By shipping millions of tons of food to poor countries, are we REALLY helping them? Or making them dependent?

Question

This is kind of a bad example, but its the only one I can think of that gets my point across: If you continually feed a stray dog, are you REALLY helping that dog, or are you only making it dependent on you for food?
Same goes for poor nations. BILLIONS of our tax dollars are spent every year to feed poor countries. Are we really helping them or only making them dependent on us? Why should they even try to support themselves when we give them free food? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Answer 1

It IS a terrible dilemma. How do we keep them from starving to death while we help them build an economy that will enable them to feed themselves.

The old Arabic saying: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" sounds nice on the surface. But the problem is, that while you can teach him how to fish in a day, how do you clean up the waterways so they can support fish? How do you teach him how to run complex machinery for agriculture? How do you train him in good government? How do you even teach them basic hygiene before they starve to death? You GOTTA FEED THEM FIRST. Then you gotta figure out a way to help them do the rest.

The government does the first. Private organizations and Societies are trying to do the second. Why don't you help them out with a donation?

Answer 2

why is the US defense system is 20% of the tax dollars. Halliburton workers make $14000 a month privates earn $13000 a year. plus a 25 for taking fire in combat recruiting all the kids 2 die from where im at. 18 years old told 2 kill where Saddam at B.U.T. cant have a strap 2 protect where there moms at..
we dont really send as much relief as the Tv say we do its all a trick 2 keep u giving...Peace

Answer 3

It's complicated. Most places experiencing starvation today experience it because of civil wars. In a civil war, large numbers of people flee their villages fearing slaughter by either rebel groups or the regular army. These are people whom you see in refugee camps. Yes, they are dependent on food aid, but they really don't want to be. Most of them would rather return to their homes and grow their own food. The problem is, whoever kicked them off their land (be it rebels or the government troops) is still there; their homes may have been burned down, their land given to new owners with "right" political affiliations, their cattle and agricultural implements stolen (worst-case scenario, Sierra Leone or Rwanda style: their hands have been cut off by drugged teenage soldiers). Once the war is over, they will probably be able to feed themselves (except those who have been maimed), but it's not over and may not be over for years...

Answer 4

Either way, Liberals will find a way to bash Bush.

1) If Bush sends food, he is wasting even more tax dollars and making those nations dependent on us for their supplies.

2)If Bush does nothing, he is an even more "dictator" than what he is now because he won't help those in need.

Stupid Liberals.

Answer 5

a little of both. What i think we need to do is give them this food and teach them how to get food themselves.

Give a man a fish and he will have dinner. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.

I say we feed them untill they can grow enoughb food to sustain themselves on their own. mines more like

Give a man a fish so he is strong enough for you to teach to fish =so he can eat the rest of his life >.>

Answer 6

Basically no, we are making them dependent. Sometimes it is very painful to have to learn the lesson of hard work, but if we continue to send them food and don't encourage/force them to work for themselves then they never will.

Answer 7

we r helpin dem in terms of survival...but almost everyone is dependent...wen we r born we need our mothers shoo we r dependent on her...wen we go 2 skool n learn incase of a question da kids need deir father we r dependent 4 dat...shoo everyone is dependent in sum wayy n itz a gud fingg but u shudnt be dependent all of ur life...however da poor can eat from da tax moneyy but shelther? basic needs of life? where is all dat...dey dunt hav everyfing u do...shoo dey r dependent however dey hav no other choice

Answer 8

MAKES THEM DEPENDENT - which is a HORRIBLE thing.

Like the saying goes "GIVE a man a fish, he eat for a day, TEACH a man to fish, he eat forever"

So don't just donate money, it's a waste.

Instead check out www.HEIFER.org, they TEACH the poor, not just Give!!

Answer 9

We need to be doing this here at home.
Babies go to sleep every night hungry and wake up to the same misery. Elderly people do, also.
It's a sad situation.