The Question of Poverty

Does the government have an obligation to address poverty? Is this a legitimate issue for public policy to take on?

Absolutely.

Throughout human history, poverty has always been a persistent issue. In ancient and medieval societies, the wealth gap between rich and poor was enormous. The wealthy minority was composed of royalty and high-level clergy, while the majority was composed of poor peasants. As history has progressed this system of economic polar opposites has lessened somewhat, due to numerous factors including new technology, ideas, and practices. The “first world,” or countries that are technologically-advanced democracies whose citizens have a high standard of living, include countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and those of Western Europe. The economic class structure in many of these countries consists of a large middle class and smaller low and high classes. However, it should be noted that this does not indicate a global decrease in poverty; instead, it highlights a shift in these countries from exploiting domestic labor to exploiting foreign labor. The North-South gap is a lasting legacy of such colonial imperialism. Millions of people live in abject poverty with no access to clean water, proper nutrition, medical care, education, and the myriad of other things that we in the United States take for granted. I think tackling the monumental challenge of poverty is possibly one of the most pressing obligations of the world’s governments. Not only is it a monumental challenge, but it is one governments and people everywhere must address so as to build a better, more equal and just future for all mankind.

-Gregory Proulx