VietNamNet Bridge – A series of support policies for needy people are ineffective because many poor families are lazy and rely on the state's assistance.
Muong Ly Commune in Muong Lat District of Thanh Hoa Provinces is more than 200 km from Thanh Hoa City. This poor mountainous commune does not have real roads. To learn how to read or write, students have to live in tents built on the mountain side, far from their home. Although students enjoy many support policies of the state, they still lack food.
Immediately after class, Vang A Phu, an 8th grader of the Muong Ly Secondary School, ran hurriedly back to his tent. Tossing a few books on hands to the floor, Phu opened a pot to take several pieces of rice crusts left from the last dinner and put them into the mouth. "I'm out of rice so I have to eat rice crusts for lunch. This afternoon I will enter the forests to seek vegetables," Phu said.
We were taking to Phu when Vang Thi Ly, a 7th grader, entered the tent with a bunch of wild vegetables on her hands. Ly's clothes were faded and her sandals were torn.
Like Phu and Ly, nearly 100 students of the Muong Ly always Secondary School always lacked rice and clothes. But Vang A Du, a 6th grader, whose family is considered needy had a cell phone.
poor people, needy household, allowances, state policy for the poor, lazy
The meal of Mrs. Mang Thi Muop and her children in Dong Xuan district, Phu Yen province has only rice and vegetables but her husband is drunk all the time.
"My dad and my mum have a few cell phones at home. While they were in the field, I take one here to listen to music,” Du said.
Mr. Nguyen Van Ha, Vice Principal of Muong Ly Secondary School, said to create conditions for upland children to go to school, the Government grants each student with VND70,000 ($3.5) per month and food allowances that is equivalent to 40 percent of minimum salary. On average, each student receives VND420,000 ($20) per month or VND3.78 million (nearly $200) per school year.
"In the academy year 2011-2012, the school paid more than VND1 billion of allowances to students, in two phases. Receiving the cash, parents did not invest it in their children's studies but to buy motorbikes, cell phones or TV sets,” teacher Ha said.
Mr. Dinh Cong Dai, Chairman of Muong Ly Commune, said: "Our commune has nearly 70 percent of households are considered poor. Many households in the upland village of Xi Lo do not have enough food but each school year, tens of families in Xi Lo buy motorcycles, TV sets and mobile phones. Some extremely poor households are provided with VND180,000 per month but they use the money to purchase wine."
Besides Muong La, all students of the poor districts of Thanh Hoa such as Quan Hoa, Quan Son, Lang Chanh, Bá Thuoc, Thuong Xuan, Nhu Xuan ... are granted with the above allowances.
In Soi Nga village, Xuan Lanh commune, Dong Xuan district of Phu Yen province, from the early morning, tens of people flock to bus stations to go to Quy Nhon City of Bình Dinh province and Tuy Hoa city of Phu Yen province to work as beggars.
After sowing two hectares of cassava Mr. Doan Van Tien, 45, the father of three children at the working age, stays at home waiting for his youngest son named Doan Van Trieu to bring money that he begs from others home.
"Everybody here does like me. More than half of the villagers work as beggars. Government allowances? It is not enough to buy alcohol!" Tien said impassively.
Mr. Phan Nhu Hai, Deputy Director of the Department of Labour - War Invalids and Social Affairs of Bình Dinh province, said he was “afraid” of families in Xuan Lanh commune.
"We have tried all measures to change their thinking and to prevent them from working as beggars but they still see beggary as a job," Hai said.
State allowances is enough for Mr. Le Van Men, in Duy Vinh commune, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province, to buy rice.
Hai also said that Bình Dinh province has 46,000 poor households, accounting for more than 11 percent. The three districts of Van Canh, Vinh Thanh and An Lao have high ratios of poor households with over 45 percent.
Although they have been supported by the state for years, many households could not escape from poverty because they are too lazy. In Van Canh district, people don't work as beggars but they don't do anything just drinking all day.
It is similar in Tay Giang – one of the poorest districts in the central province of Quang Nam. In 2012, this district had 1,211 poor households, accounting for 58.25 percent.
In this district, many people rely on the state support and don't want to do anything. Mr. A Lang Thanh, Vice Chairman of Bhalle Commune, Tay Giang District, took us to the home of Mr. ALC. - a poor household with seven members living in a small house.
ALC's wife was the main laborer in the family. She had to work to feed five children and her husband. "Whenever we received the money for poor households, he took it to purchase wine. He drinks alcohol everyday but it is lucky that he does not beat me and the kids,” she said.
According to Mr. A Lang Thanh, Mr. ALC's family has been a poor household for seven years. "We cannot help his family to escape from poverty. It all depends on themselves," he said.
The ratio of poor households in the central province of Phu Yen is nearly 16 percent. Mr. Tran Thanh Bình, Head of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs said the local authorities have a headache in recovering soft loans for poor households from ... 18 years ago. The total debts is over VND1 billion but the poor households do not pay.
NLD
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/specia … verty.html
Being Lazy, Mountainous People Cannot Escape Poverty
Read the article a while ago too. You going somewhere with this.....or just reprinting the news?
Reprinting. I'm a lazy mountaineer, so I can relate.
I'm somewhat confused, Teacher mark. What do the Muong highlanders of North Vietnam have to do with the Bahnar and other Highland groups of the Central Highlands? Especially considering that the Muong are genetically close to their Kinh Vietnamese cousins? Could this poverty be relatred to their removal from the Black River Highlands aboute Hoa Binh, their former tribal capital, and down into north Central Vietnam?
Maybe someone just had a deadline for an article?
