Is being a homeless, drug addicted prostitute in America less tragic?

Question

than being a homeless, drug addicted prostitute in another country?

Is it easier to be homeless, drug addicted, selling your body for food, drugs, shelter in America?  Is it somehow less tragic to end up a homeless, poor, drug addicted, prostitute in America? Is it because America's streets are paved, while many other countries have dirt roads?  

Is it less cold in the winter in Minnesota, New York, Illinois, Washington, Idaho than it is in China, Russia, India, Vietnam, Korea, Guatemala, Mexico, S. Africa?  

Is poverty "better" in America than it is in other countries? I'm just wondering since this is a main argument in support of IA. Though I'm not opposed to all IA, the US Govt's issues Adoption Alerts to caution American citizens about adopting from certain countries b/c of fraud, trafficking, etc.
http://adoption.state.gov/news/notices.html

So please enlighten me, is it because poverty is worse in other countries that we should adopt internationally rather than adopting from foster care in spite of the stats on children who age out of foster care?

"In a study of children who had “aged out” of foster care, researchers found that within 12 to 18 months of turning 18 & leaving foster care, 27% of males & 10% of females were incarcerated, 50% were unemployed, 37% had not finished high school, 33% received public assistance, & 19% of females had given birth to children."
In a study of children who had “aged out” of foster care, researchers found that within 12 to 18 months of turning 18 & leaving foster care, 27% of males & 10% of females were incarcerated, 50% were unemployed, 37% had not finished high school, 33% received public assistance, & 19% of females had given birth to children."
http://www.achildswaiting.com/adoptive_p...

bjrodgerz · Accepted Answer

I am not oppsed to someone adopting internationally however I have found it sad that so manyolder children in American are left unadopted. It is not because it is worse conditions in my opion...it is because most people who plan to adopt want a baby and that is easier in other countries. I don't understand why adopters demand a baby. To be a parent is to want to love a child...the age shouldn't matter...be it does!

effie · Answer

In a word, yes. There is absolutely no comparison between poverty in the United States (or any other First World nation) and poverty in Third World countries like Haiti and most of Africa. In the US, there are government social programs, state and federal assistance, charity groups, housing assistance, every citizen and resident gets free education through the 12th grade, basic healthcare (no hospital will turn anyone away based upon the ability to pay), a police force, etc. In Third World countries, there is none of that. If you can't manage to feed yourself, you starve. If you get sick and can't afford a doctor, you either get better or you die. If you can't afford an education or even a school uniform, you stay illiterate and uneducated. If you happen to get attacked, assaulted and killed by a group of bandits, nobody is there to protect you. So yes, in your situation, it's less tragic to be a drug addicted prostitute in the US than a drug addicted prostitute in a third world country. The former has options and opportunities that the latter never will have. ETA: LT: I'm not belittling your experiences. I'm sure it sucked and I'll admit, though I've been poor in my life, I was never homeless. But my point is, even in the slums of NYC there are more opportunities than in the slums of Monrovia. I also recall one of the regulars saying something to the effect that orphanages in Africa should have running water, because running water isn't unheard of in Africa. It's just another example of not having any real comprehension of Third World Country poverty. There really is no comparasion.

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Is being a homeless, drug addicted prostitute in America less tragic?

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