tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011509021933113035.post4298053053996504325..comments2023-05-24T09:31:17.904-04:00Comments on Pastor's Puddle: Wealth RedistributionPhil Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05014739212970479518noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011509021933113035.post-88082878185228495182012-01-21T21:34:57.023-05:002012-01-21T21:34:57.023-05:00Living as I have in Tanzania for many years, I see...Living as I have in Tanzania for many years, I see closer up how different societies have dealt with looking after the poor. <br /><br />Africa still lives in "survival mode", which means that charity begins and ends at home or clan level. One can never count on the government for anything, certainly not for social security. It is important to have children, maybe especially sons, to hopefully care for one's old age. Institutions are chronically ill, because those running them come from a mentality that says, "now is the time" (get what you can for yourself/your family while you have this good job).<br /><br />When I think of America and Europe in comparison, I think those living there can be thankful that there are at least some social safety nets for the poor, a system of social security for the elderly, and that in general people are praised for being altruistic rather than thought stupid. Anyone living in Europe and the west can be argued as being wealthy, if not on a personal level then because of public schools, public libraries, good roads, and an ethic that normally says that you will be seen in an emergency room even if you can't pay, if you have no other recourse. And corruption, though it of course exists, is not just the order of the day for middle class people. Also, when the poor are being taken care of, the corruption of the wealthy does not appear to be so serious.<br /><br />On the other hand, nobody living in Tanzania, even if they have personal wealth, can be really wealthy like the wealthy in the US. Once one leaves the gate of one's personal compound, the roads are full of potholes that greatly reduce the lifespan of one's vehicle, as a small example. So the wealthy, since they can't personally improve the roads (or maybe they could, but don't, since they often populate parliament), buy tougher and more expensive vehicles instead, even further out of reach of the poor. Much of the wealth of individuals could be categorized as "ill gotten gain", gotten by defrauding donor agencies or stolen from the government. All of this is compatible with being, as I said, in survival mode, and is totally predictable. <br /><br />In spite of this, I feel that in Tanzania, in the rural area where I live, there is a slowly growing middle class who will develop more ability to care for the poor among them instead of relying forever on donor input from the west.<br />Esther KawiraEsther Kawiranoreply@blogger.com