Greed and Poverty
I find the stereotype that we’re a greedy nation, because we own many of the world’s resources a strange one sometimes. Often projects like band aid, comic relief and Make Poverty History seem to try to guilt-trip us into investing in their product, as if it’s our fault the world is so unequal and that we need to give money to help address this balance. In other words, if we give our money the scales will even out and everyone in the world then ends up well off.
I realise this is not the intention of such projects, indeed they are simply looking for donations and trying to show that investing will make a big difference. I also would never deny that there is truly a huge gulf in wealth worldwide between the rich and the poor. However, it’s the individualistic attitude and blame culture I object to, which I feel charities and projects exploit for their own interests. After all, though charities wish to appear vocational, it must be remembered that they’re still a cut and thrust business competing with lots of other companies trying to brainwash us into splashing the cash. Our blame though seems to me grossly unfair sometimes though and this obvious attempt to sway me often puts me off getting out my wallet and giving Terry Wogan a call.
First of all, it seems to me that no amount of money-shifting can make a quick and permanent difference to poverty in the third-world as their poverty is based on industry and economy in the country. Thus, even if an over-paid footballer did give all their money to Moreover, Fair Trade, a process of artificially raising prices for goods from those countries, could mean that companies may be forced to turn to alternative sources to keep up with supply, because of competition, and demand and isn’t really sustainable. Moreover, much of the extra profit given with Fair Trade may not necessarily go to the people that are really suffering, but to the industries instead. Simply not buying imported products will cause a collapse in the economy and disaster. The reason we are so well off, seems more to be a by-product of the British Empire than any real day to day faults.
Moreover, many people in Britain don’t seem to be too selfish. Whilst looking for jobs, I came across the charity sector and found it very competitive, and in one of the world’s largest charities it seems virtually impossible to even find a paid vacancy and the website has reached the point where they are asking surfers not to send in a CV to express their interest. In other large charities there’s more applicants for jobs than the companies can use or afford. The simple truth is that British people are constantly looking to give back to the community, but that there often isn’t the opportunity. Moreover, millions upon millions of pounds are given by the British public to charities on an annual basis. I would say, only a small minority of people don’t care about other people in the world in the midst of their wealth, though it may be fair to point out that many can lose perspective in the stress (as if I know the meaning of the word!) of our day to day routines.
I am not for a moment using this blog to try and tell people not to give to charities, as they can make a real difference in the world and this is worth the donations. What I am advocating is a guilt-free type of giving. After all, a gift feels better when it’s freely given.
