Why Some States are Rich and Others Poor - Research Paper Example

Introduction: It has been keenly seen ever since the development and recognition of the states has been started that there have been differences in the ways these states chose to develop. Today, the main classification of these states has been made in regard to ‘rich’ and ‘poor’. Some states are rich and some are poor, showing inequality. Inequality is neither a social problem nor an economical problem; rather it is a global problem. Sadly, the gap between the rich and the poor states did not tend to be very much, but as the developments take place, this gap is increasing and increasing. As the human society developed, there were developments made in the education sector, political, social and economical factors. These factors all together provided with the classification of the states. It is rather an undecided issue whether which of these factors was the most important one in the contribution of increasing wealth and power. Undoubtedly, the richer states proved to be much more powerful than the poorer ones. Inequality in wealth and power rose as the time passed on. Inequality has to be subjected to a change, as it has resulted in the negativity that is present in the society. Inequality in race, culture, economy and wealth creates disparity amongst the humans. This is the major reason why there have been so many conflicts ever since the human society has come into being. World wars took place and still rivalries are present not only between the states, but between the nations. For example, India and Pakistan was one country but ever since Pakistan has gained independence, they have become enemies. It was the power of the wealth and inequality that created these differenced between two nations that were once united. The problem of inequality amongst nations is the one that is a threat to globalization. The problem needs to be assessed amongst the nations, and their people. Many people blame governments for this but that is unjustified. The government alone is not to be blamed. The problem has a simple solution according to one of the analysts, and that is education. Background: Historians and economists have been debating on the issue of the rich and poor states of the world since centuries. There are various consequences of this problem, but the most important part is the origin of this problem. The varying thoughts on this issue are frequently dependant upon the ideologies and analysis of the unique mentalities. Many historians argue that the development of culture and economy in a state is not because of the intelligence that came from the race or ethnicity of the people; rather it came from the different factors of initiatives. The rich state is much identified and developed because of the way it started off with its resources, environment and geographical conditions (Allen, 2008). The start of the human society refers to the geographical start when there were plants and animals in the continents and the subsequent rise in the sea level that separated many continents and island from one another; forming into the many states and countries that we know of today. However, the differences in geography, climate and the prehistoric availability of plants and animal are what affected the spread of technology across regions. The technology back then meant the growing of crops and the uses of tools. The states which got the hold of these technologies flourished, leaving behind the states that were yet isolated. The origination of inequality between states was initiated by the ways these states decided to pull them upwards; some were proved to be fortunate while others, unfortunate. The unfortunate ones were left far behind in the race of technological development, wealth and quality of life. Issues: The problem of some states being rich and some poor greatly relies on the government dealings within the states. There may be many issues that arise within the states in order to deal with the inequality. The government faces much as it is about the wealth of a state which is largely dependent upon the way government deals with the financial management. As industrialization has proved to be a major reason why there has been a rise in the inequality among the states, the government intervention also plays an important part. The rich states are rich because these states had the government control over the industrialization (Kellecioglu, 2010). This inequality causes pressure within the government dealings. The government may face political issues more and more as the wealth rises. Financial management can become a problem for the rich states who has to look after the many programs and plans lined up for more and more success. Wars have also been an issue that lies within the problem of inequality. The history shows that there have been wars and attacks on the states that are rich, either in wealth or resources. On the other hand, the pressure on the government of the poor state can be equally present, as it plays an important role in the well being of a state. The government will be pressurized on the financial management plans that have to be undertaken in order to succeed. Furthermore, poor states receive foreign aid and it depends on the government policies how that foreign aid is utilized. If the policies are strong, the foreign aid can be useful and will be able to help in achieving the goals towards success. One of the issues that lie within the inequality is the distribution of wealth. The distribution of wealth is greatly affected by the inequality in states. The government is pressurized on the distribution of wealth amongst the rich and the poor states. Where the rich state produces more, demands for the proportion of wealth are also higher, and where the poor state is far behind in producing, they demand the government to provide them good amount of wealth too (Allen, 2008). This risks the growth. Complicating factors: Inequality is one of the major topics of modern social science yet it has received minimum consideration as a theoretical subject. The differences that the national boundaries have caused in between the human society are many. The gap widens as the sense of equality diminishes from the society. This gap tends to complicate the system of equality and the possible solutions that could take place. Lack of awareness