Poverty- 2 Articles

In the article "Live Free and Starve" Divakaruni discusses how the United States interfering with third world countries child labor may be making the child's life worse even though it was a good intention. The United States may have been starving the children when they prevented imports from countries with child labor. Divakaruni talks about a boy that came to work for her family when she was little because his family did not have enough money to support him. She says, "The uncle explained to my mother that Nimai's parents were too poor to feed their several children, and while his brother were already working in the fields and earning their keep, Nimai was too frail to do so." If her family had not allowed Nimai to work for her family then he may have died because his family could not support him. Although this is not a desirable life it may have been better than starving. Divakaruni says, it is wrong for America to take other countries situations into their own hands when they do not know much about it at all. She says, "It is easy for us in America to make the error of evaluating situations in the rest of the world as though they were happening in this country and propose solutions that make excellent sense- in the context of our society." She believes that the United States should let other countries handle their own problems and we should not try to jump in.

Singer however has a totally different opinion on a similar subject. He discusses in "The Singer Solution to World Poverty" that Americans should be giving money and trying as hard as they can to help other countries in poverty. He criticizes Americans for spending all their money on unnecessary things and not helping save lives in other countries. He uses an example from a book about a man that lets a kid get killed by a train instead of letting the train hit his expensive car. He says, "The child is killed . For many years to come, Bob enjoys his Bugatti..." He emphasizes Americans spending saving on useless things and not bothering to save lives. "Whatever you're spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be given away." Singer wants to persuade readers to send all of their money in to help people in poverty.

Both authors are trying to help the poor but in two different ways. They have two completely different opinions. I agree more with Singers opinion but, I don't believe that we should cut off all of our extra luxuries, that is too much to ask. Also not all people have money to contribute. By sending money into an organization you are interfering with their country but not directly. I believe that it is a good idea to help the poor by sending in a few dollars. I do believe that I have a bias toward this opinion because I have heard of charities and I see commercials about the poor and helping them. I however have never heard of the opinion to not help them at all and to let the countries deal with it themselves.