I may not be popular for saying this but...

trajan

The third world. Seriously, do we give a sh*t???

I mean I've been asking myself this recently. Surely if I really cared I'd be out actually doing something about it! And the same for everyone else too!

I feel I've been deluding myself all this time. You know what I mean?

RotalicaV

Need to clean up our own homeless before we start focusing on the starvin marvins.

Pay your few quid a year to what ever group ring you up, what else can we do?

Thats not a question, i plan on doing nothing else.

Pigman II

Well I can't speak for 'we' but no I personally don't really care one way or the other either.

edanto

Me, I care. And I do stuff about it, and yeah it makes me feel good.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

edanto wrote:

Me, I care. And I do stuff about it, and yeah it makes me feel good.

Yea, but the only reason you do stuff about it is because it makes you feel good.
Do you really actually care?

rubadub

I care, but do nothing about it.
I think eating animals is wrong, and do it, because I can and I like it and there are so many other things I would like to do but am not allowed to so it is one vice I will grab while I can.

I always think it odd watching these emergency rescue programs in the US where they spend literally tens of thousands of dollars getting rescue teams to save a dog, while it could have saved thousands of lives instead. Fk'd up but lots of things are that we do not really question enough and just take it for granted or go along with it "cause thats the ways its always been".

Thomas_S_Hunterson

rubadub wrote:

I always think it odd watching these emergency rescue programs in the US where they spend literally tens of thousands of dollars getting rescue teams to save a dog, while it could have saved thousands of lives instead. Fk'd up but lots of things are that we do not really question enough and just take it for granted or go along with it "cause thats the ways its always been".

Stalin wrote:

A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.

it's cus it keeps the do gooders happy

edanto

sean_keevey wrote:

Yea, but the only reason you do stuff about it is because it makes you feel good.

What are ya talking about? You can't have any understanding of my motivations - don't assume.

Feeling good about is a pleasant side effect, but there's sometimes an angry feeling that comes from knowing how unjust the world is and the strong forces that aim to keep it that way. I'm not hinting at some kind of organised conspiracy or anything like that, it's just the way the free market works when ruled by organisations like WTO that don't actually have any votes to decide things.

Do you really actually care?

Yes.

What's your position Sean? Do you care about the people that live in the third world? Why or Why not?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

edanto wrote:

What are ya talking about? You can't have any understanding of my motivations - don't assume.

Feeling good about is a pleasant side effect, but there's sometimes an angry feeling that comes from knowing how unjust the world is and the strong forces that aim to keep it that way. I'm not hinting at some kind of organised conspiracy or anything like that, it's just the way the free market works when ruled by organisations like WTO that don't actually have any votes to decide things.


Yes.

What's your position Sean? Do you care about the people that live in the third world? Why or Why not?

Well ok, let me put it a different way,
Could you honestly tell me you would still do the same things if doing so made you feel bad?
eg. if you were to sell all your worldly possessions, give the money to the third world, and yourself live a life without any comfort? or say if giving to the third world actually, for whatever reason made you feel bad inside?
I certainly wouldn't

base2

Finally people who are coming from my part of town.

I don't care about the third world. When rich people have the good life they sometimes feel guilty that others don't. Thats why they think of charity so that they can go on to enjoy their guilt free affluent lives.

We don't owe the third world a living. If they want the good life they can go and make it for themselves.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

base2 wrote:

Finally people who are coming from my part of town.

I don't care about the third world. When rich people have the good life they sometimes feel guilty that others don't. Thats why they think of charity so that they can go on to enjoy their guilt free affluent lives.

We don't owe the third world a living. If they want the good life they can go and make it for themselves.

Well i wouldn't see it quite like that. While i do make small donations to the third world, whenever i have cast to spare, i'm under no illusions as to my motives. It makes me feel good. It's like a placebo.

Ruu_Old

Charity begins at home tbh, look after some of our own citizens sitting in hospital hallways. Has to be looked at first

failsafe

sean_keevey wrote:

Yea, but the only reason you do stuff about it is because it makes you feel good.
Do you really actually care?

I hate that kind of attitude. If someone is doing something good leave them too it. Personally if i give to charity or do a bit of collection i feel good about it, but i see the good feeling as a reward, not the reason. I do care.

Forgive me if i get too philosophical here, but i think kharma will help you out like this. For example, if a girl you like is crying or uspest, and you make her laugh or smile it can be the best feeling in the world, which i think is the reward for caring (from nature, or god or kharma or charles darwin or whatever)

Joey Tribiani wrote:

There's no such thing as a selfless good deed

HelterSkelter

base2 wrote:

We don't owe the third world a living. If they want the good life they can go and make it for themselves.

That is such an ignorant comment.

We Irish couldn't make it ourselves, we had to (and still do) depend on handouts from the EU, investment from the US, etc. If it wasn't for this we would still be eating potatoes for breakfast, dinner and supper.

scop

The world is a nasty place, as it stands our standard of life does well off the Third World. Nature tells me its a free for all, so be it.

