Excuse me, but during his 14 years in the USA getting to the point where he would be approved for that bank loan, were Mr. Beniste's "two kids" with him in NYC, or back in Haiti? Was all this good for their growing up?
Why wouldn't it be? Would it be better for them if he lived on welfare 14 years?
Who's pocketing that enormous sum (TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS! - how long does a Haitian take to earn that back in Haiti, anyway?)
But he didn't earn that back in Haiti. He earned that in the US. So now it's wrong for him to make more money in the US than he would have back in Haiti?
for the taxi medallion?
Another taxi driver, of course. Who is now going to retire on that money after many years spent behind the wheel. And what's wrong with that?
Not to mention that Mr. Beniste now owns a taxi medallion currently worth $250,000, which is a very good investment.
How is that figure set?
By the market.
How much is the bank going to be taking in interest for the next, what was it, twenty years?
A lot; and the point is what exactly? Bank loans are immoral now?
This man is working 12 hour days for 14 years until now plus 20 years from now, not counting the work of that other driver on the night shift. Sounds like servitude to me!
Sounds like determined hard work to me. He seems to enjoy it, too.
Oh, voluntary, for sure. Good thing that medallion doesn't cost more, as well it might!
Ah, if only everything in life was free and we didn't have to work at all.
You like this?
I like this a lot. I'm proud for this man and I think the story if very morally uplifting.
Gee, with all the immigrants plus legal (let's not mention the illegal) foreign workers in Israel, I bet we don't have to look far nor wait long for lots more uplifting stories. Oops, I just remembered: Israel doesn't have a lavish market economy to reward all those hardworking folks. And just how did all that capital get accumulated in the first place to get passed around to the deserving people anyway?
Have you considered the possibility that hardworking Haitians might build up their own country? You see America as the land of opportunity; I see it as a big exploitation-fest where only the fit need apply.
Do you have any answers for the disadvantaged, avva? Or in true free-market spirit, do you just consign them to a miserable life and early grave, while you cheer the winners?
> Have you considered the possibility that hardworking Haitians might build up their own country?
Nobody whose motivation does not include a lot of ideology gives the proverbial fig about building up their own country. Most folks want to live a comfortable life that doesn't involve worrying about food, shelter, and having nasty people with guns interrupt their sleep.
Haitians, like most folks, want to live that comfortable life, but it's a mite hard considering the political situation in their country, which is why a number of them leave.
The same is true of many Mexicans, who decide it's easier to come to the U.S. and earn money here than to try to scrabble out some kind of living in a society where mordida is the order of the day when dealing with officialdom.
I don't know if avva has any answers for the disadvantaged, but I can say this: miserable lives and early graves are not something one typically finds in countries that embrace free markets and individual freedom.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: DOESN'T work for me!
Date: 2003-02-08 10:29 am (UTC)Why wouldn't it be? Would it be better for them if he lived on welfare 14 years?
Who's pocketing that enormous sum (TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS! - how long does a Haitian take to earn that back in Haiti, anyway?)
But he didn't earn that back in Haiti. He earned that in the US. So now it's wrong for him to make more money in the US than he would have back in Haiti?
for the taxi medallion?
Another taxi driver, of course. Who is now going to retire on that money after many years spent behind the wheel. And what's wrong with that?
Not to mention that Mr. Beniste now owns a taxi medallion currently worth $250,000, which is a very good investment.
How is that figure set?
By the market.
How much is the bank going to be taking in interest for the next, what was it, twenty years?
A lot; and the point is what exactly? Bank loans are immoral now?
This man is working 12 hour days for 14 years until now plus 20 years from now, not counting the work of that other driver on the night shift. Sounds like servitude to me!
Sounds like determined hard work to me. He seems to enjoy it, too.
Oh, voluntary, for sure. Good thing that medallion doesn't cost more, as well it might!
Ah, if only everything in life was free and we didn't have to work at all.
You like this?
I like this a lot. I'm proud for this man and I think the story if very morally uplifting.
Re: DOESN'T work for me!
Date: 2003-02-08 10:52 am (UTC)Have you considered the possibility that hardworking Haitians might build up their own country? You see America as the land of opportunity; I see it as a big exploitation-fest where only the fit need apply.
Do you have any answers for the disadvantaged,
Re: DOESN'T work for me!
Date: 2003-02-08 11:23 am (UTC)Nobody whose motivation does not include a lot of ideology gives the proverbial fig about building up their own country. Most folks want to live a comfortable life that doesn't involve worrying about food, shelter, and having nasty people with guns interrupt their sleep.
Haitians, like most folks, want to live that comfortable life, but it's a mite hard considering the political situation in their country, which is why a number of them leave.
The same is true of many Mexicans, who decide it's easier to come to the U.S. and earn money here than to try to scrabble out some kind of living in a society where mordida is the order of the day when dealing with officialdom.
I don't know if
Cheers...