Poverty and possible solutions...

[obi]

I don't know about growing food (I don't understand to be honest what you mean, like a greenhouse or something?). Just recently I saw photos of a broken down synthetics factory from the soviet era, and as far as I know there are many other old factories like this. I think the question is where do they get the money to repair them? And bring their safety levels up to something that is acceptable.
As for what you said about unemployed people working for the community, there is a similar program here in Australia, but these people get government payments. I think that after you have been unemployed for a certain time, and if you still want payments, the government makes you get off of your ass and actually do something beneficial.
Now, as much as I would like to see something similar in Armenia, I don't think it will happen. Not because people won't do it, but because even though they are "unemployed" they do things like sell items at markets or other such things to make money. I don't think anyone is really in a position to carry out work for nothing, how would they live?
But then again, if people really love their country they should be willing to make some sacrifices. I think something a long the lines of diaspora Armenians actually going over and doing such things without being paid would be a great service for Armenia. If everybody went for just a month or so, at different intervals, it would make a difference. And that way they would not only see the benefits and results of their actions, they would make sure it actually goes all works to better the conditions in Armenia, whereas "monetary charity" I believe sometimes fall victim to corruption and doesn't go where it should.
But... money makes the world go around, and I cannot see many Armenians leaving their jobs in America, Australia or wherever to go and carry out such work for free in Armenia.

Yes, That's the same kind of scheme we have here. I think they recieve more benefits if they work more in the community.

Yeah, just take the places, you could make one a giant green house, one a giant chicken farm.. What is it like for producing corn in Armena.. i know some of the farmers struggle but do you get corn to feed poultry? Once everybody produced for the ussr, now they have to produce for themselves... so why not just use the old soviet buildings.

First and foremost, I am socialist. Labour it is called in the uk.
My girlfriend wants us to live in Armenia. She loves it there. She has good job.etc.... If i am going to live there, i want to know about the place.

[obi]

I actually like the French, I just dont like listening to them talk.

ha ha ha ha.... well at least we have one thing in common. in actuality the hate as about gone... its just competitive stuff now...

[obi]

Its sad really. If you took just ten people, and gave them a small grant to start with, then when they start to earn profit they pay it back... like a business loan. Surely the safety wouldnt be as great an issue if it was just chickens and no machinary...

*Off topic... Our government just donated £50m for Earthquake.. And in a telephone charity they are upto £35m... thats $150m USD... I like it when all come together to help others...

[obi]

I like the grant idea. What I meant in terms of safety was health issues. Armenia's nuclear reactor scares most people in that particular field and that is operational, can you imagine what these old soviet factories must be like in terms of chemicals and what not?
Heh... Look at Russia. Their submarines constitute more of a threat to their sailors than any present "enemy" does.

Yeah???

Armenia has a Neuclear Power Plant....? Like the one they had in Kiev??? And its working? Errrm... Not good.

What I mean with the large buildings which are left from the former ussr, well.... Once upon a time a long time ago in a country called England,, they used to have a name for good manufacturing, hosiery makers, tailors, cigarette makers. all kinds of things. Well, in about the mid 70's everyone decided it would be cheaper to have things made abroad. The English factories closed one after another.... anyhow, much money was invested in to training and re-educating factory workers. England is perhaps the biggest warehouse in europe. But warehouses need staff to.
So, back to the point, we had all these factories, all over the place... empty... Lot were torn down, but some that have stood for years, that nobody had an interest in, they have been converted to luxury apartments.... Really, to live in one in Nottingham, where i live it would cost between $450,000 to $600,000 USD,... property is crazy over here... so, if you have any famuly in Armenia who live near one mention it..heee....

[obi]

Not good at all. I believe it is on a fault line too...................

That is lunacy. Does Armenia have any Hydroplants, on Lake Levan???
In honesty I think the Russian -government that took with it the work that Armenia used to carry out- should be made to compensate more than they do, or have. They have left Armenia with nothing but empty buildings.

