It's easy to feel the heartstring pulled when you see someone who is missing a leg or has an empty belly. But remember, the more the gov't gives, the less charity does. The less charity gives, the more gov't does...and the cycle continues until the gov't is the only charitable institution in America.
It is not the government's responsibility at all to help fight poverty. It is up to Individuals through volunteer work, donations, etc. We are 15 trillion dollars in debt, the highest ever in human history. When a society lives above their means, they are destined to live below their means. In the near future GLOBAL poverty won't be a problem as much as poverty in the United States in general the way things have gone in this Country. The dollar will soon see it's end.
In a Free Society, It is the individual's Responsibility to himself and his family to provide for himself and his family. It also let's individuals seek their excellence and virtue. The reason their is so much poverty is because of our central banking system and the complete lack of honest money(gold and silver). We need to get government out of our lives, let Economic and civil liberties thrive and prosperity for the masses will follow.
Individuals and corporations have the freedom to help. And we already are doing more than any other nation. But it is not our government's responsibility to take care of world poverty my dear.
We are 9 trillion in dedit, we have mass amounts of problems, our infrastructure is deteriorating. I hear that will cost around 2 trillion or in the ballpark. Strongest nation, mybe military wize but economically were not the strongest, the dollar slowly growing weaker on a daly basis. there are alot of poor here with no healthcare, going hungry on a nightly basis. i dont see how you think a third world nation will buy our made in the usa Goods, when we dont even buy our goods Wakeup USA first
That way of thinking is the reason of why there are poor people. Just need more reading. Friederich Hayek, Von Mises... She has the correct will but the wrong information.
The best thing we can do to reduce poverty is to reduce socialism in all its myriad forms. Then Cuba would be as wealthy as Florida and North Korea would be as wealthy as South Korea.
I think that's a good answer; invest in them, but not dump foreign aid into them. Capitalism seems to fix a lot, especially when everyone is out to make a buck. Seems to be the only effective way to motivate people.
Clearly, you have no understanding of poverty. Spend some time yourself working to improve conditions, and when you understand WHAT needs to be done, then come back and moralize to me. Throwing money at poverty just perpetuates it.
The internal affairs of other countries aren't our responsibility. We need to lead by example with a prosperous free market capitalist economy, but just throwing money at poor people in other countries is not the answer. Also, you're hot.
I personally don't believe we should conscript our grandchildren into financial SLAVERY under the ILLUSION that we are the wealthiest nation in the world. We are simply the most in DEBT. POOR people overseas may have 0 money, but we're BILLIONS in the negative. WTF?
Exactly. I can't figure out why everyone needs the government to do everything for them. Why can't people do anything on their own anymore? It seems like people would rather pay more money to the government and let them decide what to do with it, than for those people to just decide what the best way for their money to be spent.
Another sad aspect of 'government helping' is in how they help. In foreign countries needing help, the kind we wind up giving is to send supplies and food - the war lords get ahold of it and blackmail the poor with it. Somehow we constantly assist the mafia crowd. How 'bout that fema operation in New Orleans?
the negativity of some of these comments do not effect the nobility and sense of your cause. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but sometimes it seems like this libertarian stuff uses "freedom" as an excuse for "selfishness." Try not to become jaded by stuff like that. I do realize that the US needs to get all its ducks in a row, and the picture may not be as rosy as Wall Street would have us believe, but I believe the best response would be collective action rather than individual anarchy.
"We" as in YOU do have a responsibility to address poverty. Good news! you can. You should donate money and volunteer to fight poverty. When the government addresses poverty they are doing so with YOUR NEIGHBOR'S money. It is too easy to think that you are doing something good when you wish for the government to do something good (as long as someone else sacrifices for it). This is a spiritually empty notion.
You're right that it is a social problem. Look at the only GM food success story high protein and yield rice in China. It lasted for less than a generation as the population increased to exceed the new food yield. "social problem". On the other side, look at rainbow and food not bombs.. and it doesn't come out of our pocket unless we join or donate.
