The Tragedy of Wealth and Poverty

Singer's article, The Singer Solution to World Poverty, in the New York Times Magazine discusses the importance of donating to charities and other humanitarian organizations. Singer says that everyone who can afford to, should donate to help people who are in poverty and life threatening situations. Although Singer's message is one of good intentions, he goes to an untenable extreme. Singer declares that we should not only give, but give up all non-essential enjoyments so that we can give more money to organizations that help people who are in poverty.

The character Gloucester in The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare shares a similar opinion to Singer after he is blinded. In act four scene one, Gloucester gives his purse full of money to Edgar, not realizing it is his own son, because he believes that it is a man who is in poverty. As Gloucester gives Edgar his purse he says "Here, take this purse, thou whom the heavens' plagues have humbled to all strokes. That I am wretched make thee the happier" (73-76). Although Gloucester is not in a great position himself, he still gives his money to Edgar.

Singer's motive and argument is noble and well meant. However, he goes too far when he brings up a fictional story of a man named Bob. In the story Bob must make the decision of saving a young boy from getting hit by a train or his Bugatti. Bob chooses the Bugatti. Singer uses Bob as a metaphor for the need to be unselfish when giving to humanitarian organizations. He then claims that we are hypocritical and no better than Bob if we do not give away all money that is not a necessity to organizations that help save people. Singer claims that even if we give away ten percent of our income every year to charity, that is not enough and we are no better than Bob.

While Singer's proposition to give away everything that is not a necessity sounds great, it is an unrealistic idea. Why? Because it completely counteracts our economic system that motivates people not only to work, but strive to achieve more than their peers so that they can be "better off" and more "financially stable". While it's nice to think humans are perfect, kind, and caring the reality is far from that.

However, Singer is not wrong when he says that we should give. While some of our taxes do go to these organizations, it is far from enough. If we want to live in a society where wealth is directly related to effort then we need to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve.  That means that we do need to donate to charity to help people escape poverty so that they can have similar opportunities those with more wealth have.  But, that does not mean we all give until we are on the edge of poverty.