How do you feed them? Uh, and incidentally who are they? I suppose we can send in US troops to ensure that the food is distributed in a fair and just manner. That would solve a lot of problems.
Marc
I don’t think there should be any implied duty for individual donation to the needing and starving. Most of us living in free countries are already making donations through our tax dollars towards alleviating hunger. That said, to answer the OP, in terms of our governments using our tax dollars toward hunger I think our countries should only give aid to countries where the need is caused by natural disaster or some other calamity that has temporarily affected the normal methods of feeding the population. In all other cases, I think it should be left to the countries themselves to provide relief or to remedy bad situations that are perpetuating hunger and poverty.
MGibson, your labor is only valuable within the context of society. If your job is making widgets, and there aren’t any consumers that want widgets, then your labor is worth precisely jack shit. You can’t even do your job without thousands of other people providing you energy and tools and materials and whatever else you need to perform this glorious labor you do. You’re dependent on society for your survival and you do owe something to other people. Arbitrary re-distribution of wealth is happening every day whether you like it or not, and this ‘what’s mine is mine’ bullshit is petty and delusional.
Devil in Disguise: Your criteria is way too narrow and limited.
> Politics and Power are powerful influences that worsen food shortages: We would not have fed the starving in Europe after WWI or WWII if the US used your criteria to feed hungry people. We would not have fed starving Ethiopians during the horrendous droughts which was complicated by the last Emperor’s politics or the communist regimes politics. The list is endless.
> The poor will always be with you: many countries have starving, malnourished people who are unable to produce enough food to feed their families, who are unable to work because they lack the skills, who work long hours and are paid next to nothing. Your criteria means that we shouldn’t help these folks climb out of the cycle of poverty.
> Bum luck hits even the best of us: homelessness is not a big issue in this country right now because the booming economy, but most families are only two - four paychecks away from financial disaster. According to your criteria, there would be no help for folks hit by a family health crisis or personal economic collapse.
> Sometimes most the experts just don’t know what or how to do it: A few years ago immunization rates among children under five in the US were the laughing stock of the developed world. Then someone got the bright idea of using techniques developed in Africa to increase coverage rates here in the US. Lo and behold, rates are looking better and better, fewer kids are getting measles etc.
I agree with you that the best type of development comes directly from the client and not the good hearted samaritan,
however it is a good thing to lend whatever resources that are available to overcome those barriers to development:
malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, illiteracy, lack of small business opportunities/capital, nil access to credit to name a few of the biggies. Those resources can come from you.