NYTimes-Deadliest Country For Kids (very disturbing content)

[expatmama11]

My husband just sent me this article that was in the NYTimes yesterday so I thought I would share.

I can only imagine the President of Angola is pissed but I am so happy to see this information being put out there for the world to see. When you see the level of poverty and the level of wealth here it is incredibly sad. 

www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/opinion/nicholas-kristof-deadliest-country-for-kids.html?_r=1

[expatmama11]

I think the problem, specifically when speaking about Angola, is that this country does have the resources to make life better for its people. The oil money here is insane!

I find the dilemma difficult when it comes to countries who truly cannot afford healthcare and food programs, but I really believe it is a choice here. The government chooses not to fund programs for its people and instead takes it for themselves. Hell, the presidents daughter is one of the richest women in the world.

Then the issue becomes should the people here be penalized because their government is corrupt?? It ends up being a lose/lose for them because the international community will not want to help and neither will their own government. I also seriously question whether Dos Santos would actually admit there was even a problem.

I truly have no answers but fear things are not going to change here.

[mugster]

I don't know a lot about Angola, but the tone of the article towards the end was a bit disturbing to me. The "things were better under colonialism" sentiment might have some validity, but it erases the extent to which colonialism caused problems like this is Africa.

[virginiaorjohn]

One of the things I am trying to work on is being better read about politics and world issues, and FFFC: I didn't know about the situation in Angola. Excuse me while I go wiki-binge a bunch of articles on this topic. So... I guess I'm trying to say thanks for sharing expatmama11.

[kawaiikitsune]

I know absolutely nothing about politics but this article made me sick to my stomach. And here we are, in the US, bitching about our healthcare and are so privileged, parents can actually refuse vaccinations that people in other countries would walk miles to get.