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Bingo. I think there are different kinds of poverty being assumed here. On one had you have the innovation coming from the poverty of Cuba where they have ada
by gtowey 8y ago
Bingo.
I think there are different kinds of poverty being assumed here.
On one had you have the innovation coming from the poverty of Cuba where they have adapted in amazing ways. But that's a society where poverty is the norm and things like family structure isn't much affected by it (I'm guessing).
On the other hand you have the poverty of the US where it's not the norm. The gulf between poor and rich (or just middle class) is overwhelming. The poor in the US are marginalized -- living in the least desirable areas, terrible access to education, jobs, grocery stores. High crime, broken families. Kids grow up with constant police sirens, sounds of domestic disputes, drugs, crumbling houses. That stress takes a toll. Focus on education is secondary to just surviving another day. Long term stress has been shown to cause a constellation of effects that are ruinous for our health -- mentally and physically.
Remember: it's not the absolute value that matters in poverty, it's the income inequality.
- graeme 8y agoCuba has a lot of inequality too. There's a massive gulf between those with family abroad and those who have to make do only with the income from the (broken) official system. On the other hand, there is very little crime or drugs, and consequently few sirens. So even though Cuba does have slums, there are elements that are better than a poor person in the US would experience. You also don't need a car or need expensive shelter, so there's less chance that everything will crumble if you hit a financial snag. My understanding is that is a major source of stress for US poor. I don't have enough firsthand experience to know whether family structure is affected. But there are definite class differences you can note when talking to people.