This flood shows the differences between poor filipinos and poor americans

[gfredx 0]

My wife talked to her family again this morning and learned that their house had been looted... please don't preach about how Filipinos are so much better than Americans when it comes to bad behavior after a disaster. They might be more self-reliant that we are

I only claimed that they are more self-reliant. Apparently some Filipinos extend this to include such skills as knowing who in the family {or neighborhood} has "Rich American" Family so they can ask for money, stay for days in their AirCon room or even take clothed off their lines as it dries.

I would agree that with some there is a dark side to the self-reliance as it can go as far as being anything goes to satisfy my wants & needs regardless of who I have to step on in the process but that's no worse that it gets here with some people. I've had american family steal from me while I was putting a roof over their heads!

I'll sit back and admire the level of self-reliance and hope the US government will stop going down the path of becoming Socialist, providing eerything for the citizens in return for blind loyalty.

Perhaps you would love their government also? There is a reason people want want to leave the Philippines so bad. It is a great place if you have money. For the masses it is a horrible place to live. What sets our government apart from theirs, and makes ours better is that we will care for those that can not. Instead of dissing the USA why don't you appreciate what we have? A government that tries to make sure its poor does not starve to death. There is a much higher percentage of thieves, bandits, and extremists in that country. I will bet my bottom dollar part of the reason you are having such a great time, and only seeing the good is because some iron fisted mayor has made foreigners a no no. If they were to touch you then there is a fair chance they would be fed to the fishes.

Oh and their self reliance is because if they do nothing. Then they will starve to death. There are no social programs for the poor and sick. Given the options they will hang on to those abroad dearly, and in the end given the chance will abuse them just like an american would. People are people. The sooner you realize that. The better off you will be. There are good and bad everyplace.

Learn to appreciate your home country. Positive your fiancée will.

[felb 0]

no matter what race, there will always be good people and bad people. period.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Oh and their self reliance is because if they do nothing. Then they will starve to death. There are no social programs for the poor and sick. Given the options they will hang on to those abroad dearly, and in the end given the chance will abuse them just like an american would. People are people. The sooner you realize that. The better off you will be. There are good and bad everyplace.

Learn to appreciate your home country. Positive your fiancée will.

Wow, you really don't like for anyone to disagree with your views do you.

Learn to appreciate my home country? Where did you get that I don't?

Entitlement programs will be the downfall of our free society. What is Socialization? That is when the people are content to let the government do everything for them.

Welfare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, what a load of #######. All you have to do to qualify for them is be too lazy to try to provide for yourself. I've watched family members of mine abuse the system for years.

I've also watched the same government that rewards them for their sloth try to convince me that because of problems I had when I was a teen that I will always be a bad guy who can never be trusted. Despite that I have succeeded, I have a secure job {even in this economic climate} where I have worked for 13 years and make a good salary {despite having no college degree & only a GED}. I was raising my 2 daughters as a single father after my divorce 10 years ago without the benefit of a government hand-out.

If you want to own a house or drive a nice car then get off your a$$ and do something about it. I appreciate that my wife isn't like my ex-wife {who would rather sit around waiting for someone to do it for her}.

BTW, the mayor of Paniqui is a kind man {though his secretary looks like a night club bouncer} and is very popular with the town, never heard anyone call him Iron Fisted. There were some people who tried to take advantage while I was visiting and despite my wife's protests I didn't make a fuss about it as the amounts we small and we just joked about the "Kano Tax" when it happened.

Family should help family, I tried many times but I refused to become a personal welfare system for them so they were asked to move along. Unlike the government, I expect if you are living on my dime and eating my food that you are more productive during the day than watching my TV and surfing my Internet while I work.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Bob 4 Anna

[George&Hazel 1]

Oh and their self reliance is because if they do nothing. Then they will starve to death. There are no social programs for the poor and sick. Given the options they will hang on to those abroad dearly, and in the end given the chance will abuse them just like an american would. People are people. The sooner you realize that. The better off you will be. There are good and bad everyplace.

Learn to appreciate your home country. Positive your fiancée will.

Wow, you really don't like for anyone to disagree with your views do you.

Learn to appreciate my home country? Where did you get that I don't?

Entitlement programs will be the downfall of our free society. What is Socialization? That is when the people are content to let the government do everything for them.

Welfare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, what a load of #######. All you have to do to qualify for them is be too lazy to try to provide for yourself. I've watched family members of mine abuse the system for years.

I've also watched the same government that rewards them for their sloth try to convince me that because of problems I had when I was a teen that I will always be a bad guy who can never be trusted. Despite that I have succeeded, I have a secure job {even in this economic climate} where I have worked for 13 years and make a good salary {despite having no college degree & only a GED}. I was raising my 2 daughters as a single father after my divorce 10 years ago without the benefit of a government hand-out.

If you want to own a house or drive a nice car then get off your a$$ and do something about it. I appreciate that my wife isn't like my ex-wife {who would rather sit around waiting for someone to do it for her}.

