Poverty is a general problem, but the tendency to help those who are in need is constantly increasing today. The number of countries that appear to seek some help is also growing day in and day out. Consequently, there is always someone, who is to help and give a helping hand. America is being internationally acknowledged as one of the most helping countries in both money respect and in the respect of the living perspective, as Rebecca Anne states “American public talk about caring for poor people—in government and in the media—tends to be highly moralistic.” (Anne, ix). Thus, the immigration flow is huge in the USA, and the sums of money donated to miscellaneous charity programs are also astronomic. Mostly, these are the religious organizations, philanthropist philosophers, which assembling the crowds of people urge people to donate to the poor countries (the so-called countries of the third world). Having reached some point at donating money, there appeared some people, opposing the tendency to donate and they forth arguments for why people, living in more fortunate countries in general, and Americans in particular should not really be so concerned about the poor. The second group calls the people upon the clear reasoning, while thinking about donations. Both approaches, namely the philanthropist and the one denying it have to do with the questions of today, bringing up important issues being connected both to America and to Sacramento.
The awareness that the philanthropist help should have its limits is understood, as someday, the lifeboat (Hardin), which saves or tries to save so many lives in the countries of the third world, might overturn and Americans will drown as well as the rest of the people, whom they tried to save. Sacramento, however, does not seem to take any attention to this call, organizing miscellaneous charity programs to help, give and donate, taking the first rates at the charity websites (National Charity League, web page) This tendency interlaces its ideas with the other approach to the question of donation, taken after the famous philanthropist Peter Singer. The donations should be done, even must be done by the people, who are more fortunate as rending the air, condemning some other people’s deeds, we are not better at all, as we do not donate enough to save lives, moreover, we spend the money for the luxuries, like modern clothes, hi-tech etc. According to the statistics, Americans earning $ 50,000 spend only $30,000 for the necessities. (Singer, 60). So, why not spend some $ 20,000 for the charity to prevent someone’s death? These two approaches have both their pros and their cons. While, the approach of not donating Hardin seems to be more or less reasonable, or even misanthropic or cruel to other nations, the approach chosen by Singer seems to be very philanthropic to the other nations but cruel to himself and his own compatriots. The word “cruel” has rather a connotative meaning here as it seems to some people, got used to the amenities to give them up, enjoying the necessities only.
Then it comes to the point of the long-term thinking. The above mentioned approaches are having different objectives concerning today and tomorrow. As the first one cries to see what is going to happen tomorrow if we do not think about it today. As Hardin puts it in his article, “But we must begin the journey to tomorrow from the point where we are today. We cannot remake the past.” (Hardin). He states the data of birth rate for the countries, counting years ago what might happen if this or that happens today. Meanwhile, the second approach is not concerned with the future as the poverty is a need of today and when tomorrow comes, it will be the time to reflect about it. The so-called up today thinking of the second approach is revealed in Sacramento’s trials to save the world. They are so wide-ranging, that sometimes they seem to be exaggerated. The two approaches, used in the sphere of donation are differently oriented means. One is concerned about tomorrow, the other about today. It might be said, that today is as important as tomorrow, as while we live in today, our grandchildren will live in tomorrow. But, we should not run to an extreme, thinking only about today or tomorrow.
Next, it is an important point to understand, to know the limit between feeding the people in need, and cultivate spongers. The first approach is very aware in this response, as it gives dry facts to be analyzed. A person, using this approach is a pennywise person, though sometimes a greedy one, who is making an excuse not to give money away. Hardin states in his article that ”each country is solely responsible for its own well-being, poorly managed ones will suffer. But they can learn from experience. They may mend their ways, and learn to budget for infrequent but certain emergencies.” (Hardin) The second approach is not pennywise, as it does not keep track of counting money donated. Peter Singer writes “I always thought, ‘Why that much — why not more?”‘ This call to give all you have would cause a disorder the countries being helped. The bureaucracy of the countries of the third world is quite understandable and having received big money, they are most likely to waste them. The point is that large sums of money, donated by kind people like Peter Singer most commonly will not reach the target, as it is understood that those rich ones will give more if asked. The approach of Sacramento is a Biblical approach, which says “help your brother”, but are these organizations really helping, corrupting the spiritual state of poor people. Giving them more they need cultivates the so-called idleness, toadying. Moreover, using this very approach the helping organization goes for easy popularity. Instead of thinking, of the responsibility of each country, and not giving anything or about one’s own responsibility and giving so much that it might corrupt people, it should be a more reasonable choice to give, but not give over.
Poverty is an international problem of today, which needs some reasonable solutions. In this respect, many countries went ahead, with America leading, giving the countries of the third world their helping hand. Miscellaneous funds, charity programs, organized collect astronomic sums of money to help those who are in need. Still, the approach of donation is somehow being objected today. Moreover, different arguments are being stated to make people stop giving their money away. Both approaches have their right to exist, as they both have some pros and cons. Firstly, while non-Sacramento approach tends not to give money, the Sacramento one insists upon giving, secondly, the first approach is concerned about tomorrow, while the second one tends to think more about today’s needs. And finally, while non-Sacramento refuses to take the responsibility, which lays on each separate country, the Sacramento one breeds spongers. Mixing some principles of the first and the second approach might bring the new better tendency to life. Sacramento is to think it over.
Works Cited
- Allahyari, Rebecca Anne. Visions of Charity: Volunteer Workers and Moral Community. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2000.
- Charity Guide. “Sacramento charities guide find a charity to donate or volunteer” 2008.
- Garrett Hardin. “Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor” Psychology Today, 1974
- National Charity League. Inc. “Welcome to the National Charity League – Sacramento Chapter.” 2008.
- Peter Singer. “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” The New York Times Magazine, 1999