Sunday, January 31, 2016

A Single Solution to World Poverty?


In Peter Singer’s “Singer’s Solution to World Poverty,” he suggests that people need to consolidate their belongings into necessities and start giving more to charities and non-profit organizations. The examples he presents are people deciding to save their new and expensive car or saving a child they do not know. I think Singer has a valid argument when he mentions that some people are ignorant and selfish, but at the same time some of his ideas are unrealistic and cannot apply to every person. Not every person has the same surroundings, so the fact that Singer makes the argument that every person should be donating their excess is a little false. Families might need bigger homes to accommodate more people. People might need to eat a little more to work a little longer and harder. I think there are some people that spend too much on unnecessary objects and luxury items. I know that some people are put in awful situations where they have an extremely difficult time getting out of their situation, but what about those who actually put in work so they can live in a more luxurious life. Do those people not get a reward for their success and work? I guess some could argue that those people then know the hardships and should be donating even more to get those people on their feet. I think this argument could go on for a while with many pros and cons. I think the overall thing is that people need to be more conscious of their spending and realize that there are people who are in a worse situation. I think there are too many unanswered questions after Singer’s argument that there isn’t a clear solution to world poverty and I don’t think there will ever be a single solution to the issue. I do like that Singer says everyone is in this dilemma. People having to choose new possessions or helping people. People make that decision consciously and unconsciously and make it everyday. I think people have moments when they realize how fortunate they are, which then they are willing to give up on a possession or idea (but for the most part they do not follow through). While Singer’s idea that people should constantly give money or time to an organization, it is unrealistic and people are unconsciously selfish and too ignorant to donate to those organizations.  

2 comments:

  1. Great Post! I completely agree that there can be no single step. To achieve the ideology tat Singer wants us to itsef requires a multitude of steps. I think that there should be a balance between excess and necessities. Like some excess once everyone is the world has necessities. But great post and I agree that it is kind of imporbable.

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  2. I also liked the way Singer said that everyone with excess is in this same uncomfortable position of deciding how to use their money. I like the more positive and practical solution that you got out of his theories of making the effort to think about what you really need.

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