7.2.5 Poverty& Inequality


"A shanty town in Jakarata, Indonesia". Photo by Jonathan McIntosh, Courtesy of Wikipedia. CC-BY 2.0
One of the great promises of economic freedom experienced under a liberal ideology was the promise of prosperity for everyone. However, today that promise is unfulfilled for millions of people.

The photo shows a shantytown in front of an office tower in Jakartai, Indonesia, graphically illustrating how rich and poor co-exist in society.

Poverty means being unable to afford your own basic human needs. It means going without clean water, food, shelter, clothing, health care, and education.

Disparity Worldwide

More than 1.5 billion people in the world live in absolute poverty. That is about one quarter of the world's population. Before the Industrial Revolution, more than half of the world's people were extremely poor.

There are many reasons poverty persists. Some claim a lack of economic freedom; others blame capitalism for providing greater opportunities for the rich to get richer while keeping the poor where they are. Corruption, lack of industrialization, political instability, few political institutions, and limited resources may also have roles in the continuation and/or expansion of poverty.

Please watch the following video explain immigration, world poverty and gumballs:

 

 

 "Immigration, World Poverty and Gumballs-NumbersUSA.com", NumbersUSA, You-tube

 


Please watch the following video explain 25 sobering stats on global poverty :

 

  "

25 Sobering Statistics on Global Poverty That Might Upset You", list25, You-tube

 



Look at the two maps below.

The one the right shows world poverty, and the one on the left shows economic freedom.
Do you see any relationship between the two?

  
"Economic Freedom of the World: 2019 Annual Report", The Fraser Institute, www.fraserinstitute.org

 
"World Map representing the Human Development Index categories (based on 2018 data, published in 2019)" by Allice Hunter. Courtesy of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0


Disparity in Liberal Democracies

Not only is there great disparity between nations, there is great inequality within nations. Even in a nation such as Canada, one child in nine lives below the poverty line. Homelessness continues to be a concern in many communities.

Some people believe that with all the economic freedoms provided by a liberal democracy, there is no excuse for a person to be poor except his or her own poor choices. Others feel that, because people are born with various abilities and family circumstances and because not every individual has access to the same resources (financial, emotional, or educational), in no way can everyone advance at the same rate.

Please watch the following video explain 16X9 cold reality of Canada's northern communities :

 

 

"16x9-Cold Reality of Canada's Northern Communities", 16x9onglobal, You-tube

 


Please watch the following video explain 11 facts about the gap between First Nations and the rest of Canada:

 

 

 "11 Facts About the Gap Between First Nations and the Rest of Canada", The Globe and Mail, You-tube

 





Consider the following questions:
  • Why are people poor? Can liberalism do anything to help them?
  • Does liberalism contribute to economic prosperity for all, or to a growing gap between rich and poor?
  • Should governments in liberal democracies protect people from extreme poverty?