Development II

I found a good definition/criteria to define development. It was, surprisingly, in a book about development economics. Development, or its goal, is the improvement in the living conditions of the people. If GDP, or GNP, grows and the people's lives stink, then it is not positive development.

In America, we have pretty much given up on any form of positive development. Wait, sorry, urban redevelopment is an attempt to repair past mistakes, but it simply tries to give the middle class, or young single folk, an incentive to move back to parts of the city while not addressing why areas degraded, though it is usually because the tax base left, and not addressing the plight of the urban poor. Just because you shuffle the urban poor around does not mean you have improved their lot. Development in America means the elimination of "affordable" housing. Pretty soon, in Hawaii and Las Vegas, the lower classes that work the tourist related jobs will have nowhere to live. If they can find something, then it will not be very conducive to the creation of a positive environment. Yes, saying "lower classes" may not be the best label, but I can't think of anything better to capture what is happening in America, but especially Hawaii. I am only thankful that I do not, at this point, want to start a family on the medicore wages I get working at a hotel in childcare, at an elementary school in aftercare, and at a local home improvement store. I would have to possibly sacrifice my values and get a crap job if a kid suddenly showed up in my life, which it won't. And, people complain about service and price.

Without respecting how communities evolve and grow, people won't respect the community. Once that happens, there is no hope. Future development in the development world takes the awareness that life is not a one player game (horrible analogy). To escape this vicious downward spiral that we are in, people must realize that all people are people, not sons of bitches that can be **** upon in order to get ahead. Then there is the whole illusion of consumerism being the ultimate goal in life.

You'll never take me alive, unless my death will help people.