July 8, 2011 SouthAmerica: Reply to Morganist First, regarding welfare in the United States we had many discussion on this subject here on ET: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=216802&perpage=6&pagenumber=20 April 11, 2011 SouthAmerica: Reply to thriftybob They already started cutting Social Security here in the United States, every year in the last 3 years, and that is the strategy that they are going to use to destroy that safety net. The US government has not given a cost of living adjustment for social security recipients here in the United States in the last 3 years, because they claim that there's no inflation here in the old USA. And it's just a matter of time for them to freeze the amount people get from social security as they did with welfare. Today the priorities of the United States government are: 1) Massive welfare program for Wall Street and financial institutions, and 2) Infinite amount of money available for the United States to wage wars around the world... ***** We discussed that subject a number of times over the years here on the ET economics forum - here is an example: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showt...678#post2427678 October 26, 2008 SouthAmerica: Did you know that the US government froze in 1974 the amount that Americans can get as WELFARE monthly benefit payments? Until recently WELFARE â was an issue that not even the Republicans had the nerve to touch on that subject. Welfare is money paid to persons, from a government, who are in need of financial assistance but who are unable to work for pay. A social welfare provision refers to any program which seeks to provide a minimum level of income, service or other support for disadvantaged peoples such as the poor, elderly, disabled, students, unpaid workers such as mothers and other caregivers, and underprivileged groups. From January 1974 to January 2008 = 34 years What $ 1.00 bought in January 1974 in January of 2008 we need at least $ 5.00 to buy that same item. In another words, if you still receiving today the same amount of money that you used to receive in 1974 then you lost 80 percent of your purchasing power or you got a cut on your income of 80 percent because of inflation during that period. Today there is a subject that even the Republicans donât have the nerve to talk about â and the Republicans usually donât care which group of people they are screwing most of the time. Here is why: Do you remember all these programs on television showing to the American people how well all those people were living out of their WELFARE check? And how much fraud was going on in the early 1970âs on that government program? Have you seeing any candidate from either political party talking about the subject of welfare and how to cut the welfare program for the very poor in the political campaigns for president in 1996, 2000, 2004, and also in the current presidential campaign? The answer is NO, not even the Republicans have the nerve to touch on that subject. The candidates talk about reducing entitlements programs, but they are talking about Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. They are not talking about the WELFARE program for the very poor. The word WELFARE is not part of any politiciansâ vocabulary for a long time here in the United States, at least since the decade of the 1980âs. Most Americans donât know it, because nobody in the American mainstream media is interested on this subject today. You must be wondering how the US government fixed the problems regarding that program? The answer is very simple: the United States government froze the amount people can receive as welfare payment in the year 1974 â the amount people receive as monthly WELFARE payments has not increased in value since 1974, for example if a single person received $ 140 per month from welfare in 1974, a single person still receiving only $ 140 per month as welfare payment in 2008. Inflation cut the amount people receive from WELFARE by 80 percent. Welfare recipients have been receiving an annual cut on their welfare benefits year after year because of inflation. To this day most Americans still think that the US government is spending a fortune with the people on welfare, and that welfare is one of the major causes for US government yearly budget deficits. They created a certain perception about welfare for the American people in the 1970âs that has nothing to do with the welfare program in the United States in 2008. I have no idea how people are surviving on their welfare checks in 2008 â today the amount of money they get as welfare on a monthly basis are below of subsistence level in most parts of the United States, and the only place they might be able to survive on that kind of income is in Zimbabwe. It is ironic that the last American president to increase the amount of money that any American can receive as WELFARE payment on a monthly basis it was Richard Nixon a Republican president. ***** I wrote the above piece in January 2008, before the Republican administration had created the largest WELFARE program for the rich in American history to the tune of trillions of US dollars. Now the United States has one WELFARE program for the rich where some people are going to make a fortune. And the United States still has its old WELFARE program for the destitute and very poor where people are barely being able to survive. Today even in Zimbabwe they must have a better WELFARE program for the poor. Anyway, check out if you also qualify for the new US government welfare program for the rich and well connected. .