is a complicating factor. The government and the private parties do not understand the importance of equality between states. Inequality may cause lots of problems that are irreversible, so rather it is feasible to solve the problem. In order to search for a solution, there has to be a complete analysis of the problem. The poor states should reconsider why they are far behind of the rich states (Birdsall, 1999). Once the problem is known, the solution will automatically be visible. The system of sovereign equal states represents one of the defining ideas of 20th century international relations. The states fail to come to the solution of the inequality issue. There is not much consideration given to this subject and this is what complicates the issue. The state does not realize the possible solution that could be taken, and if they do, the fail to find the possible grounds on which these solutions could be implemented. As mentioned, education is the best way to solve the problem of inequality, but the poor states either lack in resources or professionalism that they could implement in order to support educationists. These barriers cause the complicating factors and force the poor states to fail in taking action against the problem of inequality (Birdsall, 1999) Solutions: The major solution to the problem of inequality amongst states is education. Providing education can solve the problems of many poor states which can then struggle to come up to the level of the rich states and failure to provide education will result in worse situations. In today’s world, education is the most important factor that can lead to success. Not only does education enable people to learn more and apply more, it also helps in reducing a lot of other problems such as over population. Over population is an issue that is caused by the lack of education. However, over population in states lead to difficulties in managing the resources and distribution of wealth. This is one of the reasons why poor states are poor, they have over population because of which they are unable to distribute their resources and thus result in political, social and economic problems (Kellecioglu, 2010). Education will enlighten the need of controlled population in a state in order to make sure it develops. Once a state starts developing with equal distribution of wealth and much more growth, it will eventually leave the poverty line. Industrialization and growth can be carried out when there is education in the state. Once people realize the importance to control their families, there will be more growth as there will be lesser per capita income required. More children means more income needed to nurture and educate them, which causes stress on the economy. Another solution to this problem can be the introduction and investment in technology. As technology has become the key to success, poor states need to advance in technology in order to be able to match up with the industrial growth experienced by the rich states. Lack of infrastructure and scientific developments are also reasons because of which industries grow and the standard of living rises. Recommendations: Education is the best solution to the problem of inequality, however, yet the poor states are unable to realize the importance of education. In such circumstances, it is important for the government and private bodies to carry out programs through which education, its importance and its role can be signified to the people. The government should carry out programs that spread the message of development and opens the eyes of the many illiterate people. Other ways can be through media and advertisements, the government can promote education. Government schools for ever person should be formed so that the future of the state is bright. Promoting and spreading awareness about the importance of education can prove to be the best way in which the significance of education can be implemented on the people of the poor state. This would also open their ways to understand the usage of the new technologies and the advanced sciences. Through the use of these, there can be business growth and the generation of wealth in the poor states as well. Anticipated outcome: However, some states are rich and some are poor. There may be many reasons for this that may include the government role, the role of private businesses, education system, population rates, industrialization, and freedom of choice, the use of resources and many others. These factors relate to the problem that has been assessed in this analysis. It can also be seen that the gap between the rich states and the poor states is increasing as the time is passing. This may prove to be a threat to globalization and cause many states to experience losses. The inequality between the states has many issues that can cause the governments to get pressurized and evolve in a state of war. This may not be suitable for either of the states and would cause distress. The way in which the poor states can manage their financial conditions and get the solutions to their problems is through education. Alongside the government, many private parties can also take part in this process and help the level of poor countries to rise. It can be difficult for poor states to reduce the inequality without the rich countries’ supports. The rich and developed states should help the developing states for technology, capital and training. With the support of foreign aid, the solutions for this issue will be more successful. Education will have a drastic impact on the inequality of states. It will boost up the poor states and help them develop to the levels of the rich states. Although it is not an overnight solution, yet it is surely an affective way to overcome the problems that hinder the development. In conclusion, to reduce the inequality is not only a task for the poor states, but also for the rich states. References Allen B. (2008). The Industrial Revolution and the Rise of the West. Oxford University Graham Lecture Birdsall N. (1999). Globalization and the Developing Countries: The Inequality Risk. Remarks at Overseas Development Council Conference, Making Globalization Work, International Trade Center, Washington, D.C. Kellecioglu D. (2010). “Why some countries are poor and some rich - a non-Eurocentric view”, real-world economics review, issue no. 52 Read More