Please read the Constitution. If you want to join others and address global poverty, I applaud you. I would join you in that effort. However, I would not support and would adamantly oppose government involvement in addressing anything global that is not allowed by the Constitution. RON PAUL for PRESIDENT!
Let me answer this for you.... THE GOVERNMENTS JOB IS TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS. There not suppose to be handing out aid. You cant take peoples tax money and spend it on things they care nothing about.
This is where private organizations come in such as BONO's, Bill gates, Things like the red cross.
If you want to help the world YOU DONATE to some private organization that does this. The government cany juggle all these acts. Its too costly.
We should only use government sparingly, only to prosecute acts of coercion and fraud, and for nothing else. If people want to help the poor, then people should donate, not ask the government to go beyond its proper role as guarantor of liberty, into a more socialist/communist/collectivist entity that violates individuals' economic liberty.
Government should be minimal, because government is coercion. Government functions using force and coercion, and nothing else. It doesn't receive donations from citizens, it coerces taxes from them.
idk if you've been put up to speed on this a hundred times already, but i'll add my input. If you belive you should help peole with poverty, then give money and volunteer. I personally belive we as a country cannont progress if there is no consiquence for failing. Ex. there would be less drop outs if they would starve if they didn't have a good job. Welfare enables poverty and makes it ok.
I agree it is the responsibility of individuals who chose to help others. The government shouldn't steal our tax dollars and give it to someone else. They should let us keep more of our money, and you would see less poverty.
Thanks for all of the comments, it really opened my eyes to how the public sees my point of view. Seeing it again, I do sound very naive about the way the world works, but I definitely enjoyed the discussion of things. A very "each to his own" belief. I must learn all I can about economics. Although I find myself getting more depressed the more I learn about the state of our country's economy. Anyways, Thank you guys again.
Also look into food production and distribution in the USA. Farmers are paid our tax dollars to NOT grow food. I used to work with a group that brought short-dated goods from grocers to soup kitchens, and that ended when the grocers got scared of lawsuits from possible illness.
Erica- I knew you would get a lot of responses from this post, and some of them are pretty tough to hear. I have to say, I'm very impressed with your attitude willingness to listen, and I hope you take it all in stride. People are very passionate about these issues, and somtimes do not display the most diplomatic or empathetic approach. I encourage you only to learn and ask more questions... no one has all the answers, but the truth always wins.
Poverty is best handled by promoting personal responsibility and volunteer activism. RP's solution would first destroy the FEDERAL RESERVE system that is robbing from the poor and middle class thru the inflation tax, income tax, and pretty much all forms of taxation. The key in getting rid of poverty is to stop the insanity of fiat money and replace it with sound money, back by precious metals. Look into the fed's and fiat money, it'll open your eyes to the real truth.
In her defense, I have to admit at her age I didn't know squat about economics. I remember the 70's gas lines, and NYC going broke (literally)..and that sort of gave an intuitive sense that "something ain't right". Now, she has been given direction by all of us to research the economic issues. Recommend she checks what David Walker the US comptroller General has to say.
How did the USA get out of poverty? We didn't start out rich. Why is (or was) the USA different? Was it because we got more Foreign Aid than other countries?
Poverty is the responsibility of everyone, but you can't force people to go along with it. Everyone should fight to end poverty on an individual level.
yeah no need to use negative remarks, she may not understand how our economy effect the world.
We need to be a beacon of light and freedom and lead by example. If we can run a country in freedom successfully China may actually turn from Communism.
The best way to fight global poverty is getting the Dollar at full strength again. Notice how our dollar effects other economies.
If you feel a social responsibility you have full right to use YOUR money to give to charity, but you don't have the right to use other people's money, taken by force, to do so. It's the peoples, not the government's job to do this.
