Why is there so much poverty???

I think its because of waste. Its because of corrupt governments. I think its because we need more united efforts aginst it. I think we need more programs to help prevent it. There needs to be a decrease in the cost of living, as well as healthcare and all those things. Wages do not match the cost of living.

There is so much poverty because of our rich people not donating some of their money to help the poor as well as Bush and our government ripping us off with all the increases in taxes, gas prices and everything else. There will be more poor people if our government does not wake up and smell the coffee and do something about the cost of health insurance, electricity, water and all the other expenses. The more they increase things the more poorer we will become. I think most of the blame is because of our government and Bush and gas companies and other companies and our wealthy people.

That would be a much better world, indeed. I don't object owning food chains, but I do object the existence of people that must dig in garbage as only mean to get his food.

ya know my friend and i have been talking about this for a long long time,we are spending all this money on all other countries.,which i have nooo problems with..but we need to take care of our people right now..and it makes me sick seeing anyone.ESPECIALLY CHILDREN!! on the street and looking threw garbage cans for food..i want to take everyone in my home and help them..hell i would help the world if i could and had the means..if i was a millionaire,i would some how make sure that i had many fundraisers for homeless..i know we need money for cancer and all other illness..but what about the people on the streets suffering and living in boxes,,in like 20 below weather?? it makes me cry seein it..and i dont undertsand how anyone could just walk by and not help..what a messed up world we live in eh?

I suppose there are a lot of answers to this-- all depends on how deep you want to dig. Ultimately, I think there's poverty because they majority of humans are "competitive" rather than "cooperative" by nature. A competitive social structure fosters a system that promotes a certain degree of selfishness... maybe not on a conscious level, but certainly on a general "taking care of ME first" level. This leads to a general atmosphere in which "the individual" is more highly valued than "the community," and "individual good" ranked above "common good." Many Western societies (and the US is probably top of the list) have a skewed sense of the "value" of money, and it creates HUGE economic inequities. And part of the problem also lies in placing "wants" ahead of "needs," leading to a huge amount of waste on "artificial consumption." What does that mean? Maybe everybody NEEDS an accurate watch, a well-made purse, and a good pair of running shoes. But nobody's life is made "better"-- in a basic material sense-- by a $9,000 watch, a $1000 purse or $300 sneakers. It's just an "empty" loss of wealth. I don't begrudge an ambitious person's drive to succeed and gain wealth-- but it's all relative. The idea that someone's work is "worth" $50 million a year is absurd; sure you can make an economic case for how much they contributed to a corporation's bottom line, but I am talking about the CULTURAL ETHICS of the notion that a single person can-- and should-- be rewarded thusly. There are places in the world that are different-- go visit the Scandinavian countries. They are generally "social democracies," and seen as "welfare states." The common good IS more important than the individual... but in return, you give up a large chunk of "freedom of creativity," in that those with ambition have little incentive to pursue dreams to become rich and successful. However, if you measure a country not by the privileges enjoyed by its WEALTHIEST citizens, but by how its LEAST privileged citizens are being treated... then they are doing pretty well "over there," and we are somewhere in the lower ranks.

I've always wondered the same thing as you. I think the main reason is because people put their riches over God and forget what life is really about. This world needs to learn, understand and become closer to God in order to change for the better.

Poverty, though not a universal phenomenon has gripped many a nations. it is the duty of wealthy nations to feed the hungry millions who are like our brothers and sisters. Let human consciousness build up on this issue,for appeasement of hunger is man's basic need.