BTW, the mayor of Paniqui is a kind man {though his secretary looks like a night club bouncer} and is very popular with the town, never heard anyone call him Iron Fisted. There were some people who tried to take advantage while I was visiting and despite my wife's protests I didn't make a fuss about it as the amounts we small and we just joked about the "Kano Tax" when it happened.

Family should help family, I tried many times but I refused to become a personal welfare system for them so they were asked to move along. Unlike the government, I expect if you are living on my dime and eating my food that you are more productive during the day than watching my TV and surfing my Internet while I work.

Pretty positive the point is that people are people. There are good, and bad. The simple fact you want to become like a developing nation shows your ignorance. I am sorry have to say that, but it is just the way it is.

Just because you see the pleasant side of the Philippines does not mean there is not an underside to it. You are seeing what you want to see. Yeah the mayor is pleasant to you. You are bringing money to his town. He would love to have many more just like you. Of course he is not going to have someone gunned down in front of you. It does happen though.

I am a little amazed that anyone can go to a developing nation, and go wow I want to live just like that. With your background then most likely at best you are middle class in the USA. There is no middle class there to speak of. You have a two class system. Top 15% and dirt poor. The Philippines is a wonderful place if you have money, and are foreign. The fact you could not tell that you were being treated different, and was only seeing the good side speaks volumes about you.

[Richard90027 1]

Entitlement programs will be the downfall of our free society. What is Socialization? That is when the people are content to let the government do everything for them.

Welfare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, what a load of #######. All you have to do to qualify for them is be too lazy to try to provide for yourself. I've watched family members of mine abuse the system for years.

I've also watched the same government that rewards them for their sloth try to convince me that because of problems I had when I was a teen that I will always be a bad guy who can never be trusted. Despite that I have succeeded, I have a secure job {even in this economic climate} where I have worked for 13 years and make a good salary {despite having no college degree & only a GED}. I was raising my 2 daughters as a single father after my divorce 10 years ago without the benefit of a government hand-out.

If you want to own a house or drive a nice car then get off your a$$ and do something about it. I appreciate that my wife isn't like my ex-wife {who would rather sit around waiting for someone to do it for her}.

BTW, the mayor of Paniqui is a kind man {though his secretary looks like a night club bouncer} and is very popular with the town, never heard anyone call him Iron Fisted. There were some people who tried to take advantage while I was visiting and despite my wife's protests I didn't make a fuss about it as the amounts we small and we just joked about the "Kano Tax" when it happened.

Family should help family, I tried many times but I refused to become a personal welfare system for them so they were asked to move along. Unlike the government, I expect if you are living on my dime and eating my food that you are more productive during the day than watching my TV and surfing my Internet while I work.

This is the most intelligent Post I've heard in a Long While on this forum!!!!

Edited September 28, 2009 by Richard90027

[Richard90027 1]

Oh and their self reliance is because if they do nothing. Then they will starve to death. There are no social programs for the poor and sick. Given the options they will hang on to those abroad dearly, and in the end given the chance will abuse them just like an american would. People are people. The sooner you realize that. The better off you will be. There are good and bad everyplace.

Learn to appreciate your home country. Positive your fiancée will.

Wow, you really don't like for anyone to disagree with your views do you.

Learn to appreciate my home country? Where did you get that I don't?

Entitlement programs will be the downfall of our free society. What is Socialization? That is when the people are content to let the government do everything for them.

Welfare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, what a load of #######. All you have to do to qualify for them is be too lazy to try to provide for yourself. I've watched family members of mine abuse the system for years.

I've also watched the same government that rewards them for their sloth try to convince me that because of problems I had when I was a teen that I will always be a bad guy who can never be trusted. Despite that I have succeeded, I have a secure job {even in this economic climate} where I have worked for 13 years and make a good salary {despite having no college degree & only a GED}. I was raising my 2 daughters as a single father after my divorce 10 years ago without the benefit of a government hand-out.

If you want to own a house or drive a nice car then get off your a$$ and do something about it. I appreciate that my wife isn't like my ex-wife {who would rather sit around waiting for someone to do it for her}.

BTW, the mayor of Paniqui is a kind man {though his secretary looks like a night club bouncer} and is very popular with the town, never heard anyone call him Iron Fisted. There were some people who tried to take advantage while I was visiting and despite my wife's protests I didn't make a fuss about it as the amounts we small and we just joked about the "Kano Tax" when it happened.

Family should help family, I tried many times but I refused to become a personal welfare system for them so they were asked to move along. Unlike the government, I expect if you are living on my dime and eating my food that you are more productive during the day than watching my TV and surfing my Internet while I work.

This is the most intelligent Post I've heard in a Long While on this forum!!!!

[George&Hazel 1]

If things such as caring for the elderly and sick is to much for you via government. Might I suggest you renounce your citizenship, and move to a country where what you want in life is already a reality. Things such as that is what separates developed and developing nations apart. Yeah there are abuses, and it gets under my skin as well. Overall though I wake up everyday thankful for I live in a nation that is willing to care for its sick, and legal system that does not carry out summary executions by mayors.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Pretty positive the point is that people are people. There are good, and bad. The simple fact you want to become like a developing nation shows your ignorance. I am sorry have to say that, but it is just the way it is.

