Poverty

[Franconicus]

Thank you to all who voted in the biggest problem poll. You decided that poverty is number one problem of our generation. So let's discuss this. What can be done against it?

[Al Khalifah]

Scrapping the Common Agricultural Policy would be a great start. Deposing some of the corrupt inhumane regimes in the world would also be useful step rather than simply imposing sanctions that only affect the civilian populations. Targetting the causes of poverty would be a far more useful strategy than treating the symtpoms of poverty.

The problem with poverty in Africa is that the aid agencies are trying to solve the whole problem all at once. This just cannot work. Africa is far too big a continent for us to just lay down one big blanket solution all at once. What would be more effective would be to use a domino effect of democracy and aid starting at one end of the continent and sweeping across allowing concentration of effort rather than several half-baked attempts. If the western world focussed on modernising one or two nations at a time, then it would take little time at all with our modern technology and vast resources to create a lasting and powerful legacy in these areas. Using this tidal wave of humanitarian effort, the problems of Africa could be swept away. Establishing a democratic regime in an area surrounded by militaristic autocracies is not effective, as Iraq is in the process of proving and will continue to do so. Giving humanitarian aid in countries that are ruled by inhumane governments does not help the people either, it only strengthens the militaries that bring the poverty and famines.

The problem with this solution is that it won't happen, because the bleeding-heart media and politicians won't provide any solution to a problem that doesn't provide some benefit to everyone at once. While this solution would eradicate poverty in Africa far faster than a tid-bit approach for the whole continent, it would take maybe one or two decades to reach some areas at all.

[doc_bean]

We need to stop sending our excess food over to Africa and South America, competing the local farmers out of competition.

If we do supply food aid, we need to first buy up a significant portion of the locally produced food, to keep prices up.

Countries should be able to decide on protectionistic measures themselves (no third world country can, since that would mean they don't get any first world money anymore, and we'll probably do other things to make their life very hard too)

Countries should be able able to decide what they do with their own natural resources.

No more puppet dictators. Support for democratic regimes and countries that respect human rights.

Special exceptions to IP rights, so that the countries can have access to new technologies/medication. Alternatively, they should be able to create their own IP policy, allowing them to cheaply manufacture medication for use in that country itself.

We shouldn't sell them as many weapons anymore.

[Al Khalifah]

Countries should be able to decide on protectionistic measures themselves (no third world country can, since that would mean they don't get any first world money anymore, and we'll probably do other things to make their life very hard too)

The problem is that this ruling would work both ways. If first world nations were able to introudce all the protectionist measures they wanted, they could cripple third world economies that are often heavily dependant on exports.
If anything, first world protectionism should be produced, especially with regard to manufactured goods. At present, secondary industries in the third world suffer heavily as a result of such measures, forcing them to stick to primary industry which yields significantly lower profit margins and only requires a very basic level of workface education.

[bmolsson]

Create jobs....

[doc_bean]

The problem is that this ruling would work both ways. If first world nations were able to introudce all the protectionist measures they wanted, they could cripple third world economies that are often heavily dependant on exports.

We have quotas on food and (pretty soon again) on textile, some countries have quotas on food. We also support our 'weaker' industries so they can compete with the same industry in different countries through heavy subsidies.

I'm just saying, we should allow everyone to play by the same rules.

[Steppe Merc]

Stop spending money on ways to kill people and give some of that wealth to the poor so they can get up on their feet long enough to aquire a job. Tax the highest percentage of rich more, so more money can be distributed to the poor.