It CAN be worse ...

My goodness!
I was a bit nervous because during the last few weeks Northern Nevada has been having a number of small earthquakes. My home, my sister & her family, our son and his family all live Reno.

Experts were saying we were due for a 'big one'.

Then I see the news the other day about the huge earthquake in China. If it isn't bad enough for those poor people, now I read that their dam is cracked as well.

It is very sad over there.

It is very sad JoElle; anytime there is a disaster it is a reminder that most of us live very fortunate lives. Makes the small and insignificant things in my life seem...very small and insignificant.

It kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it? They have discovered that many of the buildings in Seattle would not withstand a 'big one'. Out here, we are relatively safe. There have been a few quakes, but nothing major. Things shook a little, but nothing fell down. They said this morning that the death toll in China was nearing 20,000. It may have exceeded that by now, and I guess there may be more coming for them!

It is always good to remember how good we have it compaired to the rest of the world. We see dasasters happening across the globe, in China and Berma (I hope I spelled it right). As we watch these happenings in places far away, we should always remember that such dasasters can happen to us too. We should be thankful they have not. We should be thankful for all we have and be grateful for the good life we enjoy. Most people here in the US may not realize it, but the avarage American income is many, many times the world avarage. Things could be worse; things could be better, but we should always strive to make them better, not just for ourselves, but for the world at large.

I don't know if any of you guys think about law of attraction types of issues, but I do and related to the law of attraction as well as the disaster in Burma was something a little bit weird that happened. I have been doing some family tree research for my mom, usually from my laptop in the evening while ignoring the television and sometime after walking the hairy dog. Anyway, we knew that my great-grandfather had died as a British prisoner of war held by the Japanese in WW2, but since my grandmother never liked the guy, that was all we knew.
Turns out that as a POW he was working on the railroad (think Bridge Over the River Kwai) in Burma when he was killed by the Japanese. I found out the same night we were watching the devasation in Burma unfold.
If you ever watched Twilight Zone, you may know the music that popped in to my head at the same time...

P. Gordon Kennedy wrote:

....We should be thankful for all we have and be grateful for the good life we enjoy. Most people here in the US may not realize it, but the avarage American income is many, many times the world avarage. ...

That is so true.
I am so thankful to have had the privilege of living in another country for some time and to had visited a little of the world. MOST of the world is very, very different from how things are in the U.S.

In Mexico it is common for girls as young as 11 to work as live in maids (although the 'average' age to start working as a maid is about 15). They have to, it is survival. They get room, board, and a itty bitty, well below what we call minimum wage, paycheck.

Little boys as young as seven or eight work at construction sites and as landscapers.

Whole families live in cardboard and stick shacks on empty lots next to middle class and upper class residential areas.

We never threw food away. Several times a week we would get a knock at our door and it would usually be a pair of kids, usually a child of about seven with a young sibling, some looked as young as three, and they were asking for a handout. We'd get a couple of tortillas, warm up the leftover food and make them a a couple of tacos.

Middle class Mexican children appreciate school and do their best. Teachers are all given the utmost respect. (I know, I was there) 90% of the class earned excellent grades. The reason? Because a good education is the only way to ensure staying out poverty there.

Mexico is the 12th largest economy thanks to NAFTA. It isn't nearly as poor as most of the developing countries in the world, and actually its economy has been improving quite a bit in the last ten years or so.

I also think America's high standard of living compared to the rest of the world is in a large part responsible for the recent influx of illegal immigrants. People in Mexico and other countries see how good America has it and they want a part of it. Many people probably dream of living our lifestyle, but for many unfortunately, extreme poverty will prevent that from being anything more than a dream. It would be nice if there was an easy way to up the world's standerd of living, but I'm not sure of any way this could be done....at least any easy way.

P. Gordon Kennedy wrote:

I also think America's high standard of living compared to the rest of the world is in a large part responsible for the recent influx of illegal immigrants. People in Mexico and other countries see how good America has it and they want a part of it. Many people probably dream of living our lifestyle, but for many unfortunately, extreme poverty will prevent that from being anything more than a dream. It would be nice if there was an easy way to up the world's standerd of living, but I'm not sure of any way this could be done....at least any easy way.

Then there are those who are not afraid to work hard, learn a new language and way of life, become legal, and achieve that dream through sweat, determination, and by using their brains .....

