America's Potential

Despite everything wrong in this world, there is good. Governments may be corrupt, beauracracies bloated, cities ridden with crime and families crumbling, but there is hope.

According to a recently published study called the 2006 Index of Global Philanthropy, despite whatever problems our government faces, it manages to give $19.7 billion a year in aid. And that is only official government aid. Religious organizations give $4.5 billion in aid. Not impressed? Corporations give $5 billion in aid. Ok, not too much more, but there's more. Private organizations gave almost $10 billion. Now here's the whopper: individual remittance, or the money from individuals within the US sent to those without, adds up to $47 billion.

"Wait," some might say. "How can you count money immigrants send to their families? That's not aid." I would strongly disagree. According to the Wall Street Journal article I have gained this information from, individual remittance is "arguably the most efficient..involving little or no overhead and filling people's basic needs directly." While the aid governments, religious organizations, and corporations is sifted through by governments and partly used to pay for employees, offices, paperwork, etc., individual remittances goes straight into the hands of those who need it most. There is no better form of charity. $47 billion. That alone is an argument that perhaps one of the most charitable things we can do for development in Mexico is allow temporary workers to come here.

All of this is evidence that there is hope. There are enough people in this country who care that we send at least $86.2 billion out into the world with the hope that that money will improve the condition of the huge numbers of those suffering. Of course, there is a great deal more we can do. So much of our money goes to things that really don't matter. Billions go into video games alone, and this is a part of the entertainment industry just hitting full stride. Imagien how much more we spend on well established forms of entertainment. What about all the money wasted in casinos across the nation? Imagien what the money people spend on lotteries could do if they instead spent it to help others! This is not a call for change in government policy. This is something government cannot do. This is a change that must come directly from the people. Our hearts must change. Our desires must change. Following that, the government will change to reflect our changed desire.

There is hope and there will be a great deal more if we set ourselves aside and serve others. This will save the world. Anything else will destroy it.