Er, I know there is poverty in this country and am no wallflower when it comes to world-wide travel.


Anyone who thinks there is no poverty in this country needs to do some country-wide traveling.

Bangladesh or India isn't here.


In the teens, most people didn't and couldn't afford a car. The fact that most people have one now doesn't mean everybody's rich. Are black and white tv's even for sale anymore? Can you get a non-air conditioned apartment? Where?




I know people who are not well off who drive old cars, wear old clothes, don't buy frivolous things, etc. and I know people not well off who do. This is a consumer culture, and a credit culture. The fact that some poor people fall into the traps that many others do doesn't mean they aren't poor. What it does mean though, is that once in the trap, it is much harder for them to get out.

As for the car/house thing G-Benz mentioned, that stuff still happens. On average, black people pay more for cars at the dealership and pay higher interest (women are also higher in both than men). And the neighborhood thing - being locked out of white neighborhoods still has an effect. I was watching a documentary called Beyond the Color Line, and there was a guy in Chicago who bought his house over 30 years ago, and the price hadn't changed. No equity in his house after 30 odd years.

Not that poverty is race based. There are plenty of people of all races who are poor, who have to put stuff on credit, and end up paying most of their payment to high interest. The people least able to pay have to pay the most.

It's just stupid to say A/C and a tv means you aren't poor.

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1984 300TD

I personally have not seen that first escalade in front of a shack here in Lafayette. The working poor ride around in wheezing bald tired old cars with plastic taped over one window, smoking out the tailpipe.

The stereotype of the welfare cadillac is just an urban legend. It is so rare as to be invisible at least around here.

Now there may be some drug dealers riding around in escalades, but they probably paid cash for them.

And the life expectancy in that line of work is not too great....but the retirement plan is excellent.

And you can pick up a color tv at a garage sale for $15 any day.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Anyone who thinks there are no stupid people in poverty in this country, probably thinks all college graduates are geniuses.

Comparing Bangladesh to India is futile, India is the fourth largest economy on earth with a middle class that has a huge purchasing power, the Indian economy grows at over 9% and guess what, the richest man on earth surpassing Bill Gates is now Indian, Mukesh Ambani CEO of Relliance Industries. India also has 2nd or 3rd largest number of millionaires and billionaires globally. That means there is plenty of opportunity in this democracy to make money but due to over population, the numbers certainly will always be negated and as I said before, we just got to run a country for the last 50 years. It was left to us with empty coffers. Kind of like whats happening today in the US will all the illegal immigrants coming in and straining US economy, welfare and health systems.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

India has certainly come a long way, but lets present the whole picture:

"With a GDP growth rate of 9.4% in 2006-07, the Indian economy is among the fastest growing in the world.[83] India's GDP in terms of USD exchange-rate is US$1.103 trillion, which makes it the twelfth largest economy in the world.[84] When measured in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), India has the world's fourth largest GDP at US$4.156 trillion.[8] India's per capita income (nominal) is $820, ranked 128th in the world, while its per capita (PPP) of US$3,700 is ranked 118th."


So while a great many Indian's are doing ver ywell, probably about what 300m are excluded, maybe more.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

When economy prospers, it has a collective effect and the 300m you mention benefit from it indirectly. Construction, factories, highways are all in motion so many benefit. Those who suffer are the poor uneducated farmers but with schools reaching far rural areas, their second generations are now joining mainstream. Don't forget, just like in US, India has its own version of affirmative action in the name of reservation for scheduled, backward classes as well as Muslim and Christian minorities, they are given preference over others when it comes to job, school etc.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

Trickle-down or tides lifts all boats, I forget which.

Either way, mention of this theory usually causes sulfurous fumes, blasts of hot air, wailing and gnashing of teeth among lefties.

B

If its so great, why are you here?

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I'm sick of .sig files

I am in India and US, enjoy the benefits of both, do you really know me that well to assume where am I or what I am doing? Whats your problem with India by the way, why does it irk you so much if it becomes prosperous and people don't go hungry there. Or do you want the rest of the world, specially 3rd world nations to remain poor, subservient to the first world western power so your ego can feel good. Too bad, the process has started there. Today, Indian companies have indulged in $22bn take over all across the globe, twice that of China who lag severely behind in terms of international outreach for its companies. China and India has lots of challenges ahead and I am not saying everything is perfect, but its a step in the right direction and the wheel is pointed in the right direction as well. No country is perfect, during industrial revolution in the west, many who were poor and downtrodden lost out heavily and there was plenty of attrition there as well. Exploitation too was rampant. Thats the price of growing pains and India and China face that as well although in much less severe form.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

Which theory: Trickle down, or the a/c color tv wealth indicator theory?

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1984 300TD

I'd love nothing more than for China and India to get wealthy. We meaning the US, and EU can make so much money selling stuff and ideas to eachother. The Chinese real estate market makes me go, India is due for this expolsive growth as well. Tall buildings are popping up like flowers. I'd love to one day invest in that area of the world. With some much construction, and I know they get that land and labor cheap, someone is making billions. Its a developers wet dream!

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Actually the Indian real estate market is costlier than China on average, has been like that for long. The stock market is booming here from the huge loads of foreign investment as well as local. A wealthy prosperous China and India is having an excellent effect for the rest of Asia, ASEAN countries benefit hugely as well.

Hatterasguy,

In case you are thinking of investment, don't procrastinate any more, time is ripe now.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

Growing up, we had b/w TV, my parents weren't too keen on the idea of TV to start with as it would impact our studies. The first place where I saw a color TV was in the shanties, actually at the house of our laundry man It was a SONY Trinitron, man was I envious.

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99 Gurkha with OM616 IDI turbo

2015 Gurkha with OM616 DI turbo

2014 Rexton W with OM612 VGT

I lack the capital and knowledge. I know nothing about India's laws, but I know China's offers no protection. China needs to change their legal system before their real estate market starts to attrack outside capital. AFAIK all the massive building is with Chinese money, or large companies getting cozy with the government.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200