it will take them ten years of fishing to pay back their fishing teacher, during which time they might go hungry, because they have to give so many fish, such a large proportion of their catch, to the teacher.
Joann, you said: "Everyone can improve their lives if they will work hard."
The report I saw last night featured a young Indian boy. Both his parents had died. He/his grandparents had borrowed some money, a relatively small amount, when he was nine years old. And in return this boy had to work on silk looms, for around 12 hours a day.
After working for more than four years, he and his grandparents still owed more than they had borrowed. He would be enslaved till he was 21 or 22, it would take another ten years to pay off the debt, because he was paid such low wages, only around 15 pence per day (just over one British penny an hour), for around a 12 hour day.
Do you dispute that a young boy, not even a teenager, working for around 12 hours a day, seven days a week, wasn't working hard?
You say if people work hard they will improve their lives. This boy undoubtedly worked hard, and yet he was unable to improve his life or his grandparents lives. And would likely never be able to do so, because while he was working, he was not attending school. So even in ten years time, when the debt was paid, he would not be able to get a better, more highly paid job, because he had been denied his education by a system of bonded labour - modern day slavery. So even after ten years, he would only go on to earn a subsistence wage, even if he continued to work hard, he would not be able to improve their lives, because he would be stuck in the poverty trap.
Joann said: "Is poverty a choice? or a predicament?"
Did that boy choose to be poor? Did he choose for his parents, his financial providers, to die? Did he choose -- at the age of nine --to be left in a situation whereby he would become the earner for his family, he would have to go out to work to support himself and his grandparents?
I really don't think you have "Been there. Done that" Joann.
"I believe that the power to change your life is within you, you only have to trust God and strive hard," then that's an incredibly naive and blinkered belief you have Joann, because if you would open your eyes you would see that there are many millions of people around the world who are striving hard and their lives aren't changing. Or indeed there are people who are striving hard, and then end up making their lives worse, people who believe what you say about people having the power to change their lives, so they borrow money and pay 'agents' and 'snakeheads' i.e. gangmasters, they are told they will get well paid labouring or waiting or kitchen or nannying jobs, and instead they are sold into prostitution.
If all it takes, to improve one's lot in life is to strive hard, when why are some of the people who work the hardest, the longest hours, for the least pay, some of the poorest people on the planet.
"I had my share of poverty, but I chose not to be enslaved," poverty is relative, and I doubt you've experienced the kind of poverty that leads desperate people to do desperate things.
"I know what some people are going through, but I believe that it is better to teach a man to fish rather than give them fish daily." No Joann, I don't think you know what some people are going through. I agree that it is better to teach a man to fish than give them fish.
But it's all very well to say that people just need to learn to fish, when it's not that simple, when the system some of these people find themselves in is that they been 'taught to fish', but they've had to borrow money (which they don't have) to pay for the fishing lessons. And in order to repay that debt, they have to go out fishing for 12 hours every day, seven days a week. And they have to hand over two thirds of their catch to their fishing teacher. But sometimes they don't even catch enough fish to feed themselves and their family. But still the fishing teacher wants some fish. And it will take them ten years of fishing to pay back their fishing teacher, during which time they might go hungry, because they have to give so many fish, such a large proportion of their catch, to the teacher.