America, being under the United Nations standard for a country's gross donation would rise in the ranks to being a charitable country that donates the most which would spread American leadership qualities towards other nations. This formula to solving world poverty benefits each individual by raising morals, benefits the nation by raising its standards among others around the globe, and benefits the nation by getting rid of world poverty. On the other hand, Singer's Solution also comes with a downside which is that getting everyone in America to donate a great portion of their income will prove a difficult task. Singer's studies show that on average an American who makes fifty thousand dollars a year only spends thirty thousand on necessities, so according to his solution the
As a U.S citizen and tax payer, I believe the government should worry more about the welfare of our people and the way they live. Instead, it seems the only thing they are concerned about is, health care is costing them too much money, taxes need to be higher, and they want to dump more money into the war on terrorism, yet they still think they deserve a pay raise. The United States Military is a very respectable and honorable organization, that puts their lives on the line every day, and sacrifices the most beloved things in their life. Congress needs to save a little money, so why not stop paying our soldiers while they are fighting a war? Two weeks later, congress gets a raise, because they feel their jobs are more important than anyone else in this country.
When Singer states, "again, the formula is simple: whatever money you're spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be given away" (Singer) it’s like he believes Americans actually care. Americans work hard for their money, they pay taxes for the right to live in this country and therefore have the right to do whatever they want with their money. As Americans why should we give away our hard earned money when our taxes are being used for it anyway? With this economy the way it is most people don’t have the luxury of writing a check of $20,000 to give to the poor, their hoping for the luxury of being able to pay their
Professional athletes make millions of dollars every year and it isn’t fair for those out on the streets that don’t make money close to a pro athlete. If all athletes would pay an amount of taxes for social needs it would not only help people such as the homeless but also it would improve society and the way it is looked at. For example, take downtown Hastings in Vancouver, there is a tremendous amount of homeless people all crowded in this one area making it look horrible and unsafe for people. If pro athletes distribute a small amount of taxes for social needs, there wouldn’t this type of problem. The money taxed would be used to pay for homes where the homeless could stay and live, rather than have them on the streets.
My response to “The Singer Solution to World Poverty”. I believe that poverty is one of the most important problems facing the humanity today. Peter Singer, in his essay “The Singer Solution to World Poverty”, introduces the idea of charity and how it would resolve the global poverty. The author suggests, that everybody should take the money they otherwise would spend on luxuries, not necessities, and instead donate it to help people in need overseas. Singer claims that “ An American household with an income of $50,000 spends around $30,000 annually on necessities…Therefore, for a household bringing in $50,000 a year, donations to help the world’s poor should be as close as possible to $20,000”(879).
Should the federal government maintain the social safety net for all of its citizens? One in seven Americans receive food stamps, a number that's up sharply since the financial crisis. Most experts agree unemployment and underemployment have contributed to the number of people in need of food assistance. The government should stop expanding food stamps because of many reasons which are people are so dependent on the government, there is a lot of fraud that goes on while receiving food stamps, and that the government is spending way too much money on the poor while other things can help them get back on their feet. Some people may argue that access to food stamps is essential for needy families.
Yes, Wal-Mart provides many uneducated Americans with job however it isn’t a job from which can make livable wage. Wal-Mart pays all their employees besides management minimum wage. With prices on the rise like they are today it is hard for a person to live off minimum wage which is currently 7 dollars and 25 cents in New York. Not to mention if you have kids it is virtually impossible to live off minimum wage and if you do it’s an unpleasing struggle. Another problem is that there is no growth in your field if you work at Wal-Mart.
Foreclosures have hit an all time high, and unfortunately some people were allowed to finance beyond their means and now have become homeless too. According to The National Coalition for the Homeless, “Housing assistance can make the difference between stable housing, precarious housing, or no housing at all. However, the demand for assisted housing clearly exceeds the supply: only about one-third of poor renter households receive a housing subsidy from the federal, state, or a local government. The limited level of housing assistance Campbell - 2 means that most poor families and individuals seeking housing assistance are placed on long waiting lists.” Not being able to afford housing does not mean that they are completely without a source of income. Many people that become homeless have jobs;
In capitalism, the market determines price, including the price of labour. For example, footballers or company chief executives are paid a thousand times more than teachers because people believe they have unique talents which are worth paying for. This is all part of a dynamic capitalist system which values individuality and rewards ability and risk-taking. However, critics argue that the system as such is unjust and the cause of misery and poverty to mankind because the rich get richer, the poor get poorer (Debatewise, 2013). In capitalism, consumers get the freedom to choose and purchase the goods and services they desire using dollar votes.
I believe that the best way to reduce poverty in the United States is to fight it. There are millions of Americans struggling to put food on the table and making ends meet from earning low wages. In order to reduce poverty in the United States, the best thing would be to create good jobs for everyone to work, provide adequate work supports, and offer incentives so low-income workers are able to save and build wealth. Increasing SNAP (food stamps) benefits will boost food security, health, and nutrition, lifting millions out of poverty and millions of others out of deep poverty. Without job assistance, many working families would be struggling to put food on the table, and pay for housing, utilities, health care, child care, and transportation.