Stop caring for strangers so much that you want to steal other stranger's resources for your cause. Do what you want with your resources and stop telling other people to steal for your cause. It just isn't morally justified!
your instinct to fight poverty is ethical and difficult to disagree with. however, it does not follow that fighting poverty is best left to the apparatus of nation states.
OMG who's money do you intend to use? The governments? Where does government get money? From the PEOPLE and when that's not enough THEY PRINT IT OUT OF THIN AIR.
Child, you need to get an education. Particularly before putting your suggestions in writing or on video.
I agree with the above. Your proposal is beautifully stated, but the laws of economics contradict your method. Printing more green paper tickets does not end poverty. It takes real sacrificing, real capitalism, real education, and real freedom to do that. We've donated hundereds of billions in foreign aide, and yet only 2 countries have ever become independent. Our comptroller says we are in debt $50+ trillion.... people think we are rich, but we are the greatest debtor nation in the world.
You seem like a very nice person, but you need to understand that the US already has to borrow money to pay for the huge federal government we already have in place. With a small federal government, well intentioned people like you can donate money to the poor out of the money you would have otherwise paid in taxes to the federal government. Anyway, the freemarket is the most efficient and fair distributor of goods and services.
for us to try to fix other countries right now would be like a poor man with many gambling debts making an infomercial about how to get rich......yes he will make alot of money off selling a video but in reality he makes nothing cause he is only paying off his gambling debts.....we need to pay off our debts before we can try to help others
good analogy. I would have used confused college student that signed up for 10 credit cards for free t-shirts and then maxed them out. THEN doing an infomercial...
if you think about it we need to fix this country first before we can go fixing other nations and another though is how we are selling more and more of american assets to other countries.....90% of our imports are from china so if we made them into "customers" they would benefit china far more than the U.S.
fix your home before you try to fix someone else's home
Unfortunately, our sense of wealth is an illusion...we are the world's greatest DEBTOR NATION, now to the tune of borrowing $3B/day! There's a bill to pay and it's coming soon. I recommend you google video "the history of oil"...it's excellent.
How thoughtful of you to want to help. I like that we help people and I wish there was a way to help the impoverished without getting the much needed resources we give away into the wrong hands like warlords. As you know gov't is corrupt and inefficient and maybe there's a way to help without them taking control or warlords either.
Hrm.. well considering America is on the verge on going bankrupt, I don't know if we could afford it. We'd have to print more money and borrow more which is already happening and destroying the market.
However, I do know that he'd let the people keep more of their money (abolish income tax, allow opt out of SS, medicare, etc.) so that's a start. We can't fight global poverty till we fix what's going on in America first.
It's easy to feel the heartstring pulled when you see someone who is missing a leg or has an empty belly. But remember, the more the gov't gives, the less charity does. The less charity gives, the more gov't does...and the cycle continues until the gov't is the only charitable institution in America.
jfm874 7 months ago
Atlas Shrug comes to life! It's Wesleyanne Mouch!
CommanderHolland 7 months ago
You couldn't be more wrong...
chris3035 8 months ago
It is not the government's responsibility at all to help fight poverty. It is up to Individuals through volunteer work, donations, etc. We are 15 trillion dollars in debt, the highest ever in human history. When a society lives above their means, they are destined to live below their means. In the near future GLOBAL poverty won't be a problem as much as poverty in the United States in general the way things have gone in this Country. The dollar will soon see it's end.
wmarcus1203 11 months ago
In a Free Society, It is the individual's Responsibility to himself and his family to provide for himself and his family. It also let's individuals seek their excellence and virtue. The reason their is so much poverty is because of our central banking system and the complete lack of honest money(gold and silver). We need to get government out of our lives, let Economic and civil liberties thrive and prosperity for the masses will follow.
wmarcus1203 11 months ago
Individuals and corporations have the freedom to help. And we already are doing more than any other nation. But it is not our government's responsibility to take care of world poverty my dear.
