topic Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country in Community Chat

Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

JBKO — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 18:28:02 GMT

I always wonder what that must feel like. The disparity is so marked. I remember reading how Chile has a thriving middle-class and not quite getting why that even had to be mentioned. You have to realize that in a lot of these countries there are the haves and the have-nots. And the have-nots can be upwards of 90%. As always, I'm curious to hear what you think/your experience.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

SahmIam — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 18:47:03 GMT

My in-laws are when they go to one of their homes. Mum came from working class, Dad from upper class; it simply is what it is for many reasons and they'll tell you that. Their lives have been fascinating, that's for sure.

As for being a "have"; their estate employs many who would have no income or one that pays wages you can't live on. His job brought him there and mum, being a nurse, chose to work as a mid-wife for the women who had no medical care during pregnancy and delivery. Was she looked down upon by those other haves? By some, yes. By others, no.

They will tell you that there does not exist a country where everyone is equal financially. Not going to happen. Like I said, they have lived fascinating lives and my FIL's occupation is one/was one that the things he saw, people he knew....you could listen to him speak for hours and hours and hours......

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

songbird — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 19:14:14 GMT

I work at a university. Yes, we do get upper middle class students from abroad. Sometimes from 3rd world countries. Two of them were twins from Vietnam. Their father was wealthy and educated. They were doing graduate work. Undergraduate was at Cambridge. Another student was from Bangladesh. She was Muslim, married at 17. But because she was from an upper class background, she was educated. When I met her, she was 19 and an undergraduate. She intended to get her masters. Yes, still married to her husband. And she had 2 children. Many other students too. One from Yemen Probably one of the worlds backward country. But yes, he was from a very rich family. Most of the overseas families were form China and India. Certainly not 3rd world countries. We also have princes from Arab countires. One student I remember used 100.00 bills as book marks. He returned one book with one of them still inside. An honest student turned it in to us.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

SilleeMee — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 19:36:44 GMT

Before the war Japan was an underdeveloped country, mostly agricultural and fishing. That's the time my mother was born there. Her family was upper class land owners during that time and they were well-off enough to escape 'the bombs' and devastation. She told me that most of the evacuees were people who had money to make the escape and the poor majority were left behind. My mother's family lost everything and back then it really didn't matter what 'class' you were. It was more about making use of what was available at the time...a story of struggle, survival and the willingness to accept the ways of the western world.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

151949 — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 20:14:01 GMT

I've known many doctors and other professionals throughout my career who were wealthy people from countries where the vast majority of the population are extremely poor. Esp. India,Pakistan, and other SE asian countries. Most never wish to return to where they grew up. Many have been educated in boarding schools in western Eurpean countries like Germany & England, and even some in the USA.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

chrystaltree — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 20:23:35 GMT

I don't think it's any different than being middle class or upper middle class here and driving by the housing projects or seeing the homeless lined up in front of a church to get a 2 free baloney sandwhiches and bottle of water. It's no different than going into the city to buy a $400 Dooney bag and dropping $5 into that homeless guy's cup, the one with who has one leg. Every country has it's "haves" and it's "have nots". And some parts of this country have a heck of lot of "have nots".

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

suzyQ3 — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 20:50:01 GMT

@chrystaltreewrote:
I don't think it's any different than being middle class or upper middle class here and driving by the housing projects or seeing the homeless lined up in front of a church to get a 2 free baloney sandwhiches and bottle of water. It's no different than going into the city to buy a $400 Dooney bag and dropping $5 into that homeless guy's cup, the one with who has one leg. Every country has it's "haves" and it's "have nots". And some parts of this country have a heck of lot of "have nots".

@chrystaltree, I agree. The difference is only of proportions.

But history does tell us that there is often a boiling point. As poverty increases and especially if it's due in part to the machination of the "haves," it's an invitation to upheaval. The most moderately proportioned societies, the ones who work at it, are the most stable.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

ROMARY — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 21:05:29 GMT

In those specific countries where there is an abundance of natural rescources and exports, ('Af', etc., etc. 'You know': diamonds, gemstones, oil, coffee, etc., etc.) it seem to me that whatever taxes are collected from the industries with high profits, they surely aren't used to help their people in need at the bottom of the ladder. It's been going on for years and years and years.

'Where's the money'?

