Is it the government's duty to alleviate poverty?

Although there is the idea that a person can come to America with nothing and provided they work hard will be able to achieve, if not everything they desire, then at least a good proportion of the "American Dream" this is by no means true for everybody. There are many examples of those who have acheived this and they are pointed out every time someone wants to promote the idea that we live in a fair and just meritocracy, in which endevour is unfailingly rewarded, however for every sucsess there are many many more who will not achieve even a fraction of their dreams no matter how hard they work or to what extremes they put themselves. Because of their very nature one is never reminded of the stories that don't have a happy ending for what can be gained by documenting failiure. This leads us to have a distorted view of the way things work in this so called free market economy, to the point where whenever we see failiure or poverty we are convinced that it is entirely the fault of those who are poor and or unfortunate and in this way we absolve ourselves of any responsibility for looking after them. If I can do it then why can't they? we smugly ask ourselves. The truth is that there is an amount of good luck involved in whether we attain our goals or not it's just that we are so blinkered and impressed with our own importance that we fail to see this and just as we think that those who are poor deserve their fate so we who are sucsessful must have worked so very hard and been so very briliant that we deserve all of our rewards.

In short I think it's the responsibility of everybody to try to aleiviate poverty. It is the governments job. It is the job of the poor themselves and it is the job of everyone of us to do what we can to help raise up our fellow man so that all our lives be enriched and our conciences that much clearer. We should all strive, all of the time because we are all linked and as much as we might think we got what we got on our own this is not the case. We are all beholden to that which has gone before and made the way easier.

Hope that answers your question. Going now coz my head hurts.

No more than it is the governments responsibility to make everyone rich. It is a question of personal responsibility and personal initiative. It is the responsibility of the individual to rise from poverty. Too often today we have enormous amounts of people content to ask or recieve a handout instead of making the effort to improve thier lives by being proactive. Our country was founded on the principle of the American dream of being able to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. The operative word is "work". If instead you are content to be on and stay on the dole, then you will never ever get anywhere but where you are today.

And I for one, can not afford anymore of these individuals sucking on my income.

The term "War on poverty" might as well be substituted by the "war on air" or the "war on life" because it will never, ever, be "won". People will forever be poor and no amount of money tossed at this type of "war" will eleviate it. If you did, start to make headway, then what happens is, the government statisticians simply move the goal posts and there is a new "level" for "poverty" and wallah, more of a problem to solve.

a million. India is having poverty till and the justifications may well be attributed to here. a million. In India there is adequate production of products and the income is going in ordinary terms to the few and AS there is not any suited DISTRIBUTION OF income between the loads. 2. some super advantages of 5 3 hundred and sixty 5 days Plans is going in ordinary terms to the few. although the government is making an attempt with the aid of somewhat some rules the advantages never is going to the standard public of folk and it is going in ordinary terms to the few. 3. Garibi Hatao is the in demand slogan of Indira Gandhi however the money spent on somewhat some schemes never reaches the undesirable via corruption nepotism etc and the consequence is poverty remains here. 4. In our blended monetary gadget in recent times the interior maximum sector is given greater value than the standard public sector and the consequence is wealthy turns into Richer and the undesirable turns into poorer.

I think that it should be the governments responsibility to take the welfare of its population as the first concern (along with safety), but in a society where the population is free to pur-

suit life,liberty and the other " guaranteed " rights that this society has under our constitution then, the population is supposed to have the availability of the vote on all the bills and legislation put before the governing entity. Since government has grown, then the responsibility to look after its people falls on the "elected officials" from each district, city, county and state. Sorry for the brief, and this is only an opinion. We would do well to educate ourselves(and children) on our Constitutional Rights, and watch out for amendments.

Its everyone's duty to help the poor. Governments have more responsibility as they have more resources to carry out the task. But as individuals, we should contribute. There is one community which I came across http://www.orkut.co.in/Community.aspx?cmm=47234928 which speaks about the united nations' campaign to end poverty by 2015. The campaign revolves around 8 major goals.

Scripture says to love your neighbor as yourself. Our Creator certainly knows best.

The only responsibility government has is to defend the citizens from invasion. Then again, what is government supposed to be other than you and I and our neighbors. In a free society, it's all up to us.

Only in a tyrannical society does government become the god the people are forced to worship. And it all begins with a weak-minded populace that expects someone else to do all the work. That's when evil men form a government to do just that. And the more government does for you the less freedom you have.

It is less the governments responsibility to alleviate poverty, but more its responsibilty to level the playing field so that all Americans have a chance to better their situation.

It is the government's responsibility to ensure that the playing field is level and that the ability to pursue an opportunity is there. It is up to the individual to take advantage of that opportunity. It is not the responsibility of the government to ensure that all citizens are successful.

America is capitalistic republic and this means the citizens are allowed to govern themselves-and therefore their lack of income is directly related to this freedom. We are the only country in the world where you can come here with nothing and if you work hard enough can become millionaire without the govt's involvement or control or influence.

Sidney Poitier came to NY with only the clothes on his back, he couldn't hardly speak the language and no shoes even and he made of himself the man you now know of; and there are thousands of stories like his.

In a Communist Government or Socialistic like WWII's Italy and Russia--and Germany--it was the directive of the govt that all controls of wealth, position, employment and income was the PRIVILEGE of the govt to bestow or not.

America is a free land--THANK GOD!!! If you're poor it's your fault and if you make money its your doing.

If you can't handle that-go live where the govt runs your life and get out of my country.

it is the citizens duty, the government is not your mommy. it is all about personal responsibility. the beauty of a capitalist system is you are able (if you are willing) to get yourself out of poverty...