The process of globalization has been spreading across the world during the last several decades, and as a result, the gap between developed and developing countries has become more noticeable and serious. The world includes nearly two hundred countries, only twenty of them are considered to be the most economically developed (world leaders of G-20), and the rest of the nations have slow development or exist below the poverty line. In the world where every human should have the same rights as another, the great imbalance of incomes, education, medical care and even variety of food provision between different nations says about people’s inequality. That is why wealthy nations should be required to share their wealth among poorer nations in order to stop hunger, diseases, ignorance across the world and bring a universal prosperity closer.
With the rapid development of consumerism, a huge number of useless things, goods and services occupied rich countries: companies produce more than customers can buy and consumers’ love for capital accumulation has turned man into the slave of his own possessions. Andrew Carnegie, an American industrialist, stated in 1889: “The man of wealth must become a trustee and agent for his poorer brethren, bringing his superior wisdom, experience, and ability to administer For one of the serious obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity. It were better for mankind that the millions of the rich were thrown into the sea than so spent as to encourage the slothful, the drunken, the unworthy” (“Carnegie Speaks: A Recording of the Gospel of Wealth”). Population of the developed countries possesses plenty of goods that only deprave them and make them degrade. That is why it would be reasonable and wiser to share their goods with destitute nations and the gap between rich and poor nations would be decreased accordingly.
On the other hand, the issue about sharing of wealth states that developed countries should not help poorer nations since the last ones have to rely on their own strengths and opportunities and should not wait for some extra help. This opinion tries to prove that such help does developing countries a great disservice and they will accustom themselves to an easy way of getting the provision. However, this thesis is wrong since it considers the popularity of poor nations as slothful and infirm people who in addition do not want to make their lives better. The truth is that such nations just have no opportunity to develop rapidly and successfully; they do not have enough natural resources and money for developing. Therefore, it is not about poor nations’ unwillingness to prosper, it is about their inability to do this.
The inability of poorer nations to develop has made a significant effect on a number of phenomena: people are starving, they die at wars, get sick from infections, and lose their homes because of natural disasters. The poorest countries of the world are mostly located in Africa, several are in Asia, and Near East is usually in a state of war, that is why they are the first who need food and provision, quality and accessible vaccine and goods for their houses. Bill Gates raised the issue of wealth inequality in the world and neutrality of rich countries within this problem in 2005: “Rich governments are not fighting most deadly diseases because rich countries don’t have them. The private sector is not developing vaccines and medicines, because developing countries can’t buy them” (Gates “2005 World Health Assembly Speech”). The world cannot ignore such serious problems as numerous child deaths, infections, hunger, destruction because of natural disasters or wars – this is the cause of poor nations’ suffering. That is why it is so essential to give a helping hand for those, who need it most of all.
People who consider that wealthy nations should not be required to share their wealth among poorer countries now may claim that nobody is obliged to give the helping hand and that solving of all these problems is the responsibility of the governments of each country. Moreover, they claim that if the government of these countries cannot provide its society with all necessary goods, than nobody can. However, this statement excludes the thought that poor nations need to be aware of another way of life – healthy, prosperous, with a high level of education. Therefore, another question arises: if the rich countries do not help poorer nations to feel different life, than who will help?
In this way, the most meaningful argument in support of sharing of wealth appears: as soon as wealthy nations start to share their wealth among poorer nations, and poorer nations begin to feel the taste of well-being, the chance that these countries will develop faster increases. The famous proverb says that by giving a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but by teaching a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. In the case with poor nations it means that if rich countries give food and provision every time the destitute countries ask them for it, it really will not bring productive results. However, if the wealth nations provide poor nations with proper education, accessible medicine and basic technologies, citizens of these countries will start to benefit the government and the whole society – they will be health and educated enough to work, and moreover, they will have the necessary devices (technology) for the productive work. And this is how the further economic growth of the poor countries will be gained, and it will be the wealthy nations’ merits. In turns, it will create a positive image for a wealthy nation, which decided to share its wealth and put the poor nation on its feet: “When wealthy people give away money, we always say that they are doing it to ease their consciences or generate favorable publicity” (Singer “What Should a Billionaire Give – and What Should You?”). That is why sharing of wealth is very important both for developing and developed country – one of them will get the opportunity to thrive and finally will bring up prosperous generations, and the second one will get a positive image and will be considered as a great benefactor, which is even more respectable now.
In order to find out the causes of great economic inequality between different countries of the same world, historical, social, economical, political and geopolitical factors should be taken into account. At the same time, the only thing that is left now – is our fight with the consequences of these factors, which are the gap between wealth and poor nations, social and economic inequalities, etc. Surely, it cannot be claimed that the wealthy nations must necessarily share their wealth among poorer nations, but this participation in improving the world should be their natural desire.
Works cited
“Carnegie Speaks: A Recording of the Gospel of Wealth”. Courtesy of the Michigan State University Voice Library. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.
Gates, Bill. “2005 World Health Assembly Speech”. GatesFoundation. Bill Gates, 16 May. 2005. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.
Singer, Peter. “What Should a Billionaire Give – and What Should You?”. New York Times. New York Times, 17 Dec. 2006. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.
