Aid organizations, dirty businesses?

[Papalenin]

This is rather correct, and how europe was until the end of feudalism pretty much.

All economies are like this. There is a direct correlation between wealth and population growth rates.

[Deleted]

Let's try and remain on topic, everyone, please.

[Tradewind]

Wonder if we can put together like a "Blowjobs for Africa" concert to raise awareness.

[Rend Blackhand]

I refuse to send money to any charity that tries to guilt trip me, thats a dirty tactic and I boycott anyone using it.

Not all, there are many different ways to ask for charity than guilt trip people. heres an example....

Advertisement 1 shows starving children, all skin and bone, barely alive. Says you can help save their lives, guilt trips you into thinking you are responsible for their fate. These are the charities I boycott.

Advertisement 2 is more hopeful, shows people having a happy life with their new well/school/farming equipment etc. Says they can help even more people with your help, more optimistic about the future.

What really pisses me off is when they show dying people then say it is all down to bacteria in the water, JUST BOIL THE FUCKING WATER.

I agree with you 100%

[smelltheglove]

People have children in order to be assured they will be taken care of when they're too old to work. Sub saharan africa doesn't have social security. These people having kids are generally under nourished but not starving. It's pretty hard for a fetus to form and not have a miscarriage while starving. The reason why they have so many kids is because 1, high child mortality rates and 2, to spread the burden they will become across multiple children. On top of that, in many rural areas people live an agrarian lifestyle so having more kids means more labor for the farm to use.

this is correct, but there is still more. there is little in the way of women's rights happening there, and when men have free reign babies are made (on a societal level). poor sex ed, access to contraceptives, and cultural/religious beliefs also play a part

[Papalenin]

this is correct, but there is still more. there is little in the way of women's rights happening there, and when men have free reign babies are made (on a societal level). poor sex ed, access to contraceptives, and cultural/religious beliefs also play a part

Yeah this absolutely plays an important role too.

[Maelle]

People have children in order to be assured they will be taken care of when they're too old to work. Sub saharan africa doesn't have social security. These people having kids are generally under nourished but not starving. It's pretty hard for a fetus to form and not have a miscarriage while starving. The reason why they have so many kids is because 1, high child mortality rates and 2, to spread the burden they will become across multiple children. On top of that, in many rural areas people live an agrarian lifestyle so having more kids means more labor for the farm to use.

This is basic stuff, and true, not to mention a lot of these people have religious backgrounds and traditions that do promote familys and reproduction. It's kind of silly to expect half of africa to stop reproducing because there might be a famine or war some day.

What really pisses me off is when they show dying people then say it is all down to bacteria in the water, JUST BOIL THE FUCKING WATER.

You realise creating fire takes resources in itself right, the poorest and most needy don't have a stove in their kitchen they can just turn on, or a kettle

[Deleted]

So mad

I can't even begin to start replying to both you and Papalenin so you'll have to settle for a shared response.

1: Yes, I'am bothered by these commercials as they show very graphical pictures of things I don't wish to see nor want anyone else to see for that matter. The point these commercials want to get across can be done without trying to guilt me or shock me into opening my wallet.

2: Yes, I get angry because as a sentient being I understand that there are evil people behind the suffering of those poor fucks on those commercials. I also understand that for an entire nation to suffer like that and live in that type of hardship there must be a very powerful agency behind it or the majority of the population are pure evil and make out to make people suffer as much as possible, one of the two.

3&4: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123758895999200083.html, and that's not all of the money.

5 and beyond: I'm not going to attempt being an asshole to you as you probably beat me on experience. You believe what you wish and I'll do the same.

[Faloestin]

So, what do they have to show for over 40 years of world wide fundraising and trillions upon trillions of dollars?

Setting aside the innumerate tinfoil noise, there is an ongoing discussion about whether western aid to Africa has actually helped Africa. Some Africans argue pretty strongly that it hasn't. The west has given just over $1 trillion in aid to Africa since 1950, but all that money hasn't seen much return - for example, between 1970 and 1998, poverty in Africa rose from 11% to 66%.

[Tradewind]

Setting aside the innumerate tinfoil noise, there is an ongoing discussion about whether western aid to Africa has actually helped Africa. Some Africans argue pretty strongly that it hasn't. The west has given just over $1 trillion in aid to Africa since 1950, but all that money hasn't seen much return - for example, between 1970 and 1998, poverty in Africa rose from 11% to 66%.

Because giving aid to people on a civilian basis is a total waste of goddamn time when their corrupt/warlord governments continue to act like idiots. Just pissing in a bonfire and hoping for it to go out.

[Deleted]

1: Yes, I'am bothered by these commercials as they show very graphical pictures of things I don't wish to see nor want anyone else to see for that matter. The point these commercials want to get across can be done without trying to guilt me or shock me into opening my wallet.

That's exactly why they put people dying in their commercials, so you can feel bad at yourself and start donating.

If people donate because of that, then the commercials are doing their job.

[Tradewind]

That's exactly why they put people dying in their commercials, so you can feel bad at yourself and start donating.

If people donate because of that, then the commercials are doing their job.

I agree with Jeavline, it's exploitation from the ground up and showing me kids covered in flies and dead people isn't going to open my wallet any faster. If I wanted to donate, I would have. But after decades of mismanagement and absolutely no net improvement, most charities can suck a fat one.

[Deleted]

I agree with Jeavline, it's exploitation from the ground up and showing me kids covered in flies and dead people isn't going to open my wallet any faster. If I wanted to donate, I would have. But after decades of mismanagement and absolutely no net improvement, most charities can suck a fat one.

Sadly(maybe not), by showing people dead kids will shock them and "make" them donate.

That's just how some people work.

[Deleted]

Unfortunately it seems to be working as the quantity of those commercials are increasing every year. Something else that bothers me is how these cameramen can just stand idly by and watch a kid who's skinnier than a skeleton with 500 flies around him/her fade away.
Where is the ambulance and the hot bowl of soup? I paid for that bowl of soup, where is it?!

[TheBeardedOne]

I gave to charity once, it felt like a waste of money. The worst are those fuckers that stand on corners and try to sign you up to a program.

[Deleted]

Unfortunately it seems to be working as the quantity of those commercials are increasing every year. Something else that bothers me is how these cameramen can just stand idly by and watch a kid who's skinnier than a skeleton with 500 flies around him/her fade away.
Where is the ambulance and the hot bowl of soup? I paid for that bowl of soup, where is it?!

You can't have ambulances if you don't have a Hospital.

Where's the hospital you say? There isn't. The money that is being donated, supoddly, is being used to buy food and water, only, but that I don't know, so don't quote me on that.

[Arlon]

If you really want to help you are probably well off giving Bill Gates your money than sending it to most charaties, funny aint it?.

[Whitepepper]

You missed the irony of an obese man asking us to feed starving kids. Maybe he could just take a little off his plate.

What if the obese man has a medical condition or has to take a medicine that causes him to be fat? You're criticizing someone for being fat when you don't know the actual reason they are fat. Maybe he eats too much, maybe he doesn't. At least he got off his ass to try to help someone else.

[smelltheglove]

What if the obese man has a medical condition or has to take a medicine that causes him to be fat? You're criticizing someone for being fat when you don't know the actual reason they are fat. Maybe he eats too much, maybe he doesn't. At least he got off his ass to try to help someone else.

at this point you are obviously just trying to pick a fight

[Purlina]

Wonder if we can put together like a "Blowjobs for Africa" concert to raise awareness.

I believe we could even achieve world peace with this method. Well if we eliminated a few things first, like religion.