You are right, of course. I was referring to those in power, within government, who choose to enrich themselves while the impoverished struggle. Bill Gates truly impresses me. I did considerable work for a children’s charity in Los Angeles. Stephen Spielberg was the founder and main beneficiary. He is not only rich and talented, he is a very good man.

Joe

the rubber is exported to cheaper factories in asia and re-exported to the philippines as tires.

the philippine plant was started in 1956 – apparently, the plant needs to be retooled and retrofitted. however, the cost of upgrading the factories is likely too high and the total landed cost of the product still provides a profit margin since the tires are still being made in asia.

utrecht is still outside the kulambo.

This is where I part ways with your values, and the values of BongV and Benign0 and, I suspect, the majority of the greedy empowered who build their wealth on the backs of the impoverished. It reflects a callous intellectual point of view that serves to justify the status quo, and keeps people “in their stupid places”.

 
Positive Money Belief: Poor or Rich People Can Be Just As Evil.
Myth to Bust: “Rich People are Evil”.
I can never understand the myth that rich people are evil. Are they really? Are you saying that poor people cannot be evil? I can only think of the many philanthropists out there (eg. Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, etc) who have given their money for worthy causes. I have got many friends, who by local standards, will be considered rich. Believe me, they are no different. In fact, I found many to be just as kind-hearted, generous and responsible.
There are as many evil people in the rich as there are poor. The amount of material wealth that one has is no indication of his or her values whatsoever. Let us not judge a person prematurely and without reasonable basis.
Positive Money Belief: Money is A Measure of My Positive Thoughts.
Myth to Bust: “Money only comes from hard work”, “There is a limit to how much I can earn”.
What is money? Money is a form of energy exchange. It stores value by our applied meanings. It is a measure of confidence – of how much you believe that having it can be used for your future purposes, of the value that you place on your own goods and services and of how much others are willing to do an exchange with you for. It can therefore be said to be a measure of your positive thoughts on worth.

When a child is born, that child is innocent. If he happens to be born to a family of seven brothers and sisters in a poor fishing village, he is dealt a different lot in life than you or I were dealt. He may not be able to afford school uniforms or exam fees. He may have to go work the seas to help put food on the table. He does not have the same OPPORTUNITIES that people with a little money have. He can’t help it if he is ignorant, if he can’t get educated. The government determines that by requiring uniforms and assessing exam fees. He can’t help it if his Dad sells his vote for some cash, to help with the food.
So don’t give me that schtick about misfortunes of others, because those misfortunes are IMPOSED upon innocent children by people with values such as those you espouse. The child made no “bad choice” in selecting the family, country, or government that handicap him for a LIFETIME.
When he is older he is stuck in the same rut as his parents. No real opportunity to GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS VILLAGE and have a life. Or the squatter’s villages in every city. Or those crammed industrial buildings up by the Manila ports. Or the grass shacks in the hills, hiding out with the other NPA gangsters.

The misfortunes can be imposed, but these are impositions that can be overcome with will and ambition. That’s the price of admission to liberation. Only those who are willing to be brave can be free.

If you need a definition of “people” you have been sitting in your easy chair too long and need to return in a hurry. I’d suggest you spend a little time outside the Fort and tour some of the poorer outlying areas, or visit with the cab drivers and ask how the family is . . . be prepared for an earful . . .

I’m Joe, only Joe.

Joe