Consider the view that affluence poses more problems than it

solves
Premises:
Affluence can be on the part of the nation or the individual, and
higher level essays will make the distinction between the two
To note: Affluence should not be confused with income gap, and the
income gap should be a problem by itself if mentioned at all.
However, the two are mutually exclusive
There are many environmental impacts that come from affluence.
However, a strong candidate would do well to remember that the
environment is not the be all and end all
Thesis: Affluence poses more problems than it solves
Point 1: Affluence creates increased standards of living, which creates an
increased demand for resources
Demand for resources to build roads and other infrastructure
Eg: Singapore increased population led to a need for more land
and better infrastructure has created a thirst for sand for the
purpose of land reclamation
This has led to sand wars, with neighbours like Indonesia refusing to
sell Singapore sand due to the environmental costs of doing so
On the individual level
Point 2: Affluence creates increased demand for resources (individual
level)
Emergence of over 1 billion new consumers with a spending
capacity to match USA
Diet based strongly on meat, which is increasingly raised on grain,
puts pressure on limited irrigated water and grain supplies
Can create a water and food security issue, especially for poor
countries that are struggling to afford necessities
Buy and throw away mindset also leads to environmental detriments
Point 3: The bias of the justice system toward the privilege of affluence
Affluenza Ethan Couch, the teen who killed four people and got
away with murder due to affluenza
These examples are perpetuated worldwide, such as My Father is Li
Gang incident in Hebei, China, showing that the effect of
individuals being raised in such affluence that their morality is
severely affected
The privilege afforded by affluence is the ability to hire lawyers and
withstand lengthy trials Brock Turner, Caitlyn Jenner, Donald Trump
settling disputes out of court
Impact: The justice system is supposed to be an equalizing
platform governed by the rule of law instead of the rule of man,
and thus should be impartial

However, the foundation on which justice stands can be severely

tilted by those who are able to play the system better due to their
personal affluence

Antithesis: Affluence solves problems

Point 1: Affluence has allowed us to push the boundaries of science and
technology, allowing us to solve many problems (Country/ Global)
It was only when countries started industrializing and becoming
affluent that many of the greatest strides in science and technology
could be made
Money available for grants and for research and development
Led to the development of technologies like personal computers and
smart phones
Point 2: Counterpoint / Affluence creates the opportunity to do good and
solve problems (Individual)
Privilege to worry about other issues
Environmental degradation takes a backseat
Beyond environment, can go towards medical The Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation contributes to the Decade of Vaccines efforts. It
aims to prevent more than 11 million deaths, 3.9 million disabilities,
and 264 million illnesses by 2020 through high, equitable, and
sustainable vaccine coverage and support for polio eradication.