We are some of the luckiest people in history

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Lwang once bubbled...
No one will go do that kind of thing on their own free will for the sake of the local people or economy. Even if one does, they will not find the investors to finance the whole thing.
How do you know? Have you tried? Have you risked anything yourself? You can write a business plan with an investment of only your time. You can do the research into what it takes to get something done in one of these third world cesspools with an investment of more time. Just that exercise will reveal specific things you can pursue to better the lot of the people you profess to be concerned about. Just *do* something.
Over two decades ago, when I was still in the Navy, I put a huge sign in my "office" (cubbyhole is a better term) that said "No Whining or Complaining" - I have displayed that sign in my own business as well. Every problem, no matter how massive, can be attacked with small as well as large actions. In our world of instant gratification we often tend to say "No one will go" and "they will not find" - because we see the whole problem as insolvable in the next week. But every big problem is made up of many small ones. Find one. Fix it yourself. Find others to help. Fix some more. Go on a mission trip with your church.
Rick
 
For a diver doing a small, but efficient and meaningful part to address third world poverty, see http://www.sladechild.org (I think)

I sometimes have my differences with David, but he's doing a very good thing and a small amount goes very far with these orphanages.

And unlike some of the mega-charities, all the he raises $$ goes to the poor (board pays expenses) and you have the ethical/accounting/criminal problems of groups like United Way with David Slade.
 
and notice that frequently the wealthiest provinces in poor countires are those that have tourism. Bali, Indonesia and Phuket Thailand are two that come to mind. (There is huge disparity in Mexico between the tourist areas).

Then, take a look at neighboring countries (CIA factbook linked above is a good place) that don't have large tourism industries and notice things like infant mortality, life expectancy, roads, paved roads, radio, television etc and you'll quickly realize that tourism $ generally have a positive impact on the economy. Even if 90% of the money leaves the country for the corporation (which it frequently does, hotels in Mexico are owned by European and American chains, in Phuket, they are Asian hotel conglomerates). But, that gives rise to locally owned small businesses.
 
I tend not to take things too seriously, and to offer snappy, sometimes snide comments when someone gives a broad brush slam to a very complex issue - like hammering modern tourism for not doing enough to alleviate the poverty that often surrounds it. On the one hand, I am grateful that tourism has any positive effect at all, and on the other hand I am disappointed, as Lwang is, that it isn't more. But "doing more" is often frustrated by the folks in charge where the need is greatest. The world is rife with petty tyrants who stand between the plenty and the needy. We in the West, and especially in the United States with its underpinnings of Christianity and Liberty, have trouble understanding how things work in the rest of the world. Sometimes it is helpful to back off - way off - and look at some very basic historical facts. For example, the Europeans who colonized what was to become the United States largely came here for Liberty, while those who colonized Central and South America, and most of the Pacific came there for gold. In Africa the indigenous people have a long history of tribal genocide and slavery that continues to this day. These aren't necessarily convenient facts or popular facts of politically correct facts - but they are facts nonetheless.
Anyone wanting a quick fix must be willing to support the actions necessary to obtain it - and in the real world that would mean nothing short of invasion and occupation. If you're not willing to support that you must be willing to nibble away at the problems as Rick suggests, one small piece at the time. Take money abroad, spend it in the little places with the people who need it most, rewarding where you can.
And I agree that a church sponsored mission trip is a worthwhile endeavor. Most of these are "brick & mortar" missions that directly help those who need it most rather than "preaching" missions looking for converts. (The preaching's in the doing).
As for the United States, we are not perfect - but we are the most generous nation in the history of the world, sharing more of our hard earned national treasure than anyone else ever has or likely will. We take a lot of abuse for it, but continue anyway.
Mark Twain said "If you rescue a poor starving cur and nurse him back to health, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference in a dog and a man."
E. itajara
 
The proliferation of the mega all-inclusive resorts seem to be reversing the trend of returning the wealth back to the local people. These resorts creates an all in one environment where people come to visit never leave to check out the town or local attractions. And you end up with the tourist $0 outside the resort. These mega resorts are usually build in places where the outside environment is not the most hospitable, which frequently also means they are the countries with people suffering the most.