Yep, but for people to turn these warehouses and empty factories into luxury apartments, the rest of the country would have to shape up first, otherwise who in their right mind would pay $600,000 USD to live in Armenia? The ecnomoy and standard of living needs to improve first.

Dude/not dude, sorry. unsure...

That is the beauty... when these factories were virtually given to the builders, as the Armenian ones would be, nobody saw the potential. the government sold them cheap to save money having to develop them... the only real cost was materials and labour. It could be done for next to nothing if it was for the people. Remember, this was capitalism at its finest. If it was for social good it would be really cheap.

[IAmMadAtAC]

First and foremost, I am socialist.

REALLY??? Wow, it was so impossible to tell. It appears to me that you keep blaming Armenia for not being more socialist and seem to be saying that's it's problem. Well socialism works well for rich countries, but with Armenia so poor and trying to rebuild, it doesn't have enough money to institute all the socialist plans you desire, helping every single homeless person, etc. I was just in the city around herei n the United States and I saw homeless people, so if there are homeless people in the richest country in the world, what do you think Armenia has?! And yet you come crying here about how bad Armenia is because you heard of a homeless couple that lives on 18 cents a day or whatever. You seem so naive, thinking that socialism can cure all ills. It also has a lot of drawbacks, even if you can afford to implement it, for example socialist nations have really sucky healthcare.

[IAmMadAtAC]

In honesty I think the Russian -government that took with it the work that Armenia used to carry out- should be made to compensate more than they do, or have. They have left Armenia with nothing but empty buildings.

Hahaha Russia compensating Armenia on anything... that country is poor as anything and is no place to be paying Armenia anything. Well yeah it might have some money to do so, but it certainly needs it, it has to reason to pay Armenia.
And while I am very uncomfortable with Metzamor (nuclear plant) there is no other choice. Unless we want to go back to the years of 3 hours of electricity a day we need it unless alternate energy sources can be developed.

[obi]

REALLY??? Wow, it was so impossible to tell. It appears to me that you keep blaming Armenia for not being more socialist and seem to be saying that's it's problem. Well socialism works well for rich countries, but with Armenia so poor and trying to rebuild, it doesn't have enough money to institute all the socialist plans you desire, helping every single homeless person, etc. I was just in the city around herei n the United States and I saw homeless people, so if there are homeless people in the richest country in the world, what do you think Armenia has?! And yet you come crying here about how bad Armenia is because you heard of a homeless couple that lives on 18 cents a day or whatever. You seem so naive, thinking that socialism can cure all ills. It also has a lot of drawbacks, even if you can afford to implement it, for example socialist nations have really sucky healthcare.

First up i would like to mention as i did to Dants, this is not that thread, if you have problems with that thread ask them in that thread... I will ask to if you are so sad and stupid you cannot pick something up and put it down.

Errrm, sorry, but socialist is for the people, perhaps you confuse with capitalist... you prefer that??? Let one man take all profit without putting money into the community...

Plus in six days we have raised $200m for the asian earthquke disaster... china second with about $70m usd.. and america seny some water out... and about $30m...

our health service, oh yes. That is nayional health. It is taken from our wages before we are paid. Everyone in england gets free health care.

[Hayq]

Do you realize how difficult it is to come out of a Socialist society like the USSR? The system of USSR was designd so all the republics could be connected economically, insuring that they would not split apart.

Armenia has state of the art factories that Turkey or Iran do not posses...however, in this world where everything is made in China, Armenia can not compete with those low wages.

[obi]

Do you realize how difficult it is to come out of a Socialist society like the USSR? The system of USSR was designd so all the republics could be connected economically, insuring that they would not split apart.

Yes, I thought of this long and hard. In forethoughy there should have been a dismantling programme. For example, if Armenia mad shoes for all the states, they should have continued to, and each state sets out a realistic cost for what it produced. In this sense, I feel Armenia was raped.

Armenia has state of the art factories that Turkey or Iran do not posses...however, in this world where everything is made in China, Armenia can not compete with those low wages.

I think you will find that some wages paid in armenia can compete with china for actual labour cost. China i study, they make communism work. People are being helped now.....