Child poverty in USA on the rise

From Huff Post The Blog | by Les Leopold | November 8, 2013

 

America's greatest shame - child poverty

There are 16.4 million young poor Americans or 22.6% of the total children in America.  Poverty line is at $18.4t per year.  There has been a 4.5% increase in young poor since recession started in 2007. Is this happening to the world's richest richest and powerful country.  And yet the stock market is booming and US still home to many billionaires 442 in all and collectively are worth $1.9 trillion. Their wealth by 12% per annum and each one is worth approximately $4.2 billion each.

And yet Les is wondering why there should be cut in food stamps to the poor (under talks at US Congress budget?)

Why?


USA Shame - Child Poverty

                           

 

Typhoon Ravaged Areas becomes no mans land - lack of food and supplies hits stricken areas

Social and political criticisms

From Herald Sun | November 12, 2013

From RT Death and Looting in PHL typhoon ravaged area

 

The typhoon ravaged areas have become no mans land:   still held incommunicado to the outside world because of communication failure, help and supplies are not arriving because of lack of vehicles and fuel People scavenge for food and water.  (Thus they help themselves to whatever they can find looting?)  Smell of death pervades the air as the dead are mixed with debris and no one yet bothers to pick up the dead and bury them

Residents complain that they may have survived the typhoon but may die because of hunger and thirst.  The typhoon blew everything away and aid is not coming yet or is slow in coming


 
Destroyed houses in Guian Samar, where typhoon Yolanda first made land

 


 Flattened houses in Tacloban City



Fallen/uprooted coconut trees are proofs of typhoons fury

Is looting a survival instinct? Is it a crime in humanitarian crisis?

Social and political criticisms
                       


Various issues to be considered in looting post disaster. These were the issues post Katrina in New Orleans, and post Tsunami in Japan

Why was there no looting in Japan during the Tsunami disaster?

Why do people loot in a disaster?

From LA Times, looters and lessons from Katrina

Is "looting" an act of agency during a humanitarian crisis?

New Orleans governor Kathleen Blanco  orders NG to shoot looters

It was quite disturbing that we saw on the TV malls and groceries being stripped of their contents by hordes of people helping themselves to food, water and drinks. While it was not shown, they were allegations of ATM being forcibly opened and cash taken away?  Is looting at those situation justified?  Is it theft or survival instinct?

In a situation where there is no electricity, and your cash or credit card will not work, what will you do in order to have your next meal, or to have your clothes and blanket to sleep the night?  Are we moralists here?

What is more important, the protection of property or the preservation of life? 

In New Orleans, there were news of policemen acting excessively to police for the banks and grocery owners;   there were firing of shots and killings to fend off "looters"  At this point in time when we send SAF to Tacloban and other areas to enforce law and order, this issue must be examined very well

                                



    

Looting reported in Tacloban City; 10000 feared dead as a result of Typhoon Yolanda onslaught

Social and political criticisms

From GMA News | November 9, 2013 7:49 pm

                         
                                   Looting post Katrina

Some 150 SAF PNP officers were sent to Tacloban in the wake of reports of looting of groceries and fast foods in the city.  The chaos was attributed to the low visibility of the PNP and military after the typhoon onslaught.  This looting was similar to the aftermath of the typhoon Katrina.  There was a report of widespread looting in Lousiana after the typhoon.

Here is the quote from GMA news report:

 "

The streets of Tacloban City in Leyte were in chaos Saturday as several residents began looting grocery stores and breaking into shops for food and other basic items they needed to survive in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda.

 

Video footage recorded by the team of GMA News correspondent Jiggy Manicad showed several men breaking into what appeared to be the storage area of a grocery store in the city and grabbing as much bread and softdrinks bottles as they can get.

 

Manicad said some residents have even resorted to forcibly entering fast food shops and destroying ATMs to get food and cash.

 

Looting in Tacloban City has been attributed to low police and military presence in the area after the typhoon, Manicad said. 

 

"Sa lawak ng pinsalang idinulot nitong bagyo, masyadong manipis yung pagpapakalat ng awtoridad para i-handle yung sitwasyon kaya't ganito na ang nangyayari [dito], kanya-kanyang diskarte na, partikular na dito sa lungsod ng Tacloban," he said.

 

Manicad said the lone policeman he saw in the area where looting was taking place was powerless to stop the residents because he was outnumbered and people were already desperate for food and other necessities."

 

Those who learned of the looting are hesitant to help.  However the other points of view is that looting is not necessarily stealing but a way to survive;  the infrastructures and the govt has failed.  If the "looters take only what they need to survive, then that is just a an answer for desire to survive.  If they take electronics of a 42 inch LED tv, then that is stealing.

 

Calamities bring out the best and worst in people. Looting is not one of the best that should come out of our people. It was shameful to watch our Visayan kababayan doing that.  The international communities I am sure viewed that.  We are not animals.  We are above the solons and the NGOs being charged and investigated at the Senate and elsewhere. Where is the dignity and Christian Values?  Difficulties does not give excuse to disobey the ten commandments (Bishops?)

Is looting when there are no supplies justified?   

Promise of aid, and concern of kababayan is very admireable.

President Pepe Mujica was very right in saying that those are poor are those whose needs are not satisfied.

 Is obtaining supplies in order to survive stealing? Or just a survival instincts?   PNP bosses must read this link so that they can be properly guided. 




               
                  

Why could we not prevent deaths/casualties despite advances in meteorology?

Social and political criticisms

A TV host asked this from  meteorologist Lagmay in an interview this morning. The meteorlogist office was rather accurate in its forecast.  I found the question rather odd because a typhoon is a force majeure, an act of God.  And luck or other events would cause casualty or deaths.  Forecasting can only warn people up to a certain extent.   But beyond that we have to contend with the force of nature, or possibly God's wrath vs its sinful people.

So are we a sinful nation, that is why God has sent us the strongest  typhoon ever?