>>>Ok, let me make sure I understand your position. If you are dying of aids and you live in Bolivia and Bolivia does nothing for you, even though I live in America if I do nothing to assist you then I am culpable? If I give my money in the fight for aids here in the U.S., but that money does not go to you in Bolivia, then I am still culpable? Or does culpability only exist within your own borders? I have heard many many complain about how much money the U.S. government gives to other nations in aid and mostly all complaints.
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>>While I think it is hard to pin down the problem to specific individuals, yes, the rich nations have done too little to assist poorer nations. The poverty itself is - to a great extent - the result of a long history of exploitation.
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>That is speculative. To me it generally sounds like an excuse -- it's not my fault, I'm exploited! Which can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

C'mon Mike.
I heard a major player of a business think-tank (read: lobby to get lower taxes and other laws amended for the benefit of business) who described the phenomenonon along these lines:
'We go into an impoverished place and give the people jobs. Eventually their standard of living rises to an extent where they want more money to, you know, support a growing infrastructure and things like that. When their demands get too high we pack things up and repeat the process somewhere else in poverty. It's a win-win situation.'.

Just heard today that a big reason for the spread of AIDS in Africa is poverty, specifically lack of food. Young girls particularly try to help their guardians make ends meet with the only item they have to sell - their bodies. Or they have no guardian and prostitute to eat.