Bristecom 2 years ago
We are 9 trillion in dedit, we have mass amounts of problems, our infrastructure is deteriorating. I hear that will cost around 2 trillion or in the ballpark. Strongest nation, mybe military wize but economically were not the strongest, the dollar slowly growing weaker on a daly basis. there are alot of poor here with no healthcare, going hungry on a nightly basis. i dont see how you think a third world nation will buy our made in the usa Goods, when we dont even buy our goods Wakeup USA first
youngavalanche 3 years ago
That way of thinking is the reason of why there are poor people. Just need more reading. Friederich Hayek, Von Mises... She has the correct will but the wrong information.
meberic 4 years ago
The best thing we can do to reduce poverty is to reduce socialism in all its myriad forms. Then Cuba would be as wealthy as Florida and North Korea would be as wealthy as South Korea.
hankpyro 4 years ago
Eco-socialism is the future.
zk0 4 years ago
How would you propose fixing global poverty?
abortedsoul 4 years ago 5
To invest in third world countries and not hijack them and exploit them..
0m1n0us 4 years ago
I think that's a good answer; invest in them, but not dump foreign aid into them. Capitalism seems to fix a lot, especially when everyone is out to make a buck. Seems to be the only effective way to motivate people.
abortedsoul 4 years ago
stfu pl0x? U seem so indecisive like you don't know wtf u are talking about. Atleast right a script u retard
hmoob7 4 years ago
Clearly, you have no understanding of poverty. Spend some time yourself working to improve conditions, and when you understand WHAT needs to be done, then come back and moralize to me. Throwing money at poverty just perpetuates it.
scottfl007 4 years ago 2
The internal affairs of other countries aren't our responsibility. We need to lead by example with a prosperous free market capitalist economy, but just throwing money at poor people in other countries is not the answer. Also, you're hot.
slypieguy2 4 years ago 2
Maybe poor people overseas should get a credit card and spend their entire country into hoc the way we have? Then they'd be "wealthy" also?
mithra4096 4 years ago 4
I personally don't believe we should conscript our grandchildren into financial SLAVERY under the ILLUSION that we are the wealthiest nation in the world. We are simply the most in DEBT. POOR people overseas may have 0 money, but we're BILLIONS in the negative. WTF?
mithra4096 4 years ago
Poverty IS the responsibility of everyone, you and me. Not the government. The government creates nothing.
beckweth 4 years ago
Exactly. I can't figure out why everyone needs the government to do everything for them. Why can't people do anything on their own anymore? It seems like people would rather pay more money to the government and let them decide what to do with it, than for those people to just decide what the best way for their money to be spent.
c0unterph0bia 4 years ago
Another sad aspect of 'government helping' is in how they help. In foreign countries needing help, the kind we wind up giving is to send supplies and food - the war lords get ahold of it and blackmail the poor with it. Somehow we constantly assist the mafia crowd. How 'bout that fema operation in New Orleans?
beckweth 4 years ago 2
Ahhh the blissfullness of youth when life was all so easy!!
TheKuffarKid 4 years ago
the negativity of some of these comments do not effect the nobility and sense of your cause. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but sometimes it seems like this libertarian stuff uses "freedom" as an excuse for "selfishness." Try not to become jaded by stuff like that. I do realize that the US needs to get all its ducks in a row, and the picture may not be as rosy as Wall Street would have us believe, but I believe the best response would be collective action rather than individual anarchy.
zed4785 4 years ago
"We" as in YOU do have a responsibility to address poverty. Good news! you can. You should donate money and volunteer to fight poverty. When the government addresses poverty they are doing so with YOUR NEIGHBOR'S money. It is too easy to think that you are doing something good when you wish for the government to do something good (as long as someone else sacrifices for it). This is a spiritually empty notion.
letmapeoplego 4 years ago
can you feel it, times are a changing.
ron paul 2008
N0diggityN0doubt 4 years ago
You're right that it is a social problem. Look at the only GM food success story high protein and yield rice in China. It lasted for less than a generation as the population increased to exceed the new food yield. "social problem". On the other side, look at rainbow and food not bombs.. and it doesn't come out of our pocket unless we join or donate.
gesellschaft 4 years ago
Please read the Constitution. If you want to join others and address global poverty, I applaud you. I would join you in that effort. However, I would not support and would adamantly oppose government involvement in addressing anything global that is not allowed by the Constitution. RON PAUL for PRESIDENT!
bbburton 4 years ago
Socialism is bad, for all the reasons listed below and more.
