Throughout the world the problem is the same and increasing. Greed and need. The haves and the have-nots. For the truly greedy, this is their desire fulfilled. For those who imagine a better world, their "solutions" are to feed poverty and embrace it as a necessary commodity. In the developing world, many are dying, reproducing themselves into a world of hopelessness, too weak to do more than survive another day. Here in the United States, politicians speak about the war on poverty and "fighting" poverty, as the problem gets worse.
Maybe it is a human condition, but I do not think so. Before civilization, when humans were in tribes and caring for one another as a unit, I doubt the word poverty was part of any developing language. How we evolved as a species, with such a dark side has answers in its very evolution. Survival is always at play and the drama is becoming very ugly. Could the answer be simple? Yes, but the solutions become more complicated as we divide the human family and responsibility is taken from the poor themselves.
The earthquake in Haiti illuminated the problem of poverty and its pain and consequences. President Obama said, "we will not forget you." But he did. He has too many other problems. The world sent food and supplies and the greedy took over. Just one glaring example of the worlds misery.
There is no excuse for the growing poverty in the United States. Here as the example for a better life with Lady Liberty still carrying the torch, those from other lands still come with their hope and dreams and many fulfill them. But our own citizens are distressed in growing numbers. The rules for success are the same for everybody. Responsibility, education (not necessarily formal), hard work and belief that you have an opportunity for success.
We had an opportunity in this country to show the world how it is done. The idea is increasingly corrupted as the problem grows and the solutions are like band aids on wound that showed signs of healing and was busted open again by the doctors that were supposed to have the remedy. Welfare only allowed human souls to do nothing and get paid for it. It could only have been a temporary fix and when recipients were weaned off, the whole showed progress.
Those in distress have a greater responsibility for alleviating that distress when given assistance. This must be taught to them if they have not come to that realization. Those who do charitable work to make themselves feel useful are part of the problem if they do not educate, but give maudlin diatribes about their contributions. Those who are contributing by just minimizing temporary pain are providing hope, but cannot forward a better way.
We must plan for the elimination of poverty, by a series of steps that will be painful for those who would rather not face the problem head on. There are groups that study the causes of poverty. That is a start, but it has not given answers to those who get involved in solutions and take action for a way forward. As California is becoming a greater burden to the rest of the United States, with growing debt and growing numbers of people on assistance and entitlement programs, a program has started for those homeless souls to give shelter and all the counseling that they are willing to participate in. Will they be educated in the steps to responsible living as money is spent? A young child comes into the world from a poor mother who has limited resources. What chances does that child have for success? If the mother is educated about the conditions for success will she bear another child that the taxpayer will need to support?
Education demands discipline and our schools became "dumbed down" to accommodate those struggling. Drop outs will continue if the mind is not educated about the rules for success. It is not the politicians' job to throw money and words at a problem, but to lead the way to higher standards. That is why we voted for them. That is why they were hired. The same road they took to get to where they are must be shared in education. If those who exhibit irresponsible behavior are rewarded instead of taken to task, the problem persists exponentially.
The leaders, those who took the reigns and made decisions for their own benefit failed us. Banks, brokers, watchdogs, those politicians empowered with our success all failed. Those in the financial industry were rewarded for their failure with payouts for their "talent". We were "saved' from a depression by those who created an economic condition, the likes of which are yet to be realized. Welfare for the rich has highlighted the fact, that reward for poor performance is the road to darkness. Those who should be contributing to a finer example failed miserably. We are all left to pick up the pieces. While poverty and stress are exacerbated, the foxes walk off with their kill and continue in their greed.
Rather than investing in things that continue not to work, we all have to take a serious and second look. We must be brutally honest and work towards investing in the values that will sustain us. We will not survive never mind thrive, until we take common sense steps toward right living. Every one must be taught the basic rules for success: Responsibility, daily education, dedicated work, honesty and gratitude. This is the foundation for a successful society. If we can example this in our own country, we can export the product without using words like "fighting" and "war" to eliminate the plague of poverty and hardship that we all must pay attention to in order to overcome.
We have one beautiful planet that provides a nourishing home for us. It is getting ever crowded with ignorance, violence and a population that increasingly cannot sustain itself. "We cannot solve the problem from the place where we created it", Einstein famously states. So in order to create a "new world order' we must resort to established laws found as the basis of all religions and see ourselves as a human family working for the unit rather than the dictator who comes in many forms. The planet is insisting we get it right. Need and greed are dictators of destruction.
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