RE: Can I blame my incompetencies on Lazy Monarchs?
Years ago, I read this joke somewhere (I interpret it in my own words): Eh, what a pity that we were not lucky enough to be conquered in the past by the Germans, for example. Unfortunately, we were conquered by the Ottomans, who ruined everything. Then this trend, but in a different direction, was continued by the Russians, during the next liberation/conquest.
Of course, everything starts with the rulers. I myself have come to the conclusion that the current state of any country is the result of its overall history and its rulers or conquerors (which is why I often blame... our lack of historical luck😁). Therefore, each country has its specificities. Thus, all poor countries are similar, but at the same time they have their distinctive inherited features from one era or another, one tradition or another, one event or another.
It was interesting to me to see in your post this expression "to make both ends meet", which I never knew was used in other countries, nor that it was an idiomatic expression in the English language. 🤭 Because in Bulgaria, as the poorest country in the European Union, it is used very often, in the literal translation, and means exactly the same thing.
😅
Oh yes. We are a culturally rich country. Those cultures give us identity but at the same time some ridiculous traditions make us suffer too.
I was hoping you would comment about the poverty because I read your post on it a couple of days ago. I wanted to say a lot but somehow couldn't. I can't relate to what you described but I am a witness to that poverty. And when I say, "to make both ends meet", I also say in literal sense. There's a big percentage of people in my country who struggle to survive. They don't have access to clean drinking water, food and shelter.
Well, poverty is a relative term actually. And seeing things from different angles and different perspectives, one actually sees different things. I remember years ago (and this is a bit off topic) an acquaintance told me how an American friend of his wanted to come visit him in Bulgaria. He tried for a long time to dissuade him, with the arguments that the country is poor and ugly, unmaintained, without order, no law, etc. But the man did not give up, he insisted and came. And he was shocked. He said to him: are you crazy, how is this a poor country when in just one day, I saw on the streets of the capital the latest models of cars that are still standing in the prestigious salons of other countries and no one dares to buy them? 😂
Similarly, if any resident of the capital who has been lucky enough to find or have been found a good job, reading my posts, they may say that this cannot be true. Because life in the capital is completely different, it is a separate planet.
On the other hand, I think that the poverty of individual poor countries is also different and experienced differently. It consists of different things and looks different.
In Bulgaria, people simply survive. This is one of their main abilities - to find a way to survive and this is what they are known for. The rulers know this too, that's why they didn't bother to increase the miserable pensions or the minimum wage. They know that with joint efforts, people will survive without it. Or they will die. A lot of people die in the winter (this is my personal observation), I think just because it's hard to get through every single winter looking for money for firewood, electricity, etc.
And in order not to write only things that are off topic, I will say that, despite everything, I do not condone the fraud that poor people do to survive. I mean about the Steemit posts. But of course, in real life too. For example, I often get calls about the same phone scam - professional-sounding women calling after working hours, which means it's their second job they've started to make ends meet. At first I was very kind to them, I put myself in their shoes, I understood why they were doing it, so to speak. But then I thought about it. Well no, I can't justify or feel sorry for them. Even if you don't have enough money, is that the only thing you can work for - cheating people?
I agree with poverty being a relative term. However, I'm talking about absolute indigence. I think it's beyond comparison when the situation comes down to mere survival.
The reaction of the American is completely understandable. Here in Pakistan, not everyone is poor. We have the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor and many classes in between.
There's a Mercedes parked in our parking lot and there's a great chance the guy who cleans it is probably surviving on dry bread and unfiltered water.
It seems Pakistani leaders have similar opinions about their people. Inflation has increased by 150% in the last two years. But we survive. However, the poorest of the pyramid are either dying or committing suicide.
We often see real faces in adverse times. (:
TEAM 5