Why do we talk about money when we are talking about ending poverty? Do we have enough resources (natural resources) to end poverty? If so, then those resources should be utilized to end poverty. Instead of giving the third world billions of dollars why not give them technology and expertise to utilize their own resources? But, we ( the powerful and wealthy) won't because we want them dependent on the dollar. How does money solve anything? Money might help an honest charity make a difference but this difference is only short term not long term. But such a charity needs money not because money itself feeds or help. It needs money to buy the resources that feed and help that are owned buy someone else. If free access to natural resources existed then poverty will be nonexistent.
Poverty cannot be eliminated. Sorry. There is no means avaible to humans to give everyone equal access to resources, it's kindof absurd when you think about it... You'd need replicator technology ala star trek TNG.
I greatly disagree, there are more than enough resources in this world to take care of everyone and beyond. If we just eliminate capitalistic waste that is more than enough. Our existing economic system is systemically designed to oppress, exploit and impoverish the majority in the interest of a minority. Our forebears freed us from political oppression and exploitation now we have to free ourselves economically. The economic system of the world needs to be controlled democratically.
Poverty could be eliminated if those at the top wanted it. It could easily be eliminated. They don't, and that's why we have poverty. Most people don't even know the reasons behind third-world poverty, which was largely created by Western corporate and economic exploitation. If you don't believe me, read the New York Times Bestseller, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, by John Perkins.
Well money can end poverty, but it's more complicated then that. I'll mostly be talking about Africa, because it is the poorest continent, but the same is true with most cases of poverty. Africa is given a lot of aid money. Africa has been given many times what European nations were given to rebuild under the Marshall plan. What the worlds given in aid, hasn't been used to give Africa the infrastructure they need for a vibrant economy. In actuality the money we take from African people thourgh subsidies is more then what we give them for aid. The aid we do give, has been largely given to the occuping government, which in the worst cases has been used for them to hire militias to commit horrible slaughters. There are several other effects which make Africa particularlly poor, such as destabilizing effects of colonializm which can lead to tribal wars, and hostile land redistribution, and the effects of HIV. We can't just give them vast amounts of money, because we don't know how to spend it all wisely. Just like we can't dump food on Them. Food dumping deflates the prices of crops meaning that farmers can't sell their food. Food aid is good for emergencies, but very bad for normal conditions. Dumping money could also deflate currencies and have negative effects on most traders, and it's likely the money would end up in a lot of pockets. Lifting Africa out of poverty means investing in African industries and helping the African Union reslove conflicts, while fighting the spread of diseases in Africa, and helping to elliminate most export subsidies. These things along with funds to rebuild war torn areas like the Democratic Republic of Congo will help combat global poverty. Theres certainly no 1 step solution. Fighting poverty and dispora around the world should be amongst the cheif concerns in the 21st century.
And their are enough resources to ensure massive increases in the quality of life for everyone in the world. It'll require some work and change to existing infrastructre, but theirs certainly more then abundent resources. If you want to look at food, Africa is a good axample. Almost nobody in Africa starves because their isn't enough food in their country. Africa has amongst the largest agricultural sectors in the world.
Most of it goes to emergency food aid, which isn't the kind of aid Africa needs to develop a sustainable economy, although considering the dire situation in places where their are many refugees, we shouldn't cut food aid any. http://www.brookings.edu/views/articles/rice/20050627tableI.pdf
Money is a man made illusion, the only NOUN that can actually stop poverity is HUMAN BEINGS. The fact MONEY means anything is ridiculously absurd. How dose a element such as copper/sliver equal value? How dose a combination of linen, cotton, Red and blue synthetic fibers equal value? How insane is logic of money? We might as well strip our mattresses, slit our pillow cases, and steal our mothers red & blue silk threads. It's as if Humanity makes up these stupid rules as we go along. It's as if humans invite struggle. HI STRUGGLE, right this way...... mother nature's a WHORE and MONEY is our way of compensating her!
No doubt. Money only exists to exploit and oppress the majority in the interest of a minority(some elite.)
No. Money is debt because it's printed out of thin air with nothing backing it. It's worth nothing more than the paper it's printed with. Paper money is fiat money. So money is not money at all -- it's debt. The real money, which is gold, was looted from us years ago by the banksters. They took our gold and gave us paper instead.
Look, money is only as valuable as people perceive it to be (and the same goes for gold, silver, etc.)-gold doesn't have any more intrinsic value than anything else-it's just how much value people attribute to it that gives it any value at all. The fact is that the American dollar is one of the most stable and respected currencies on earth. You can pay for anything anywhere on earth with it-when Saddam Hussein was captured, he had a suitcase full of American cash, not Iraqi dinars. If the people that said that unlinking the American dollar to gold would ruin the economy were right, the country's economy would have fallen apart ages ago.
Are you referring to today or 10-15 years ago? If it was one of the most respected currencies, countries would not be dropping it in favor of the much more respected Euro. Do you even have a clue how much the Dollar has devalued over the past few years? Give me the facts. Not sentences taken from USA Today or something the teacher told you back in high school.
Look, I was talking about the whole business of linking the dollar to gold-you missed my point anyway. I'm not saying the dollar hasn't had its ups and downs, and I don't get my info from civics class or USA Today, thank you very much. And the dollar has never been 'devalued', like a lot of other currencies have. Devaluation of a currency and fluctuation in value are two very different things, if you don't mind.