Question

Explain this line: while poverty persists, there is no true freedom

Answer 1

Answer:

While poverty exists, a person has no real chance of trying to work for freedom. The need to fill one's belly and survive is primary over all else, and thus, the focus on doing other things is secondary to that of survival.  Poverty, as long as it is there, will always remain the 'invisible' chain to constrain and prevent an individual from doing other things.

Explanation:

The line "While poverty persists, there is no true freedom" is taken from Nelson Mandela's speech that he gave during the Make Poverty History campaign at Trafalgar Square, London. And this quote rightly pinpoints the main factor for why poverty must be done away with.

As long as there is poverty, a person can't do much about his/ her life. Poverty will always be the controlling factor in whatever he wants to do. The poor are devoid of any chance to do things they want, for their main focus will always be to get food for their bellies first, and then, other issues become secondary. Moreover, the need to 'survive' is primary over all else. So, true freedom is far from the mind of a poor man.

But once poverty is taken care of, or a person no longer is in the poverty line, then he can focus on other issues. He/she can also think and participate in efforts to improve social conditions. Poverty will, as long as it exists, remain the sole 'invisible' hindrance and chain to put an individual constrained and captive. Thus, as long as poverty is there, a person has no chance of getting true freedom.