Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Culture of Poverty
POVERTY: pov·er·ty; The state of not having enough money to take care of basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing. ©World English Dict.
We have a “culture of poverty” in the Philippines that almost guarantees that the cycle of poverty, generation after generation of poor, will never be broken. I believe it is in part due to misunderstanding what poverty is; that it is a transitory state (i.e. a condition, as with regard to circumstance, that something is in at a particular time) and not an inevitable, perpetual existence. Being poor is not like being short or tall or dark or fair. Poverty is like being fat or thin or weak, a condition that a person has the power to change. Poverty may be a condition that you are born into but it is not a circumstance that you are destined to carry to your death. Born poor; die poor is a cruel myth.
Are there people living in poverty in the Philippines? Yes. Is the Philippines a nation of poverty? No.
Fact: the Philippines (2002) is the 23rd largest economy in the world, a larger Gross Domestic Product than Malaysia, Peru, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Austria, Greece. Fact: We are the 9th largest Hog Producer in the world. Fact: The Philippines has a higher "average years of schooling of adults" (#28) than France (#29) or Italy (#35). Fact: We have more multi-national companies doing business with local companies here (#9) than Germany, Brazil, Spain or Thailand.
Then why if we are not at the bottom of the wealth indicators, do we rank the 53rd poorest country in terms of percentage of population below the poverty line?
I firmly believe that this country has no valid reason for having so many poor people….except that too many of our people have come to believe that their poverty is inevitable and irreversible. “Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation” (Mike Todd). Our nation has been leaderless for too long to break the vicious cycle of destitution. A true leader of the people would lead the poor out of poverty rather than simply trying to make their stay in that social and economic hellhole more acceptable.
Too many of our people believe that they are destined to poverty and have no skills or instruction on how to get out of poverty by themselves. Poverty is not a national problem. It is a personal issue that becomes a national problem only when the numbers of poor grow large.
Two great influences on the average person, the church and the government, have done little to alleviate poverty and have in fact through attitude and action, reinforced poverty as a destiny.
Too often, members of the clergy have foisted on the poor the shameful and non –biblical idea that being poor is noble, dignified, or even spiritual. Nothing could be farther from the truth. One of history’s greatest champions of the poor, Mahatma Gandhi said this:” Poverty is the worst form of violence”. Even the Bible says, “The destruction of the poor is their poverty”. Any parent that has put a hungry child to sleep or kept that child from school because of a lack of money knows the truth of poverty. There is not a shred of nobility in forced hunger. There is no dignity in doing without. Spirituality is never found in the heart or eyes of a mother looking at here deprived child. All religious leaders that teach this doctrine are a fraud to their flock and their God.
Too many churches have taught that being poor is an acceptable and unchangeable way of life, and as with grey or falling hair, one should comes to terms with it. Fate, karma, God’s will. Nonsense.
Maybe though, they are well intentioned as they “help” the poor. More nonsense. The focus of all those anti-poverty programs is to make the poor persons life a little easier in poverty and not to raise them out of poverty. Like food coupons.
When was the last time you heard any leader say that a person could get themselves out of poverty?
The alleviation of poverty can only start with the personal belief by a poor person that they do not need to remain poor. There is a hopelessness in poverty that leads to inaction and more poverty. If you really believe that you can rise out of poverty, that being poor is not a permanent condition, and that you have power over your poverty, then you can do something personal about it.
However, the church says in effect be poor, be happy, accept your situation. The government says in effect WE are doing everything WE possibly can so that WE can get you out of poverty. Both only give “alms” to relieve some of the stress of a meager and pitiful life. I wonder why this is the response to poverty from these institutions. Maybe the answer is in the words of Samuel Johnson. “The inevitable consequence of poverty is dependence on others".
We have a “culture of poverty” in the Philippines that almost guarantees that the cycle of poverty, generation after generation of poor, will never be broken. I believe it is in part due to misunderstanding what poverty is; that it is a transitory state (i.e. a condition, as with regard to circumstance, that something is in at a particular time) and not an inevitable, perpetual existence. Being poor is not like being short or tall or dark or fair. Poverty is like being fat or thin or weak, a condition that a person has the power to change. Poverty may be a condition that you are born into but it is not a circumstance that you are destined to carry to your death. Born poor; die poor is a cruel myth.
Are there people living in poverty in the Philippines? Yes. Is the Philippines a nation of poverty? No.
Fact: the Philippines (2002) is the 23rd largest economy in the world, a larger Gross Domestic Product than Malaysia, Peru, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Austria, Greece. Fact: We are the 9th largest Hog Producer in the world. Fact: The Philippines has a higher "average years of schooling of adults" (#28) than France (#29) or Italy (#35). Fact: We have more multi-national companies doing business with local companies here (#9) than Germany, Brazil, Spain or Thailand.
Then why if we are not at the bottom of the wealth indicators, do we rank the 53rd poorest country in terms of percentage of population below the poverty line?
I firmly believe that this country has no valid reason for having so many poor people….except that too many of our people have come to believe that their poverty is inevitable and irreversible. “Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation” (Mike Todd). Our nation has been leaderless for too long to break the vicious cycle of destitution. A true leader of the people would lead the poor out of poverty rather than simply trying to make their stay in that social and economic hellhole more acceptable.
Too many of our people believe that they are destined to poverty and have no skills or instruction on how to get out of poverty by themselves. Poverty is not a national problem. It is a personal issue that becomes a national problem only when the numbers of poor grow large.
Two great influences on the average person, the church and the government, have done little to alleviate poverty and have in fact through attitude and action, reinforced poverty as a destiny.
Too often, members of the clergy have foisted on the poor the shameful and non –biblical idea that being poor is noble, dignified, or even spiritual. Nothing could be farther from the truth. One of history’s greatest champions of the poor, Mahatma Gandhi said this:” Poverty is the worst form of violence”. Even the Bible says, “The destruction of the poor is their poverty”. Any parent that has put a hungry child to sleep or kept that child from school because of a lack of money knows the truth of poverty. There is not a shred of nobility in forced hunger. There is no dignity in doing without. Spirituality is never found in the heart or eyes of a mother looking at here deprived child. All religious leaders that teach this doctrine are a fraud to their flock and their God.
Too many churches have taught that being poor is an acceptable and unchangeable way of life, and as with grey or falling hair, one should comes to terms with it. Fate, karma, God’s will. Nonsense.
Maybe though, they are well intentioned as they “help” the poor. More nonsense. The focus of all those anti-poverty programs is to make the poor persons life a little easier in poverty and not to raise them out of poverty. Like food coupons.
When was the last time you heard any leader say that a person could get themselves out of poverty?
The alleviation of poverty can only start with the personal belief by a poor person that they do not need to remain poor. There is a hopelessness in poverty that leads to inaction and more poverty. If you really believe that you can rise out of poverty, that being poor is not a permanent condition, and that you have power over your poverty, then you can do something personal about it.
However, the church says in effect be poor, be happy, accept your situation. The government says in effect WE are doing everything WE possibly can so that WE can get you out of poverty. Both only give “alms” to relieve some of the stress of a meager and pitiful life. I wonder why this is the response to poverty from these institutions. Maybe the answer is in the words of Samuel Johnson. “The inevitable consequence of poverty is dependence on others".
// posted by john mangun @ Wednesday, October 20, 2004 
