After reading The Singer Solution to World Poverty, well...it was interesting. First of all, he talks about morals and what a lady and a man did. The lady put a boy's life in danger when she meant well for him, supposedly. And the man allowed a boy to die when he could have prevented it. But he didn't because he didn't want his car to be destroyed. Singer says that everyone who does things that Bob, the man, did are morally wrong. And he also says that everyone in the United States should be giving their annual income-$30000 to overseas aid agencies. Or was he saying to give $200? I don't really know and don't really care. The main point is that Singer is saying that everyone who doesn't give money is morally wrong and they are exactly the same as Bob. Everyone is able to save a child's life just by giving money but the majority of people don' t and that is what Singer is saying. This is the only way to live a morally decent life, "not because it is good to wallow in guilt but because knowing where we should be going is the first step towards heading in that direction"(4). He wants everyone to know that every fancy meal we eat and every TV set we get and every set of clothes we buy, the money could go to saving a child's life. But, instead we're spending the money on our own, personal luxury. So, to sum it all up, Singer says that we have to give money or else our life wouldn't be morally correct and that every good thing that we purchase and enjoy, all that money could just go to saving a child's(or more) life.
But, now I say this. If everyone was to be equal in this world, where everyone had the same amount of money...well no. No. Because that wouldn't happen. The world has never and will never be fair. It will never be equal. There will always be people who want more power than others and who will want everything for themselves. There will always be people where the 7 deadly sins are inhabited in them. so, now, what I am saying is, sure you can give money to people to make their lives better, and sure you can always feel selfish and sorry whenever you go out to eat, but you can still never do enough. What are you trying to accomplish? Making the world equal? You will never be able to do that. I am not saying to not give money. OF COURSE YOU SHOULD. All I'm saying is that if you give then you give. If you feel bad for people and give and know that you are making a difference then that's all that really counts. It's the feeling of caring that counts in this world. A feeling of hope for other's lives that pushes us to wherever or whatever we may go or do. This is what drives us, hope. Although this hope thing doesn't really connect to what Mr. Singer was saying before, or maybe...I don't know. Funny where things bring us.
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2 comments:
I agree with you. It seems that Singer is trying very hard to make us all feel guilty for eating out, buying new clothes every now and then, and buying new appliances for our homes. I mean what kind of life would that be? Working your butt off to get a decent paycheck and then only being able to spend money on necessities and nothing else because it would be immoral of you to do so otherwise.
Anyway, what do you think about the rest of Singer's essay? Did you find any good points or observations by him?
Well yes I did. I didn't think that Singer's essay was all bad. The fact that he was brave enough to say that there really are people like Bob in this world and that this world isn't perfect. But I can understand why he would write this. Because even though this essay may have offended people, they would still have a compelled feeling to give money and to donate to save lives. But what I feel is, any amount is good, as long as you give then it will make a difference. I just don't know if what he says about the only way to be morally correct is to give all of your extra money, is waht i feel to.
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