Save Africa!!!

[Wuffsunie]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt

Originally posted by: fredtam
The people of Africa have largely failed to evolve and are on the way to extinction. Sould we step in and save this "endangered species"? I don't know if it is in the best interest of modern man. Sure we can help them, feed them, industrialize them, but what will that accomplish? Nothing but the soaking up of the resources of the "fittest". The money would be much better spent here or at leat on cool endangered things like whales or rainforest.

Well, with that arguement, how do you know that someone you save won't be some super genius who invents the cure for HIV or AIDS or finds a cure-all for cancer? The idea of just throwing them away is sickening, but the idea of avoiding our own to try scratching the surface with someone else is all the more sickening.

That's an expediency argument. Theoretically if such a thing exsists, it'll be discovered sooner or later. This would just lead to sooner. And it assumes that the person saved is in a position to recieve very high level education in biology. Really, bio isn't like mathamatics; there are no savants there that can work out advanced theory from introductory textbooks. With Africa the way it is, they'd have to be one of those miracle success stories.

In the end, I'd take the safe bet (Western, government/private funded research) over the impossible long-shot (your idea).

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Wuffsunie

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt

Originally posted by: fredtam
The people of Africa have largely failed to evolve and are on the way to extinction. Sould we step in and save this "endangered species"? I don't know if it is in the best interest of modern man. Sure we can help them, feed them, industrialize them, but what will that accomplish? Nothing but the soaking up of the resources of the "fittest". The money would be much better spent here or at leat on cool endangered things like whales or rainforest.

Well, with that arguement, how do you know that someone you save won't be some super genius who invents the cure for HIV or AIDS or finds a cure-all for cancer? The idea of just throwing them away is sickening, but the idea of avoiding our own to try scratching the surface with someone else is all the more sickening.

That's an expediency argument. Theoretically if such a thing exsists, it'll be discovered sooner or later. This would just lead to sooner. And it assumes that the person saved is in a position to recieve very high level education in biology. Really, bio isn't like mathamatics; there are no savants there that can work out advanced theory from introductory textbooks. With Africa the way it is, they'd have to be one of those miracle success stories.

In the end, I'd take the safe bet (Western, government/private funded research) over the impossible long-shot (your idea).

It's a good thing that you are not in charge.

 

[Wuffsunie]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
It's a good thing that you are not in charge.

Same can be said in regards to yourself

You were rooting for that guy in Vegas, weren't you?

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Wuffsunie

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
It's a good thing that you are not in charge.

Same can be said in regards to yourself

You were rooting for that guy in Vegas, weren't you?

The guy that sold everything and put it on a spin of the roulette wheel for a UK reality show? Heh... that guy was an idiot. He may have won, but he was an idiot.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt

Originally posted by: Wuffsunie

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt

Originally posted by: fredtam
The people of Africa have largely failed to evolve and are on the way to extinction. Sould we step in and save this "endangered species"? I don't know if it is in the best interest of modern man. Sure we can help them, feed them, industrialize them, but what will that accomplish? Nothing but the soaking up of the resources of the "fittest". The money would be much better spent here or at leat on cool endangered things like whales or rainforest.

Well, with that arguement, how do you know that someone you save won't be some super genius who invents the cure for HIV or AIDS or finds a cure-all for cancer? The idea of just throwing them away is sickening, but the idea of avoiding our own to try scratching the surface with someone else is all the more sickening.

That's an expediency argument. Theoretically if such a thing exsists, it'll be discovered sooner or later. This would just lead to sooner. And it assumes that the person saved is in a position to recieve very high level education in biology. Really, bio isn't like mathamatics; there are no savants there that can work out advanced theory from introductory textbooks. With Africa the way it is, they'd have to be one of those miracle success stories.

In the end, I'd take the safe bet (Western, government/private funded research) over the impossible long-shot (your idea).

It's a good thing that you are not in charge.

Actually, your argument is pretty weak. If the puropse of saving africans is that we might save some savant who finds the cure for cancer, shouldn't you be against contraceptives and abortions? Shouldn't you be against anything that might accidentally kill someone? If all the western nations took all the money they put into Foerign aid and put 100% into opening research labs, the ROI (Retrun On Investment) would be much greater, and our chances of curing deadly maladies would be much, much greater.

If you want to make another argument for saving africans, you likely can, but this one is on logical thin ice.

 

[compfreak999]

i think my argument is that ever human deserves to live, we are all created equal in God's eyes. if they were born into that sistuation then its not their fault, if they were given the chance to reform then i wouldnt be simpatheic towards them.

 

[fredtam]

i think my argument is that ever human deserves to live

The fact is they are all going to die.

we are all created equal in God's eyes.

