OT: Haiti

[ForeverAutumn]

I do both. But, I actually only buy about 3 CDs a year and gear only when it breaks. I probably donate much more than I spend on Audio hobbies.

And I'm willing to bet that both of our countries provide more support to third world countries than they spend on fireworks.

It's not that I think that your idea is a bad one. I'm just not sure that the money would get to where it's supposed to go. I think that the bigger issue is the corrupt governments who run many of these third world countries. Why should we give up anything to pad the pockets of corrupt politicians who don't give a rat's ass about helping the people that they govern?

[Hyfi]

And I'm willing to bet that both of our countries provide more support to third world countries than they spend on fireworks.

It's not that I think that your idea is a bad one. I'm just not sure that the money would get to where it's supposed to go. I think that the bigger issue is the corrupt governments who run many of these third world countries. Why should we give up anything to pad the pockets of corrupt politicians who don't give a rat's ass about helping the people that they govern?

We are doing it now right? What is the difference except for the fact that we have to help 200,000 less people now that before.

Whether we help other countries or our own, we waste way too much money on meaningless things like Fireworks.

Sure like Finch said, it's usually free.....to the eyes of the mis-informed. The towns or cities then have to subsidize it as well as pay out a bunch of overtime to the cops, the cleanup crews and so on. So now what you thought was free is the reason your taxes just got raised or your city is in a huge deficit, like most city budgets already are.

[ForeverAutumn]

Sure like Finch said, it's usually free.....to the eyes of the stupid.

Hey Finchy, I think that Hyfi just called you stupid!

I don't have time for this discussion right now. I shouldn't have started. Sorry.

[Hyfi]

Hey Finchy, I think that Hyfi just called you stupid!

I don't have time for this discussion right now. I shouldn't have started. Sorry.

but my post says mis-informed

[Finch Platte]

but my post says mis-informed

Lol.

But anyhoo, I don't think taking away entertainment is the answer. When do you stop?

[nightflier]

Why should we give up anything to pad the pockets of corrupt politicians who don't give a rat's ass about helping the people that they govern?

Ahem, that applies to politicians in Haiti as much as to politicians in Canada, the US, or any other Western nation, no? I doubt Tim Geithner is very different from any other corrupt Haitian politician (Jocelyne Fethiere?), except maybe that his corruption is proportionally greater on account of our larger economy. Maybe that makes him an even bigger crook.

[ForeverAutumn]

Ahem, that applies to politicians in Haiti as much as to politicians in Canada, the US, or any other Western nation, no?

No.

Transparency International rates countries each year on perceived levels of government corruption. Where zero is the worst and 10 is the best, in 2009 Haiti ranked a 1.8. Out of 180 countries they were number 168. 180 (Somalia) was the percieved the most corrupt. Number 1 (perceived the least corrupt) is New Zealand with a rating of 9.4.

http://www.transparency.org/policy_r...cpi_2009_table

The Red Cross does a similar survey. They ranked Haiti as number 155 out of 159 countries.

I'm not suggesting that both of our countries don't have corrupt policiticians. I know they do. It's a proven fact. But we don't live in virtual poverty without electricity and clean water because our Governments don't allow us to have the necessities of life.

I don't believe that you can compare the political problems in the western world with the corruption that exists in the third world.

[Swish]

No.

Transparency International rates countries each year on perceived levels of government corruption. Where zero is the worst and 10 is the best, in 2009 Haiti ranked a 1.8. Out of 180 countries they were number 168. 180 (Somalia) was the percieved the most corrupt. Number 1 (perceived the least corrupt) is New Zealand with a rating of 9.4.

http://www.transparency.org/policy_r...cpi_2009_table

The Red Cross does a similar survey. They ranked Haiti as number 155 out of 159 countries.

I'm not suggesting that both of our countries don't have corrupt policiticians. I know they do. It's a proven fact. But we don't live in virtual poverty without electricity and clean water because our Governments don't allow us to have the necessities of life.

I don't believe that you can compare the political problems in the western world with the corruption that exists in the third world.

Donating money to the Red Cross is something that we've done in the past because we know it won't be pilfered by corrupt dictators.

[nightflier]

I'm not suggesting that both of our countries don't have corrupt policiticians. I know they do. It's a proven fact. But we don't live in virtual poverty without electricity and clean water because our Governments don't allow us to have the necessities of life.

I don't believe that you can compare the political problems in the western world with the corruption that exists in the third world.

Not to compare, but there are many places in this country where there is no clean water or electricity. Just take a peek at some of our infamous Indian reservations. Even in the inner city where there is water, in some places you wouldn't want to drink it.

Haiti is no picknick, but my point is that human nature is what it is. If Geithner was Minister of Commerce in Haiti, he'd be just as corrupt. Likewise if whoever is the Haitian Minister of Commerce where in Geithner's shoes he'd do about the same too, as much as he could get away with here.

Additionally, that there is a tad more transparency here and in Canada, does not change the fact that the scale of the corruption is much greater. Geithner has made his friends so incredibly more rich, if you add all that up, that it would equal many times the GNP of several Haitis. The simple fact is that the disparity between Geithner's friends and the poorest people in the US, is greater than in any other country in the world in the history of mankind and most certainly an order of magnitude greater than the disparity between the rich and poor in Haiti. This inequality is perverse to the extreme. Surely we can agree that if just the CEO of oh, I dunno, AIG, was made to pay back the millions he robbed from the US tax payers, that this amount could save thousands of lives in Haiti, even now. Personally, I think that would not be a bad trade-off.

Today I read that they are amputating legs and arms from children w/o anesthesia. I can't possibly imagine what that must be like.