Globalization creates many positive trends, connecting people around the world. However, it also has its drawbacks: the intertwining of the economies of different countries makes income differences more noticeable. In this regard, the equity issue concerning global poverty is particularly acute. On the one hand, according to some world leaders, helping the poor is a moral imperative for all (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2018). However, the dilemma is how ethical and fair it is to demand direct assistance from each person. This video blog aims to discuss this thesis and analyze this problem.
The main essence of this dilemma lies in the massive difference between people’s living standards in different countries. In theory, one middle-class person in a developed country can significantly help the poor without substantial losses. However, from my perspective, such rhetoric does not allow to establish justice and negatively affects the ordinary population. First, assistance can mean not only the direct transfer of funds or goods. People can also respond to such problems by becoming socially active and increasing awareness (Thomas & McGarty, 2018). In addition, direct donations can even be harmful by creating a dependent situation for the poor. Thus, the very existence of such a dilemma has severe consequences for society. Global poverty is heightened worldwide since there are no precise mechanisms for assistance, and the moral pressure on ordinary community members is also increasing.
From my perspective, to solve this dilemma, it is necessary to address the ethics of structures and systems rather than individuals. It is worth noting that even the poverty definition system itself is not ideal, as it does not consider social effects (Ravallion, 2019). In addition, the current economic imbalance is primarily driven by historical processes such as colonization and exploitation (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2018). As a result, the simple will of the people cannot significantly change this situation. For any significant reform to occur, structural changes are needed, which must begin with a clear definition of global poverty (Ravallion, 2019). The main focus and calls for ethics should be directed at world leaders and corporations and not at ordinary people, which are imputed with a sense of guilt. Unfortunately, a significant obstacle to such global reforms is that many economic systems are based on the concept of inequality and exploitation. Therefore, among other things, it is necessary to expose these injustices, calling on the designated systems to comply with ethics.
References
MacKinnon, B., & Fiala, A. (2018). Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Ravallion, M. (2019). On measuring global poverty. National Bureau of Economic Research. Web.
Thomas, E. F., & McGarty, C. (2018). Giving versus acting: Using latent profile analysis to distinguish between benevolent and activist support for global poverty reduction. British Journal of Social Psychology, 57(1), 189-209. Web.