Nope even God realizes evolution is happening. Ask the Pope.

if they were born into that sistuation then its not their fault

Who says they would have been better in my situation.? The difference is they would be robbing convenience stores and collecting welfare and not robbing caravans and collecting food donations.

if they were given the chance to reform then i wouldnt be simpatheic towards them.

Reform starts there not here. They have had plenty of time to reform.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: compfreak999
i think my argument is that ever human deserves to live, we are all created equal in God's eyes. if they were born into that sistuation then its not their fault, if they were given the chance to reform then i wouldnt be simpatheic towards them.

It's God's fault then, and God wants them to learn to take care of themselves not live on our charity.

It the citizens of these countries were willing to take responsibility for themselves, they'd remove the warlords from power, stop spreading AIDs, and work together to grow enough food for everyone. If you believe that God plans things and tests people, these people are failing their tests rather badly.

Look how successful we've been in Iraq so far, trying to impose democracy from outside on people that want to keep power entirely within their own religous / ethnic / tribal groups. Afghanistan is also more a collection of warlords agreeing to work together (for now) than a real democracy.

 

[DaveSimmons]

By the way I am sympathetic, I'm just old enough to have watched a couple of decades of food aid, peace corps, Sally Struthers, etc. make absolutely no difference.

So I give money to Northwest Harvest (Washington state food bank supplier) where I know the money will go to help local moms feed their kids, and where those moms are giving their kids a real chance at a decent future.

 

[BornStar]

List of Classes compfreak999 is Failing:

Geography
English
Economics

You're in high school???? I think you should do the world a favor and use the money you're collecting to rid us of your ignorance.

 

[AIWGuru]

If you believe that God plans things and tests people, these people are failing their tests rather badly.

If I believed in God, I would probably also believe that the meek don't fail a test for being born in a poor place to a poor culture. I'd be more inclined to believe that the strong fail the test for looking down on and not helping the meek.
I think Jesus had some words to say about that...


I'm all for helping people in Africa, I just disagree (strongly) with this naive methodology as discussed in my other post.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: BornStar18
List of Classes compfreak999 is Failing:

Geography
English
Economics

You're in high school???? I think you should do the world a favor and use the money you're collecting to rid us of your ignorance.

Flinging yourself off the overpass over HWY 26 isn't expensive at all.

 

[AIWGuru]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt

Originally posted by: BornStar18
List of Classes compfreak999 is Failing:

Geography
English
Economics

You're in high school???? I think you should do the world a favor and use the money you're collecting to rid us of your ignorance.

Flinging yourself off the overpass over HWY 26 isn't expensive at all.

That could kill an African American in a car passing below.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: AIWGuru

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt

Originally posted by: BornStar18
List of Classes compfreak999 is Failing:

Geography
English
Economics

You're in high school???? I think you should do the world a favor and use the money you're collecting to rid us of your ignorance.

Flinging yourself off the overpass over HWY 26 isn't expensive at all.

That could kill an African American in a car passing below.

HEAVEN FORBID!

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I prefer to give my help domestically, however that doesn't detract from the fact that it's refreshing to see HS kids actually trying to help instead of being completely apathetic I would like to remind you though that after trying to help millions of starving Somalis the reward was to have them kill us and drag our dead through the streets

 

[StageLeft]

Some of you guys are freaking brutal. This guy comes on wanting to do a little for mankind and you just rag on his school and sh*t. Damn.

Undoubtedly the most pathetic thing is that people actually think that US has problems comporable to a hellish sh*thold like Africa is. Work on the problems in the US? Like what? Gas? Obesity? Too many people in apartments who can't live in houses? Tax cuts? Every country on the planet always has, and always will, have some people who fall through the cracks. Few in the US have fallen through the cracks, and many who have can blame only themselves. In Africa almost everybody has fallen through. It's not that I really expected to see any other prevailing opinion in this thread though.

His grammar is far less despicable than the horrendous selfishness displayed here. I suspect that as he continues through school his problem will fix itself, but most of the people here will still be self-centered, clueless, dolts.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: SnowyEnigma
I definitily agree with the general consencious here. How can we help others if we can't even help ourselfs? I know many people who deserves the money locally. You know 1/3 of children in MA go to bed hungry at night? 1/3! Now that's screwed up, since this country has a 30,000+ GDPI definitely agree with the general consensus here. How can we help others if we can't even help ourselves? I know many people who deserve the money locally. You know 1/3 of children in MA go to bed hungry at night? 1/3! Now that's screwed up, since this country has a 30,000+ GDP. We need to distribute the wealth in this country. Distribute it already!

