The developing world - Millions still need help to survive

THOUGH we face huge issues as we try to sustain our banking sector and restore some semblance of trust in it; though Finance Minister Brian Lenihan’s budget in just two weeks is likely to be more severe than any in living memory, most of us are still better off than our parents were.

We are certainly better off than the vast majority of the world’s population.

We are most certainly better off than the populations of Ethiopia, the Sudan and many other parts of Africa or Asia where survival is the only challenge that matters. As we fret about market liquidity and property values, pension funds, loan-to-deposit ratios and job security, the reality is that we face nothing more than a challenge, no matter how profound, to our lifestyles.