Duty to Feeding the Poor

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Duty to Feeding the Poor

Thomas W. Pogge in Eradicating Systemic Poverty: Brief For A Global Resources Dividend provides that a substantial number of the world population live under inconsiderable poverty conditions around the world. In this article, the author highlights the growing levels of poverty in the world. In addition, he notes that poverty has an effect on a large of number of people in terms of limiting their access to basic commodities and services. The lack of adequate nutrition, lack of safe water, lack of basic sanitation , lack of basic healthcare services , lack of shelter among others form some of the main deficiencies that are brought about by extreme poverty. He notes that it contributes both directly and directly to a third of all deaths around the world despite being avoidable.

Global poverty levels provide both moral and ethical challenges to a world that is increasingly becoming dependent on one another because of globalization and advancements in technology. The moral challenges exist in the form of abetting the injustice of impoverishment of others in our society and the failure of the society towards fulfillment of its moral duty in providing to those in poverty. The moral considerations of the positive formulation towards providing help to the poor may be considered by some as discretionary and weak. In addition, others feel the need to provide help to causes of their choice rather than providing help to strangers. Using such perspectives, the author evaluates if the existing levels of global poverty are because of social violation of a negative duty (Pogge 61).

The author categorizes the poor in that he defines some as living in absolute poverty, others living in relative poverty. In addition, he continues to note that the inequality existing in the world is impervious (Pogge 6). This is due to the lack of ability of the poor to help those in similar conditions of poverty as well as a lack of understanding of life in poverty for those who may be considered as well off. In addition, inequality in the world can be avoided whereby those living in well off conditions can provide support to those living in poverty conditions. Poverty affects all aspects of life such as climate, beauty and high culture among other considerations. In essence, one can assume a similar position as to the one provided by the author, that global poverty is an exemplary illustration of widespread inequalities around the world (Pogge 63).

The modern society could be termed as a result of the three grounds of justice as provided by the author. Firstly, the institutional order imposed by the well off in society upon the worse off in the society, is all but a means of sustaining the status quo. This can be termed as a means of exercising power towards ensuring constant benefit for the well off at the expense of the poor. Secondly the institutional order exercised by the rich results in the multiplication of deep-seated inequality. Such institutional order could be provided with an alternative towards elimination of the inequality levels. Thirdly, the deep-seated inequality is untraceable to any social factors such as natural disasters or disability, which means that inequality, has differing effects on different people (Pogge 64).

The existing levels of global poverty are outcomes of the first condition set out by the author, the presence of an institutional order that exerts the status quo between the rich and the poor. The current global community is made up of territorial domains that are linked through aspects such as diplomacy and international trade. Such results in the growth of the divide between the rich and the poor of the world through activities such as sex tourism, global trade, investments, loans, culture exports and military aid among other activities. The poor depend upon the rich in terms of consumption choices, the price of the commodities they consume and the availability of employment opportunities. According to the author, the rich are responsible for the continued misery and poverty levels experienced by people around the world (Pogge 66).

It is agreeable that the rules that govern international interactions between states contribute to the growing levels of global poverty. The developed nations are largely to blame for such occurrences given that they influence activities such as trade, exchange rates, loans to developing nations and other factors that sustain of the status quo in world poverty. Social institutions as provided in the second ground for justice are also contributing factors towards the growth in the levels of world poverty. On the other hand, some argue that global poverty is largely determined by local factors in different regions such as political instability, high illiteracy levels and corruption. Thus, global poverty is not attributable to incidences such as inclined world trade and resources (Pogge 67).

For instance, some countries in Africa such as Congo and Angola have huge deposits of resources that could result in the development of a world-class country. However, their respective populations continue to languish in poverty for reasons that have not been understood by the world. Hence, we can assume that global poverty or poverty in countries is attributable to the various local factors such as social institutions, corruption, lack of appropriate governance structures and inadequate political will. However, the author also notes that local factors such as the ones identified are as a result of the global order.

The global order contributes to the sale of international arms to the developing countries some of which are marked by instability in exchange for their vast resources. This is an excellent example of an existing global order established by the developed world as a means of maintaining the status quo between the rich and poor from an international context. Bribery to government officials in the developing world by rich governments for access to resources is an indication of the role of institutional order towards sustaining the divide between the rich and the poor. The rich and the poor in this context are between rich countries or developed nations and the developing countries.

Thus, do we individually have an obligation to feed the hungry? Individually, we have duties to help if we are in positions that provide us with an ability or advantage to benefit those who can be termed as less fortunate. However, much of the responsibility lies within social institutions to provide avenues to easing the inequality that exists in our societies. In addition, the growing levels of poverty can be termed as effects of both international and local factors that contribute towards inequality around the world. Poverty is relative to issues such as hunger, malnutrition given that it highlights the lack of access to privileges that are easily accessible to others in the society, the rich (Pogge 69).

Furthermore, we can agree with the author that the existing social institutions are largely to blame for poverty levels and its effects such as hunger, disease and crime. The growth in inequality is highlighted by the radical poverty evident in a majority of developing nations around the world. It is an indication that poverty is not limited local factors but extends to international factors that influence the poverty levels in the developing world. In addition, the growing levels of inequality will continue to widen as a result of the need by the rich to protect their interests and increase their respective statuses in the society at the expense of the poor.

In conclusion, the article provides an accurate insight into the widening levels of inequality between the world’s rich and the world’s poor. In addition, occurrences such as rampant drug trade across continents, illegal immigration, pollution, climate change, terrorism, military invasions are all examples of the role of deep-seated inequality on an international context. Such inequalities are replicated and extended in local contexts resulting in intense corruption, extreme poverty, disease, dilapidated infrastructure among other examples.

Work Cited

Pogge, Thomas W. ‘Eradicating Systemic Poverty: brief for a global resources dividend.’ Journal of Human Development, 2, 1 (2001): 59-77. Print.