Why are the Children Starving?
Created | Updated Jul 13, 2003
This is a Work In Progress. These are my preliminary ideas on the topic. I am going to do a lot more research and work my findings into this entry as I make them.
Why are the children starving?
People in America and Europe often see reports in newspapers of children that are starving in large numbers, usually somewhere in Africa. But it is not often rigorously explained why those children are starving. Vague terms such as 'droughts' and 'food shortages' are used as some sort of explanation. The idea is given that there isn't enough food to go around. However, that is often not the case. The truth is that there *is* often enough food available in the countries in which these kids are starving. The problem is often not that there isn't any food, it's that there isn't any *money* to buy the food with. For instance right now in Zimbabwe people are starving, but everywhere there are markets and supermarkets fully stocked with food. But most people cannot afford the prices they're asking. That's because Zimbabwe's economy is going haywire and there is an absolutely ridiculous level of inflation. You need something like a million Zim dollars to buy a bread! So the supermarkets are full of food that nobody can buy, and the people starve. What's the answer? Sending in food? The food is already there! In fact after a while usually the food has to be sent *elsewhere* where there are people who can afford it, or else the supermarkets lose money. So what's the answer?
In Zim's case, the economy must be fixed first and that could be a tough job.
But basically this is a problem everywhere in Africa. There is food, but the food is priced too high for local people to buy. Lots of food grown in Africa is in fact exported to Europe and America! Do they ever say that in the newspapers? And yet it's true! While African children starve, Africa is sending more food to Europe and America so the rich and well-fed consumers can have an even wider range of nice exotically-grown foods available to them year-round. Fresh bananas and mangos in Wintertime. Why don't the newspapers ever say that?
Do you think that makes any sense at all???
I think there are two things that need to be done. The first is that Africa should gradually make the switch from a market-based economy to a resource-based economy. The second is that we need here to implement large-scale plans of voluntary population-growth control. By those two means we can solve the shortage problems. *However*, in switching from a market-based economy to a resource-based economy we are going to have to come into conflict with America and Europe ... basically, we're going to come into conflict with those countries who want priveleged market access for themselves. But that is what we need to do, if we want to save ourselves. It may be hard and painful but the alternative is even harder and more painful. So long as we are dominated by the market-based approach, we will have children starving in the midst of abundance.
I'll soon write an entry or two about resource-based economies versus market-based economies, and also about voluntary population growth control.
Why are the children starving?
People in America and Europe often see reports in newspapers of children that are starving in large numbers, usually somewhere in Africa. But it is not often rigorously explained why those children are starving. Vague terms such as 'droughts' and 'food shortages' are used as some sort of explanation. The idea is given that there isn't enough food to go around. However, that is often not the case. The truth is that there *is* often enough food available in the countries in which these kids are starving. The problem is often not that there isn't any food, it's that there isn't any *money* to buy the food with. For instance right now in Zimbabwe people are starving, but everywhere there are markets and supermarkets fully stocked with food. But most people cannot afford the prices they're asking. That's because Zimbabwe's economy is going haywire and there is an absolutely ridiculous level of inflation. You need something like a million Zim dollars to buy a bread! So the supermarkets are full of food that nobody can buy, and the people starve. What's the answer? Sending in food? The food is already there! In fact after a while usually the food has to be sent *elsewhere* where there are people who can afford it, or else the supermarkets lose money. So what's the answer?
In Zim's case, the economy must be fixed first and that could be a tough job.
But basically this is a problem everywhere in Africa. There is food, but the food is priced too high for local people to buy. Lots of food grown in Africa is in fact exported to Europe and America! Do they ever say that in the newspapers? And yet it's true! While African children starve, Africa is sending more food to Europe and America so the rich and well-fed consumers can have an even wider range of nice exotically-grown foods available to them year-round. Fresh bananas and mangos in Wintertime. Why don't the newspapers ever say that?
Do you think that makes any sense at all???
I think there are two things that need to be done. The first is that Africa should gradually make the switch from a market-based economy to a resource-based economy. The second is that we need here to implement large-scale plans of voluntary population-growth control. By those two means we can solve the shortage problems. *However*, in switching from a market-based economy to a resource-based economy we are going to have to come into conflict with America and Europe ... basically, we're going to come into conflict with those countries who want priveleged market access for themselves. But that is what we need to do, if we want to save ourselves. It may be hard and painful but the alternative is even harder and more painful. So long as we are dominated by the market-based approach, we will have children starving in the midst of abundance.
I'll soon write an entry or two about resource-based economies versus market-based economies, and also about voluntary population growth control.
