An economic system that crushes the poor

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Authors

Masango, Maake J.S.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

OpenJournals Publishing

Abstract

The article focuses on economic structures that crush the poor, especially global economic structures that trap and keep people in poverty. The concept of poverty occupies centre stage in South Africa and many other developing countries. There is no longer a middle class. One is either rich or poor. Globalisation has created a system or program that continues to crush the poor, while also breeding greed and selfishness. The rich always accumulate resources while the poor struggle to make ends meet. These problems are created by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and Structural Adjustment Programs, to name a few. These structures have introduced a system of inequality that widens the gap between the rich and the poor because of self-interest, which continues to crush the latter. The end result is that the concept of Ubuntu or Botho among African communities is destroyed. Injustice becomes the order of the day.

Description

This article was initially a presentation to the Poverty Symposium 2013, directed by Prof. Dr Johann-Albrecht Meylahn, Department of Practical Theology, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.

Keywords

Poverty, Injustice, South Africa (SA), Globalisation, Economic systems, Affirming the poor

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Masango, M.J. 2014, ‘An economic system that crushes the poor’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 70(1), Art. #2737, 5 pages. http://dx.DOI.org/ 10.4102/hts.v70i3.2737