Breezy, Probably Unfair Generalizations About Panama Based On An Hour At Tocumen International Airport

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2-17-2013 @ 5:11PM

Expat said...

One hour in the unreal atmosphere of an airport (any airport) is enough to judge a country? Have you been to Disneyland? Perhaps you could substitute "Americans" for the "Panamanians" in your unfounded comment that "Obviously Panamanians must be into spoiling and indulging their children." Also such "factoids" (no data cited) that "Panama is a relatively poor country." Please check sources rather than make things up. Good to know, tho, that those of us who are looking for reliable reporters can skip anything with your by-line.

2-17-2013 @ 11:00PM

Dave Seminara said...

Thanks, Expat. First impressions can be misleading but the only "mistake" you site is my comment that Panama is a "relatively poor country." I stand by this statement and the facts are on my side. Have a look at this paper from the World Bank on poverty in Panama linked below. Here are some quotes from it:

"Despite Panama's relatively high-income per capita, poverty remains pervasive. Over one million people (37 percent of the population) live below the poverty line. Of these, over half a million (19 percent) live in extreme poverty. One-half of all Panamanian children are poor."

"Panama's (income) inequality ranks among the highest (in the world) — on par with Brazil and just below South Africa, two of the most unequal countries in the world. Panama's poorest are very poor and the richest are very rich."

"Over 16 percent of all children under five (close to 50,000) suffer from some form of malnutrition."

"Poverty in indigenous areas can only be described as abysmal. Over 95 percent of residents of indigenous areas (197,003 people) fall below the poverty line and 86 percent live in extreme poverty."

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK:20207841~menuPK:443285~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367,00.html

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