Essay/Term paper: Hardin's "lifeboat ethics: the case against the poor" - no! you cannot come in

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Economics

Hardin's "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against the Poor" - No! You Cannot Come in


Garrett Hardin writes about saving the poor in his essay"Lifeboat Ethics:
The Case Against the Poor" found in The Blair Reader. Hardin writes about how
the rich countries are in the lifeboat and the poor countries are swimming in
the ocean. He also writes about how the United States helps other countries.
Hardin feels that if the government keeps helping other countries and letting
people in then America will also drown. "We must convince them if we wish to
save at least part of the world form environmental ruin"(page 765).

Why should I help the poor countries? Why should I let the immigrants in? I see
no reason for helping someone that is not an American. These non Americans are
taking my hard-working money that they did not earn.

I am tired of the United States of America giving my money to the poor countries.
The government is giving these people my money for which I worked hard. The
government does not ask for my permission to give these people my money. By
letting these people on our lifeboat the government is drowning us all. "If we
do let an extra 10 people in our lifeboat, we will have lost our 'safety
factor,' an engineering principle of critical importance" (page 757). I cannot
take a chance in helping people if it is going to put me in risk.

Instead of giving the money to non Americans it should be used only in America.
The money used to help the poorer countries can be very useful in the United
States. The middle class people in America get no help. More of that money can
go toward the middle class families. The middle class families work had for
their money. The government helps poor families with food, housing, education
and many more things. The rich have more money than they need, but the middle
class is left struggling. The middle class people cannot move up. The middle
class cannot get ant help from the government. It makes me mad that the poor
Americans do not take advantages of some of the opportunities available for them.
The middle class people sometimes work two or three jobs to pay for their own or
their children's college education. The government should use the money they are
sending to other countries to help the taxpayers.

In my family we have just enough money to get by. I do not see the government
knocking on my door handing me food or money. Why should they give my money to
other countries? The government will not help my family because our gross income
is too high to receive any help. Well true maybe our gross income is high, but
we do not take all that money home. The government is taking money out of my
paycheck, money that I struggle for, and giving it to other countries. I have my
own dependents to take care of. I should not have to take care of other people.
It was my decision to have my children. If I wanted more dependents, I would
have them. The government also tells me that if I had gotten a used car with
cheap payments then I would have extra money left over. Why should I have to get
a used car? If I get a used car, I will only be spending more money getting it
fixed. I am tired of the government giving me excuses on why I do not need any
help. The only reason the government cannot help me is because they do not have
the money. The only reason the government does not have the money is because
they are giving it to other countries. I am tired of the immigrants coming into
this country. Hardin says "But aren't we all immigrants, or the descendants of
immigrants?"(page 764). Well yes, I am a descendant of immigrants and I
understand that. Nevertheless, what gives the immigrants the right to come in my
boat and take my money? I have no objections to those immigrants who come here
to work or bring work. What I do have a problem is with those that come here and
take advantage of our welfare system. These new immigrants did not deposit money
into the welfare system so why should they be allowed to withdrawal.If the
immigrants were not taking our tax money then there would be more money for our
people. Who is going to help me? No body is going to help me, not even my own
country. The chances of me getting social security when I am old are slim.
Meanwhile, these immigrants are getting my money. While my money is being spent
on non Americans, I might be living in a shack going through Dumpsters to get by,
when I am old.

Garrett Hardin in "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against the Poor" writes that if
America keeps trying to save other people from different countries then America
will also drown. I do not want these people in my lifeboat. America is already
starting to drown. I want my money to be used to help only American families.
Leave American money in America!