Give Them All Our Money!

     "Whatever money you're spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be given away". This is Peter Singer's solution to end poverty. The idea itself blares controversy.

      But what if all people had their basic needs? Wouldn't the world be so much better? There wouldn't be any more beggars on the streets, extremely malnutritioned children in impoverished countries, or homeless people downtown. If just the top 1% of the wealthiest people would donate their 'unnecessary' money, a huge chunk of the world's poverty levels would decrease substantially.

      So why aren't the big guys saving the world and covering all the poorer people's expenses? Well, perhaps the most obvious answer is that they don't want to. Some of them have worked hard for their riches and feel they deserve to spend what they have earned on whatever they like. It is not their problem that others cannot provide for themselves. Survival of the fittest, remember?

       Ignoring the many problems with the mindset described above, let's consider Singer's solution. Just because the idea is not practical, it doesn't mean that it fails to function as a solution to the poverty problem. There is no doubt that if everyone on the planet were to donate their extra money, poverty levels would decrease incredibly, and perhaps even vanish. It is what we should do.

        So Singer's solution, while impractical to carry out, is ultimately good at heart, as should be considered for what it is: a solution.