Originally posted by: Stunt
Originally posted by: alchemize
Stunt,
Here's the question I've asked before (and researched myself and never quite found the answer for it either).
If we were to "redistribute" the world's wealth - how much would each of the planets 6 billion inhabitants get?
I agree with your point in saying that sharing our wealth would be counter-productive in that we would effectivly be sending money and aid overseas and lowering our standard of living. (way more poor people in the world than the few on welfare domestically)
My point is opening our borders to allow other companies and countries to compete on a level playing field. This would not lower our standard of living as more competition would lower prices, create more employment globally and of course we have a massive headstart with our education systems and the importing of the best scientists.
The big question is whether you think the US got rich off the backs of other countries or by generating wealth on its own. If you think it was off the backs of other countries, opening free trade to other countries would in fact move our wealth to other countries. If you think wealth was created domestically, it is not irrational to say the third world can start generating wealth while we continue to grow.
It is my view that economic development in the form of outsourcing will do far more for a poor country than any form of aid or donations. I am very much anti-aid but fully support free trade and outsourcing, it's like aid but they get jobs, raise their standard of living, we get cheaper goods, their economy becomes sustainable, etc.