July 8, 2011 SouthAmerica: Reply to Morganist Brazzil Magazine - July 2000 âOverpopulatedâ Written by Ricardo C. Amaral http://www.brazzil.com/component/content/article/67-july-2000/6963.html ***** Here is the estimated world population from 10,000 BC to 2011 AD. Total World Population in Selected Years: Yearâ¦â¦â¦â¦..# of World Population 10,000 BCâ¦â¦â¦â¦4 million people 5,000 BCâ¦â¦â¦â¦..5 million 4,000 BCâ¦â¦â¦â¦..7 million 3,000 BCâ¦â¦â¦â¦14 million 2,000 BCâ¦â¦â¦â¦27 million 1,000 BCâ¦â¦â¦â¦50 million 500 BCâ¦â¦â¦â¦.100 million 200 BCâ¦â¦â¦â¦.150 million 1 ADâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.170 million 200 ADâ¦â¦â¦â¦.190 million 300 ADâ¦â¦â¦â¦.190 million 400 ADâ¦â¦â¦â¦.190 million 500 ADâ¦â¦â¦â¦.190 million 600 ADâ¦â¦â¦â¦.200 million 700 ADâ¦â¦â¦â¦.210 million 800 ADâ¦â¦â¦.â¦220 million 900 ADâ¦â¦.â¦â¦240 million 1,000 ADâ¦â¦â¦..265 million 1,100 ADâ¦â¦â¦..320 million 1,200 ADâ¦â¦â¦..360 million 1,300 ADâ¦â¦â¦..360 million 1,400 ADâ¦â¦â¦..350 million 1,500 ADâ¦â¦â¦..425 million 1,550 ADâ¦â¦â¦..480 million 1,600 ADâ¦â¦â¦..545 million 1,700 ADâ¦â¦â¦..610 million 1,750 ADâ¦â¦â¦..720 million 1,800 ADâ¦â¦â¦..900 million 1,850 ADâ¦â¦...1,200 million or 1.2 billion 1,900 ADâ¦â¦...1,625 million or 1.6 billion 1,925 ADâ¦â¦...2,000 million or 2.0 billion 1,950 ADâ¦â¦...2,500 million or 2.5 billion 1,960 ADâ¦â¦...3,000 million or 3.0 billion 1,975 ADâ¦â¦...4,000 million or 4.0 billion 1,985 ADâ¦â¦...5,000 million or 5.0 billion 1,999 ADâ¦â¦...6,000 million or 6.0 billion 2,006 ADâ¦â¦...6,500 million or 6.5 billion 2,011 AD..........7,000 million or 7.0 billion (people by October 2011) Note: If you do check various sources regarding the history of world population then you will find out that the various estimates varies a little from source to source for the figures before 1 AD, but at the end of the day their estimates are not too far apart. ***** Population: Brazil: 203,429,773 (July 2011 est.) Russia: 138,739,892 (July 2011 est.) India: 1,189,172,906 (July 2011 est.) China: 1,336,718,015 (July 2011 est.) Total âBRICâ countries: 2.9 billion people .
I can't get sick enough to make a sick man healthy, nor can I become poor enough to make a poor man wealthy. "Poor" is a mindset resulting from the internal self talk script we read from every second of every hour of every day. Change the script, change yourself. No other person, no outside force can effect this change on a man. Ever try to teach a pig to sing? Changing the mind-set of another person is almost that hard. They're totally convinced of the negative beliefs they cling to, and resent any attempt to even introduce them to the possibilities of another belief system. Especially when informed that we're all responsible for our own life choices, and the consequences thereof. fwiw, ymmv, and imho
The church alleviates poverty, it doesnt cause it. If you want unbiased scientific research on what happens if the church is not involved in a country, go look at countries where there is little church involvement and see how they are doing. North Korea has ZERO ties to the catholic church. How are they doing? Oh thats right...the people are so poor that many of them eat mud just to fill their bellies. But maybe you want some more westernized countries for an example. How about India? How many Catholics are there do you think? Europe and the United States have alot more churches than other countries, yet we are the richest in the world. Stick to facts, freethinker and keep your war on religion to yourself. Also, to the OP...Welfare is just another word for Charity. A country is measured how it treats its poorest citizens, so welfare is fine. Direct and indirect welfare for the poor accounts for approximately 5.5% of our budget. (It goes up to about 12% if you include middle class welfare which consists of tax cuts and other government programs that the middle class can use as well as the poor) For comparison, 19% of the budget goes to the war machine.
except the facts show otherwise: More Poverty = More Religion Religion has a surprisingly high correlation with poverty, according to a Gallup survey conducted in more than 100 countries. The more poverty a nation has, the higher the âreligiosityâ in that nation. In general, richer countries are less religious than poorer ones. The biggest exception? The United States, which has the highest religiosity relative to its wealth on the planet. http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/09/religions-correlation-with-poverty/
I totally agree with Ian about the ability of the mind to change a person's world, however, I don't think that it follows that people who are poor have a "bad attitude". Nor would simply giving "think positive lessons" help out. Welfare can't be solved by bureaucracy since like most things in capitalist societies, find a need, fill that need, maximize your income from filling that need. Government programs simply increase their market share and grow it in my view. They also entrap certain people. I think of one person I have known for 30 years, wonderful heart but simply can not compete in today's world. She is poor (and truth be told she wants to be) and when opportunities appear, sabotage's her own actions to return to where she is happiest. Like an alcoholic, she has a rescuer to help her. I don't know what will help her, but giving her money to live without contribution to society will not in my experience.
Of course. Welfare recipients should be PUNISHED for having more children they can't support.... not rewarded with a bigger check at the expense of others.
July 8, 2011 SouthAmerica: Here is the reality check... Welfare was not created because the people who run the capitalist system are nice people and want to do good for society. Welfare was created based on the same principles that we have to create the financial statements for corporations. We live in an imperfect word and that is the reality if you agree with it or not. Corporations created on their balance sheet allowance for doubtful accounts for them to be able to write off the receivables that becomes noncollectable. They also have an account to write off inventories that for one reason or another need to be written off. There are many reasons why an inventory needs to be written off. On the general ledger of society "Welfare" has been created with the same concept in mind â there are a million reasons why people becomes redundant in any economy. Welfare is a form of bribery to the very poor or is part of the âsocial contractâ - the government throws a few bones your way (welfare) and you agree not to riot all over the place creating a situation of instability and chaos for everyone. As I mentioned above on another posting the idea that most Americans still have about welfare has been dismantled over time in the USA since 1974. .
This 3rd world bashing is stupid. 5 or 6 3rd worlders don't consume nearly as many resources as one fat, lower-class American. The third world should get reject UN and Gates offers, and reject the UN altogether. What an illegitimate bs organization.