1. Raccoon's icon is of a Puffer Fish.
2. It's easy to create theoretical arguments about how we can solve the crisis of the poor but the truth is *nothing* works. Every society has poor among them and some societies have more than others.
A recent report went out and I posted the link on this forum (can't remember where I posted it, sorry) that said the US has the highest ratio of haves to have-nots in the western world for our size and resources. That's pretty ugly, IMO. If we all came down to it, I think part of the problem is giving the wrong resources at the wrong time, not necessarily the giving of the resources period. For example, it's good to give a homeless man food if he's starving but it's not necessarily a good idea to give him money. And it's important to help train someone so they can have a job, but if they're not ready to give up their lifestyle (some people don't want to change) then the training is useless. You can't force the training.
Everything must be viewed on an singular basis and we all must be knowledgeable of why we give and to whom we give. Are we giving to organizations that don't have accountability? That's seriously wrong. But are we giving to people who can use what we give them and create more resources for their community? That's seriously right.
I usually give to organizations that help create resources for the poor so the poor can manage themselves. That's an important step. There are many organizations that do this and I don't think the answer is to stop giving. The answer is to start giving with accountability to the correct programs that can actually make the differences. Organizations that can help the poor and impoverished sustain themselves despite the circumstances their living in, with regards to their environment and their world views.