poverty

[The Stranger]

can we please stick to a moral point of view :D Does it matter if you help someone on the other side of the globe, or someone nearer. If we do have to help people overcome their poverty, does that count only for our neighbours/fellow citizens or people in the country, or on the globe?

What the best way to help is, is an interesting discussion but not one I want discuss here. Allthough like someone said before, you can argue that the scale is too big for individuals to make a difference and that it has to be organised on a bigger scale. Its something I believe as well.

[Idaho]

Your question assumes that we should give something for people to overcome poverty, when what we really need to do is stop taking and making ourselves richer. Our wealth is the product of people's poverty.

[The Stranger]

Your question assumes that we should give something for people to overcome poverty, when what we really need to do is stop taking and making ourselves richer. Our wealth is the product of people's poverty.

No it doesnt, i'm not asking for solutions, just asking if we have an obligation. And if it is established that we do have that obligation then we can discuss how best to fullfill it. Whether that is by stop getting richer or making other people richer that is for then for that discussion. (although i do agree with you, we can only be as rich in the west because other people are as poor somewhere else)

[rory_20_uk]

I'd go with no.

Enlightened self interest is the best place to start. Sure, it doesn't work in all cases, but it is a good place to start.

[HoreTore]

I'd go with no.

Enlightened self interest is the best place to start. Sure, it doesn't work in all cases, but it is a good place to start.

And as it is in our own self-interest to get people out of poverty, we should.

The richer they become, the richer we become.

[rory_20_uk]

And as it is in our own self-interest to get people out of poverty, we should.

The richer they become, the richer we become.

Based upon what exactly?

[Vladimir]

Based upon what exactly?

Ideology.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

As a Catholic, I believe that I have a moral obligation to help others in need. Scripture suggests this, and I view such good works as an expression of faith.

I personally prefer to focus most of my charitable efforts locally -- it is good for myself and my children to help out others in our own region (and the reminder that other's have it worse than I and that I should be thankful isn't a bad thing to remember either).

I disagree more or less completely with the means suggested explicitly above by Horetore and implicitly by Idaho.



There are approximately 114,500,000 households in the USA; with a total wealth of roughly $58 trillion. By household that would be a robust average of a little over $506k.

Per person, however, that's $186,500 or so. Such a per person nest egg would generate an annuitized income of 17,471.09 per person per annum from age 62 to 87 presuming an 8% return on the principal during the annuity payout. This is sufficient for one person to survive at about the 19th income percentile.

Full wealth distribution should allow everyone to subsist at a lifestyle equivalent to the highest rungs of the lower class/lowest rungs of the middle class by current definitions.

These numbers are, of course, for the relatively wealthy United States. Figures such as these would vary around the world, as would the poverty "line."