Can poverty ever be eradicated?

Can poverty in Africa, or anywhere in the world, really be made history?In theory, poverty could be eradicated from the earth. There’s certainly no lack of resources in this earth to supply everyone’s needs. But WILL poverty ever be eradicated? Unfortunately, my stand to this question is no.

As mentioned by Kamala Sarup, to end poverty, one nation must first upgrade it’s technlogical competency. The direct causes of per capita income and living standard increases are technologies, new and old. These are the tools, machines, materials, power sources, medicines, and manufacturing and commercial practices that are transformed into consumable goods and services, comprising basic living standards. However, a poor country that wants to be richer cannot expect to develop its own technology. Importing technology that produces more and better goods and services for its own people and for producing goods and services for trade with foreigners is the only option. Unfortunately, this acquisition of technology requires large amounts of money. Some would endorse the view that giving more money to poor people and poor countries can solve the problem of domestic and global poverty. It’s remarkable that so many smart people in our society are unaffected by the evidence that such transfer programs just don’t work. Why? Look at the classic example of the United States who had spent over $1 trillion on foreign aid. And yet, the Clinton administration reported that “despite decades of foreign assistance, most of Africa and parts of Latin America, Asia and the Middle East are economically worse off today than they were 20 years ago.” As a result, many of the poorest regions are still wrapped up in a poverty trap: they lack the financial means to make the necessary investments in infrastructure, education, health care systems and other vital needs.
Moreover are not talking Africa only here, poverty is prevalent in nation-states such as India, Bangladesh, Eastern European states, Thailand, China Philippines, dare I say, even in the US and the UK and even within the EU. Even if aid is given, how do we eradicate poverty when the people voted into office are corrupt? This is especially so when one nation is poor, corruption is an inevitable feature. Little progress can be achieved, in fact, the poverty continues to escalate among these nations. There is an ever-growing disparity between rich and poor. Mainly because To date, nearly every effort to eradicate poverty has focused on temporary relief of the suffering rather than getting to the root of the poverty and creating real solutions to actually eradicate poverty permanently. The result of such efforts, while well intended, and perhaps necessary in the short run, to assure the poor are at least kept alive, will not solve the problem of poverty.