O.K here goes.In parts of Africa where the poor really are incredibly poor,they will work incredibly hard to get their way out of poverty,given the chance. with money donated by charities and big events like live aid and live 8.Much of the money donated enabled some of the very poorest to dig wells,irrigate their land and so grow crops and slowly climb out of poverty.
It is true that some of the money was side tracked by corrupt governments.But when it did reach the source it was used wisely.These people did not simply want hand outs ,they wanted the money to enable them to work their own way out of poverty.
Can we in western societies learn something from this.I would think so.
My experience in England is that the poor need to have the situation where it is more desirable to work,than it is to rely on state handouts or crime or a combination thereof.State support should really be a final resort not the first port of call.
The jobs are obviously there, as there are thouands of immigrants flocking in to do them.So how is that resolved,It has to be a case where they will be financially better off working than claiming benefits.
As long as foreign workers will do the jobs for ridiculously low wages and benefits are higher than that,How can the problem ever be solved.
Next problem is caused by too many children.Some of the people who work for us here In America are doing 2 and 3 jobs.Not because we pay atrocious wages but because many of them are coping with absent fathers who do not pay for their children.
So they at least are trying to work their way out of the poverty trap.But that then leads to the very contentious issue of multiple kids by multiple dads.One woman who works for us has 6 kids by 6 different men. No matter what way you look at it.there is something wrong there.
Should contraceptives be handed out free,I think so,should they be given out at school and if so what age.?But if that were to happen,my guess is the far right wing would say how disgraceful it was.Yet most of those people would also say how disgraceful 6 kids to 6 men was.
So it becomes a lose lose situation.
People are going to have sex and they are going to have it underage.I know about that.You will never ever stop it.So surely the one solution is to make contraception available at clinics, free no questions asked.In the long term that is going to be massively cheaper than a whole host of pregnancies.
We can argue the rights and wrongs of under age sex till the cows come home,but we are never going to stop it.That I will absolutely guarantee.
Plus the age of consent varies enormously across the world.Who says which country has got it right.
I hate that my son has had underage sex and in no way condone it.It is not how I have brought him up,but equally I would hate a child to be the result.
We simply cannot have it all ways,no unwanted children, adding continually to the growing poverty population,but no contraception either.
So what do we do,lock up every kid until they are old enough to support a kid and then let them go.Because as said before we are never going to stop kids having sex.
I never ever thought my son,from his Christian,privileged background would,but he did.
So we have to be realistic,educate kids in a modern way about sex,provide clinics for them to get contraception anonymously.By so doing the birth rate would drop considerably,particularly in the poorer sectors.So right way we are reducing some of the poverty.How often do the patterns of parents repeat in their kids.Mom has several kids so do their kids ad infinitum.
We then need to make employment more profitable than state handouts,Work has to be made attractive,so that people learn the work ethic again,and take a sense of pride in a job well done.
I am not just spouting airy fairy rubbish here.We took on a reformed addict as our produce guy.He was in his 50's and had been on benefit.I worked with him for several days.Even little things like how much better the apples looked when they were given a quick polish,Trim down all the corn etc etc.
He is now completely in charge of produce and it always looks wonderful.When I go in he always comes to get me to show me new things he has done.
This is a man who had a serious habit,was living on handouts and crime,For the last year he has worked, and paid taxes,and really takes pride in his work,
He now rents a little house.What a difference.But we were willing to give him a try.He started off on a smaller wage,but was told that if he improved produce sales,looked after it well and always turned into work,we would promote him to produce manager and raise his pay.
He is more proud of the manager title than the raise.Never mind there is only him and one young kid.He has developed a real pride.He can now contribute financially to his ex wife and kids,so they are better off as well.
So not so different from the poor in Africa who used the charity money to get water to their land for irrigation,and now have pride in their work.
People the world over really are not that different.
I will not say it always works.One ex alcoholic we employed was a disaster,never turned in after a binge and robbed us blind.But each small success story is just that,a success.
For whatever reason we have reached a situation with a lot of people where crime and handouts are more attractive than work.The situation has Been created in the 1st place therefore logically it should be possible to reverse it.
We do not make a much money as the previous owner as we pay all employees fully on the books.Some have stayed,others left as it meant they would have to pay more in child support.
So there is another problem,greedy employers looking to take more money.Leading to men not supporting all the kids they have fathered,leading to the women getting handouts and also turning to petty crime.There are so many parts to the jig saw.But I firmly believe adequate sex education,free contraception,and less employment of some illegals for next to nothing would go some way to easing the problem.
O.k some employers would make less money,but ultimately we all pay the price in the end,via escalating crime and increased benefit claimants.
Goodness I have prattled on, but it really is a particular bugbear of mine.