Pogge

First, my post that I just wrote for the blog (the same one I'm writing now) was deleted immediately when I finished it. Thanks Blogger haha.

Ok, back to Pogge. The GRD idea intrigues me for three reasons.

First-accountability. This refers to those who would be recieving assitance from the GRD. My worry is that those individuals will develop a dependence on GRD funds instead of becoming more self-sustaining with the extra help. I realize one reply may recognize dependence is better than the current alternative. I feel the point of the GRD, or any relief effort, aims to provide relief not with greater long-term outlook than short-term. Consider this: We live in a world of limited resources. If we recognize that our resources available keep shrinking and our population keeps growing, we must have some way of making people self-sufficient eventually or the GRD would be ineffective in assisting the new individuals needing assistance in the world.

Second-who contributes and how and distribution. I'm disappointed that Pogge fails to speak more clearly as to how his plan would be acted in specifics. Unfortunately for this reader, Pogge leaves many of the most important decisions to economists and international lawyers. The very issues that he leaves to economists and international lawyers, though, are some of the biggest obstacles for him to overcome. For instance, the distribution of funds gained from the GRD. Or what if a majority of the comparatively wealthiest countries do not want to contribute to the GRD, instead creating domestic programs similar to the GRD? Basically, I wish his theory would be a bit more developed in these areas, though I recognize this is indeed a difficult task.

Third-GRD is...well...interesting. If the standards could be universalized in collection and distribution of GRD funds, I think Pogge may have a viable process in attempting to curb world poverty. The whole concept, though, needs more development in order to be viable. I look forward to class discussion of the viability of the GRD.