Defining the ability to pay

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Madeleine Bunting wrote a powerful column in favour of aid this weekend.

I want to see an end to aid: it should be replaced by taxes collected by local governments on income they can generate within their communities. But the pre-conditions for that to happen are, as yet, not in existence. Fort a start we stack all the odds against the aid recipient countries. Whilst that happens aid is essential.

Bunting refers to to philosopher Peter Singer, who she says:

acknowledges that some aid goes astray, and that some aid is not very effective. But he turns that argument on its head: so what, if the cost to you has been so little — only the price of a meal in a restaurant or a new pair of shoes? Such is the affluence of the west, arguments about the cost of aid are irrelevant — we can afford it.

And he puts the threshold very low: anyone who can afford to buy a bottled or canned drink where there is clean tap water available has money they do not need.

My emphasis added, but reflect on it: isn’t this a definition of our ability to redistribute to those in need? And if so, our capacity to do so is enormous. It’s one of a number of very powerful arguments on this capacity now developing, and of both the need and beenfit from doing so.

I’ll be returning to the theme.


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