A third are unemployed or underemployed, and at least that many lack shelter. Despite the obvious need and the tremendous wealth of our own country, one of the disturbing signs of the times is a reduced priority given to the world's poor and a growing indifference towards them. The superior power and influence of the United States in the world carries with it a responsibility to contribute to the universal common good. Building peace, combating poverty and despair, and protecting freedom and human rights are not only moral imperatives, but also wise national priorities. We have the capacity to shape a world that will be a safer, more secure and more just home for all.
Foreign aid is more than an optional form of largesse.
It is a fundamental obligation of solidarity on the part of those who enjoy a plentiful share of earth's riches to promote sustainable development for those who have barely enough to survive. Sustainable development requires a complex set of changes in the international economy, but foreign assistance is a necessary component that can make a significant difference in the lives of poor people around the world. It is astonishing that, despite an era of unprecedented prosperity, the United States has not significantly increased aid to the most impoverished countries, many of whose economies continue to decline. Compared to other industrialized countries, the United States continues to rank at the bottom in terms of the share of the economy devoted to development assistance. The meager amount of aid that our nation gives to Africa, in particular, is a scandal.