Degsy

To hell with them.The fact is we enjoy our high standard of living because they have thier low standard of living..there has to be extremes or the worl wouldnt function.If we redistrbute all the wealth in the world everybody would probably end up with a tenner each.If people want to rise above poverty,they have to do soemthing about it themselves not rely on handouts.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

failsafe wrote:

I hate that kind of attitude. If someone is doing something good leave them too it. Personally if i give to charity or do a bit of collection i feel good about it, but i see the good feeling as a reward, not the reason. I do care.

I'm not saying it is a bad thing at all, in fact quite the opposite. It is a good thing if people give to charity, regardless of their motives

scop

Whats hilarious is that in real life, we may all feel as we do here, but public PC pressure would have us all nodding sadly to Concern ads.

Karl Hungus

trajan wrote:

The third world. Seriously, do we give a sh*t???

Well, yes and no. We want to donate our bit to charity and feel like we're doing our part. That's about it.

Degsy

As Mariah Carey once said "whenever i see programmes about africa,i cry.I mean,i wouldnt mind being that thin but not with all the flies and everything!"

HelterSkelter

Degsy wrote:

To hell with them.The fact is we enjoy our high standard of living because they have thier low standard of living..there has to be extremes or the worl wouldnt function.If we redistrbute all the wealth in the world everybody would probably end up with a tenner each.If people want to rise above poverty,they have to do soemthing about it themselves not rely on handouts.

:rolleyes:

Max_Damage

Degsy wrote:

As Mariah Carey once said "whenever i see programmes about africa,i cry.I mean,i wouldnt mind being that thin but not with all the flies and everything!"

Legend!:D

I personally couldn't care less. As others have said, we have enough problems in our own country to deal with, let alone many contries in Africa and Asia. Thing is, if many people did contribute money to the 3rd world, it would get to the point that they become reliant on us, and thus never make a living for themselves.

failsafe

Sorry Sean if i misread.

Very apt avatar degsy. So how exactly are they going to earn money? If most African's have no money, how are they supposed to start a farm, for examlpe? The 3rd world farmers are being undercut and crippled by the EU and the states. They're not looking for "handouts," what they need is for us to stop crippling their economies. Saying that "there needs to be opposites for the world to work" is a very ignorant understanding of economics. Since the 1980's Ireland has flourished from the Celtic Tiger and unemployment has fallen to a record low, and who has been negatively affected by this? Not america, not Europe and not the UK, and neither will we be hurt if the level of income rises in the third world.

This is a slight tangent from the OP's question. If other people like him don't care about the third world it doesn't bother me, everyone is free to care about what they wish. But don't be cynical of people who give to charity, and don't undermine it's purpose. It takes money to make money, remember that ad "give a man a fishing net and he will feed his family for months." He still needs a hand to get the fishing net.

Ya gotta love when these celebrities do all this good work for charities.. y'know.. by lending their faces and names to the campaign. But do they ever donate any of their own money? Heck no.

Though I've never seen anything as bad with regards to homelessness than when I was in America. My god. It's dreadful. I wanted to give all of 'em a hug, but was afraid I'd catch leprosy or something.

And yes, I know America isn't a third world country, but alot of the people there are living in circumstances that are exactly like the third world.

edanto

sean_keevey wrote:

Could you honestly tell me you would still do the same things if doing so made you feel bad? ..[snip].. or say if giving to the third world actually, for whatever reason made you feel bad inside?
I certainly wouldn't

Are you going to keep reworking that hypothetical situation until I say.. 'Yes, Sean I wouldn't do that'? The more important question was whether I cared and yes I do.

I'd love to know if you care or not? And what your reasons might be.

It's selfishness a la base2, degsy and scop that keep the world the way it is. Any person born here has a better chance than most people born in Africa. Sure there are people waiting in hospitals here, but at least we have a healthcare system.

In some countries it costs more than the average annual wage to send a child to school for the year (Education charges are insisted on by the World Bank, even though they don't work in the first world), so it's pretty hard to break this cycle.

Beer is Life

I dont and wont give a red cent to any charity until every chugger and every other cvnt collecting for charity are taken off the streets. Never gonna happen so ill never give to charity

Raiser

base2 wrote:

Finally people who are coming from my part of town.

I don't care about the third world. When rich people have the good life they sometimes feel guilty that others don't. Thats why they think of charity so that they can go on to enjoy their guilt free affluent lives.

We don't owe the third world a living. If they want the good life they can go and make it for themselves.

Degsy wrote:

To hell with them.The fact is we enjoy our high standard of living because they have thier low standard of living..there has to be extremes or the worl wouldnt function.If we redistrbute all the wealth in the world everybody would probably end up with a tenner each.If people want to rise above poverty,they have to do soemthing about it themselves not rely on handouts.

You cretins are really going to regret having posted these ignorant statements on a public message board just as soon as your testicles drop and you realise that Mr. O'Briens maths test on Fridays is not in fact a critical issue or pressing current affair.

Come on, to have been through at least some portion of the Irish educational system we have to assume that you are in possession of at least some of the facts here [?] I can only assume age is a factor and that if Mum doesn't buy 12 packs of Walkers crisps and multiple 2 litre bottles of Coke that you slam doors, sulk and shout "its so unfair" all evening while stamping the Nike Air max that you begged Daddy-kins to buy you on the preceding Saturday.

