A friend-a mine has something on his myspace called one.org, the folks behind the slogan, “Make Poverty History” and this gem: Join the generation that is going to end extreme poverty during our lifetimes.
The first thing one-org should do is define what constitutes extreme poverty. I have an idea of what it is but I’m not the one making the sales pitch.
Activism works because it serves a purpose, and that’s getting people together to serve a cause greater than themselves. There are chemicals in the brain that respond positively to social contact (most of them I seem to be missing) and for people living in huge, dark, isolating cities like Frisco, NYC, Lost Angeles, it provides a sense of community.
My cynicism then, is directed at how much of a difference these organizations make toward “the cause”. In the case of “eliminating poverty” in the First World this would begin with reversibly and mandatorily sterilizing all women between ages 15 and 26–including and especially immigrants–or curtailing immigration altogether (I’m really not advocating this, mind you, but since I asked for my own opinion…)
You need “breathing room” in every sense of the cliche, and slowing the birth rate is the first most obvious step to easing the drain on charities and other resources.
In Second and Third World countries, the main problem is creating a strong, stable government which serves its people and is mostly free of corruption. Without order, any infrastructure capable of delivering food, water and shelter materials is doomed.
The simplistic think we can use our military (USA) to simply erase these tinpots and warlords, but unless the ensuing republic is strong, a cult-of-personality tyrant will always take over again. It may happen in Iraq, then again, it may not. The peaceniks don’t seem to realize if we don’t win, enemies of the US will gain all of Iraq’s oil.
Nanotechnology and robotics might make poverty history in our lifetimes, but both can also enslave the entire world.
It’s Saturday night. Time to go get a milkshake.
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