Why we should care about the world’s most poor? Aren’t they Just Lazy?

The Poor Getting More Poor – Poem by Francis Duggan

Time it does pass slowly when you’ve got no work to do

And every hour spent idle it passes slow as two
One’s better by far working no matter what the pay
It’s a better way to pass the time than idling all day.

But some have to stay idle for them there is no job
And they depend upon the State to get their living bob
And for those who are unemployed the hands of time turn slow
And boredom creeps into their lives and boredom grow and grow.

How come there’s not enough work enough to go around
As all of those who can work ought to be entitled for to earn their living pound
There should be jobs for everyone as unemployment is caused by greed
And it’s all of those who don’t share and share alike put other souls in need.

As the unemployment figures rise the crime rate rises too
Circumstance cause some to turn to crime they’ve little choice but to
With no spare cash in pocket and of work they’ve been denied
And puny hand outs from the State does little for one’s pride.

It’s a strange World we live in the poor getting more poor
And the rich keep getting richer more powerful and secure
And if some people turn to crime on them don’t put full blame
As measly hand outs from the State force them to lives of shame.

 

This poem really hits at the core of capitalism. Though I am an advocate for structured capitalism, it is often the cause of widespread income inequality. By this I mean that the people who control the resources continue to control a larger and larger percentage of the scarce and limited resources available. I do not fault them for doing this because it is out of self interest. I would argue that capitalism is one of the best ways to allocate resources. However, this selfishness leaves people who could be productive in situations where they are not. There are so many people that are not living up to their potential because resources are spread disproportionately across the globe in a way that hurts the entire world.

I would like you to think about how many people could be productive if they were not in the situation they are in. For example, if you were to take a young person in India who is interested in IT and teach them the skills to be a professional, he would be able to do the job as well as someone from the U.S. who had similar skills. My point here is that this young person often time is not doing this type of work because he has to do some other task like that is less productive. These tasks could range from walking three miles a day for fresh drinking water to selling sheep goods a the market. These types of work are less productive and just keep him or her alive while a person in the U.S. who has the opportunity to learn these trades cannot.

For each person that is able to capitalize on there abilities the portion of resources increases for everyone. We should be trying to do this. Let’s increase the quality of life for everyone and everyone including the rich will be richer. It is this relationship we should have within the U.S. and around the world that will bring revolutionary prosperity to the globe.