P.S.: I don't mind contributing to other countries/places where there just aren't any natural resources, industries, and/or exports. They are truly in need, not having anything to 'sell' to other countries.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

reiki604 — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 21:59:55 GMT

Please clarify what you consider the attributes of a third world nation?

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

blackhole99 — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 22:25:09 GMT

My son was seeing an upper middle class Mexican woman when he lived in Mexico. The family had 3 homes and a business and were robbed and threatened many times. Their son was kidnapped, ransom was paid and they moved to another part of Mexico. Yes, there are all kinds of poor in the US, which IMO is shameful.As far as I know, upper class is not being harassed and kidnapped on a regular basis here in the states.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

JBKO — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:58:48 GMT

Thank you all for your replies. All very interesting. Blackhole99 that is very true about Mexico. Wealthy people are kidnapped very frequently and that includes celebrities and other well-known people.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

JBKO — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:02:32 GMT

Reiki604:Third-world countries are basically every country in Latin America, and Africa. It's debateable what is considered third-world in Asia.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

reiki604 — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:17:41 GMT

What makes them 3rd world???

Extreme poverty?

Large disparity between rich and poor?

Lack of technology?

Lack of education?

Lack of health care?

Lack of adequate nutrition?

Violence?

????????

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

Mominohio — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:43:52 GMT

@chrystaltreewrote:
I don't think it's any different than being middle class or upper middle class here and driving by the housing projects or seeing the homeless lined up in front of a church to get a 2 free baloney sandwhiches and bottle of water. It's no different than going into the city to buy a $400 Dooney bag and dropping $5 into that homeless guy's cup, the one with who has one leg. Every country has it's "haves" and it's "have nots". And some parts of this country have a heck of lot of "have nots".

In many places it is very very different.

Even the majority of what we consider 'poor' here have so much more materially and in opportunity than much of the poor in the rest of the world.

The 'have nots' and their circumstances are much worse in other parts of the world than most of what we consider to be 'have nots' in this country.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

DearPrudence — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 17:00:07 GMT

@reiki604wrote:
What makes them 3rd world???

Extreme poverty?
Large disparity between rich and poor?
Lack of technology?
Lack of education?
Lack of health care?
Lack of adequate nutrition?
Violence?
????????

What do they all have in common? Overpopulation. The elephant in the room.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

JBKO — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 14:00:27 GMT

DearPrudence you are on to something. There are what? 17-20 types of birth control. And some of them are virtually free. You just need proper education on them (i.e Fertility Awareness Method).

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

holly&ivy — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 18:19:24 GMT

@DearPrudencewrote:
@reiki604wrote:
What makes them 3rd world???

Extreme poverty?
Large disparity between rich and poor?
Lack of technology?
Lack of education?
Lack of health care?
Lack of adequate nutrition?
Violence?
????????

What do they all have in common? Overpopulation. The elephant in the room.

I respectfully beg to differ. A lot of "third world" countries are in developing phases that is making them more self reliant. Stigmatizing a growing nation by western standards isn't always so black and white. While yes they may not be up to 1st world standards on paper one would have to look at their day to day achievements if you wanted to categorize them. And yes their are a lot of places in the us that go unnoticed and are in need of being revitalized and helped.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

Kalli — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 19:27:12 GMT

Jmho but I am concerned that going forward we are losing that middle class (don’t wish to link this to p o l i t i c s either since this has been decades in the making.). Just saying that when my hub and I were young we both had jobs, saved, bought a small house in the suburbs, started our family and invested, slowly increasing our financial worth. Looking at my 2 sons, only the one with a Masters and professional career can afford to do what we did. My son who’s a construction guy wouldn’t be where he is now without our help. And it’s not for lack of hard work or for contracted jobs as he has more work than he can keep up with.

So it’s just an observation since this discussion brought up haves and have nots. It seemed it was easier to move from being “have nots”, like hub and I did, to being “haves” back in the 80s and 90s than now.

But maybe I’m seeing the glass half empty?

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

JBKO — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 19:33:06 GMT

Kalli, you are absolutely right. I had a coworker who dropped out of college to work at our company back in the 1960's. She recently retired and forget about being hired for her position unless you have a master's and several years experience.

Re: Being Upper-Middle Class in a Third-World Country

QueenDanceALot — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 19:39:17 GMT

I guess I don't really see much of a difference in being well to do in this country and seeing all of the poor struggling in this country than being upper middle class in a third world country.