FYI

Gateway pundit links to the American Enterprise Institutue

 the chart above could perhaps qualify as the “chart of the century” because it illustrates one of the most remarkable achievements in human history: the 80% reduction in world poverty in only 36 years, from 26.8% of the world’s population living on $1 or less (in 1987 dollars) in 1970 to only 5.4% in 2006.

 I know first hand this is so, but it's easier to point to the disasters than the good things. Even when we were hit by the supertyphoon, "only" 7000 died: compare this to the huge death tolls in past typhoons/cyclones or even to Burma's cyclone, where many died because of the dictators in the government stopped outside aid.

True: Globalization means a thriving middle class, but one reality of the "income gap" is that the poor are not really poorer than they were 50 years ago, and the rich still steal everything they can, but the reality is that a lot more people are now middle class. So yes, we have terrible poverty, but even here, the bamboo huts are replaced with ugly concrete houses, the quaint folk costume is now bluejeans and a tee shirt (from China), most homes have electricity, often with a used TV from Korea, and most families have access to a cellphone to keep in touch.

The bad news is that a lot of this is because many people are supported by family members working overseas, which disrupts family life. The good news is if PNoy (the president's nickname) gets rid of corruption, our economy should improve with local jobs, allowing more people the option to stay here and work.