Robbing the Rich to Give to the Poor

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Robbing the Rich to Give to the Poor

Poverty has conquered nations around the world, striking the populations down through disease and starvation. Small children with sunken eyes are displayed on national television to remind those sitting in warm, luxiourious houses that living conditions are less than tolerable around the world. Though it is easy to empathize for the poor, it is sometimes harder to reach into our pocketbooks and support them. No one desires people to suffer, but do wealthy nations have a moral obligation to aid poor nations who are unable to help themselves? Garrett Hardin in, "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping The Poor," uses a lifeboat analogy to expose the global negative consequences that could accompany the support of poor nations. Hardin stresses problems including population increase and environmental overuse as downfalls that are necessary to consider for the survival of wealthy nations. In contrast, Peter Singer's piece, "Rich and Poor," remarks on the large differences between living conditions of those in absolute poverty with the wealthy, concluding that the rich nations possess a moral obligation to the poor that surpasses the risks involved. Theodore Sumberg's book, "Foreign Aid As Moral Obligation," documents religious and political views that encourage foreign aid. Kevin M. Morrison and David Weiner, a research analyst and senior fellow respectively at the Overseas Development Council, note the positive impact of foreign aid to America, a wealthy nation. Following the examination of these texts, it seems that not only do we have a moral obligation to the poor, but aiding poor nations is in the best interest of wealthy nations.

Hardin's graphic depiction of a lifeboat wi...

... middle of paper ...

...e taken seriously, it is important to consider the arguments in the appropriate context. They are global concerns in which every nation needs to cooperative to improve conditions. As humans, however, we all have moral obligations to help those around us who are living in conditions of suffering and misery.

Bibliography:

Bibliography

Hardin, Garrett. "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping The Poor." Taking Sides, Moral Issues. (Dushkin/McGraw Hill: Guilford, 1998), pp344-351.

Morrison, Kevin M. and David Weiner. "Declining Aid Spending Harms U.S. Interests." http://www.odc.org/commentary/cbpprpt.html.

Singer, Peter. "Rich and Poor." Taking Sides, Moral Issues. (Dushkin/McGraw Hill: Guilford, 1998), pp 334-343.

Sumberg, Theodore A. Foreign Aid As Moral Obligation? (Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, Inc.,1973), pp 1-5.

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