Nations spend billions of dollars to develop lethal weapons. Why not these money spend to eliminate poverty?

Question

There are millions of people with out a shelter and food. If 50% from military expenses turn to elevate poverty, world would have moved to another direction. People who create weapons to kill human beings talk about peace and stability! What a mockery this is!

Answer 1

Because national defense is the #1 priority.

Answer 2

Very true. Most people tend to throw money at the problem, and hope it goes away. You can't do that and expect truly positive results. If you gave money to a homeless person, chances are, they'll spend it on something other than what you intended, and they'll still be in the same rut they're in now. First, they will need the desire to change. Second, they will need an education. Once the bird has it's wings, it should fly on it's own.

To change the world's direction (a very serious,and huge undertaking), you would need to look for an example where no poverty exists, and replicate it. Unfortunately, there is not one nation on earth that doesn't have a poverty problem of some kind. The closest is the United States, and the majority of the impoverished here are either due to laziness, fiscal irresponsibility, or both.

In order for change to occur, all of the different nations of the world would need to adopt and promote a free-market economy, and a democratic-republic form of government with a functional system of checks and balances in place. Unfortunately, the majority of countries in the world are dictatorships, and their goal is the achievement and application of power by whatever means necessary.

It's a nice idea...very idealistic, but unfortunately impossible.

Answer 3

I agree and disagree with this statement. It does seem that a lot of money goes to building bigger, stronger arms of war everyday. One tank goes for over a million dollars! The contract goes to the highest bidder for the best quality and fastest production. The flip side is this- I don't see why the government has to try to end poverty when we have all sorts of celebrities and rich people all over the nation who get fatter(money wise) while poor people stay poor. Poverty and famine will end when we as a nation say that we've had enough and we all step up to do our fair share. Homes for Humanity can only do so much-a lot of them volunteer their time. What about all the vets who came home and couldn't find work, their families were left broken. What about the single moms not able to collect child support from dead beat dads and are forced to live on the streets or accept welfare? We all need to come together for this one and let bygones be bygones if we ever hope to grow as a people, otherwise, what future are we leaving to our children?!

Answer 4

ideally yes, but realistically no some countries need weapons to defend themselves against countries that are not interest in world stability. Spending for defense is usually about 2% of GDP in most countries. Poverty is terrible, but reducing absolute poverty is good attainable goal, but reducing poverty in relative sense is probably not achievable because the world lacks of resources with technology in future to do that.

Still, we can in long run make sure people have access to varieties of food, technology, basic transportation and housing services. Its impossible for everyone in the world to live as well off as Untied States because of the lack of resources available, but it will be possible so majority in the world would have ability to buy basic technologies, house with plumbing and clean water.

Answer 5

You're exactly right, but convincing everyone else has been an abject failure since before humankind developed the war chariot. The great American warrior, Robert E. Lee, was seldom wrong, but he got it exactly wrong when, as he observed a particularly bloody battle during the American Civil War, said: "It is well war is so terrible, else we should become too fond of it!" Humankind, in fact, is too fond of war. Ironically, those most opposed to war are the men (and the few women) who've participated directly in combat. We have a plaque down at the hall where my veterans' clubs meet - it reads "For those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know". And while that's true for those of us who've become the nation's veterans, it does not begin to tell the story. The experience of combat is ghastly, not heroic. The men in my family have fought in all of America's wars since the War of 1812, and none of us has been eager to see another once we've been through one. And yet - I have adult children in the US Army today. And I don't have a solution - nobody does. Curses!

Answer 6

i completely agree with u! if conditions continue to be like this i country will never be graded as a developed country. in America n Australia the govt spends a lot of money to help people get rid of starvation. but in our country u will find at least 15 beggars on the road. i felt so ashamed when a cousin of mine who stays in Australia said, "How can u stay in country where people are starving?" and yet India is the country with second largest population! what a joke!

Answer 7

Absolutley no longer. it might value us greater stable paying jobs interior the long-term. we ought to create greater stable jobs no longer eliminate them. attempting to be politically superb has its value and it often falls on the shoulders of tricky working human beings. regrettably, an attempt to do some thing stable particularly situations creates a bigger difficulty than you have already got. there is not any better occasion than the golf green flow. helping this feels like a great reason, through fact no person needs to smash the planet. With all its reward, it has taken a great toll on center and espresso income human beings. severe means value bills for a great array of issues we've right here and overseas and we purely won't be able to have sufficient money to proceed down this direction.

Answer 8

it seems the cold war really isn't over. the Soviet Union might be gone, but the US is still spending trillions of dollars on weapons!

Answer 9

poverty will kill only poor peoples, but the leathal wepons will protect the whole nation.

Answer 10

poverty in part is a mentality, there is no amount of money on this earth that will eliminate it