Why don't the rich countries help out the poor countries more?

Question

I mean why wouldn't the countries with heaps of money give a little more than what they are giving now that way poor developing countries would be able to focus on spending their money on things that they need

Answer 1

Why doesn't our country -- the most wealthy country on the planet, and in the history of the world, help out its own people?
Why are there our citizens starving in the streets, and homeless, and unable to afford health care???????????????????
Why are there not laws to allow everyone to have a job that pays them enough to clothe and feed their own children, and save enough to be able to someday retire? Why do I see people easily in their 70's having to work at Costco handing out food samples????? Hon, we need to take care of our own people first. This country, the US, already sends huge amounts of money to Third World countries, and until those countries stabilize their populations we can never be able to send enough.

The problem with foreign aid is rather like two guy standing the the middle of a flooding patio. One is mopping like crazy. The other goes over and turn off the faucet. We need to help countries "turn off their population faucets. .....control their populations. So far, any foreign third world country who has advocated birth control has had their foreign aid from the US removed. I was in Nepal in 2001 when the government was suggesting people limit their children. Guess what??? George pulled foreign aid from them!!!!! Go figure.

The answer to your question is no so simple as it first appears.....

Answer 2

Two comments. First, that was the purpose set about when the World Bank was created, because poor countries could be "lent" money for development by the richer countries. Second, those poorer countries need to stop their ranging corruption for any donations to mean anything. Not to be funny, but Sally Struthers when she was "feeding the children" ten or fifteen years ago sure looked like she was feeding herself. I know yours was a serious question, but that's the best way I can show what happens when the UN or some NGO tries to help third world nations.

Answer 3

The 'rich' countries already help out 'poor' countries quite a bit. The problem is usually to be found within the individual 'poor' countries. They're not poor because they were in the wrong line when God was handing out wealth. They're usually poor because of internal problems, often problems that have been going on for generations. It could be the lingering effects of having been colonized by a hostile nation in a previous century. It could be a bitter civil war. It could be racism, or disease, or lack of natural resources. It could be corruption within thier own government. Money doesn't solve many of those problems, it even makes some of them worse.

Solving problems like that would mean running the 'poor' country 'for its own good.' I don't think that would go over well at the UN.

Answer 4

I think the basic idea is a great one. The tricky part is in figuring out how. Just giving poor people money and food has been shown not to work very well. It doesn't do anything for their long term prospects, and the goods can be intercepted and withheld by corrupt governments. My vote would be to tax the rich big time, and use the money to stabilize and clean up corrupt governments, see to the people's most basic needs (preferably including research, development and implementation of green energy.) and improve education (especially for women) with early courses in critical thinking and responsible reproduction and consumption of resources. Of course, all the greedy and corrupt C.E.O.s who currently rule the planet would have to go first.

Answer 5

Nice concept, doesn't work well. The US and other countries give billions upon billons of dollars every year to poor countries. This is from governments AND charitable organizations. Many of those countries have corrupt goverments, waste the money and little of it really benefits those most in need. Look at Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria, etc Some countries (one of the African countries) had great agricultural industry- but when Britain gave control to the country, they ran out all the white farmers and basically killed their own economy.

Look at somalia with all the warlords and fighting factions. Or how about Sudan with religious conflict. How do you help people when they're waring and killing themselves. Money doesn't fix those problems.

Best way for those countries to flurish is to invest in infrastructure and ways for them to feed themselves.

Answer 6

Name ONE rich country that doesn't have issues with poor within its own borders??

For example, US is a rich country... yet, we have a huge problem with deficit, social security, and the under privileged. Should we give more to another country or help our own citizens first?

Another example, Saudi Arabia.... Yes, the country is seen as being wealthy with oil revenues, but do you realize, only a few percent of the population is actually benefiting from the huge oil revenue while many other suffers from poverty?

Many countries already send large sums of money to third world countries. Obviously, the problem is so large that no realistic amount of money can solve the problem. Also, in many countries, the problem is not only the lack of money, but uneven distribution of the wealth within their own countries. Being independent countries, they have the responsibility to help themselves first, before asking for aids.

Your ideas are noble, but just not realistic.

Answer 7

The answer isn't simply giving poor countries "more."

Why do poor countries remain poor even after money and resources has already been given to them?

What is the cause of poverty?

Answer 8

Rich countries do give money to poor countries. The problem is when the money is "tied aid". When a country (say the US) says "we'll give you X dollars to fight AIDS in your country, but you can only give the money to clinics that teach abinance only and you can't give it to anyone who councils abortion."

Answer 9

Thats a nice fantasy, but we can't even get food to starving people and we try. Why? Because THEIR governments are horribly corrupt and prevent us from feeding their people.
There's entire countries we won't even bother trying to feed their starving masses, because so little food can reach the people that need it.

Answer 10

The U.S. gives aid all over the world. Even to those that hate us. It is the political governments of those countries that put the economy in turmoil.