Analysis Of Peter Singer's Article: The Singer Solution To World Poverty

On September 5th, 1999, Peter Singer wrote an article for the New York Times newspaper titled The Singer Solution to World Poverty. He states that residents in developed countries should donate to charitable causes aimed at reducing poverty. In the past, some of his works have been controversial, and this extends to his works on the relationship between charity and the public. He points out that it is wrong for people to enjoy their wealth and live in luxury while majority of people are suffering in various parts of the world. As such, every person has a role to donate a portion of their earnings to charitable organizations.
The main point that Singer is trying to tell the readers is that each of them can help someone who is in need. One does
Singer assumes that all people have limited obligations and after paying for their basic amenities, the money that is left is spent on luxuries and items that are not necessarily needed. However, this is not applicable to all employed people. Many people who are working have too many expenses, and the money they are working is in most cases insufficient for their needs. It is the reason people will always look for better employment opportunities where they will earn more money. An example of expenses that have not been accounted for by Singer are mortgage or rental payments, medical care costs, education fees for their children and money that is saved to secure a stable future. These are vital elements in the lives of all employees, and they have to be catered for, regardless of the income of the individual. Most of these items might appear as luxuries to Singer (1999), but they are important to people as they make life worthwhile. As such, people are willing to work harder to afford them. Singer advocates for a sum not less than $200 or more, however, people should not be restricted to the sums they can donate to charitable causes. Every person has their way that they can use to help the marginalized people around the world. It can be by sharing their skills or simply spending time at the charities. In this case, it is wrong to assume that the only contribution that
By reading the facts those statements that have been presented, it appears as if the majority of the population would rather spend their money on luxuries rather than spend on charitable causes. He does not point out the fact that already there are millions of people who donate money to these charities, and this has ensured their operations have run smoothly for several years. Without this support, most of these charities would not be in existence. Another fact that is overlooked is that most people prefer to keep information about their donations secret. Indeed, there are wealthy people who make public their donations. However, majority of people give donations to various causes, and it is wrong to suggest that what they have given is not enough. People only give what they can spare, corporates, on the other hand, have billions in profits, but Singer (1999) has not pointed out the role that they have to play. There is no counter-argument that has been offered that shows the extent by which people have donated to various causes, and the main intention of this articles seems to be pointing blame to the