I read about this guy in Reader's Digest last year:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10013111

http://www.hopkinsneuro.org/pituitary/doc.cfm/expert/Alfredo_Quinones-Hinojosa

Forest Elf wrote:

P. Gordon Kennedy wrote:

I also think America's high standard of living compared to the rest of the world is in a large part responsible for the recent influx of illegal immigrants. People in Mexico and other countries see how good America has it and they want a part of it. Many people probably dream of living our lifestyle, but for many unfortunately, extreme poverty will prevent that from being anything more than a dream. It would be nice if there was an easy way to up the world's standerd of living, but I'm not sure of any way this could be done....at least any easy way.

Then there are those who are not afraid to work hard, learn a new language and way of life, become legal, and achieve that dream through sweat, determination, and by using their brains .....

I read about this guy in Reader's Digest last year:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10013111

http://www.hopkinsneuro.org/pituitary/doc.cfm/expert/Alfredo_Quinones-Hinojosa

Very true, there still are honest people left in this world, though it seems their numbers are in decline.

Pam, your Twilight Zone experience isn't so tied with the Law of Attraction as it is with non-coincidences. *grin* I am a fan of both.

The EQ's and weather conditions are part of a much bigger picture, The Great Shift. No I am not a doom and gloom person. I just bring this up for reference.

We will be seeing more of the weather eccentricities in the very near future.

It seems I also experience such coincidences more often ... or maybe I just notice them more now.

And the longer I live the smaller the world seems to get, as well.

P. Gordon Kennedy wrote:

I also think America's high standard of living compared to the rest of the world is in a large part responsible for the recent influx of illegal immigrants. People in Mexico and other countries see how good America has it and they want a part of it. Many people probably dream of living our lifestyle, but for many unfortunately, extreme poverty will prevent that from being anything more than a dream. It would be nice if there was an easy way to up the world's standerd of living, but I'm not sure of any way this could be done....at least any easy way.

When you say, "compared to the rest of the world," that is no longer true. The standard of living around the world has changed in the past 20 years. There are better living standards in some parts of Europe than in America. Anyone living close to another country that has it better, will also want what they have. That is human nature. That is happening in Europe. The Poles flock to Germany and the UK for better jobs and benefits. People of other Eastern block countries are migrating to central Europe for various reasons. Some seek better opportunity while others are looking for better social benefits. Human nature hasn't changed much. While some are willing to work hard and earn their way, others are looking for a handout.

In America, the symbol with the Statue of Liberty, the country that opened its arms to the world, has in a major way closed those arms. For whatever reasons, valid or not, it is not so easy to enter America and therefore many come illegally. Building fences has never worked and will not work between the USA and Mexico either. It will become a greater challenge to "beat the system." The only thing it will do is create jobs for border guards and at the same time create greater animosity.

I know, I know. The Romans built Hadrian's Wall to keep out the unruly Scots and now we have a Scottish Prime Minister. Try to keep them out and they end up in politics and take over the place.

Actually Abe, compared to the rest of the world, the standard of living in the United States is high. It may not be the highest, but it is high when compared to every country south of it in America.

The standard of living in many European countries is also high.

But the standard of living in most of the world is lower, if one looks at many African and Asian countries.

And that was what P.Gordon was replying to.

While conditions in Mexico have slowly but surely improved since NAFTA, it still has a kind of poverty that isn't imaginable to many Americans.

And I know this can start a political debate that will send me hiding, but like I posted earlier in this thread, there are those who come to this country illegally, but who do eventually become citizens and become very successful. I have seen it ... and I think the brain surgeon's story is a wonderful one.

JoElle,
you're right of course. There is much poverty in the world.
What I'm trying to say, without ruffling too many feathers, is simply that we can no longer make claims/statements as we have done in the past. We are famous for: The biggest, the tallest, the greatest, etc., etc. Much of this has to do with promotion, but a lot of it has to do with patriotism. Everyone wants to think that their country is the best and don't want to see any wrong. Walking around with blinders on makes them feel happy and secure. How the outside world views us is another matter and another subject. We must recognize that we are on the decline as a world power and that there are other places in the world today that have as much or more than we do. It wasn't always that way but it happened. American can always be proud of what it accomplished. There would be a long list of things to mention, however self-indulgence has weakened us. Our values have become materialistic and that too is crumbling.
I suppose it gets back to those terrible demon words like, "every" and "all" that should be avoided when making statements about people or things. We might add to that list "the best in the world," "the only country," etc., etc.