Woodchuckk 4 years ago
Let me answer this for you.... THE GOVERNMENTS JOB IS TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS. There not suppose to be handing out aid. You cant take peoples tax money and spend it on things they care nothing about.
This is where private organizations come in such as BONO's, Bill gates, Things like the red cross.
If you want to help the world YOU DONATE to some private organization that does this. The government cany juggle all these acts. Its too costly.
manOhhman 4 years ago
We should only use government sparingly, only to prosecute acts of coercion and fraud, and for nothing else. If people want to help the poor, then people should donate, not ask the government to go beyond its proper role as guarantor of liberty, into a more socialist/communist/collectivist entity that violates individuals' economic liberty.
RonPauladvocate 4 years ago
Government should be minimal, because government is coercion. Government functions using force and coercion, and nothing else. It doesn't receive donations from citizens, it coerces taxes from them.
RonPauladvocate 4 years ago
idk if you've been put up to speed on this a hundred times already, but i'll add my input. If you belive you should help peole with poverty, then give money and volunteer. I personally belive we as a country cannont progress if there is no consiquence for failing. Ex. there would be less drop outs if they would starve if they didn't have a good job. Welfare enables poverty and makes it ok.
saulksd98 4 years ago
I agree it is the responsibility of individuals who chose to help others. The government shouldn't steal our tax dollars and give it to someone else. They should let us keep more of our money, and you would see less poverty.
ds4081 4 years ago
Thanks for all of the comments, it really opened my eyes to how the public sees my point of view. Seeing it again, I do sound very naive about the way the world works, but I definitely enjoyed the discussion of things. A very "each to his own" belief. I must learn all I can about economics. Although I find myself getting more depressed the more I learn about the state of our country's economy. Anyways, Thank you guys again.
-Erica
ericathesmurf 4 years ago
Also look into food production and distribution in the USA. Farmers are paid our tax dollars to NOT grow food. I used to work with a group that brought short-dated goods from grocers to soup kitchens, and that ended when the grocers got scared of lawsuits from possible illness.
Schmauey 4 years ago
Erica- I knew you would get a lot of responses from this post, and some of them are pretty tough to hear. I have to say, I'm very impressed with your attitude willingness to listen, and I hope you take it all in stride. People are very passionate about these issues, and somtimes do not display the most diplomatic or empathetic approach. I encourage you only to learn and ask more questions... no one has all the answers, but the truth always wins.
Foslopac 4 years ago
Poverty is best handled by promoting personal responsibility and volunteer activism. RP's solution would first destroy the FEDERAL RESERVE system that is robbing from the poor and middle class thru the inflation tax, income tax, and pretty much all forms of taxation. The key in getting rid of poverty is to stop the insanity of fiat money and replace it with sound money, back by precious metals. Look into the fed's and fiat money, it'll open your eyes to the real truth.
jdubincali 4 years ago
In her defense, I have to admit at her age I didn't know squat about economics. I remember the 70's gas lines, and NYC going broke (literally)..and that sort of gave an intuitive sense that "something ain't right". Now, she has been given direction by all of us to research the economic issues. Recommend she checks what David Walker the US comptroller General has to say.
UnderseaCaveman 4 years ago
How did the USA get out of poverty? We didn't start out rich. Why is (or was) the USA different? Was it because we got more Foreign Aid than other countries?
jimrmr 4 years ago
Poverty is the responsibility of everyone, but you can't force people to go along with it. Everyone should fight to end poverty on an individual level.
