Why should developed countries help developing countries?

PhsycoGinger

So my group and i have to do a debate for CSPE, and we're proposing the motion that developed countries should help developing countries. We're stuck for ideas... can anyone help?

lashes34

You can't think of a reason to help those worse off than you?

Raheem Euro

You are developing a market that you can sell into.
You are cultivating hopefully a grateful friend and political ally.
Altruism is both ethically commendable and brings a sense of

Plumbthedepths

If you take Europe in isolation, several European countries, France, Germany, Spain, UK, Belgium, Italy, Holland engaged in the pillage and 'rape' of much of the rest of the world. Africa and South America being the most prominent. These regions suffered greatly at the hands of European and natural development was stifled. When the European nations left more often than not a power vacuum was created usually ending in civil war further destroying what development had occurred under foreign rule. So yes definitely in the case of Europe most European countries have a responsibility to aid developing countries particularly former colonies.

doolox

You could approach the motion from the experience of history. Marshall Aid would be one to look up, where George C Marshall, the overall Chief of Staff of the US armed forces during World War 2, proposed a huge aid program for postwar Europe in order to avoid poverty and chaos causing the countries of Europe from starting World War 3.

Preventing or reducing violence and war is a big motive for peaceful, orderly and wealthy countries to support development plans in undeveloped countries.

Look up the recent aid programs from China to Africa and South America to see other reasons, notably getting raw materials and building up markets for their finished goods.

Look up Mercantilism in the 17th Century, Empires based on trade and exchange of goods to the benefit of the ruling country and how this eventually failed.

Look up Fair trade and ethical corporate policies and ethical stock investing.

Also the donations by Bill Gates and other billionaires is worth looking into.

This should give you some scope for drafting a list of reasons why people engage in international aid programs.

murpho999

How can you be stuck for ideas?

From a humanitarian point of view to prevent famine, disease and help your fellow human out.

From a political point of view to prevent wars and conflicts that cost human life, can spread to other countries, can result in poverty struck people being recruited by extremist groups and turned into terrorists.
Also, a country that is better developed can provide for its citizens better therefore leading to less emigration to the West which is huge political issue at the moment.

From an economic point of view: Economic activity is increased when a country is developed leading to more trade with other developed countries.

Maybe look up NGO websites and the UN for more views on this.

Eric Cartman

We only help third world countries to exploit them for cheap manufacturing in future, middle africa will become the new china in my lifetime, build up their infrastructure then harvest the labour rewards for western profit.

"Made in darfur" coming soon to a cheap phone near you

murpho999

Eric Cartman wrote: »

We only help third world countries to exploit them for cheap manufacturing in future, middle africa will become the new china in my lifetime, build up their infrastructure then harvest the labour rewards for western profit.

"Made in darfur" coming soon to a cheap phone near you

Just to be pedantic: "Third World" is not used anymore. Seen as degrading and it's developing countries now.

James Brown

I can see anyone coming up being stuck for ideas as regards 'why help others?'. We're in the 'what's in it for me?' age, publicly and politically.

murpho999 wrote: »

Just to be pedantic: "Third World" is not used anymore. Seen as degrading and it's developing countries now.

And the 'working class' are now encompassed into the 'middle class', gives the impression we're all doing great apart from those chiselers the 'working poor'.

While I agree with my learned colleague Eric on much of what he says, there are genuine people who like to help others. Politicians know this. A nation doing good deeds is good press. The public like to see it too.
You should watch a doc called 'Poverty Inc'. It really lays out the poverty business. It's essentially about using a nations disadvantages against them to press gang them into being fodder for GMO's. Bono actually makes money in Africa, (he's featured).

https://www.povertyinc.org/

murpho999

Matt Barrett wrote: »

And the 'working class' are now encompassed into the 'middle class', gives the impression we're all doing great apart from those chiselers the 'working poor'.

No that's not what happened.

It's to do with the change in the political world In the decade following the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the term Third World was used interchangeably with developing countries, but the concept has become outdated as it no longer represents the current political or economic state of the world.

James Brown

murpho999 wrote: »

No that's not what happened.

It's to do with the change in the political world In the decade following the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the term Third World was used interchangeably with developing countries, but the concept has become outdated as it no longer represents the current political or economic state of the world.

Oh, but it very much is. Where did the working class, (formally lower class) go?

As regards the 'Third world', that's what perpetuates poverty and normalises it, the rebranding. You can make more money when you've a desperate people. Large corporations setting up in a third world country for profit is in essence developing that country I suppose.

dense

PhsycoGinger wrote: »

So my group and i have to do a debate for CSPE, and we're proposing the motion that developed countries should help developing countries. We're stuck for ideas... can anyone help?

Ask Alexa?

Alternatively lift something from the #climatejustice moral manual.

guitarhappy

PhsycoGinger wrote: »

we're proposing the motion that developed countries should help developing countries. We're stuck for ideas...

Sounds a little trolly the way you pose the question. If your dear mother fell down unconscious in the middle of the road should any of us help her? The answer seems obvious to me. But, you're getting good answers,carry on...

Nody

You can group the approach in to several categories and since you're saying it's a debate you can work in the reasons to counter what they argue but to get you a few pills to start on:

Historical/pillage/Empire guilt
Easy one to play first; we pillaged their land and caused damage and now we need to pay our dues back.
We get access to raw materials & resources not available here.

Economical
We're building up a market for the future for us to export to by improving their quality of life and standards
We get their cream getting educated/working here and then returning home with experience ensuring your aging population don't have to handle the full load ourselves.

Racism
If they got better standards as many will not travel to our countries to try to earn money instead.
We can deport more people back who claim no home country.

Good will
By showing the west is not a devil the grounds of extremist recruitment is minimized reducing future attacks as well as building network for intelligence.
It's the right thing to do.

Political
By supporting country A we can change barbaric ways of living / stop communists etc.
We get a shoe in for future contracts for our countries companies.

Spanish Eyes

I think Ireland contributes the guts of some 500m euro or more EVERY year to emerging nations under the international aid protocol.

And we probably spend much more than this taking a lot of them in too.

Baffled really.

But I reckon we want to look good. As if anyone cares.

PhsycoGinger

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I think Ireland contributes the guts of some 500m euro or more EVERY year to emerging nations under the international aid protocol.

And we probably spend much more than this taking a lot of them in too.

Baffled really.

But I reckon we want to look good. As if anyone cares.

Crazy. You'd think they'd sort out their own country first.

Midlife

I'd more turn the question around and ask that if you accept that charity is something to do on any level, why would you cease it at a border?

Surely you're either being altruistic or you're not.

recedite

Because... these guys can never have too much money.