Is poverty our problem?
Why should we act to help save the poor? Poverty is not our problem; it is theirs. What can the poor do to us, or for us? How can politicians ask the public to give more for Africa when the public is already feeling squeezed economically?
When discussing aid and Africa you will most certainly have people, usually cynics (all too many nowadays), ask these questions.
In my second post about aid and Africa I will give some reasons (out of many) why we should help save the poor. Like in my first post I will use the U.S. as an example.
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Many Americans do not see economic assistance (development aid) as having much to do with national security. Instead they have put their faith (a bit too much faith if you ask me..) in the military. To give you an example of how much they trust in their military the United States was spending thirty times more on military ($450 billion) than foreign assistance ($15 billion) in 2004. Four years later, with the ongoing and expanding war on terrorism, not only have these numbers sky-rocked (the Iraq war alone has cost the U.S. more than a trillion dollars!), but many civilians have been killed and the suffering is global.
Americans overestimate the amount of funding spent on aid by 2400 %
The decision to back military rather than other approaches to international relations is the result of several mistaken ideas. One of these is the belief that we are already doing all that we can do to help the poor. This idea is not only false but embarrassing! It is all too common (not only in America) that the public overestimates the amount of federal funds spent on foreign aid. A survey made a couple years ago reported that Americans, on average, believed that foreign aid accounts for 20 percent of the federal budget, some twenty-four times the actual figure(!!).
Another ludicrous idea is the widespread view that the U.S. military can achieve security for Americans even in the absence of a stable world. This is the same mistake that led Americans to believe they would be greeted as liberators in Baghdad and that the capture and execution of Saddam Hussein would stop Iraqi violence.
Thus, putting too much faith in the military is not only a risky business but a proven path for mistakes and economic disaster. Instead we should invest this money in economic development aid and we will gain plenty, I will give you an example.
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Too little support for economic development has caused many failed states in Africa
Many are the countries in Africa who suffer from economic failure: an economy stuck in a poverty trap, banking crisis, debt default, or hyperinflation. As if that was not bad enough these failures often lead to state failure as well, state failure being any of the following (according to the State Failure Task Force): revolutionary war, ethnic war, genocide, politicide, or adverse or disruptive regime change. Throughout history failed states have created problems not only for themselves, but also for the rest of the world. The failed states are breeding grounds for violence, terrorism, international criminality, mass migration, refugee movements, drug trafficking, and disease. In other words, by reducing the number of failing economies the developed world would not only help prevent gross human rights violations but save a lot of money on military assistance in these states.
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To answer the questions above: Poverty is indeed our problem, if we do not act to eradicate it it will most certainly continue to cause widespread suffering and put further pressure on the global community. The safety of global society, the value of our countries’ promises, the lives and rights of millions of women and children, and the meaning and moral worth of our civilization depends a great deal on the aid we give.
Furthermore, the 0.7 percent of GNP spent on foreign aid will not hurt that much after all. Jeffery Sachs (The End of Poverty) gives two great ideas for achieving this without “squeezing” the economy any further. The first one will transfer parts of the overgrown military budget to the agenda of global security through economic development. The second will call on the richest of the rich to do their part. Considering the top 400 highest-income Americans have a yearly income of $69 billion ($12 billion more than Nigeria’s, Botswana’s, Senegal’s and Uganda’s GDP’s combined or about 161 million people!) they can comfortably make such a contribution to what is, ultimately, a win-win situation.
This is our generations unique moment to secure global well being, we should be damn sure to make good use of this opportunity.
– Kajsa, Admin Twende Twende
admin.twende.twende@gmail.com
