Life Isn't Fair

The great Greek philosopher Plato once stated that "a state that does not educate and train its women is like a man who only trains his right arm." Despite this sage advise, some nations (including Saudi Arabia) take great pains to not educate or train its women. As Cavington wisely noted in the post below, nations (Rwanda, Egypt) soak in foreign aid and then are unable to rise from borderline poverty; and yet the clamor for more continues to grate. However, the misfortunes and mistakes of less economically fortunate states is not the responsibility of powerful states to rectify.

I have stated opinions to this respect in this space before, and I will do so again: The United States of America is one of the luckiest nations on the planet. It was colonized by an advanced and rich nation, left to develop through salutary neglect, and had vast oceans on both sides to guard it. America's development was incredible. However, some nations were not nearly as ready to be independent was America was when they requested independence. These nations include many of those torn apart by civil and economic strife, like Algeria and Angola (yes, I always use these two examples; this just shows how often I talk about this in this space). This kind of state is the type that often asks for foreign aid; however, it is NOT America's problem. Neither is it America's problem if ANY state wants aid.

There are only two reasons for one nation to legitimately give aid to a country (which is the only thing which realistically could contribute to an imaginary "right to wealth"): if the financial well-being of any one nation is essentially important to that of the aid-giver; or if the one nation, out of the bottom of its heart, feels as though it wants to assist. To give otherwise would be a violation of a nation's realist prerogatives. It is to each country to do as what most strengthens itself, not to do what strengthens others. To decree a right to wealth, or any euphemism for the same, is to essentially remove a nation's sovereignty to do what is best for itself - and to do this is to remove what makes a nation a nation, and not a protectorate, territory, or - yes - colony. If a colony wants to declare independence, it needs to be able to be being a big boy.