Genetic dead-ends like yourselves couldn't be self-sufficient beyond a 500 metre radius of Dominos - and no, its not a valid argument to say that misfortunates in famine devasted countries should ask Daddy for €15 euro and a lift in the Beemer to the nearest KFC.

I know, I know - you maintain these people should be planting kebab bushes and growing chicken-dippers trees. Perhaps they should invest in a garlic and herb dip machine so they can be really self-sufficient. If you were teleported to and subsequently stranded in a famine area I would expect 90 mins. of Nokia talk time as you desperately beg for a taxi, then in due course a dead battery - about 20 mins later your spotty white carcasses would be decomposing while repulsing passing vultures.

No Respect.

To the OP - You arugment is valid for more people than will ever admit to it. Personally I could do a lot more with ease, but often put it on a back burner or forget to follow up on a donation etc. This is not something I am proud of but I intend to do better in future.

Finally to those saying "oh yaw - you're only giving 'cause your rich and it makes your ego expand, like yah...blah...etc. etc." People that make the odd small effort are contributing and helping in a real and tangible way - you are merely putting forth empty-headed arguments as you decide what '06 registration car needs to be in your driveway in order to make the neighbours think you are someone/something.

- By your own evidence you are currently not amounting to too much actually.

Raiser.

P.S. Beer is life - could you please consider yourself included? [thanks]

* Edit 'cause of prior omission of another inbred mental midget.

onemanband

To Raiser

The best god damn post I have ever read. There I was reading through some of the greatest piles of sXXt in my life and you rescued my at the end.

I'm going home now a happy man

respect!

edanto

Absolutely.

Beer is Life

Raiser wrote:

You cretins are really going to regret having posted these ignorant statements on a public message board just as soon as your testicles drop and you realise that Mr. O'Briens maths test on Fridays is not in fact a critical issue or pressing current affair.

Come on, to have been through at least some portion of the Irish educational system we have to assume that you are in possession of at least some of the facts here [?] I can only assume age is a factor and that if Mum doesn't buy 12 packs of Walkers crisps and multiple 2 litre bottles of Coke that you slam doors, sulk and shout "its so unfair" all evening while stamping your Nike Air max that you begged Daddy-kins to buy you on the preceding Saturday.

Genetic dead-ends like yourselves couldn't be self-sufficient beyond a 500 metre radius of Dominos - and no, its not a valid argument to say that misfortunates in famine devasted countries should ask Daddy for €15 euro and a lift in the Beemer to the nearest KFC.

I know, I know - you maintain these people should be planting kebab bushes and growing chicken-dippers trees. Perhaps they should invest in a garlic and herb dip machine so they can be really self-sufficient. If you were teleported to and subsequently stranded in a famine area I would expect 90 mins. of Nokia talk time as you beg for a taxi, in due course a dead battery and about 20 mins later you spotty white carcasses would be repulsing passing vultures.

No Respect.

To the OP - You arugment is valid for more people than will ever admit to it. Personally I could do a lot more with ease, but often put it on a back burner or forget to follow up on a donation etc. This is not something I am proud of but I intend to to better in future.

Finally to those saying "oh yaw - you're only giving 'cause your rich and it makes your ego expand, like yah...blah...etc. etc." People that make the odd small effort are contributing and helping in a real and tangible way - you are merely putting forth empty-headed arguments as you decide what '06 registration car needs to be in your driveway in order to make the neighbour think you are someone/something.

- By your own evidence you are currently not amounting to too much actually.

Raiser.

P.S. Beer is life - could you please consider yourself included? [thanks]

* Edit 'cause of prior omission of another inbred mental midget.

Why do you assume you know anything about me? So I dont give to charity, big deal, get over it and get on with your life.

Typical do gooder rant :rolleyes:

Julesie

Its seems to be a common misconception that the only solution to the third world problem is for us to give money from our own pockets in some vain attempt to make things better. This is naive in the extreme.

The third world is the way it is for a multitude of reasons such as but not limited to:

• Corrupt Government Regimes
• Hostile/Violent enviorment (civil war etc.)
• Inhospitable climate (drought etc.)
• Low population density
• Poor levels of infrastructure
• Poor standard of education/literacy amongst adults
• Native cultures at odds with western "capatalist" ideals
• Unfavourable trade conditions with the first world

These are just some of the reasons why Africa isnt going to have an economy that functions like ours in the near future. One of the main contributing factors for the above "problems" is Africas history of colonisation by european countries such as (England, France, Holland etc.) For centuries these countries were just treated like distant outposts of a forgotten empire with little or no interest or investment placed in them. That means that while the first world prospered during industrial revolutions this never reached Africa.

Most of the above problems wont be solved by a simple hand out but rather fundamental changes in the way an entire continent operates. Thats why giving money to Concern shouldnt make you feel like you are solving world poverty in fact in some ways it perpetuates it. To be honest im not sure it could be solved or if it is even "our" place to take on that task.

Anyway rant over.