How many times have you gone to the beachfront resorts, where on the beach side, it is all these large luxurious gated resorts with guards, and on the other side, it is these shanty houses with rusted out corrugated metal roofs?

As for the United States, we are not perfect - but we are the most generous nation in the history of the world, sharing more of our hard earned national treasure than anyone else ever has or likely will. We take a lot of abuse for it, but continue anyway.

We all know that this is not true, but lets not get into it.
 
Lwang once bubbled...
The proliferation of the mega all-inclusive resorts seem to be reversing the trend of returning the wealth back to the local people. These resorts creates an all in one environment where people come to visit never leave to check out the town or local attractions. And you end up with the tourist $0 outside the resort. These mega resorts are usually build in places where the outside environment is not the most hospitable, which frequently also means they are the countries with people suffering the most.

How many times have you gone to the beachfront resorts, where on the beach side, it is all these large luxurious gated resorts with guards, and on the other side, it is these shanty houses with rusted out corrugated metal roofs?



We all know that this is not true, but lets not get into it.

I spent 10 days at the Sandals all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas and didn't make it out of the resort at all except for one day. I guess I contributed to the "problem" but the funny thing was all the staff I met and interacted with at the resort except the general manager seemed Bahamian. I wonder where they got all the black New York staffers trained in Bahamian history and dialect so quickly...man, they fooled me! I thought they were real Bahamians!
 
Steve...I agree with you my friend...we are lucky.......
Rick .....I also agree with you ......If you don't have the balls to take the step.....(sorry Rick this is far more crude than you)..SHUT UP !!!!!......
It isn't the tourists and tourism that make the "natives" poor...it is the adminstrations in power.

Lwang as per your arguement of not being critical of presidents...what a lame arguement.....sorry....you elect the pres......therefore you can be critical.....You don't elect people who run hotels resorts etc.......:boom:
 
The concept of being "lucky" implies that there are some
people that are not lucky. I'm glad to be amongst the ones
who by work, organization, self-government, investment,
education, and the willingness to defend themselves and
what they have to the death have made themselves "lucky."
 
Butch103 once bubbled...
Steve...I agree with you my friend...we are lucky.......
Rick .....I also agree with you ......If you don't have the balls to take the step.....(sorry Rick this is far more crude than you)..SHUT UP !!!!!......
It isn't the tourists and tourism that make the "natives" poor...it is the adminstrations in power.

Lwang as per your arguement of not being critical of presidents...what a lame arguement.....sorry....you elect the pres......therefore you can be critical.....You don't elect people who run hotels resorts etc.......:boom:

You are contradicting yourself. You say if you haven't done it, then "SHUT UP". Then you go on saying it is the administration in power that make the natives poor. Either way, there are some big guys up there that is siphoning the money away.

The "put up or shut up argument" is just another way to oppress anyone with a voice. In many parts of the world, these people cannot even put up for the fear of reprisal, thus eventually leading to covert counter-reatctions.

And who said anything about presidents being elected in 3rd world countries? When I said "we", do you think I was exclusionary of the people who truly doesn't have a voice.


The term lucky was used here to mean we, as people, are better off than the people before us. I am just pointing out that it does not apply to everyone.
 
The term lucky was used here to mean we, as people, are better off than the people before us. I am just pointing out that it does not apply to everyone.

No, it was really meant that we live in a time when this technology is available as opposed to a time when it wasn't. Better/worse off really has nothing to do with it. There are many people who can't do this stuff for various reasons in every country. I don't really see how this thread got so incredibly off topic but such is life. I could have posted this without any reference to my cozumel trip and just included my experiences in lake ontario/st. lawrence or north carolina and it would have been just as relevant but it wouldn't have opened the doors to such a political diatribe. Lighten up people. If you can't enjoy what you do for what it is without feeling sorry for everyone for everything, take it elsewhere - i guess theres really no reason to do anything fun at all because someone, somewhere is worse off.

I love what i do and don't feel the need to appologise for it.

steve
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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