Finland is a very egalitarian society, as anyone who has visited Helsinki can attest to. Given that it is also a relatively affluent society, I have somehow come to the conclusion that maybe some Finns (especially of the younger generation) cannot relate to poverty anymore, as they don't necessarily see it (if Kontula & Suvela are the worst the country can throw at you, you're not doing so bad). Or rather, some cannot see it as something that could happen to them, and "if it can't happen to me, it isn't real".
This is especially interesting since Finland was not such a well-off country until the 80's, and even in the 90's there was a terrible economic crisis. How can people so easily forget?
Well, I think for the younger people it is because they haven't seen poverty anywhere except in the news. I hadn't experienced poverty myself before going to the developing countries in Asia.
I am not sure they just need help on its own, but rather equal opportunities and access to markets. Helping people help themselves is the way to go.
I find it interesting since, well, in Mexico people tend to have poverty-phobia, and even those that are not so fortunate try to appear as if they were (sometimes beyond their means).
Yeah, well actually with help I tried to mean stuff like helping to get children more educated (girls, especially), microfinance etc.
Agreed.
Maybe you should indeed start blogging. I'd be very interested in reading your thoughts!.
The thing with Mexico is not that it is doing so bad, the problem is that it could do so much better but it doesn't.