The Bahnar, by the way, played an important role in the Tay Son rebellion of the 1700s.
Why are the poor in the news more often than the rich? 
What have they done well to attract so much attention? 
I didn't write that error-filled and compassion-free piece of garbage. The idiot that did chose to use only their initials, which makes them a coward/cowardess.
They're the one that's living large, courtesy of the people, if they actually got paid for such a biased and poorly worded rant.
No doubt former Fox News employees. Or does Fox have a Vietnam affiliate? Same tactic as is used in the US. Blame the poor for being poor. Who or what else could possibly be at fault? That said, when a government policy isn't working (if providing subsidies to the poor isn't), then perhaps a change in the way the funds can be utilized would be something to consider. For example, food 'stamps' in the US can't be used to buy tobacco or alcohol. By no means does the US have a great system for assisting those in need either, but at least this part might be a good thing. This kind of article does nothing except for pit portions of the population against one another, and serve those who have all to gain by keeping a substantial part of the population poor. Unfortunately, it looks all too familiar.
Julian09 wrote:No doubt former Fox News employees. Or does Fox have a Vietnam affiliate? Same tactic as is used in the US. Blame the poor for being poor. Who or what else could possibly be at fault? That said, when a government policy isn't working (if providing subsidies to the poor isn't), then perhaps a change in the way the funds can be utilized would be something to consider. For example, food 'stamps' in the US can't be used to buy tobacco or alcohol. By no means does the US have a great system for assisting those in need either, but at least this part might be a good thing. This kind of article does nothing except for pit portions of the population against one another, and serve those who have all to gain by keeping a substantial part of the population poor. Unfortunately, it looks all too familiar.
What a troll.
Julian09 wrote:......... By no means does the US have a great system for assisting those in need either, but at least this part might be a good thing. .............
Hi Julian, 
Thank you for your input.
USA does have the world's best system for everybody to make it big: if one is good, he will be successful, if not, he will perish (meaning he will live poorly).
USA billionaires got richer for the past few years because their markets became largely international, not stagnant to USA consumers only.
For how long the USA's free enterprise system will still be the world's best remains to be seen though.
Poor people are poor for a reason, mostly mental retardedness.
There were poor people in the past, there are poor people as we speak now and there will always be poor people. Same for the rich.
(edit added: typos) Do not bother about other people because I do not believe too many people bother about you.
Bother about yourself to get out of the vicious cycle of poverty (whatever 'poverty' means to you), and, more specifically, bother about what you can do to serve the public (poor and rich alike).
Good luck. 
John C. wrote:Poor people are poor for a reason, mostly mental retardedness.
"Retardedness" isn't a word.
Oh, the irony...
John C. wrote:Why are the poor in the news more often than the rich?
What have they done well to attract so much attention?
The rich often own and/or control the news. Why be in the news when you can be safely behind it?
The poor sometimes serve as scapegoats, especially when times get tough. Immigrants always make convenient targets for blame and hate-filled vitriol. In their absence, the lowest earners catch the flak. The exact opposite may happen, as well, with the well-to-do getting blamed for the problems within as society. If the rancor gets heated enough, insanity will follow (reference: Germany 1917-45).
There has to be some amount of personal responsibility in people's lives. Spending habits and value systems play a big role. The "rich" get used as a punching bag as well, so it is a two-way street.
Teacher Mark wrote:John C. wrote:Poor people are poor for a reason, mostly mental retardedness.
"Retardedness" isn't a word.
Oh, the irony...
Ooohh, yes, I know that 'retardedness' at the online dictionary http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/retarded?s=ts is not an official word.
I invented it and it only needs time to catch on with the public. 
Please spread the word. Thank you in advance. 
jakejas wrote:There has to be some amount of personal responsibility in people's lives. Spending habits and value systems play a big role. The "rich" get used as a punching bag as well, so it is a two-way street.
Hi there,
By the way, I never heard of mountain men getting rich or filthy rich.
Now with cyber-trading this may change ... especially because mountain tops are the ideal location for wireless towers ...
John C. wrote:Teacher Mark wrote:John C. wrote:Poor people are poor for a reason, mostly mental retardedness.
"Retardedness" isn't a word.
Oh, the irony...
Ooohh, yes, I know that 'retardedness' at the online dictionary http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/retarded?s=ts is not an official word.
I invented it and it only needs time to catch on with the public.
Please spread the word. Thank you in advance.
Where's a Brit when you need one?
jakejas wrote:There has to be some amount of personal responsibility in people's lives. Spending habits and value systems play a big role. The "rich" get used as a punching bag as well, so it is a two-way street.
Agreed. I was editing, as you were posting...
Teacher Mark wrote:John C. wrote:Teacher Mark wrote:
"Retardedness" isn't a word.
Oh, the irony...
Ooohh, yes, I know that 'retardedness' at the online dictionary http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/retarded?s=ts is not an official word.
I invented it and it only needs time to catch on with the public.
Please spread the word. Thank you in advance.
Where's a Brit when you need one?
Yes, I live in a small Caribbean island where English is official language.
I learnt English in secondary school (1967 – 1971). I still use it and cannot improve it at all.
The Brits here are not the best (to say the least!) ones to represent UK, and the locals speak a Frenchised English.
How can I progress when all I hear everyday is:
“I is a man who …”
“You does be nice …”
“It's a waist of time …”
My goal is to speak Oxford English with the Queen's perfect diction, but it seems the goal is getting farther and farther away from me while I'm trying to get closer and closer to it … The more I want to speak perfect English, the more elusive it becomes.
Perhaps I must stop wanting …
Aaaaah, it's the bad influence of the poor on me ...
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