Do the poor not have the human right to share the obligations of the human race?

Sir Jeffrey Sachs in his letter “Poor pay for the sins of the rich” December 8, writes about “Pushing the developing countries into a climate accord based on tiny sums today and vague financial promises for the future”. It makes one wonder about what is wrong with the developing countries doing what they feel they should and can do in fighting climate change without being paid anything. Do they not have the human right to help out when the human race and the world is faced with a challenge?

It is all part of the same preaching that has it that the poor should not have to pay for the water when having a water meter installed is perhaps the best chance the poor can start feeling that he is becoming a citizen.

Instead of offering the poorest of the poor in a developing country a payoff I rather see them shaming the rich and poor in developed countries into taking on their full share of responsibilities.

Also much more honest is to tell the poor in the developing countries that they are “on their own” instead of giving them some illusions about that some champions will convince the world to help them out. Or is Jeffrey Sachs willing to give the poor his word that he will be successful?

And frankly I cannot think about something less constructive to get us working together as the indigenous to the earth all we humans are, than phrasing the funding of the efforts needed to combat the climate change threat in terms of it being “a compensation for damages caused mainly by the rich world”.

Does this mean that I object to Mr Sachs motives and that I disagree with all he does? Of course not!