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How come the entire nation hasn't starved to death yet?
submitted on 18th Jan 2008. A part of Questions. Ask a question.
written by owen
after scouring the internet for any information at all about wages in Jamaica, I find that ones that are actually published are frighteningly low. How the entire nation hasn't starved to death yet is the burning question that now lingers in my mind - GodsChild
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answers
Like Eastern European countries who have been ravaged by war and recovery from socialism and communism is diaspora who send money home and pump the underground economy.
It's why American Dollars, Marks and the Euro...can buy you what you need without using the local currency, in fact they're preferred.
It's why something like a loaf of bread costs 3000 dinars or 100 Jamaican dollars (I don't know how much bread costs in JA)
That's why the population hasn't starved to death.
The entire population of my home country should be dead from starvation, save those who left and send money home to help family.
by Radmila ( Fri, 18th Jan at 11:55 pm )
I suppose it's 'cause we're a resilient people.
by Leon ( Sat, 19th Jan at 12:54 am )
Remittance income from relatiives living in the metropolitan countries is a major source of foreign exchange and which rivals the tourist economy.Income from illegal activities such as drugs/ganja also keeps the country afloat.
by Esteban Agosto Reid ( Sat, 19th Jan at 12:56 am )
The whole nation doh starve because some foods are very cheap. Also, some people live with lots of other people in one dwelling, thus reducing rent. They are called tenement yards. Also, they don't pay for electricity, resorting to throwing a bare wire over the utilities' power lines. Also they do without running water at home, using the community standpipe instead.
They earn money in many ways, legal and illegal, ie. drugs, prostitution, buying and selling, stealing.
Then you have remittances, as said above, etc.
by mad bull ( Sun, 20th Jan at 8:30 am )
It's called survival, we have do do what it takes to stay alive.
by Stunner ( Sun, 20th Jan at 4:50 pm )
thanks Owen for pitching this question to everybody.
I think Mad Bull's answer is the most helpful. Some foods are more affordable than others. Same thing everywhere I think. Imported products will always be more expensive.
Yet, it also makes me wonder--how are people online rhapsodizing about this? If you have internet service, can you really be that badly off?
by Gods Child ( Tue, 22nd Jan at 2:26 pm )
People have farms and when some dont, you can always go country go get food...for free too!
by Tami ( Thu, 24th Jan at 1:13 pm )