9 of 10

Write now Article Tools

World Poverty and How to Deal With IT

There is little question about the existence of poverty in the world, especially in the developing nations also known as the third world. There is debate even though there seems to be little reason for it, about poverty in the developed industrial nations. In order to eliminate poverty in the world at large, several steps must be taken. The first step toward reducing and eliminating poverty is to eliminate our denial that it exists. The next step is to identify the causes of poverty and seek answers and solutions to those causes. Next, we have to address the real problems that are behind poverty. Finally a proactive solution must be implemented to eliminate current poverty and to prevent poverty from occurring. None of this is easy, especially if we remain in denial about poverty, especially at home and by implication, abroad.

Poverty in the third world is directly linked to our attitudes at home in the developed nations of the US, Canada, Europe and Japan. Many people foster negative attitudes toward the poor and this is not helped by mainstream media reports that the poor got that way through addiction to alcohol or drugs or that they are mentally disturbed or handicapped. During the Reagan and Clinton eras in the US, there was a drive to "end welfare as we know it." Canada followed rapid suit. This ended up placing a lot of people on the streets as they had little or no opportunity to obtain gainful employment or to start a business, especially if they were identified as a member of an undesirable minority. There were and are no micro-loans in the developed nations. The millions saved in eliminating the social safety net were funneled into the industrial-military machine that funded wars abroad in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Wars are expensive and generate poverty through plunder and destruction. Money that could have been spent on developing opportunities abroad in the developing nations, were instead put into military hardware and personnel to enforce the policies of the US and other aggressive nations. The policies were simple, to secure the resource base and strategic locations regardless of the cost to local populations. There is "no money" for the people who need it, but plenty for the security of resources and strategic locations that is paid out to the military. Indeed, there is a black budget that is furtively operating that is used to fund highly experimental and top secret technology. Denial

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Taking concrete actions to help the third world?
We want to hear your view. Write now!