Guan Jhe Chiu

17/01/2020

Capitalism Research Paper: Issues Present Within The System Of Aid

Employed In The 21st Century

The 21st century is an age filled with catastrophe and disaster, and with tragedy
inevitably comes relief organizations. With countless charities and aid organizations dedicated to
helping those in need, it can be said that relief for those in need is literally around the corner.
However, despite a disproportionate surplus of aid organizations and programs, modern society
is still rife with poverty, illness, and need. The answer to this phenomenon lies in the structure
that the current system of aid takes. The current system, although effective at providing instant
aid, fails to address the underlying causes of many problems; it only serves to address immediate
symptoms and ignores the systemic roots of issues such as poverty and homelessness. The
current system of aid is flawed because it only solves problems in the short term, creates a cycle
of dependency, and fails to tackle the root causes of the problems that they are trying to solve.

The current system of aid employed in the world is a very spontaneous model; if a need is
identified, the relief team is mobilized. However, the current system of aid is essentially limited
to relief efforts and giving instant help to those in need. Organizations such as the Surrey Food
Bank provide food for 1500 families weekly, helping keep families from starving and
malnutrition (Surrey Food Bank, 2018). The efforts of the food bank are effective in the short
term; they provide families with a source of food and help them make it through the next few
weeks. Families in need are given the necessary resources to help them survive, which shows
that the current system does perform well to some degree. Another organization based in Surrey
is Surrey Urban Mission, which helps those in need through its meal/shelter program. They serve
over 2500 meals per week to the homeless and provide 50 beds to those in need on a first-come,
first-serve basis (Surrey Urban Mission, 2019). The aid provided to homeless people helps them
survive on a day-to-day basis and protects them from starvation/exposure to the elements. On a
larger scale, the Salvation Army works to help those in need during the aftermath of
emergencies, helping provide practical assistance to over 1.1 million people, and 3.4 million
meals in 2018 (The Salvation Army, 2018). Similar to other charities, the Salvation Army helps
millions of people in their time of need, offering resources and a lifeline to help them survive
through hard times. Additionally, a government-backed counterpart to charities takes form
through welfare, providing for those in need via food stamps and housing assistance, to name a
few programs. The American government provided for over 34 million people with food stamps
in 2019, and over 2.2 million in the form of housing assistance (Amadeo, 2019). Although not
perfect, the current system of aid employed in the world is very effective at solving problems in
the short term by offering instant relief to those who need it.
 Despite its short-term effectiveness, there are numerous drawbacks to the current system
of aid. Arguably the largest and most damaging flaw with the current model is the cycle of
dependency created by the system of aid used in the modern world. The Foundation for
Economic Education details charity as a “crutch” used to mitigate the symptoms of otherwise
destructive situations and behaviours (Oliver, 1999). Essentially, charity keeps people in their
current position and provides external help to maintain an acceptable standard of living; no more,
no less. The cycle of dependency created by charity also manifests itself in a colonial us-them
mentality. Especially when concerning developing nations, the giving of aid rather than the
building of sustainable solutions results in the needy being forced into a lopsided system of
dependence (Forrest, 2015). The constant giving of aid renders those receiving help unable to
function without the presence of their aid-givers. Finally, the donation of resources to those in
need is almost always unsustainable and results in the creation of dependency from those who
receive resources. People in need often do not have the means to maintain the resources given to
them, and donated goods, funds, etc. only function for a short time before being exhausted; one
example was the Tanzanian water source project, which involved digging wells to provide
Tanzanian communities with clean water (Hawthorne, 2017). Although the water sources
worked initially, they needed to be constantly maintained, a task that the needy were unable to
perform; as a result, the Tanzanian people were left without water despite billion-dollar
investments in the creation of wells and other resources. The fact that those in need cannot rely
on charity for long term results creates a heavy reliance on aid givers and causes a systemic
dependence on the aid given by charities. The cycle of dependence is one of the biggest issues
surrounding the current system of aid and must be solved to make progress towards long-term,
sustainable change.

Increased dependency on aid organizations is not the only problem within the current
structure employed in the world; rather, it accompanies another fatal flaw. The current system of
aid fails to address the underlying causes of issues that create people in need. One main reason
that so many people are in need is capitalism, an exploitative economic system that ensures the
poor stay poor while the rich grow richer. Capitalism relies on the fact that the capitalist gains
more than the labourer when exchanging goods and services, and this is done by intentionally
keeping the minimum wage low so that workers are not compensated fairly for their work
(Lebowitz, 2004). The core of capitalism depends on the worker being exploited, and in turn,
creates a system where workers are unable to provide for themselves due to unfair capitalist
exploitation; given a capitalist system, the current system of aid can only ever solve the
symptoms of poverty, and never the cause. Another reason the current system of aid fails to
tackle the root causes of issues such as poverty and homelessness is due to widespread
corruption within the system; the system cannot hope to eliminate causes if it is itself
contributing to the cause. Numerous “charities” in both the U.S. and the international sphere
have been found to take funds and repurpose them elsewhere, often based on the personal desires
of officials within the aforementioned charities (Archambeault et al., 2014). The fact that
corruption is so intertwined within numerous charities results in situations where the
continuation of problems such as oppression and poverty actually help these charities earn more
fraudulent funds, giving them no incentive to solve the roots of the problems they claim to
combat. Finally, corruption exists not only in charities and aid organizations; it also exists in
many governments around the world. The Global Corruption Barometer shows that in many
countries, over 50% of people have reported previously paying a bribe (Satow, 2014). Aid
organizations must work with other authorities to begin complete transformations of corrupt
governments, in order to begin the legitimate resolution of the root causes that create need.
Essentially, the current system of aid is flawed because it fails to tackle the root of problems such
as capitalism and corruption, in turn helping the cycle of need continue.

