This was great. Thanks! On a more secular front, Rush Limbaugh was talking about this today. The only sure way to decrease poverty is to allow capitalism and democracy to flourish. Funneling our money to the corrupt, power-hungry despots in Africa does nothing to change the situation there.
Even if the money went directly to provide food for the starving, without creating a sustainable economy, we would need an endless spigot of money. I don't believe Jesus advocated that the rich simply give to the poor so that the poor never need learn to fend for themselves. Rather, he would have advocated, I think, creating the circumstances necessary for the poor to become unpoor. And Wilson is correct in pointing out that such circumstances, in recent history, go hand in hand with Christianity, democracy and capitalism.
You're welcome. As an (early-budding) N.T. Wright fan I was taken aback a bit by this, but then I did recall something that had me questioning, a little while ago. I'm still looking forward to more material, including a DVD of his recent talks in Seattle (some family were there), but it doesn't hurt to be aware of issues such as this.