D o you agree with the following statements about poor farmers in India and Africa?
• They are poor through their own fault.
• They are poor because of the climate.
• They are poor because their countries were colonies belonging to European nations.
• They are poor because a few rich people in their own countries control all the wealth.
• They are poor because the people of rich nations control the world's resources.
There are of course many more possible 'causes' of rural poverty, but agreement with these particular suggestions has implications. Does agreement that it is 'their own fault' reveal an underlying racist belief? Is 'the climate' an outdated neo-Malthusian approach? Do 'colonies' represent a radical historical viewpoint? Is the concept 'rich people' a Marxist philosophy, and 'rich nations' a radical approach favoured by the Brandt Report?
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