Det liv du kan rädda

by Peter Singer

translated by Margareta Eklöf 

For the first time in history, an end to mass, long-term poverty is possible.

There have always been rich and poor, but today’s poor find themselves as poor as ever, and the rich are now far richer than at any previous time in our history. In an age where we can keep our homes warm or cool at the touch of a button, travel to exotic places, eat fresh fruits and vegetables all year round, our affluence gives us the resources to end global poverty – if we choose to use it for that purpose.

Premier ethicist Peter Singer explores the increasingly stark contrast between rich and poor to ask: Do we have an obligation to eliminate poverty? How much should we give? Is fighting poverty charity’s only goal? How can we justify spending money on dining out, extravagant vacations, or on fashionable clothes, when these sums could, if donated to the right organization, save a child’s life?

Technological innovations and instant communications enable us to know where poverty exists. Improved transport makes it possible for us to come to the aid of the poor in places that previously we could not reach. There will always be pockets of poverty for local reasons, including wars and natural catastrophes, but there is no longer any inevitability about severe poverty remaining the normal state of existence for hundreds of millions of people. What would our world be like if no one was poor? And everyone had access to the food, health care, and comforts we all take for granted?

Spring 2009