I am responding to question 7

Do politically and economically advantaged countries have any obligations to politically and economically disadvantaged countries? Yes, to an extent. To elaborate, countries that are more well off than others do have some ethical responsibilities to their fellow countries. Politically, more powerful countries are responsible for assisting weaker countries in international matters such as negotiations, times of war, and crises. In other words, they ought to defend/help the underdog. Similarly, richer countries have an obligation to assist poorer countries in meeting the basic needs of its people. If people in a poor country are going hungry, richer countries should send aid. However, there's a limit to what one country should do for another without infringing on their sovereignty, which is an issue that has risen again and again, particuraly in the Middle East. One example of this is the issue of President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir arrest for war crimes. The press release stated "Many countries...who critizize the Court for this move were all saying that is is polically motivated that it is infringing on the sovereignty of Sudan...".

Some view this issue in two extremes. One extreme is an entirely hands off policy. They believe that poorer countries should not receive foreign aid, that they should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. While this is a fair view, it is not always good to adopt. Some countries simply cannot help themselves; they need support to get them to a place where they can pick themselves up. The other end of the spectrum is that everybody needs all the help they can get, and that a powerful country (for instance, the United States of America) should be as involved in a country as possible. Once again, this is not good because this is considered infringing on a country's sovereignty. A country needs to operate without assistance in the long-term future. Forcing unwanted aid and assistance on a country creates resentment, tension and is counter productive. Therefore, striking a fine balance between ignoring the situation and mothering the country is critical. It's said that if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime.

United Nations. Department of Public Information. PRESS CONFERNECE BY PERMANANT REPRESENTATIVE OF SUDAN ON INERNATIONAL CRIMANAL COURT'S ARREST OF PRESIDENT OMER HASSAN AL-BASHIR. United Nations. 4 Mar. 2009. Web. 21 Aug. 2010.