I sort of think that a problem with the USA, as well as with "Europe", is one of size: both are too damned large and cover too many sorts of communities to be able to create any semblance of level playing fields.
How do you balance the citizens' rights, standards of living and so forth (with associated aspirations) when one massive area farms, another is industrial and yet another far more involved in finance and administration?
Even in tiny Britain we have great distortions of earning potential with the result that the south tops the league. With a sort of leveller, I suppose, being the fact that the prosperous south is far more expensive a place in which to live. Hence, inflated salaries just to enable some people to survive there, the only possible pay-back being when they are truly old and have to retire, at which time, have they been earning highly enough to buy, their home will sell for far more than a similar one costs elsewhere, leaving them cash-rich and able to live a less stressed life in the sticks.
Which, of course, leads to the very common situation where young people "in the sticks" will often be unable to compete with the incomers and thus be unable to buy within their own rural community, either. It's widespread in Scotland, Wales, Devon and Cornwall; here in Mallorca I've had conversations with local tradesmen, working in the house for us, who explained that one "benefit" of tourism (and our being here to give them work!) is that they can no longer afford to leave the parental home. Some years ago farmers were desperate to sell their farms to foreigners for what they imagined to be astronomical prices, not realising that as prices rise, so will
they never again be able to buy back into the land they once owned and thought of so little worth. I hope they don't repeat the same mistakes in Cuba.
In Sardinia's north-east there sits the physically beautiful seaside paradise of the Costa Smeralda. It used to be a barren land, but blessed by nature with what was able to be turned into a relatively deep yacht haven at Porto Cervo. The Aga Khan bought a massive swathe of this coastline and, armed with very tight planning regulations designed by his Consortium, went on to produce the most spectacular homes - all low - you ever saw. Hotels there are out of this world - the Pitrizza and Cala de Volpe are two (we were able to afford to buy some drinks in the latter during a couple of trips; thanks, Mr Client!) - and the actual coastline has rocks reminiscent of the Seychelles.
But you might not know that this development turned out to be a spectacular and unexpected blow on behalf of women's rights. Now, this may perhaps be apocryphal, but I'm informed that before the Khan came sailing in, the coastline was considered to be of minimal worth, and 'twas the daughters of rural families who were bequeathed it, their brothers getting the better, and more valuable grazing lands futher away from the sand, sea and salty air. Yes! So maybe there is divine justice and God could well be a she. I think I'd rather like that.
I also kinda like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e92xQpoXicSweet rock?
Rob
