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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><b>The poor will always be with you</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Le Keqiang, China’s
Prime Minister of China in his four-country (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Angola, Kenya) visit
of Africa, is reported to be addressing poverty reduction and peoples
livelihood upfront in his pronouncements, as opposed to the EU and US’ rational
for trade as promoting a country’s economic growth. No judgment here, just noting the difference
in story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">China’s trade is mostly
through infrastructure like rails and roads, community health and universal education,
plus loans for Medium and SME’s capital investment. In Le Keqiang’s case, also a hefty grant on environmental
protection projects, which does not translate into a statistical abstraction of
a country’s GDP, but on the qualitative benefit on the population. At the World Economic Forum meeting in Abuja,
capital of Nigeria, he added partnering with locals on high-tech businesses,
e.g., aeronautics, to stem the fast exodus of African talents to the West.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">This was particularly relevant
in fossil-fuel rich Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa. I was in Nigeria early 1980s, diverted on my
flight from London to Kano on the northeast because of a sandstorm. I saw why it a misnomer to consider the
economy as one. Nigeria of late not only
has not seen any economic growth in its primary export industry crude; it also
has one of the highest unemployment rates in the continent. A powder keg, as 60 percent of its population
is classified as “youth”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">The local folks in Nigeria’s
early 80s were like those of Nauru of the same period who drove themselves into
obesity riding fancy cars and powerful motorcycles around the small phosphate-rich
island. The government also invested its
resources in real estate in Brisbane, Honolulu, Manila, Los Angeles, Guam, and,
yes, Saipan. We still call the rotating
restaurant building in Susupe as the “Nauru building”, though Nauru disposed of
it long time ago.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Trade not aid” was a
chant we had in the 80s as the United States hammered “aid” in the form of
military assistance to dictatorships we supported around the world. I saw how that pan out in Chile and Nigeria,
heavily emphasized in Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law in the Philippines while I
was orienting Peace Corps Volunteers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">In economic algebra,
the “poor” is not a part of the Wall Street equation. In fact, Christian folks who claim the
authority of Scriptures as their guide, if asked to quote a section on the poor
(true of the Christians in Saipan as well), generally repeat the Gospel of
Matthew’s line: <i>The poor you will always
have with you, but you will not always have me.” </i>This results in the widespread idolatry
on Jesus; the Messenger becomes the object of adoration rather than the message,
which gets lost! Luke rectifies the
record with: <i>“But when you give a
banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be
blessed. Although they cannot repay you,
you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” </i>This last verse is rarely quoted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">In politics, we hear decried
those who are in “entitlement” programs of government like many in the CNMI. These are allegedly the poor who
intentionally stay that way so they can continue receiving government benefits,
an argument often used to further the cause of sending former CWs and authorized
Micronesian off-island residents back to their home of origin because they are
a burden to tax-paying wage earners.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">USAID development
consultant David Korten (in Manila when I was there) wrote a book on “phantom
wealth” not too long ago. He documents the
measure of wealth in terms of financial assets by an accountants’ assessed
value rather than the actual production of real assets. His insight is reflected on the gain of 50
percent of the action in one of NYC’s exchanges, made from smart investors’ purchases
in the stock exchange floor a split second before an offering is available in
the open market through advanced technology.
The phantom wealth created is added to the accounted value of the
nation’s economy, then charged in real terms on the back of actual labor
elsewhere that depends on the US financial system.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Broad strokes, the US
economy involves 3 percent of its population on agriculture, 7 percent on
manufacturing, and 90 percent on services.
In all, the gap between the “haves” (top 1 percent of population owns
the equivalent of the lower 60 percent) and the “have-nots” has become so
embarrassing that calling our system democratic is a public relations act
rather than actual definition. The
divide in the 80s was 15/85; now it is 01/99!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline">In the US real estate
market, the sale of homes for the wealthy is active, while the middle class market
is stagnant. Look it up. BTW, that is also true in China but that is
hardly a consolation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4">“The poor will always
be with you” is a systemic reality more than a category in the tolerated marginalized
members of an economic system. Sadly, it
has become an unquestionable part of our state of affairs, decried first before
it is understood.</font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4">Then there is “blessed
are the poor in spirit”; these intentionally mendicant poor will always be with
you!</font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 18px; clear: both;"><i>j'aime la vie</i><br>
<div><i>yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today. participate. In all, celebrate!</i></div>
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