The Roots Of PovertyWritten by Isaiah Hull
Remedying only superficial manifestations of deeper underlying problems of extreme poverty will never end poverty itself. At best, this approach will temporarily relieve urgent problems; at worst, it will exacerbate them or create long-term trade-off problems. If we want to eliminate poverty, we must look at its roots and apply sustainable, pragmatic development solutions.There are many popular misconceptions about underdeveloped countries that prevent both politicians and private citizens from seriously considering solutions. Some people think less developed countries (LDCs) are poor as result of laziness, mismanagement, and corruption. While corruption and mismanagement do play a role in inefficient and criminal diversion of aid funds, they definitely do not make it impossible to conduct successful development operations--unless, of course, we use corrupt regimes as a justification to not give aid at all. So what are some of common root causes of poverty? Each of following roots of poverty can be eliminated through development projects when they bypass government involvement or develop mutual-accountability agreements with governments to ensure best results for program constituents: Geographic Isolation: Geographic isolation actually occurs on two levels: 1) within regions and continents; and 2) within countries. The first type of geographic isolation generally includes countries that are landlocked hundreds of miles away from closest port. These countries end up paying excessive fees and costs for freight to export and import goods. The other type of isolation--that occurs within countries-- generally includes villages that are separated from rest of country because of a lack of infrastructure. These villages typically lack electricity, adequate food markets, and adequate sources of clean water.
| | I Want To KnowWritten by Rich Brunelle
I Want To Know, by: Rich BrunelleDoesn't it irritate you to know that it cost taxpayers millions of dollars prosecuting likes of O.J. Simpson, Robert Blake, and many more? What irritates me more is realization that we paid millions of dollars, and still do not know truth. I want to know TRUTH. Did Petersen kid really kill his wife and unborn child? What did President Bill Clinton do with that damn cigar? Who killed President Kennedy? Was Saddam Hussein supporting Bin Laden financially? And, I can go on-and-on asking similar questions. Don't you want to know? I do! I might even want to know why perpetrator of some of these acts did so. But most of all, I want truth. And, top of irritation pile . . . Is probability that we may never know. But, what if there was a way to get information? Anybody got an idea how? I might have a solution. What if any one of these people could sell their story to news media with a legal stipulation that information not be disclosed until after person’s death? I mean, why not? Face it, all of these people would love to write a book. Most of them would like to add to their fame. And, since it would probably be their last good paying gig, why not?
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