Peter Singer is famous for posing a stunningly difficult question,

paraphrased as, "If you are walking by a pond and you see a child

drowning, do you save her? What if it means ruining a very fancy pair of

Italian shoes?" Okay, if we assume the answer is yes, then why not

spend the cost of those shoes to save 20 kids who are starving to death

across town or the world? There's really no difference. Or by, extension, invest in research or development that solves a problem forever.....