niger

Why don't you go to the ground and help these people by handing out food?

well i give 10% of my wages to charity and will take a year out and do. i have that planned.

DAMN IT! I mean...hey, good for you :shifty:

sorry to disappoint on not being a hypocrite.

I win either way so I am not disappointed.

Sernario 1: You are a hypocrite
Sernario 2: I don't have to listen about how we don't do stuff for Africa when you leave

It is a win-win situation for this guy right here.

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Originally Posted by Cloud No.9

a small point that i am actually male.

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Oh.....

Um, sorry about that, so yea, just replace all the shes with hes.

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actually he did "I said I wouldn't believe I deserved help."

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And you've misconstrued his meaning once again. He was quite clear on what he meant, if he were in the situation that the Africans are in, he would not believe that he deserved help from outside influences. He said he might hope for it, but he wouldn't think he deserved it. Nowhere did he say that they do not deserve it.

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so tell me what the starving children of niger should do today?

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They will die, and continue to die untill either them, their parents of their leaders, and indeed all of them together, decide starving isn't cool, and start doing something about it. Untill then - they will continue to perish by the dozens of thousands, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

i dom't think right now they think that starving is cool.

void i'm confused here. they do deserve it. but they shouldn't think they do?

lets put it this way. you see a dog tied to a tree in a wood, abondoned. it doesn't deserve to be there. it has every right not to be in that state. but it's not your job to help that dog. but you are the person that is there at the time that can do something. it's just morals to un-tie the dog and take it the vets. now it's not your job. but in a way you are expected to help the animal. you wouldn't pop into the pub and say "yeah i saw a dog that's tied to a tree and it was gonna die" "what did you do?" "i left it there it's not my job to go round saving dogs."

I understand the analogy, but that is a gross generalization. It's a unique situation in Africa. It can't be solved as easily or as completely as taking a dog to a vet. I know you weren't be literal, but it's still not a very good example. The situation you just used can be easily fixed, and anyone could fix it. The problem in Niger is much more complex, and you also have to add in the fact that people have been trying to help over a long period of time. From what little I actually do know about the situation, I know that people are trying to help, maybe not everyone, but a lot of people.

And as far as the whole 'deserving help' thing is concerned. No one 'deserves' help, that would go against the definition of 'help.' When you 'help' someone, you do it because you want to, not because someone 'deserves' it. I'm glad you want to help. I'm glad that you're apparently trying to help. I wish there were more people that wanted to help.

However, situations like this create a lot of frustration and eventually hostility. I'm sure that at one point or another in their lives, everyone wishes they could save the world. The problem is that sometimes the world doesn't want to be saved, and although we still try, it only gets harder and harder. Some people decide that instead of uselessly trying to help those that can't be helped, they try to help others closer to home. That's not a bad thing. For example, I know that by joining Habitat for Humanity I can help someone right here close to home. I don't know that by donating 10% of my paycheck (which is only $100 a month right now) I can help someone in Africa. That doesn't mean I'm saying 'screw Africa', it just means I don't think I can right now.

my point with the dog was people unwilling to do something. and like saving that dog it is a moral duty.

help for these people is life. and everyone deserves life. there is no two ways about it. right now without food these people will die. without continued help these people will die. remove the help and you kill these people. refuse to help and refuse them life. leave the dog on the tree and walk by or perform a moral duty to at least say you have done something. the dog may end up dying. but you have played your part.

i think the oil from the deep sea oil fields shoudn't go to Niger but to places that need it giving oil to africa is like giving a 2 year old kid some batteries they don't know what to do with em. the BONGA FPSO project by SNEPCO imo seemed useless if the oils going to africa whats the benefit? Africa should use the Aid to kickstart a better lifestyle

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my point with the dog was people unwilling to do something. and like saving that dog it is a moral duty.

help for these people is life. and everyone deserves life. there is no two ways about it. right now without food these people will die. without continued help these people will die. remove the help and you kill these people. refuse to help and refuse them life. leave the dog on the tree and walk by or perform a moral duty to at least say you have done something. the dog may end up dying. but you have played your part.

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But you speak as if there is a clear cut way TOO help, which there isn't. We can't just throw money at them, nor are we obligated. Is charity a moral obligation? I hardly think so. You don't have to be charitable to be a moral person, and while I do believe it a good thing to do, I feel it rather judgemental to call someone immoral because they do not. I choose not to donate to the African cause because I don't trust the people to use my money appropriately. Also, I have no intention of ever going to Africa to work there because I have a life of my own, and I believe that I have the right to take care of my own interests. To put it bluntly, when did the rest of the world become MY problem?

"To put it bluntly, when did the rest of the world become MY problem?" because you are part of this world. this has always been your problem. you are the rest of the world.

charity may not be a moral obligation but ending the suffering of millions is. it is immoral to stand back and do nothing. give to an organisation that works directly. charities that do the work themselves like making wells and stuff. and if you don't do charity what else is there? can we really stand back and watch this happen and shrug our shoulders as the world did in october?

should the good men do nothing?

charities should give and tell them how to use it and make it not just give give and give