Just because you see the pleasant side of the Philippines does not mean there is not an underside to it. You are seeing what you want to see. Yeah the mayor is pleasant to you. You are bringing money to his town. He would love to have many more just like you. Of course he is not going to have someone gunned down in front of you. It does happen though.

I am a little amazed that anyone can go to a developing nation, and go wow I want to live just like that. With your background then most likely at best you are middle class in the USA. There is no middle class there to speak of. You have a two class system. Top 15% and dirt poor. The Philippines is a wonderful place if you have money, and are foreign. The fact you could not tell that you were being treated different, and was only seeing the good side speaks volumes about you.

I never said that I don't believe there is a downside to the PH situation. I do understand that it is either all or nothing in the PH. I never said I want to live just like that.

I simply said that the US government with all of it's entitlement programs is going overboard and it's retarded that so many here think the government owes them a good life just because they were born here.

Socialized Healthcare is stupid...

Socialized Welfare is stupid...

Socialized Parenting is stupid...

Social Security as a retirement supplement is okay, as your only Retirement Plans it's stupid.

The Government should do as little as possible in our daily lives. Do I believe that if someone is too lazy to try to support them self they deserve to starve? Hell Yes!

I've worked some pretty crappy jobs in my life to support my family and I'd do it all again if I had to. I owe my success to me, didn't sit around on my backside waiting for hand-outs.

When my grandmother was sick her family took care of her, not the government. She worked well into her sixties and earned the meager Social Security she received.

These are my opinions based on my life experience.

I hear all the time about how corrupt the PH Government is, meh... I live in Illinois, remember a New York Politician came here to become a Chicago Democratic {no corruption in the Chicago Democratic Machine} State Senator and move past go directly into the White House! Yeah I'm so proud of the Not Corrupt Illinois Government, where being governor gives you an 80% chance of conviction!

Overlooking the Bovine Excrement that lies not only under but all around our fine example of how to govern a nation is ignorant.

Putting words in my mouth I didn't say and then passing judgement on me based on them is ignorance at its best.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Bob 4 Anna

[cEzYcHiC 0]

One of the reasons I would like to move to the philippines one day with my wife is the attitude of the poor filipinos and how they deal with circumstances. Look at these two photos and see how big the differences are.

In philippines 24 hours after the flood, a woman is already starting to clean up her home.

In the united states after hurricane katrina...about 24 hours after the flood (you can see the waters have still not subsided) people are looting like crazy.

The guys above look like they're robbing the store. Are they?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Seriously.... this is a human tragedy and people are actually taking time to post petty comments about poverty in the PI and the US? Making dreadful generalizations about the poor? wth people, really.

[George&Hazel 1]

Wow just wow. The ironic part of this entire conversation is that with your limited education. If the USA was to revert to your ideal political system. You would would be in the poor class of persons. Having a fiancee or wife broad almost requires all of us to be working semi stable persons. You do not really want someone to applaud you for being a responsible in your own life do you?

Yeah there is corruption here. The difference is that within the corruption here in the states. Little things such as caring for the sick and elderly still happens. What you want is to take away any of the possible good benefits, for a system where only good things happen for the rich. Everyone else faces the dire proposition of just dying if things such as cancer pops up.

Anyone that goes to a developing nation, and does not come away with a new thankfulness for being born in a developed nation amazes me. You won the lotto in life already to be born in the USA or any western country. For you to come away longing for your country to become like that of a third world country is simply astounding.

The USA has problems, but so does every other country. Take pride in your country, or get out. Have not met a Filipino that does not have pride in their country. The simple fact that westerners are ashamed of their countries because a certain percentage of your income goes to helping the less fortunate is selfish and short sided. You won the lottery in life being born here. Man up and take pride that you can with your very limited education. Can still get a job, and support yourself.

[Rhiannercakes 14]

Seriously.... this is a human tragedy and people are actually taking time to post petty comments about poverty in the PI and the US? Making dreadful generalizations about the poor? wth people, really.

I agree with you, Len.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

The guys above look like they're robbing the store. Are they?

Yep, they sure are. Of course some will defend them saying it was only looting for food {notice the one woman with like 7 pairs of shoes and the guys with 20 shirts}...

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Seriously.... this is a human tragedy and people are actually taking time to post petty comments about poverty in the PI and the US? Making dreadful generalizations about the poor? wth people, really.

I agree with you, Len.

Thanks. I find it disrespectful to the brothers and sisters involved in ANY natural disaster for us to sit in our comfortable houses debating whether they have morals or not, if they are better at being poor (like, come on, really....). It is beyond idiotic and insulting.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

If you want to get into off-topic discussions that do not relate to this thread, please move the topic to Off-Topic instead of hijacking this thread. Yes, what has happened in the Philippines is a tragedy; it is sad that others feel the need to take a tragic situation and turn it into a political soapbox for their own personal agendas and ignore the tragedies.