Why does America help the starving in Africa instead of the starving here?

Question

I am wondering, because we have many homeless people here who need help. And their are also other contries, like India and others where their are many impoverished people. I have absoluetly nothing againest Africa, i just am wondering why we always help them.....

Thats JustAChick
Thats what I ment by the starving in America, in Appalachia

I ment to say thanks, not thats

Answer 1

Because if you are living in the wealthiest country in the world (the US), and you are poor and/or homeless, then there is a 99% chance you are there by choice, or by at least a series of your own bad choices. And most bad choices can be undone with grit, determination, hard work and a plan. Unfortunately with our broken welfare-state system in place many people choose to be lazy rather than to work for what they want.

For our planet to survive, people have to start taking responsibility for their own actions and choices and stop blaming others and/or looking to others to save them from their situation.

Got hooked on drugs? Got knocked up 3 times by 3 different guys and didn't consider adoption or abortion? Keep having kids when you are making minimum wage? Those are all choices people make every day, and they are bad choices, and people need to figure out on their own how to live with the consequences of their bad choices.

In other countries, such as Africa & India, the options are not nearly as prevalent as they are here, and thus you have a lot more people truly in "real" need.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with taking care of our country first, and our people, but handouts to the indigent and lazy don't work.

Put a 6 month limit on food stamps and welfare, maybe ease the tax burden for those who make less than 20,000, or 30,000 if you're supporting a family, and raise the minimum wage to a truly liveable wage like $10.00/hr and then you'll get my attention.

Answer 2

This is because there is absolute poverty (as in Africa) and relative poverty. Half of the world's citizens live off less than two dollars a day and most in Africa live off less that one dollar a day. A homeless individual in America or any other developed country can get much more than $1 panhandling on the street for about 5 minutes whereas most people in Africa work their fingers to the bone for less than this. Also, where developed countries such as America have at least some type of social safety net for the homeless countries in Africa do not. Its all a matter of relativity.

Answer 3

There are many more NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that focus on problems abroad. These typicaly have more funding and more celebrity backing (think Bono or American Idol) and subsequently get much more media attention.

This extra media attention is what makes it seem like the American government does more for those in Afirca than those domestically. In truth, though, the government spents billions of dollars each year on welfare, which supports many people in need, from single parents living in a tough urban environment to the rural small-farmer who is trying to deal with drought. There are also NGOs that help hungry Americans, evidenced by the many thousands of homeless shelters that operate every day or the concerted relief efforts that operate when disaster strikes.

Answer 4

Having children is probably one of the lesser ways AIDS is spread... in fact, im pretty sure of it because a child without an immune system is a dead child (its already weak enough to begin with at birth) And we keep sending money to Africa because of geopolitics (with the exception of some independent groups that do it on their own. they're just good people) If we don't send the money, China will. Someone will. We'd rather it be us so they like us more.

Answer 5

The fact of the matter is that very few people are actually starving in the US.

John Stossel did a pretty well known segment on the subject back in 97' that you should definately take a look at entitled - "Freeloaders" - at least part of it's on Youtube if you want to check it out.

A pretty small percentage of even those who go to soup kitchens are actually homeless (most have an appartment of stay in some form of housing) and have the same types of possessions that the rest of americans do.

We have a pretty messed up concept of what poverty really is in the United States.

As with other countries the only thing that's going to solve their starvation problems is less internal governement corruption and more individual liberty.

People in countries such as India aren't in such dire circumstances because of overpopulation or a lack of resources - but because of their socialist government. Just take a look at the strides made in countrys such as Hong Kong - which are much more populated per square mile and have few resources - a hell hole 50 years ago and now they have surpassed almost every european country in average individual income - all because of a simple flat tax and almost no regulation on business.

Answer 6

The USA pays less then any other nation of the big 18 industrial leaders, compared to GDP per Capita. Most of the money is in return for political and industrial favors given to corrupt government officials and never trickles down to the people. Pakistan alone has received over 20 Billion Dollar since Bush came to power, supporting a corrupt, useless President, who let Al Queda prosper in his country. Bush spread our tax money around to gain good will from third world countries in the UN, having them turn against the USA the next day, see Chile, Argentine, Brazil. He is just an idiot.

Answer 7

We have a program called Welfare. We also offer food stamps. I've taught children on Welfare who also got food stamps and free breakfast and free lunch at school. My husband is from one of the poorest countries in Africa. I've lived in Asia and Eastern Europe. The poorest students I taught in one of the poorest parts of America have a much higher standard of living than teachers in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. (I'm not so sure anymore about the standard of living in Eastern Europe but 15 years ago when I moved from one of the poorest parts of America to Eastern Europe, my students had a much higher standard of living than teachers in Eastern Europe did at that time.) We also help poor people in Asia and Eastern Europe and the South Pacific and South and Central America.

You cannot understand the difference until you have lived among both groups of people. By the way, in Africa and in China, education is not free. Neither is medical care even for the poorest people. There are homeless people in Asia. I never saw any homeless people in Africa as far as I know.

Answer 8

There are people starving in America (even though we have a food surplus). The reason that America helps the hungry in Africa is because they have less of an opportunity to help themselves.
America was founded on ideas of the people's independence from the government. It was the land of opportunity and people could go from rags to riches w/o the government keeping certain people in the lower class. Therefore some people are opposed to "big government" funded projects to feed America's hungry. It is debated however, if it is possible for people in poverty to raise their economic status with out any government assistance.
Basically, there is supposedly more opportunity for the hungry in developed nations like the U.S. to help themselves than there are for people in developing countries like Africa. The U.S. helps these nations because their own governments are unable to or they are too limited in their resources.

Answer 9

Interesting answer that some gave. No starving in America. I seriously doubt that. They just aren't looking in the right places to see them that's all.

Personally, we offer aid to too many other countries, most of which hate us, and don't do enough for those in need here. Put that money into health insurance for our elderly.

Answer 10

Because it is your government foreign policy to help other countries. There are agencies of your government to look into dometic problems, Government assistance is a two way affair. The problem should be brought out squarely and those who needs help should advance and be recognized. This is how government works.