COMIC RELIEF - DISGRACEFUL

[sooey]

Thats all they ever seem to do in Africa, bonkin!

This is something about which I would have agreed with many years ago, in my ignorance, until I heard Tony Robinson give a different perspective.

I will have to praphrase but I’m sure Tony will forgive, if not endorse, what I’m about to say...

‘We’ sit in our warm and comfy chairs in front of our TV or Sony Playstation. We drive our cars to the cinema or a mall, (shopping centre), and expect to be able to buy all we want, (not what we always need), without a second thought for those who crave for things we all in ‘The West’ take for granted... Like food, water and health care – and so very much more!!!

So then, if YOU were living in such a dreadful, unimaginable and extreme austere situation, where there is so very little to do, and what little pleasure and comfort and love you can derive from such a dia situation, which YOU are privileged not to EVER have to contemplate – what would you do and what comfort and love would you try to derive from such a desperate and sad situation?

(You hypocrite???)

There's a far more prosaic reason why they breed so prolifically in these countries. They expect most of their kids to die in childhood and need some of them to survive to look after them in their old age. No pensions over there. They're just upping the odds.

 

[Big Tone]

That's right Sooey, as well as the need for manual labour to work the land for what meager returns they can achieve.

They can't just pop out to Tesco express. People whom have it so good in The West sometimes need to be reminded exactly just how good we have it and empathize a little more. There but for the grace of god go I, an' all that...

 

[joe-90]

Africa's problem is they had a Stone-age Brain Drain and all the bright ones left, leaving complete idiots behind. Look at a map of the world and Africa is the dominant continent. They should rule the world, not starve and fight FFS.

 

[Big Tone]

What I will say, (sort of agreeing with Joe), is that it shouldn't be down to us always sticking our hands in our pockets; not when billions is being paid out by our Government on arms or bailing out bankers etc. etc.

Now THAT is obscene!!!

 

[Big Tone]

Africa's problem is they had a Stone-age Brain Drain and all the bright ones left, leaving complete idiots behind. Look at a map of the world and Africa is the dominant continent. They should rule the world, not starve and fight FFS.

Whereas we are the clever ones for mass genocide, global pollution, extinction of precious species...?

To my mind, the most successful species is one which lives in balance and harmony with the world. Compared to the reign of dinosaurs we are complete amateurs

If we are still around in another 10,000,000 years we can call ourselves successful. Can't believe myself...

 

[joe-90]

If you are not willing to sell your house and donate it to Africa - then you are just playing at it. You are just as bad as the rest of us.

 

[Brigadier]

Dinosaurs? Such a diverse group, you may as well lump humans in with rats, and call them THE most dominant group on the planet....

 

[Brigadier]

I think Sooey's got it right - having more kids is insurance.
Africa as it stands will only bear a certain level of population without significant infrastructural investment, and then the people themselves stepping up to the plate, and looking after themselves.
Without that, we are committing ourselves to never-ending "aid", with the alternative being the slow torture of millions of previously artificially supported people, should we ever "pull out" (as it were).

 

[cajar]

Bailing out the banks was for our benefit, not the bankers, for if the banks were to fail we'd be one step closer to utter non society that africa is.

Big tone, yes of course we are the clever ones, living in a society with a control on crime and order, food readily available, clean water, medical care etc, not squatting in a mud hut on a plain, picking up disease right left and centre because you drink from your neighbours urine stream.

Africa's problem is their governments. They should be providing services and support and collecting taxes. And if the indigineous people are unable to find a brain among them to take charge maybe there is a cause for a forgeign force to move in and assume control, if for nothing else than to get this comic relief **** off our tvs in the west.

 

[Big Tone]

If you are not willing to sell your house and donate it to Africa - then you are just playing at it. You are just as bad as the rest of us.

I don't want to turn it into 'The Joe and Tone thread' but..

Yes I am selfish, I've never denied it. We all are; the selfish gene is in us all. But that's not to say we can't do 'our bit' to help or, if that's too much to ask, at least don't add to the problem any more than is humanly possible.

The late Paul Eddington put it well, and with great humility, when asked how he would like to be remembered. He said "as someone who did very little harm".

What a wonderful expression and recognition that we all[/] have an impact on our surrounds - on this Earth. Even you Joe

To state the obvious, I'm not about to commit suicide or go live in a mud hut in Namibia to lessen my impact on Earth. So if that's what you're asking as proof that a care about our world, you're going to be disappointed...

 

[Big Tone]

Big tone, yes of course we are the clever ones, living in a society with a control on crime and order, food readily available, clean water, medical care etc, not squatting in a mud hut on a plain, picking up disease right left and centre because you drink from your neighbours urine stream.

Yes, I agree Cajar. Maybe its the difference between clever and wise then? It's our destiny to 'burn brightly' and become no more than a blip in evolution. I'm still not sure I'd call that either clever or wise though..

 

[Brigadier]

If you had to walk 5 miles to fetch water, would you also walk that same 5 miles to relieve yourself in it?

 

[sooey]

if for nothing else than to get this comic relief s**t off our tvs in the west.

And what would all the has beens and no marks like that james corden do for work then??

I suppose there's always 'help for heroes' that's good for a few years yet.

 

[chapeau]

Africa's problem is their governments. They should be providing services and support and collecting taxes

Africa is still very tribal in its thinking. They have 'chiefs' who provide for their village and in return they get authority. To do that the chief needs money and he gets it however he can. What we call corruption they call patronage.

This tribal mentality goes to the top, Mugabe is just another chief and he looks after his tribe and other tribes in Zimbabwe suffer.

Same happens here. Conservative governments look after their voters, Labour look after theirs. We are obviously a lot better but the same system exists. It's called corruption here and not patronage.

We are extremely fortunate to have been born in the West and that's only a matter of luck. How you deal with that is up to you.

 

[Big Tone]

If you had to walk 5 miles to fetch water, would you also walk that same 5 miles to relieve yourself in it?

Of course not and that is not what they do. It's a complete misrepresentation of their plight!

It's like me saying you eat in order to produce a turd.