What are some practical ways in which we can help the poor?

Question

This is a question about applied ethics.

Answer 1

Give a fish to a poor person, and you feed him for a day.
Teach fishing to a poor person, and you feed him for life.

Answer 2

There is NO practical way to help the individual poor that will eliminate systemic poverty - which should be the ultimate goal, since that is the ultimate problem.

If a system such as ours continues to produce more & more "poor people" with ever widening income + wealth gaps in society, then helping individuals rise from poverty only deals with the symptoms, and not the greater, underlying illness. Poverty is a "necessary cost" of capitalism, and built into its very structure - this is why there never has been, and never will be, any such thing as a poverty-free, free market capitalistic society. Those who think otherwise are living in a dream world, or peddling such a dream to others to justify the current state of affairs.

This is why individually applied ethics is subordinate to socially applied ethics. It is not so much a question of "action" and "what to do", but of raising our own awareness & consciousness, and "what to be". We have to educate ourselves.

A mixed socialist-capitalist economy is one of the only ethical, practical solutions that will eliminate poverty. All basic HUMANitarian needs for minimum food, shelter, clothing, education, and health care should be provided by society & government, but any individual desires above that can be achieved through work in the economy. This is the only humane system that reflects humanitarian ideals. And what do the majority of Americans consider this type of socialism??? They think it is EVIL.

To put it simply, the best way to help the poor is to educate yourself on capitalism and how it needs & creates poverty, and consider becoming a socialist. Anything less is just lip service, a charitable drop in the bucket, or a temporary balm for the conscience.

Answer 3

Show no favoritism. If it is seen, it is resented.

Pretend -- act as though -- all people are equal. If there is privilege anywhere, there is despair wherever it is absent.

Be logical and never give on impulse. Gifts are highly addictive, but nobody can buy out another's poverty.

Force your government to be charitable with your taxes. A national consensus really can eliminate poverty, but individual benefactors, no matter how generous, can never do that.

Force your government to trade fairly.

Can one person put force on a government? United with others, yes. Democratic governments can do absolutely nothing without the consent of the people.

Answer 4

The first answer by Tina is dead on. See, Liberals think if we just blindly give the poor everything they need, they will become better citizens. No, for each day you give them something for free, its another day they do not have to try to pull themselves up the social ladder and improve on their condition. Why should they, the government will give them what they need, why put out the effort. On the other hand if you give them the skills to pull themselves up the social ladder by saying we'll train you, but your going to have to earn your keep, then they will be motivated to improve themselves, both by requirement and basic human neccessity. Only those who are completely disabled and honestly unable to support themselves even with training should get the handout all of the time. 98% of the poor people do not fall into that category.

Answer 5

after being homeless for a while after my county condemned my home after i was hurt in an accident and am now disabled i always stop and give five or ten dollars to old homeless people i see on the street
I send in a little money to a organization every year that provides suppers for poor people at thanksgiving,I give to world vision organization.
This past winter i let a Yankee man I met stay on my couch for 3 months while his terribly infected open wound diabetic foot healed or he would have had to live in his van over the winter.i gave him medicinal herbs. vitamins .natural ointments and good food.
as i knew he would lose that foot living in a dirty ole van .
I never knew one person could know everything about everything.Ha Ha

This rich country of ours should give mental health care for homeless people,then find them a job if they want one.,give them a place to stay at a nice group home.if they quilify,& or not violent criminals.drug addicts should be helped off the drugs if they wish it..we need to start caring for our own people more, not give it all away .the BILLIONS we give to Egypt & Israel should be cut off and used for our own people,those countrys do NOT need our dollars,WE DO.it might take just a little bit of a helping hand to get them on the right road to a life that will be better for them then living on the street.or the woods.its a shame there is so many homeless people.and only a few people caring to help them, people need help sometimes.Its not there fault a lot of times that there homeless. like me i.i had to move to the woods to camp, with my dog. after they tore down my home and my car broke down and i was hurt in that accedent,I made it,some dont .we should give then some help.if they wish it
Peace

Answer 6

Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.

Education - preparation -implement

Answer 7

What makes you think that the poor want any help?

A lot of them are happier than most of the rich people that I have met.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 8

ALL of the 'billionaires' should be required to help them.
These people (around 950 worldwide) don't know what to do with their money anyway.............

Answer 9

Helping him to discover himself and the multitude of things he could do with ambition and work

Answer 10

Birth control. Leave a small footprint.