I wasn't trying to say America's standard of living is the absolute best in the world. I was saying that America's standard of living is higher than the majority of other countries. In making the comparison, I was thinking more in terms of South and Centeral American and African nations than Western European countries. I was trying to say the standard of living in the United States is higher than most, but not necessarily all other countries. I hope this clarifies things.

Gordon, I know what you're trying to say and I hope you know what I'm trying to say. I have lived and worked in six different countries. I have traveled to more than 30 other countries. I have defended our country often and in doing so learned how they view us. I have had the opportunity to see how other people live and compared their freedoms with ours. I have seen how other governments look after its citizens with social programs that provide healthcare and security compared to ours. Yes, there is still a large gap between developed and undeveloped countries and I'm not referencing those since they are the extremes.

Keep in mind that just as every country in the world is different, so is the mentality of the people that is reflected in language, culture and heritage. Comparing one country to another is like comparing apples and oranges. One-on-one comparisons, even with countries using the same language, is difficult. That is part of the reason why we should be cautious in using the terms, "best" or "greatest" or whatever. Citizens of other countries feel that their country is the best, the greatest, etc., and often for entirely different reasons.

I think it is great to live in a world with such diversity. If everyone was the same it would be very boring. Trying to make everyone just like us is not only an exercise in futility but a horrible thought.

The six countries I mentioned did not include the USA. I have visited every state except for Alaska and Hawaii. Our country is large and diverse with its own special charms and uniqueness.
I recently had the honor of singing, "What a wonderful world," and it was fitting.

P. Gordon Kennedy wrote:

I wasn't trying to say America's standard of living is the absolute best in the world. I was saying that America's standard of living is higher than the majority of other countries. In making the comparison, I was thinking more in terms of South and Centeral American and African nations than Western European countries. I was trying to say the standard of living in the United States is higher than most, but not necessarily all other countries. I hope this clarifies things.

It does!

And I agree with you.

Abe,

I very much agree with you and Gordon. You are both briliant men.

And that is the point that I'm trying to make.
Unless someone is well traveled as you are, they may not realize just how different the rest of the world is from wherever it is they live.
I've only been to four countries and 47 of the US states (I'm missing Vermont on top of Alaska and Hawaii).
But that has been enough to make me grateful for the standard of living I enjoy. And I've learned to not take what I have for granted.

And I agree, the world would indeed be dull if not for the diversity and difference. Our planet is truly an amazing and beautiful place. Not just because the planet itself is jewel, but the different cultures and people make it interesting and special.

I think diversity is a good thing and we shouldn't try to force others to be like us. Because there is so much variation between individuals, let alone countries, it is inpossible to make exact one on one comparisons with perfect accuracy. When I earlier compared the US standard of living to the majority of the rest of the world, I was making a general comparison and I was basing my conclusions about the standard of living on things like average income, gross domestic product, life expectancy, ect. I don't think it's good to be overly materialistic (the love of money is the root of all evil, as some wise man once said). However, it's hard to have an objective measure of the standard of living that's not, at least in part, based on a country's material success. Maybe we should measure the standard of living by how happy people are living the lives they do.

I do hope all of you and your friends and family are okay.

We've just been dispatched on a run that is taking us across Nebraska to Ohio along the storm path that caused all those tornadoes.

It is just awful to see the damage it left behind.

Seems not long ago I felt the same way about driving through New Orleans after Katrina.

So far, we're ok. Although, about two weeks ago, we missed a storm with golf ball size hail by less than ten miles. I think we'll plant our garden today, I hope we've finally gotten away from the frost, come on it's June 1st. I've got a couple of gate posts to set in cement too, so I think I'll have a rather buisy day today.

Two people showed up at my book signing last night. Guess the severe thunderstorms and Tornado warnings and watches kept them away. We drove through some pretty heavy rain to get there. *smile*

Already this year we are 4 inches above normal. They said because the air something that use to be in Canada is now in the U.S.A. Times, and weather, are a'changin.