How close are we to eradicating global poverty?

We are as close to eradicating poverty as we wish to be. When I say 'we', I refer to those of us - which is most, myself included - who are complicit in supporting a system of intentional inequality such that half the world's wealth is owned by 8 men. How can that be defensible? What possible need does one person have to possess wealth that could support billions, and use it for their own gain? There is no possible defence for a system that means so few control so much, and so many live in squalor. So I conclude that we are more motivated by complacency to maintain a staus quo that results in starvation, disease, and reduced life expectancy...than we are to declare such an arrangement as wrong and act to change it. And that means, despite what valuable work is being done around the edges, the corrupt and evil heart of the culture we live in continues to perpetuate itself - and poverty will continue as long as that is the case.