the money trap.........

With the cost of gas raising on a moment to moment basis, and the cost of utilities following fast in the same footsteps, I wonder how the generation behind us will survive in today's economy. Even making minimum wage pay (which is five times higher from when I first started working in the late 1970's) is not enough to sustain the basic necessities, and it gets harder and harder to become creative in finances.

We were all taught to put money away for a rainy day..... you know, the day that misfortune slams you out of nowhere, and it's essential that you have to take that carefully calculated bank account and tap it for necessary funds that will easily see you out of trouble. Ha! Is there really such a thing? Only with the Robbing Peter To Pay Paul Bank is it possible (at all) for me.... and I know I've raised it to a high art form. It wasn't easy, and took years of practice; but like a bike, once mastered, always learned. I'm also fortunate to have been born with the bargain gene, so any roller-coaster rides are like a swing at the playground. Sometimes I get pushed a little too high for my liking, but I always manage to find ground zero no matter what.

So all this thinking about money and survival made me wonder what the state of affairs are like on a larger scale.... beyond the scope of my own tribulations. How do the people of countries around the world survive their financial woes? I let my fingers do the google dance . Beyond all the statistics, I managed to boil down a few facts that came through loud and clear. It seems that countries that allow their commerce and economy to grow, spend somewhat less on defense, and more on the common citizen in education, have communities that thrive.

A shining example of this, is the difference between North and South Korea. Communist North Korea censors their television and news, and all reports come from state-run agencies. (Insert Big Brother here.) During the mid to late 1990's, the economy took a significant turn for the worse, and people were starving to death due to famine; numbers reaching up into the 600,000's With the fall of Communist Russia, much aid was cut off, and many citizens were defecting across the border to China in search for food. Foreign aid arrived by 1999, and although it helped to reduce the high number of deaths due to famine, North Korea continued on their nuclear program, which pretty much sucked out the funds to help a starving nation. It was reported in 2005 that the World Food Program could see imminent danger of conditions returning to the same numbers of the decade before, but the government was reported to have mobilized millions of city-dwellers to help out the rice farmers. However, we now sit on a tightrope of diplomacy over the missile issue.... but that's a story for another day.

Democratic South Koreans may be oppressed by their leaders to some extent, ( aren't we all to some degree??) but not nearly like North Korea. Since their 1987 free elections, South Korea, has become the 10th largest economy of the world; having the 2nd highest number of broadband connections per capita in the world. They have become leaders in computer games, digital displays and mobile phones, while still maintaining their traditions in cuisine and ancestral worship. In a word, they have flourished. Yes, they did receive our aid during the 1950's, but they sunk their money into commerce and the nation has grown into an international competitive country.

What about other countries? Well, the wealthiest ones still provide aid in the form of money, supplies, or volunteers.... the US being the leader in that area. That money could be well spent on it's own citizens, yet governments spend millions in aid to foreign countries. But how do they know the needed supplies are getting to the population? We don't necessarily.... but by the looks of repressed societies, and absent or low economies, we can get a hint that all is not well in their neck of the woods.... especially if the citizens are suffering. Least wealthy countries have a hard time maintaining on their own, nevermind when a natural disaster happens.... and that's where "special aid" comes into the picture.

It breaks our hearts when we hear of tsunami's and earthquakes that wipe out whole villages and towns. We jump on the bandwagon of "drives for money" to show our support in order to build back some normalcy to the shattered lives of the survivors. Private citizens also donate millions on their own. After all, this is a true immediate emergency, and our hearts bleed at the visuals we see of the destruction. As one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States is still the leader when it comes to aid.... donated or not. Personally I am proud of that statistic, but at the same time cynical. That always has me questioning if the money is making it to the right areas or not. In many cases money was circumvented through the channels enough that the real citizens in need only received crumbs, while the military and government officials made out like fat rats in a cheese factory. Sadly, many African countries are guilty of that.

So it's not like we aren't giving enough, it's more like it's being wasted by societies that repress their citizens. Be it either by countries building up their nuclear programs, while starving their citizens, or giving the aid to incompetent officials who have corrupt governments, the proof is in the pudding when you see societies of people that are held back from flourishing. The aid they receive should help them well on their way, if the government they have had allowed it to happen.

Our government collects our taxes, and it works better for everybody if we all have a steady job to collect those taxes from. We also have disability benefits for a plethora of reasons for those who can no longer work. So our government not only gives to other countries, it also gives at home. It can be said of the train-wreck of Katrina, that we didn't give enough... the government should have given more. Well they kind of did, believe it or not. It was so mismanaged by incompetents on our own side that the aid once more slide out crumbs while being tangled in the mire of bureaucracy. Then there were the reports of the $2,000 check issued to recipients who spent it at the Walmart for TV's or X-Box games. That didn't sit too well with a lot of us.... but then, mismanagement issues were also the reason for that. So giving was not the problem. Granted, a check for $2,000 is certainly not enough to start over a life, but if you lived in Africa, you'd be grateful.... and if you were totally wiped out, $2,000 duty free is better than no dollars.

So I thank my lucky stars everyday that I live in a country where re-inventing myself is a matter of mind over defeat, and not a death sentence because I have a government that will repress that life away from me. I may have to pay some exorbitant prices for gas and utilities, groceries and clothes.... but at least I have the means, ability, and freedom to live in a society that offers choices. Sure, I'm not a happy camper when it comes time to make those quarterly tax payments... and a little trip to Peter and Paul Bank is humbling, but I still live in a country where I can own my own money pit, and hope the best for the generation behind me. With all its sham and drudgery, we at least live in a society that promotes commerce, and education..... a lot of poorer countries have neither, and it does make all the difference.