Rich and Poor by Peter Singer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rich and Poor by Peter Singer - Essay Example It is therefore there could not be any possibility of comparing the level of deprivations between the two culturally and economically pole-apart zones of the globe. The rich nations, according to the author, spend millions of dollars in feeding their pets, while they are unable to realize the bitter fact that by doing so, they are adding their share in respect of depriving the millions of humans of adequate food and proper nutrition. Although, the animals should not be deprived of the food, yet humans must be considered at first stance in order to make the world healthy, productive and beneficial one for the collective benevolence and progress of humanity at large. The affluent do not acknowledge the sufferings of the extremely poor and downtrodden nations, which neither do have any access to purchase seeds and fertilizers for their fields nor can they grow grains and other crops properly to feed their people subsequently. As a result, hunger, diseases, crimes, and deprivations domin ate these meager and underprivileged regions of the globe, and a large number of people leads their lives amidst the drab, dull and dismal dance of illness, hunger, scarcity, illiteracy and high mortality. The author looks to be capturing the attention of the affluent nations by awakening them from their deep sleep of negligence and indifference from their duties and obligations towards their fellow humans. The affluent are, according to Singer, so much absorbed in their everyday chores and personal and professional activities that they pay almost no heed to the miseries of others, which is equivalent to a grave abandonment in the light of moral values and ethical law. Although, the statutes of law do not impose any bar or restriction on the negligence, witnessed by the affluent, yet the principles of morality and justice certainly regard such an act as perversion and offense on the part of the rich and well-to-do towards the downtrodden strata in general. It is partly due to the ve ry reality that the rich do not have to sacrifice anything for supporting or feeding the deprived ones; on the contrary, they just have to consume few dollars from the extra amount of their income for the financial and social uplift of the poor. Hence, spending something, from their surplus wealth, Singer asserts, for the cause of humanity, as well as to combat with the awkward clutches of poverty, serves as an essential moral obligation of the wealthy and prosperous individuals, communities and nations of the world. The author stresses upon the eradication of the misconception that little contribution for the cause of helping the starving would not be the effective one to challenge the ugly and enormous face of poverty, as tiny drops of help and support to the deprived strata, would become a huge ocean of help for defeating the large-scale starvation, hunger and diseases with an iron hand. Though such contributions would not offer a high-quality life to the poor, yet they would cer tainly be beneficial in pulling them out from the whirlpool of hunger by fulfilling their basic needs.