Do we need more Porsches or do we need more tractors in our country?
KARACHI: The crux of this article is that frivolous spending feeds the poor, so let the wealthy spend, but it is preferable that they spend in moderation so that they can sleep without guilt at night.
This assertion is not only wrong as far as economics is concerned, it is also unabashedly elitist. Do we need more Porsches or do we need more tractors in our country? Should we allocate our food resources to feeding those who suffer from malnutrition or should we let the wealthy waste food by the ton? Is inequality justified just because you are on the better side of the rich-poor divide?
Ayesha Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2012.
