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If you can not see the reality, and the dispair, and the lack of hope that exists not only here, but in all 3rd world latin countries, then you are living in your little dream world with your eyes closed. The cast system has existed for centuries in spanish society and in all probability will continue to exist--Ch*ldren are taught to except their position in life and not to try to change it. And as long as that way of life exists nothing will change.
On this point and as far as I'm concerned you are way off base. I've been involved with the culture outside the gulch for 20 years. Of course we see the reality, it's impossible to miss. Your quote about nothing changing until parents teach their Ch*ldren different is right on however. If the Tico parents would change what they teach their Ch*ldren the childlren would indeed have different lives. For the Ch*ldren that weren't taught that they would have the added responsibility to teach themselves these new values, but it's totally possible and really doesn't cost anything. The problem I think is that you and others on this board are a lot more troubled by THEIR poverty then they are. It's not a priority for them and they aren't uncomfortable enough to change.
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NO I did not miss those points!! BUT I also know how certain gringos "LIVE" here and "HAVE BUSINESS HERE" and never get out into the real world-they deal with the 'haves', they 'hang' with the tourists, they spend their free time in the REY or the SL. They do not deal with the poor nor the uneducated except when totally necessary and then usually thru an interperter or some other 'go between" ! They still have no concept of the 'real world' in this or any other Latin country!!
I can't understand how you can make this assumption while knowing nothing about me. I have embraced the Latin culture for almost all of my adult life and have been in all parts of it including the worst of the worst neighborhoods. I lived for 6 months with a poor family in Venezuela and have many friends from the lower echelons.
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not the one in a million who by some strange twist of fate is able to overcome the adversity, poverity, lack of education, the total lack of concern by the parents, the wealthy, or the government!!
WTF, there is no strange twist of fate. It's just detirmination and a desire for a better life. Ok let's take the example of the impoverished Tico(a) who can't read and has a family that doesn't care if they succeed or not and a government that is indifferent. They decide They are not happy the way things are and that THEY are going to do something about it. They then go to several different people and ask to borrow $.10 (although it's unlikely they wouldn't have $.30 no matter how poor they are). They go to an internet cafe and they look up one of the dozens of programs such as this
http://worldteach.org/programs/costa_rica_summer/ that offer free English classes. While their friends are drinking at the bar or watching novellas they attent the classes and learn enough English for casual conversation. Once they have a little English under their belt they borrow $.35 from neighbors and friends and go back to the internet cafe and print up a little flyer that says "Foreign Homeowners are you frustrated trying to communicate with electricians, cleaners, plumbers, painters and getting charged Gringo rates? Email _____ and solve all your problems. Low rates and excellent service. They post this at places where foreign homeowners frequent. Boom!, they're in business. Total cost $.75.
The above is a very extreme example and most of Costa Rica's poor aren't that dire. Just go to the local bars on a Fri and watch how many Imperials those poor Costa Ricans are throwing back. Your line of thought is totally off and is disproven by the large numbers of locals who have raised themselves out of poverty. There are thousands of them who have siezed the initiative and changed their life and become prosperous. Yes, most will stay in poverty and there will be extreme poverty and blight, but if there is money around and not a legal caste system than whoever does things differently and seeks change has a pretty good chance of finding it. There is no legal caste system in Costa Rica and there is ALOT of money around. I have a Tico friend who gave me a book that he bought for $1.49 in a used book store:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scienc ... tting_Rich the he read and applied what he learned. From nothing he now has 5 cafes in San Jose that he distributes healthy products from. Please go to the Kiva site posted earlier and see what that's all about. That's the poorest of the poor- they don't put a dime up and get money and assistance to be in business- just need a desire to change things- don't even have to be literate.