Hardin’s “Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against The Poor” – No! You Cannot Come In Essay, Research Paper

Hardin’s “Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against the Poor” – No! You Cannot Come in

Garrett Hardin writes about saving the poor in his essay”Lifeboat Ethics:

The Case Against the Poor” found in The Blair Reader. Hardin writes about how

the rich countries are in the lifeboat and the poor countries are swimming in

the ocean. He also writes about how the United States helps other countries.

Hardin feels that if the government keeps helping other countries and letting

people in then America will also drown. “We must convince them if we wish to

save at least part of the world form environmental ruin”(page 765).

Why should I help the poor countries? Why should I let the immigrants in? I see

no reason for helping someone that is not an American. These non Americans are

taking my hard-working money that they did not earn.

I am tired of the United States of America giving my money to the poor countries.

The government is giving these people my money for which I worked hard. The

government does not ask for my permission to give these people my money. By

letting these people on our lifeboat the government is drowning us all. “If we

do let an extra 10 people in our lifeboat, we will have lost our ’safety

factor,’ an engineering principle of critical importance” (page 757). I cannot

take a chance in helping people if it is going to put me in risk.

Instead of giving the money to non Americans it should be used only in America.

The money used to help the poorer countries can be very useful in the United

States. The middle class people in America get no help. More of that money can

go toward the middle class families. The middle class families work had for

their money. The government helps poor families with food, housing, education

and many more things. The rich have more money than they need, but the middle

class is left struggling. The middle class people cannot move up. The middle

class cannot get ant help from the government. It makes me mad that the poor

Americans do not take advantages of some of the opportunities available for them.

The middle class people sometimes work two or three jobs to pay for their own or

their children’s college education. The government should use the money they are

sending to other countries to help the taxpayers.

In my family we have just enough money to get by. I do not see the government

knocking on my door handing me food or money. Why should they give my money to

other countries? The government will not help my family because our gross income

is too high to receive any help. Well true maybe our gross income is high, but

we do not take all that money home. The government is taking money out of my

paycheck, money that I struggle for, and giving it to other countries. I have my

own dependents to take care of. I should not have to take care of other people.

It was my decision to have my children. If I wanted more dependents, I would

have them. The government also tells me that if I had gotten a used car with

cheap payments then I would have extra money left over. Why should I have to get

a used car? If I get a used car, I will only be spending more money getting it

fixed. I am tired of the government giving me excuses on why I do not need any

help. The only reason the government cannot help me is because they do not have

the money. The only reason the government does not have the money is because

they are giving it to other countries. I am tired of the immigrants coming into

this country. Hardin says “But aren’t we all immigrants, or the descendants of

immigrants?”(page 764). Well yes, I am a descendant of immigrants and I

understand that. Nevertheless, what gives the immigrants the right to come in my

boat and take my money? I have no objections to those immigrants who come here

to work or bring work. What I do have a problem is with those that come here and

take advantage of our welfare system. These new immigrants did not deposit money

into the welfare system so why should they be allowed to withdrawal.If the

immigrants were not taking our tax money then there would be more money for our

people. Who is going to help me? No body is going to help me, not even my own

country. The chances of me getting social security when I am old are slim.

Meanwhile, these immigrants are getting my money. While my money is being spent

on non Americans, I might be living in a shack going through Dumpsters to get by,

when I am old.

Garrett Hardin in “Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against the Poor” writes that if

America keeps trying to save other people from different countries then America

will also drown. I do not want these people in my lifeboat. America is already

starting to drown. I want my money to be used to help only American families.

Leave American money in America!