Chandlerbin2006 4 years ago
yeah no need to use negative remarks, she may not understand how our economy effect the world.
We need to be a beacon of light and freedom and lead by example. If we can run a country in freedom successfully China may actually turn from Communism.
soulmantim 4 years ago 2
The best way to fight global poverty is getting the Dollar at full strength again. Notice how our dollar effects other economies.
If you feel a social responsibility you have full right to use YOUR money to give to charity, but you don't have the right to use other people's money, taken by force, to do so. It's the peoples, not the government's job to do this.
soulmantim 4 years ago
Stop caring for strangers so much that you want to steal other stranger's resources for your cause. Do what you want with your resources and stop telling other people to steal for your cause. It just isn't morally justified!
lordmetroid 4 years ago
your instinct to fight poverty is ethical and difficult to disagree with. however, it does not follow that fighting poverty is best left to the apparatus of nation states.
mi3s3s 4 years ago
OMG who's money do you intend to use? The governments? Where does government get money? From the PEOPLE and when that's not enough THEY PRINT IT OUT OF THIN AIR.
Child, you need to get an education. Particularly before putting your suggestions in writing or on video.
anyusmoon1 4 years ago
I agree with the above. Your proposal is beautifully stated, but the laws of economics contradict your method. Printing more green paper tickets does not end poverty. It takes real sacrificing, real capitalism, real education, and real freedom to do that. We've donated hundereds of billions in foreign aide, and yet only 2 countries have ever become independent. Our comptroller says we are in debt $50+ trillion.... people think we are rich, but we are the greatest debtor nation in the world.
Foslopac 4 years ago
You seem like a very nice person, but you need to understand that the US already has to borrow money to pay for the huge federal government we already have in place. With a small federal government, well intentioned people like you can donate money to the poor out of the money you would have otherwise paid in taxes to the federal government. Anyway, the freemarket is the most efficient and fair distributor of goods and services.
sammarcg 4 years ago
for us to try to fix other countries right now would be like a poor man with many gambling debts making an infomercial about how to get rich......yes he will make alot of money off selling a video but in reality he makes nothing cause he is only paying off his gambling debts.....we need to pay off our debts before we can try to help others
tweakinreaper 4 years ago
good analogy. I would have used confused college student that signed up for 10 credit cards for free t-shirts and then maxed them out. THEN doing an infomercial...
soulmantim 4 years ago
if you think about it we need to fix this country first before we can go fixing other nations and another though is how we are selling more and more of american assets to other countries.....90% of our imports are from china so if we made them into "customers" they would benefit china far more than the U.S.
fix your home before you try to fix someone else's home
tweakinreaper 4 years ago
Unfortunately, our sense of wealth is an illusion...we are the world's greatest DEBTOR NATION, now to the tune of borrowing $3B/day! There's a bill to pay and it's coming soon. I recommend you google video "the history of oil"...it's excellent.
UnderseaCaveman 4 years ago
Wasn't bush supposed to be elected based on sound economic policy and cutting spending? How has he done that? He hasn't. obama/paul YES
blu3cheez 4 years ago
How thoughtful of you to want to help. I like that we help people and I wish there was a way to help the impoverished without getting the much needed resources we give away into the wrong hands like warlords. As you know gov't is corrupt and inefficient and maybe there's a way to help without them taking control or warlords either.
5ldfjsl3 4 years ago
Hrm.. well considering America is on the verge on going bankrupt, I don't know if we could afford it. We'd have to print more money and borrow more which is already happening and destroying the market.
However, I do know that he'd let the people keep more of their money (abolish income tax, allow opt out of SS, medicare, etc.) so that's a start. We can't fight global poverty till we fix what's going on in America first.
At least, that's just my opinion.
Nillok 4 years ago