The rise of globalization and its challenges, climate change and its effects, as well as civil wars in countries, and governments that do n

While discussing the idea of the world food bank, Hardin (359)s of selfish interests and the selfish beneficiaries of the programme are hidden. Additionally, the impact of this programme to induce population growth and leadership irresponsibility in the poor countries is hidden. It is in the interests of these aspects that this paper seeks to argue that the idea of the World Food Bank is wrong.

The world feeding programme that demands the contributions of the rich countries, like the US to feed the poor has far reaching implications to the rich countries tax-payer. Hardin (2010) observes that between the years 1960 to 1970, the US tax payers “spent a total of $7.9 billion in the Food for Peace program”. On the same issue, Hardin (359) shows that, between the years 1948 and 1970, the US tax-payer spent $50 billion on aid programmes, some of which went directly to purchasing food. It is ironical that the citizens of the rich countries contribute to such programmes, yet Hardin states that “international charity inspires mistrust and antagonism”, instead of gratitude from the receiving countries (362). Further, the poor countries appear not to learn from their mistakes and start to plan for accidents. The big question on this issue is whether the rich countries will go to the extent of planning for them about disaster.

Selfish interests have been realized among the campaigners of the World Food Bank. Hardin (360) observes that, as per the headline that occurred in the Forbes magazine, there is a cartel that stands to benefit from the programme. To implement the Public Law 480, all the United States citizens were forced to contribute towards the programme. However, Hardin (360) observes that, “some interest groups benefited handsomely”. Surprisingly, the people and businesses behind the push for the World Food Bank concentrate on preaching about the humanitarian value of the aid. The reality is if the idea is implemented; the money is likely to be siphoned in the pockets of a few.

The hidden impact of food aid to cause population surge in other countries in the poor countries should be a concern. Hardin (361) posits that: “people will have more motivation to draw from it that to add from any common store”. The effects of this will be a continued population surge in the poor countries. According to Hardin, the effect of food aid in the poor country, whenever they have a need, is the facilitation of population surge. An example is given of India, a country with a population of 600 million people, growing at the rate of an additional fifteen million per year. The rate is very high if it is compared with the rate of a rich country like the US. The effective of taxing a US citizen and feeding an Indian citizen would be equivalent to encouraging the Indian citizen to increase the rate of population growth. On the other hand, denying food aid to the poor countries, will cause their leaders to come to their senses, and plan their population, as well as, plan for accidents and emergencies.

Work Cited

Garret, Hardin. “Lifeboat ethics: The case against helping the poor”. Reading the world: Ideas that matter. Austin, Michael. 2^nd ed. New York, W. W: Norton & Company, 2010, 357-367. Print.