Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Stodgord
I think you are missing the big issue. Last night report was about CHILD LABOR. On the report, I saw children up and about late in the night and at crack of dawn working the fields. There are children in their school uniforms working the field, meaning that they either go to school, if at all, after working the field in the morning or they come stray to the field after school. A kid's hand was messed up from cutting sugar cane all day long.
|
I don't want to get more involved in this conversation or debate, but I'll say this.
You compare many of the DR economic standings today and they are similar to those of the USA of the 1920s. With a few exceptions, the DR is a much smaller less powerful version of the 1920s version of the USA. As such, when anybody travels to the DR, they are really going back in time to the 1920s.
Hint: Child labor was alive and well in those time periods in the countries that were at the economic level in the 1920s that are comparables to the economic levels of the DR today.
Of course, I see your point. You guys want child labor to end and it is illegal by law. What I have posted here is just an observation from an economic stand point and in comparing and contrasting between a country (USA) that was in the 1920s at levels similar to the levels the DR is today, plus or minus a few differences.
Inequality is about the same, poverty rates are about the same, economic boom and busts in percentage wise are about the same, economic output per capita (GDP per capita) is about the same, etc etc etc.
People can't really treat a country that's some 85 years behind as if it was the epitamy of 21st century. I understand the concern presented here, but lets compare apples to apples in order to make an economically sound assesment of the issue. Sometimes what sounds and looks nice and sweet can turn to ugly and bitter.