Do you know what definition the FDA uses to classify these kids as "hungry?" If they miss one meal in a twenty-eight day period, if I recall correctly.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: Shockwave

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: compfreak999
ok whats garbage about this? helping poverished people in another nation? i never said helping people in our state is wrong i just the our current objective for this project is to help people in Africa.

Food aid actually has increased starvation in some of the countries in Africa by driving down food prices and putting local farmers out of business (or into the drug business).

A lot of the aid has also be stolen by corrupt local officials.

And starvation in Zimbawe is entirely that fault of ther leaders (with the support of the people) destroying the existing agricultural industry because it was mostly managed by whites (who employed and fed tens of thousands of blacks in the process).

Mass murder, genocide, corruption, AIDs -- as societies, these people are not taking responsibility for their own lives, and a sack of grain is not going to make any real difference until they change themselves.

Now now, lets not bring the success of white managed operations into this, lest it fall into nothing more then a racist thread!

Zimbabwe was the only country in Africa that actually grew enough food to feed their own people and export the extra, if I recall correctly. That was when it was Rhodesia, though.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteve

Originally posted by: SnowyEnigma

I definitily agree with the general consencious here. How can we help others if we can't even help ourselfs? I know many people who deserves the money locally. You know 1/3 of children in MA go to bed hungry at night? 1/3! Now that's screwed up, since this country has a 30,000+ GDPI definitely agree with the general consensus here. How can we help others if we can't even help ourselves? I know many people who deserve the money locally. You know 1/3 of children in MA go to bed hungry at night? 1/3! Now that's screwed up, since this country has a 30,000+ GDP. We need to distribute the wealth in this country. Distribute it already!

Do you know what definition the FDA uses to classify these kids as "hungry?" If they miss one meal in a twenty-eight day period, if I recall correctly.

I'll be totally honest and say I've not seen a single kid in months who looks like they go hungry EVER. The starvation rate in the US is almost not worth mentioning.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

My god... this thread isn't DEAD yet?

I'm going to cry

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteve

Originally posted by: SnowyEnigma

I definitily agree with the general consencious here. How can we help others if we can't even help ourselfs? I know many people who deserves the money locally. You know 1/3 of children in MA go to bed hungry at night? 1/3! Now that's screwed up, since this country has a 30,000+ GDPI definitely agree with the general consensus here. How can we help others if we can't even help ourselves? I know many people who deserve the money locally. You know 1/3 of children in MA go to bed hungry at night? 1/3! Now that's screwed up, since this country has a 30,000+ GDP. We need to distribute the wealth in this country. Distribute it already!

Do you know what definition the FDA uses to classify these kids as "hungry?" If they miss one meal in a twenty-eight day period, if I recall correctly.

I'll be totally honest and say I've not seen a single kid in months who looks like they go hungry EVER. The starvation rate in the US is almost not worth mentioning.

I've seen some, but for every kid I have seen that needed more food, I've probably seen four or five more than need less, not to mention they need to be chained to a damn treadmill.

 

[StageLeft]

The problem could easily be solved by taking one of the big kids and giving some carving knives and a spit to the "hungry" ones

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
The problem could easily be solved by taking one of the big kids and giving some carving knives and a spit to the "hungry" ones

The kid I'm thinking of would be burned on one side, and raw on the other. He probably weighs more than I did my senior year of high school, and he's in fifth or sixth grade. The hungry kids wouldn't be able to turn the spit.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteve

Originally posted by: Skoorb

The problem could easily be solved by taking one of the big kids and giving some carving knives and a spit to the "hungry" ones

The kid I'm thinking of would be burned on one side, and raw on the other. He probably weighs more than I did my senior year of high school, and he's in fifth or sixth grade. The hungry kids wouldn't be able to turn the spit.

Perhaps you could find some of the big kids to turn it, and as punishment if they don't they're next.

 

[Nanotech]

Originally posted by: dartworth
<blockquote>Quote
As most people would know Africa is a country

Need to work on that geography ehh?
Lots of down on their luck peeps in the US.
Why don't you start with that?[/quote]

I agree! For one I find it hard to believe that 100% of the funds you are trying to acquire would actually go to starving Africans. Secondly, what good is simply giving Africans food going to do? If you want to help them find a way to help them help themselves. That is the only way their situation is ever going to improve.

Join the Peace Corps and you'll agree that giving Africans "free" food or "free" anything is not really improving their situation but in many cases only making it worse. It worsens the situation by creating a great deal of conflict and jeolousy amongst the villagers; however, there are a couple organizations that do a pretty decent job at ensuring that donations do reach the intended recepient.

I'm curious how do you plan on ensuring the funds reach those in need?