I think the difficulty with this position lies with the practical realities of a situation like Africa. For so many years, Africa was a colonized continent that was stripped of its natural resources, stripped of its population, etc... Clearly, some of this was self-inflicted as tribe fought with one another and sold the losers into western slavery. I'm not denying any of that.
But ultimately, this is a continent that has been ravaged by Western society, the climate, etc... To expect someone to rise up on their own is a massive expectation. If they succeed, kudos to them for triumphing over the odds. But what about the millions that lack the education, medical resources, financial accessibility, etc...?
I guess what I'm contemplating is the difference between poverty in the US and poverty in the Developing World. Here, in the US, I think its much harder for someone to honestly say that they were beaten down. Are the odds stacked against certain races, classes, genders, etc...? Absolutely. But I guess what I believe is that these odds are NOT insurmountable. Daunting? Yes. Insurmountable? No. So here in the US, its easier to subscribe to a conservative position and argue for a pull-yourself-up mentality.
But abroad, the situation is must different. So how do you maintain the dignity of the individual by encouraging them to rise up while at the same time recognizing that it may be a practical impossibility for an entire generation?
But ultimately, this is a continent that has been ravaged by Western society, the climate, etc... To expect someone to rise up on their own is a massive expectation. If they succeed, kudos to them for triumphing over the odds. But what about the millions that lack the education, medical resources, financial accessibility, etc...?
I guess what I'm contemplating is the difference between poverty in the US and poverty in the Developing World. Here, in the US, I think its much harder for someone to honestly say that they were beaten down. Are the odds stacked against certain races, classes, genders, etc...? Absolutely. But I guess what I believe is that these odds are NOT insurmountable. Daunting? Yes. Insurmountable? No. So here in the US, its easier to subscribe to a conservative position and argue for a pull-yourself-up mentality.
But abroad, the situation is must different. So how do you maintain the dignity of the individual by encouraging them to rise up while at the same time recognizing that it may be a practical impossibility for an entire generation?
posted by Just a Few Things about Scott ... | 11:13 AM
2 Comments:
I'm not sure I see your point. Is this meant to be an argument against conservatism in our country or theirs?
In either case, my response would probably address the role of government.
I think it's entirely fair to differentiate between global poverty and the so-called poverty that we have here in the US. They are, by no means, similar entities. Very rarely have I seen what I truly consider to be "poverty" here in the US. (Former coal mining towns of WV being one example.) What I see here in the US is poverty of mind and heart.
Conversely, I still don't know that entitlements ultimately help. We've dumped billions into Africa--and have nothing to show for it. South Africa ended apartheid, and the country is largely self-destructing.
I don't know how Africa can be helped at this point--but I believe that it's got to come from the inside out. (And it's not going to be Negroponte's laptop program either...)
So--while hard as it is--I still feel that (true) conservatism has it's role...even in Africa. To wit, I was talking w/ a famous animal conservationist (who happens to stutter)--and asked him what his thoughts were relative to modern medicine in Africa. (i.e., decreasing infant mortality rate so that they can starve at a later date.) And we ultimately agreed; modern medicine may be a net negative if the people have limited resources in which to ultimately care for themselves.
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