I recently read an article in a book (based on sociological issues in mostly American society, but other places as well) called Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology. The book is in its sixth edition and was written or composed by John J. Macionis and Nijole V. Benokraitis.
One of the articles in the book (all are very interesting and I might post and/or use them as resources for debating some issues that plague Dominicana and the global societies) is named "The Uses of Global Poverty: How Economic Inequality Benefits the West" by: Diana Stukuls Eglitis. http://www.gwu.edu/~soc/d_eglitis.html That is a link to learn more about the author.
My reason for the previous paragraphs was to give credit and not plegiarize any info or claim any info I'm about to post as my own, unless its in braquets, those are my own opinion.
The author of the article points out 11 reasons why the West benefits from poverty. Each reason is followed by a few paragraph of explanation and proof via sources of statistics etc. to back her reasons. I will only post the reasons she gives, but not the explanations.
What I want is to create a debate on whether her reasons are legit or if there are some flaws in her thinking. Please, keep the language clean and no direct insults either to me or the author, just opinions expressed about the issue, not any person.
According to her, "the argument is not that advanced states are consciously conspiring to keep the poor states destitute... the existence of a class of poor states is positively functional for wealthy states" p. 201.
She says that is "why development and assistance programs that help ensure survival, but not prosperity, for poor populations are quite characteristic of Western policy" p.201.
Here are the reasons from pg. 201 to pg. 205:
Point 1: The existence of global poverty helps ensure the wealth of affordable good for Western consumers.
Point 2: The existence of global poverty benefits Western companies and shareholders in the form of increased profit.
Point 3: The existence of global poverty fosters access to resources in poor states that are needed in or desired by the West.
Point 4: The existence of global poverty helps support Western medical advances.
Point 5: The existence of global poverty contributes to the advancement of Western economies and societies with the human capital of poor states.
[All those professional Dominicans working abroad could have been helping the DR develop with better teachers which would result in better students which would result in better educated populance, etc.]
Point 6: The existence of global poverty may contribute to the pacification of the Western proletariat, or "Workers of the World, A Blue Light Special!"
Point 7: Global poverty benefits the West because poor countries make optimal dumping grounds for goods that are dangerous, expired, and illegal.
[Remember the Rock Ash gift Puerto Rico gave to Samana here in the DR a few months ago!]
Point 8: The existence of global poverty provides jobs for specialists employed to assist, advise, and study the world's poor and to protect the "better-off" from them.
Point 9: Global poverty benefits inhabitants of wealthy countries, who can feel good about helping the global poor through charitable work and charitable giving.
[Save the Children ask for money on TV to help some starving african child and yet, the developed world denies that child and/or his parent the chance to live better by denying them a visa]
Point 10: The poverty of less developed states makes possible the massive flow of resources westward.
Point 11: The poorer countries, which reproduce at rates higher than Western states, are useful scapegoats for real and potential global environmental threats.
So now, what do you think about it?
What points do you agree with the most?
What points do you disagree with the most?
Do you think the DR is a victim of such abuse from the wealthy states?
Do you think this world order could ever be changed?
One of the articles in the book (all are very interesting and I might post and/or use them as resources for debating some issues that plague Dominicana and the global societies) is named "The Uses of Global Poverty: How Economic Inequality Benefits the West" by: Diana Stukuls Eglitis. http://www.gwu.edu/~soc/d_eglitis.html That is a link to learn more about the author.
My reason for the previous paragraphs was to give credit and not plegiarize any info or claim any info I'm about to post as my own, unless its in braquets, those are my own opinion.
The author of the article points out 11 reasons why the West benefits from poverty. Each reason is followed by a few paragraph of explanation and proof via sources of statistics etc. to back her reasons. I will only post the reasons she gives, but not the explanations.
What I want is to create a debate on whether her reasons are legit or if there are some flaws in her thinking. Please, keep the language clean and no direct insults either to me or the author, just opinions expressed about the issue, not any person.
According to her, "the argument is not that advanced states are consciously conspiring to keep the poor states destitute... the existence of a class of poor states is positively functional for wealthy states" p. 201.
She says that is "why development and assistance programs that help ensure survival, but not prosperity, for poor populations are quite characteristic of Western policy" p.201.
Here are the reasons from pg. 201 to pg. 205:
Point 1: The existence of global poverty helps ensure the wealth of affordable good for Western consumers.
Point 2: The existence of global poverty benefits Western companies and shareholders in the form of increased profit.
Point 3: The existence of global poverty fosters access to resources in poor states that are needed in or desired by the West.
Point 4: The existence of global poverty helps support Western medical advances.
Point 5: The existence of global poverty contributes to the advancement of Western economies and societies with the human capital of poor states.
[All those professional Dominicans working abroad could have been helping the DR develop with better teachers which would result in better students which would result in better educated populance, etc.]
Point 6: The existence of global poverty may contribute to the pacification of the Western proletariat, or "Workers of the World, A Blue Light Special!"
Point 7: Global poverty benefits the West because poor countries make optimal dumping grounds for goods that are dangerous, expired, and illegal.
[Remember the Rock Ash gift Puerto Rico gave to Samana here in the DR a few months ago!]
Point 8: The existence of global poverty provides jobs for specialists employed to assist, advise, and study the world's poor and to protect the "better-off" from them.
Point 9: Global poverty benefits inhabitants of wealthy countries, who can feel good about helping the global poor through charitable work and charitable giving.
[Save the Children ask for money on TV to help some starving african child and yet, the developed world denies that child and/or his parent the chance to live better by denying them a visa]
Point 10: The poverty of less developed states makes possible the massive flow of resources westward.
Point 11: The poorer countries, which reproduce at rates higher than Western states, are useful scapegoats for real and potential global environmental threats.
So now, what do you think about it?
What points do you agree with the most?
What points do you disagree with the most?
Do you think the DR is a victim of such abuse from the wealthy states?
Do you think this world order could ever be changed?