You've Never Had It So Good....

Generali

The favourite phrase of those who've always had it better.

http://www.daily motion.com/video/x1ilp0_redskins-bring-it-down-1985_music (remove the space between daily and motion)

I've been chatting to a mate: he flies all over the place to explore the world. It's not the life I'd choose for myself but he enjoys it and he has a lot a great tales to tell: like Hemingway without the alcolholism, misogyny or great phraseology.

He's staying in a private house in Guatemala at the moment. I mentioned to him about a course I've been putting together at work and paraphrased Warren Buffet: "If you are born in The West you've won life's lottery".

The matriarch of the house has had a single holiday and that was to a nearby village. Their main concern is putting food on the table.

GDP per head in Guatemala, a reasonable proxy for mean income, is $4906. Job seekers allowance, roughly the lowest possible amount of income receivable in the UK, is $4,824. 20 hours a week working at the minimum wage is almost $10,000 a year.

Aus is slightly better off than the UK.

Perhaps we should count our blessings.

Southend1

Or we could aspire to a better life for Guatemalans as well as ourselves. Why should we be happy if life is a struggle, just because it is more of a struggle for others?

vivatifosi

There's a lot to be said for visiting other countries outside of your comfort zone to put your own life in perspective. I have never fogotten that as an eight or nine year old I met a Brazilian shoe shine boy of about the same age as me living on the streets of Rio. I often wonder what happened to him and whether he's still alive.

Whatever other cr*p is going on in my life, I'm pretty sure I can come home to my own bed, food on the table and a roof over my head. Yes, I am bl**dy lucky; and yes we should aspire to a better life for Guatemalans.

Southend1

Don't forget though that many of us don't have the luxury of visiting other countries to see how well off we are. The three homeless guys who live in a doorway outside my office for example. Or the thousands of British families wondering whether to put the heating on for an hour or two or put some dinner on the table tonight. It's easy to think that hardship only exists in far away places, but you don't have to look very far to find it close to home either.

Generali

Southend1 wrote: »

Don't forget though that many of us don't have the luxury of visiting other countries to see how well off we are. The three homeless guys who live in a doorway outside my office for example. Or the thousands of British families wondering whether to put the heating on for an hour or two or put some dinner on the table tonight. It's easy to think that hardship only exists in far away places, but you don't have to look very far to find it close to home either.

The homeless people in your office doorway probably have an income approximate to the average income of a Guatemalan.

Southend1

Except in Guatemala that level of income is likely to be sufficient to provide for basic subsistence needs like a roof over their head.

Generali

Southend1 wrote: »

Except in Guatemala that level of income is likely to be sufficient to provide for basic subsistence needs like a roof over their head.

Thank the Lord for that.

Can a $5k income in the UK provide housing, food, clothing, fuel and healthcare? Well done to the Guatemalans if they can pay for thousands of dollars worth of cancer meds from a $5k income or see their kids educated past basic literacy and numeracy.

Anyone adult that thinks they have it bad in the UK simply doesn't see the bigger picture.

Southend1

Generali wrote: »

Thank the Lord for that.

Can a $5k income in the UK provide housing, food, clothing, fuel and healthcare? Well done to the Guatemalans if they can pay for thousands of dollars worth of cancer meds from a $5k income or see their kids educated past basic literacy and numeracy.

Anyone adult that thinks they have it bad in the UK simply doesn't see the bigger picture.

I don't think I quite understand the first point.

As for the second, try telling that to the homeless guys. I wouldn't describe a life of sleeping outdoors on concrete in all weathers as the good life. Fair enough if you think that's enough for you. Personally I aspire to more than that for every single man, woman and child on this planet.

Yes there is a bigger picture but that doesn't mean I can't see the hardship in the small part of the picture that I happen to inhabit.

tomterm8

Generali wrote: »

The homeless people in your office doorway probably have an income approximate to the average income of a Guatemalan.

Assuming that they are actually receiving jobseekers allowance. Which, in practical terms, they probably aren't.

( In practical reality it's pretty easy for the job centre to sanction people with chaotic lifestyles).

The UK benefit regime has changed a lot since you went to oz...

[Deleted User]

Southend1 wrote: »

I don't think I quite understand the first point.

As for the second, try telling that to the homeless guys. I wouldn't describe a life of sleeping outdoors on concrete in all weathers as the good life. Fair enough if you think that's enough for you. Personally I aspire to more than that for every single man, woman and child on this planet.

Yes there is a bigger picture but that doesn't mean I can't see the hardship in the small part of the picture that I happen to inhabit.

And would the man on the street have a better or worse life in Guatamala? Likely worse. People aren't on the street just because they are poor, there's always going to be other issues involved. In this country, you get housed if you need a roof over you, you get money if you're unemployed, you get given healthcare if you need it, your children are educated for free and given lunch/milk if you can't afford it.

The homeless in the UK still have access to free medical care and a variety of charities; which still puts them in a better position than those in some developing countries.

Generali

Southend1 wrote: »

I don't think I quite understand the first point.

As for the second, try telling that to the homeless guys. I wouldn't describe a life of sleeping outdoors on concrete in all weathers as the good life. Fair enough if you think that's enough for you. Personally I aspire to more than that for every single man, woman and child on this planet.

Yes there is a bigger picture but that doesn't mean I can't see the hardship in the small part of the picture that I happen to inhabit.

Why do you think people in the UK sleep outdoors?

AIUI, the reason is because they have, most often, severe mental health problems which they are unable to address. It's not about poverty, it's about illness.

Most of the people that sleep on the streets in the UK have a similar income to an average Guatemalan, they just choose, through the prism of their illness, to live a certain life.