As a whole, although the current system of aid employed in the 21st century suffices to
provide instant, short-term relief, it is rife with issues such as the creation of dependence and its
failure to address the root causes of people in need of aid. Aid organizations and policies only
serve to provide instant help, without setting in place long-term solutions to help those in need.
The current system creates cycles of dependence, rendering the recipients of aid unable to rely on
themselves to sustain an adequate lifestyle. It fails to address underlying issues such as
corruption and capitalism that drive people to require aid in the first place. Although optimistic,
the ultimate goal for all donors should be to eliminate the need for charity altogether, by tackling
the root causes of issues such as poverty and homelessness and shifting the current system of aid
to long term, sustainable solutions. A donor’s dollar is powerful; each dollar gives donors a little
bit more leverage to make demands. So, donors should think long and hard before donating, and
demand charities to fight the roots of social issues and the cycle of dependency, while supporting
only charities free from corruption. The current system of aid needs to undergo a big change; big
change starts with small decisions-small decisions start with everyone!

Works Cited

“Annual Reports.” Surrey Food Bank Society, 10 Jan. 2017,

www.surreyfoodbank.org/about/annual-reports/.

Archambeault, Deborah S., et al. “Fraud and Corruption in U.S. Nonprofit Entities.” Nonprofit
 and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol. 44, no. 6, 2014, pp. 1194–1224.,

doi:10.1177/0899764014555987.

Forrest, Adam. “Killing Your Charity: Ending Dependency On NGOs.” Forbes, Forbes

Magazine, 30 June 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/adamforrest/2015/06/30/killing-your-

charity-ending-dependency-on-ngos/#35be3a393f7d.

Hawthorne, John, et al. “5 Reasons Why Donating To The Poor Makes Them More Poor:

Business Connect.” Business Connect World, 12 Oct. 2017,

businessconnectworld.com/2017/06/07/donating-to-poor-makes-them-more-poor/.

Lebowitz, Michael A. “What Keeps Capitalism Going?” Monthly Review, 30 June 2014,

monthlyreview.org/2004/06/01/what-keeps-capitalism-going/.

“Meal Program.” Surrey Urban Mission, www.sumsplace.ca/meal-program.

Oliver, Daniel. “Let's Not Promote Dependency: Daniel Oliver.” FEE Freeman Article,

Foundation for Economic Education, 1 Nov. 1999, fee.org/articles/lets-not-promote-

dependency/.

“The Salvation Army in Canada.” The Salvation Army in Canada, salvationarmy.ca/.

Satow, Charlie, et al. “Donating in the Face of Corruption.” The Giving What We Can Blog,

www.givingwhatwecan.org/post/2014/10/donating-in-face-corruption/.
 Research Paper Grading Rubric
Mastery
Constructed a thoughtful
and creative
Question
question/thesis which
and thesis
required challenging or
(Content)
provocative research.
The work breaks new
ground or contributes to
knowledge in the area.
Gathered a great deal of
Sources
information with clear
and Notes
criteria in mind. Used a
(Content)
variety of authoritative
sources.
Contains a flawless MLA Includes MLA Work
formatted Work Cited Cited page with some
Sources
Page. errors, but does not
and Notes
compromise integrity
(Content)
of the source used.
Shows insight in drawing
Developme
conclusions from
nt of Ideas
information gathered.
(Content)
Information is organized
in a logical manner to
support the writer’s
conclusions.
Precise and effective use of
grammar, usage,
mechanics and MLA
Communica formatting. Meets or
tion of exceeds length
Ideas requirement. Academic
voice is present,
seamlessly integrated and
creative
(3-5 mistakes)
Ms. Kambo SJ 12
Proficient Developing
Constructed a Used a question/thesis
focused requiring little creative
question/thesis that thought and minimal
involved challenging research.
research.
Gathered sufficient Gathered information that
information with was useful, but perhaps not
criteria in mind. Used particularly challenging or
at least three types of insightful. Little variety in
authoritative sources. source. Source authority
questionable.
Includes MLA Work Cited
page with several errors.
The source is missing
essential information, which
decreases its credibility.
Draws conclusions Conclusions are predictable
from the information. and/or basic. Organization,
Information is while present, is awkward,
organized. Shows skill jumbled and/or confusing at
in approaching times. Logic may be
problem in a logical confusing or invalid
manner
Effective use of Grammar, usage, mechanics
grammar, usage, and formatting are present, yet
mechanics and errors impede communication
formatting. Meets length of ideas. May not meet length
requirement. Academic requirement. Uses academic
voice is exclusively used voice occasionally
(6-10 mistakes) (11-20 mistakes)
Partial Attempt
Question/thesis is non-existent,
confusing, common and/or
unchallenging.
Minimal information
gathered. Connection to
question is weak. Little
attention to the authority
of the sources.
Does not include an MLA
Work Cited page, or does
not follow any of the MLA
guidelines. The source is
questionable due to errors
and/or lack of information.
Draws no conclusions
and/or demonstrates little
purpose for gathering data.
Lacks organization.
Communicates minimal
information. Grammar, usage,
mechanics and format have
technical errors. Does not
meet length requirement.
Does not use academic voice
(more than 20 mistakes)