For this week’s discussion, we’re going to think outside of our local or national community and think instead about our global community. We already know that some countries and people are more impoverished than the United States. And we know that there are many outside this country that are suffering and dying from preventable causes, like starvation and treatable diseases. So you’re going to look at a policy proposal. And you’re going to determine whether or not that policy would be just, by identifying and weighingall the justice considerations discussed this week.
Policy: For decades, the United Nations has developed what it calls “The Millennium Development Goals”. In 2015, it noted 8 global goals:
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development
It can be hard to know how much it would cost to achieve these goals, and more goes into achieving these goals than merely throwing money at them. That said, the UN estimates that “$5 trillion to $7 trillion per year between 2015 and 2030” is needed to achieve these goals.
Suffice it to say, the US cannot likely afford to cover all that cost. But it can cover a sizable amount. So the policy proposal is simple:
The US will donate billions of dollars towards the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, potentially matching or exceeding the next highest donor
The US will fund this donation by taxing only the wealthiest American citizens
The question for this week is this: would this policy be just? Here, your post should include a discussion of all the justice considerations discussed this week. As such, include how this policy would positively or negatively affect people’s rights and liberties, opportunities, resources, capabilities, and ownership in both the US andabroad. And then weigh those considerations to come up with an answer
