The luxuries and conveniences of contemporary life prevent people from developing into truly strong and independent individuals.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

In this age of globalization, it is all too easy for affluent nations to look down upon and envy less fortunate ones. Many wealthy nations, particularly the United States, have grappled with the issue of how to help poorer nations become self-sustaining. Rather than assisting the countries in developing their economies, many wealthy nations have, in effect, throwing money at the problems, hoping that a quick infusion of cash will help the countries prosper. However, this has often proven insufficient. Countries in poverty often do not have the resources needed to support such large influxes of capital, or their economies are incapable of creating enough economic activity to keep their populations. Rather than develop stronger economies, these nations are often unable to support their people and are forced to rely on foreign aid, only further perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

Authors of this opinion piece assert that the luxuries and conveniences of contemporary life prevent people from developing into powerful and independent individuals. While wealthy nations certainly have significantly benefited from technological advances, this does not necessarily translate to self-sufficiency. Many affluent countries have outsourced their manufacturing, relying on foreign suppliers for their goods and fuel. This not only limits their access to their natural resources but also limits their control over their destinies. The United Kingdom is a prime example of a nation that has outsourced much of its manufacturing. The United Kingdom has rapidly industrialized over the past century, growing dependence on imports. This dependence has forced the United Kingdom to rely upon foreign suppliers for its essential goods, such as fuel.

Subsequently, the United Kingdom is a nation that is heavily reliant on imports for many of its luxuries and conveniences, such as coffee, chocolate, and tea. As a result, the United Kingdom cannot develop a stable and independent economy because it does not control its supply of raw materials.

The United States is not immune to the problem of outsourcing. The United States is the world’s largest exporter of goods and one of the largest importers of goods. This has resulted in the United States relying heavily on foreign suppliers for many natural resources, such as aluminum and steel. The United States also imports much of its fuel from foreign suppliers. Without access to these natural resources, the United States would not develop a stable and independent economy. This dependence also affects the United States’ ability to support its population. The United States currently has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, and this, in large part, is due to the burden of supporting a large population of foreign immigrants. The tax policies of both the United States and the United Kingdom do not allow their people to help themselves, instead of encouraging the taxpayers to keep them. This dependence on foreign aid and outsourcing has allowed nations to remain mired in poverty rather than rising to self-sufficiency.

The United States and the United Kingdom are only two of the numerous nations that have fallen victim to the curse of outsourcing. Instead of helping other nations develop, wealthy countries have, in effect, condemned the nations to remain trapped in poverty. By outsourcing, rich nations have effectively relinquished any control over their economies and have allowed their populations to remain dependent on foreign goods. Furthermore, by outsourcing, wealthy countries have placed their people in grave danger. If these nations lost access to foreign supplies, such as oil, they would face dire consequences. The United Kingdom and the United States, for example, are both great powers that receive much of their oil from the Middle East. Losing access to this oil would be disastrous, as these countries would be hard-pressed to survive without it. Even nations with abundant oil supplies, such as Saudi Arabia, would not produce as much oil as they do today if they were suddenly cut off from foreign reserves. This state of affairs would not be unique to these nations, as economies worldwide are dependent on oil for energy, and many nations would struggle to function without it. However, if wealthy countries were to take responsibility for their economies, they could provide their populations with energy without resorting to oil. By outsourcing, rich nations are effectively enslaving their people to their desires.

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