How Long Will the Poor Have to Wait?

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”​—John F. Kennedy.

“I WOULD like the future to be bright for everyone​—no poverty, nobody sleeping in the park, a paradise!” Thus spoke a 12-year-old boy from São Paulo, Brazil. But is it possible to eliminate poverty? How long will the poor have to wait?

Some consider themselves poor because they cannot buy things they want. Yet, think about the sad plight of those who are really poverty-stricken. Can you imagine the extreme hardship and unhappiness of such people? Some have to compete with gulls and rats, as they comb through refuse dumps looking for food! How long will such poverty afflict mankind? The appeal of Federico Mayor, director-general of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), is appropriate: “Let us abandon that dubious tolerance which allows us to tolerate the intolerable​—the poverty, hunger and suffering of millions of human beings.”

Will the dream of universal well-being be fulfilled? What hope do the poor have?

What Opportunities for the Poor?

Well-meaning leaders propose more jobs, better wages, improved social programs, and land reform. They may agree with former U.S. president John F. Kennedy: “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” Good intentions, though, are not enough to eradicate poverty. For example, will economic growth help the poor in general? Not necessarily. Former Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru stated: “The forces of a capitalist society, if left unchecked, tend to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.” However, besides hardship and privation, a sense of worthlessness increases the burden of the poor. Can human leaders help the poor to overcome feelings of helplessness and hopelessness?

Actually, many of the desperately poor have learned to cope with poverty and overcome feelings of low self-respect in the face of great difficulties, such as sky-high inflation and unemployment. Moreover, famine, homelessness, and misery will without fail be rooted out. Does this surprise you? We invite you to read the next article: “Soon, No One Will Be Poor!”