Posted by Snell on January 11, 2014, at 6:51:12
In reply to Re: how are you doing?, posted by alexandra_k on January 1, 2014, at 17:37:16
My brother works for the government analyzing geopolitics. How other countries and societies work is a specialty of his. Much of what you say below is stuff I've heard from him: "Go someplace warm."
> actually... i'm not sure if this will interest you or not... but your post got me thinking on something that i've been thinking on recently...
>
> there are a couple youtube videos. i can dig them out if you are interested.Yes, I'd very much be interested. My email is kwanyin AT run box (that's one word) dot com.
>
> one of them was on quality of life on vanuatu. it is considered a developing or 3rd world nation in terms of the gross domestic product. economics. it doesn't have much money. it doesn't export much stuff. it has a small population with lots of jungle.Okay, so far fits my brother's criterion of being "someplace warm."
> but most of the people living in the tribes (on the islands away from the tourist areas) had adequate food. housing. access to community childcare. access to traditional medicines. they rated their quality of life quite high.
Interesting. We're indoctrinated, in the USA, to believe that our way of life is the only and best way. Once true. Now not true.
> so... that first video was about quality of life... and how that can be quite different from money.
Oh, indeed. I've long ago given up the illusion that money can buy happiness.
> the second video was about these people who are making a 3d film of one of the tribes on the outer (most remote) islands. the chief of the tribe... wants people to watch the video and f*ck off and leave him and his tribe alone.
Can't blame him.
> his thinking is that if people introduce money they introduce poverty. when money is introduced then the resources go to the people who come with their money / get sent out to people overseas with money. the people in the tribe end up not having enough to eat or having a nice place to live. not having access to traditional knowledge that teaches them how to have a high quality of life in their environment in a way that is sustainable -- if only the tourists or people bringing money can be kept away.
Yes, this makes perfect sense in a variety of belief systems--including Zen Buddhism, which is one I subscribe to. I'm less fanatic about it now, but the teaching is: The more possessions you have, the more you have to worry about your possessions.
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> no money...
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> would you like to live someplace like that?I would! The language would be a barrier. And I'm gay and I don't know how that would fly. And am I not exactly the sort of person--a refugee from the "First World"--that this Chief is trying to keep out?
I'd love to hear more, though. I do hope you'll email me directly. It seems we are the only two people talking on this thread and it might be nice to just connect privately.
Snell
poster:Snell
thread:1056431
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20140102/msgs/1058257.html