Comments on: not your regular katrina blog

By: lani

lani — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 23:16:45 +0000

It’s really very frustrating to see hopeless and dying people. Everytime I go outside the house, I see helpless Filipinos roaming the streets; children begging for money and selling sampaguitas, etc.; families living on the streets, making cardboards or cart as their home. Kahit pa walang disaster na dumating sa bansa parang iyong mismong buhay nila ay disaster na. But nakakabilib din talaga ang mga Pinoy, nakakatuwa pa rin na kahit anong nararanasan nila ay nagagawa pa rin nilang tumawa at magsaya. Kasama na rin ito sa ugali natin ang pagiging masayahin at mapagtiis.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 08:46:51 +0000

thank you for the clarification, shirley. yes, that was perhaps biased of me to blog only about the negative side of the situation, but then, this blog being mine, has no pretensions of being unbiased anyway.

“I am using the US Department of Labor’s and US Census’ definitions of poverty.”

educate me further, shirley. is the american definition of poverty close to that of the World Bank’s, which UNDP also uses, i.e. people who live on less than $2 a day (extreme poverty being on less than $1 day)? i could have used the german definition of poverty line (can’t be specific but i think it’s some hundred euros a month), which, being an asian and having confronted “absolute” poverty in the face, i don’t find it suitable, particularly in this line of discussion.

but then again there’s the moral/social poverty to consider, too, but that’s fodder for a blog i’m not interested to write.

again, thanks for your feedback. should you want to discuss further, you can also email me at paruparongbb@gmail.com.

By: Shirley

Shirley — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 21:34:55 +0000

Hi Ruth, No I am not a spammer. I am registed in pinoyexpat.org as Positive Sum. Check my blog: Http://slotown.blogspot.com.

Yes, I agree that living below poverty level is no argument for sense of entitlement. This sense of entitlement is simply one of the many gaps between those living in poverty in Asia and those considered living below the poverty level in the US. Be clear, I am not defending disgusting behaviors among them, looting. The US is @300M in population, geographically as big as Western Europe and as you can imagine all kinds of reactions to different catastrophes, from valiant and rising to greatness to downright despicable.

You’re right, we do not have the same definition of POVERTY. I am using the US Department of Labor’s and US Census’ definitions of poverty.

Have a good day.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:40:05 +0000

shirley: have the suspicion you are a spammer, but have approved your comment, anyway, so readers would see the opposite POV. however, your argument that new orleans belong to the “poorest” in the US and most of its inhabitants live below poverty level is not valid justification. read my blog again. i’ve compared the situation to tsunami victims in asia, who have handled their misery in a totally different manner. have you seen the tamil nadu? the aceh province? i don’t think we have the same definition of POVERTY.

By: Toni

Toni — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 09:59:45 +0000

…this is a wake-up call to america to reflect what kind of society it is building, seeing the core values the people are showing in face of such a tragedy.

Wow. That’s what was in my mind but I couldn’t put it into words. Agree, agree. And yes, thought-provoking.