The New Poverty
The current standoff in Copenhagen revolves around “climate justice.” Sudan’s representative insists that the African nations are owed the right to a lifestyle like the industrial nations. (This from the perpetrators of the most hideous genocide in recent history.) The bottom line is really that we don’t even have time to have the argument about the undeveloped world getting their turn at over-consumption, much less time for them to do it.
When it was suggested to Haiti’s President Aristide that Haiti needed to “develop” years ago, the former Catholic priest replied that he only wanted “poverty with dignity” for his people. Actually, you don’t have to go far from Haiti to see poverty with dignity. The Dominican Republic, occupying the same island, has preserved its natural resources for its citizens in a vast national park system and is increasingly producing food for its people through small agriculture. Less than 100 miles away, Cuba is increasingly growing local, organically grown produce for its people, and Nicaragua’s cooperatives are flourishing. All four countries are among the poorest in the hemisphere.
How can poverty be dignified? Cuba is a society with very little spendable money, but with quality health care from the cradle to the grave at no cost and quality free education for all. They are poor in lack of Xboxes and flat screen TVs, iPods, and cell phones. Motor vehicles are few and far between and used for cargo or mass transit. (groups.yahoo.com/group/SBProgCoalition)
