Wealth Inequity in Israel
TM of Jewlicious hits one out of the park with his headline, “19 Families control 34 percent of Israel’s income,” a disparity of serious concern to anyone to the left of Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. And TM, a devout Zionist, deserves credit for tackling this issue, and it certainly demonstrates that he isn’t adverse to criticism of the medinah. But how do Zionists like TM expect Diasporists like myself to react, except to say, “Jesus Christ, what a third world shithole!”
9 comments
Yeah. SUCH a third world shithole. Statistically, the numbers in the US are different, but growing social stratification is just as pressing an issue. And let’s not even talk about homelessness, lack of adequate health care facilities for the poor and all the other ills that beset the US. On my travels to the golden medinah, as I step over yet another homeless person living on the street, I have to ask myself “third world shithole?”
How about, “Hmmm…definitely worrisome elements of what you’d find in a third world country.”
Contextually, Israel is doing great. For a country that is way under 100 years old, dealing with worldwide resentment aimed at it, and being surrounded by the most evil of all humanity, combined with a kick-ass army, you have a poor argument. AND on top of that it is a democracy. It is doing very well for itself. Those that move there from the US do it out of desire. No one is forcing an american to move there. While I wish social service did a better job over there, you still have extreme levels of jew helping jew incomparable to any other country.
You think it’s a third world “shithole”? Then don’t step into the country. They don;t need you.
Jenny wrote,
“Those that move there from the US do it out of desire. No one is forcing an american to move there.”
That’s why most don’t go.
“You think it’s a third world “shitholeâ€??”
Not really, but that’s the inital reaction when I read these kinds of stats.
ck wrote,
“lack of adequate health care facilities for the poor”
Oh, I’ll go further than that — lack of adequate health care for the working class.
DK is right the health care sucks for almost everyone
but jenny is right cut it some slack. for a country that started in a hole its doing pretty well
In most rankings, quality of life, economy, corruption, life expectancy, health, and also in surveys about personal satisfaction, Israel performs quite well. It is almost always in the top 35 in the world even though it is a country where war and the very essence of the fight for survival has sapped economic strength and its ability to manage many of the same issues that exist in other Western countries.
None of this excuses the centralization of income in the hands of so few, but back in the day, JP Morgan and a couple of other people had similar ranges of personal income relative to the American economy. It takes time for societies to figure things out and adjust.
israel has been affected by war but let me tell you they have come quite well offlate. so much of developmentt in the past, they would touch even the us economoy
cool
So, your initial reaction is to call Israel a
“third-world shithole”. I think you should:
1) Take a few minutes to contemplate the mechanisms that generate your “initial reactions”.
2) Read what you write before publishing it on your blog. (I am being charitable here and assuming that your phrasing was not intentionally hateful)
As for the subject at hand:
Israel’s leadership - Labor, Likud, Kadima, whatever, has self-consciously adopted the principles of economic policy promoted by the USA. Why? Because some people think that it is the only way to survive in the global economy and because the World Bank and other international organizations have been pressuring all of the nations on the face of the earth in that direction. That is the whole story.
A “Diasporist”? Here’s what the Talmud has to say; don’t blame me - I’m only the messenger!
תלמוד בבלי מסכת כתובות דף קי/ב
×ª× ×• ×¨×‘× ×Ÿ לעול×? ידור ×?ד×? ב×?רץ ישר×?ל ×?פילו בעיר שרובה עובדי כוכבי×? ו×?ל ידור בחוץ ל×?רץ ו×?פילו בעיר שרובה ישר×?ל שכל הדר ב×?רץ ישר×?ל דומה כמי שיש לו ×?לוה וכל הדר בחוצה ל×?רץ דומה כמי ש×?ין לו ×?לוה ×©× ×?מר לתת לכ×? ×?ת ×?רץ ×›× ×¢×Ÿ להיות לכ×? ל×?להי×? וכל ש×?×™× ×• דר ב×?רץ ×?ין לו ×?לוה ×?ל×? לומר לך כל הדר בחוץ ל×?רץ ×›×?ילו עובד עבודת כוכבי×? וכן בדוד הו×? ×?ומר ×›×™ ×’×¨×©×•× ×™ היו×? מהסתפח ×‘× ×—×œ×ª ×”’ ל×?מר לך עבוד ×?להי×? ×?חרי×? וכי מי ×?מר לו לדוד לך עבוד ×?להי×? ×?חרי×? ×?ל×? לומר לך כל הדר בחוץ ל×?רץ ×›×?ילו עובד עבודת כוכבי×?
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