Global Peace Index 2012

[Guest Peeves]

Thanks for mentioning Lotta Hitschmanova, I had never heard of her and am looking forward to learning more about her.

When it comes to issues related to international development/starving children there is very little that is "obvious". Some things are working and some things aren't. It's great that you have been generous in helping others, please keep it up and encourage others too.

I once bought in to the "help the starving children" ploy. Then I read SOOOOOOO often about how the money was rerouted to Swiss banks, 30 limos, another wedding/bride, or military hardware and I said to my self..."Self, what has improved 'over there in the last 40 years and I wept...then I gave at home.

[Signals.Cpl]

I don't have a solution - I don't even understand the problem!

All I know is that most people suffering in Somalia - and certainly all small children - bear no responsibility for the situation that they are in. They are suffering only because they had the misfortune of being born in the wrong place. We in Canada have the capacity to help ease some of this suffering without giving up our comfort. Just to be clear, I am not advocating opening up our borders wide open, our current intake of refugees seems about right. I am angered when people suggest that we stop taking in refugees. I am also disgusted when people demonstrate a lack of compassion for children and other powerless victims.

In all fairness do you think that the refugees we get from Somalia are the needy once? Just like those Tamils a couple of years ago were most likely not the neediest of them all. Honestly is the solution to take people out of Somalia rather then help them build a stable country of their own? We can't bring all Somalians here but we sure can send some Canadians there to help them which in my mind is the better choice.

[carepov]

I once bought in to the "help the starving children" ploy. Then I read SOOOOOOO often about how the money was rerouted to Swiss banks, 30 limos, another wedding/bride, or military hardware and I said to my self..."Self, what has improved 'over there in the last 40 years and I wept...then I gave at home.

Like I said before, there are a lot of failures and also a lot of successes.

I see nothing wrong with giving at home or even not giving at all.

I just cannot understand or tolerate a lack of sympathy for any child of any country.

[Signals.Cpl]

Like I said before, there are a lot of failures and also a lot of successes.

I see nothing wrong with giving at home or even not giving at all.

I just cannot understand or tolerate a lack of sympathy for any child of any country.

Who says we don't have sympathy for children?

[carepov]

In all fairness do you think that the refugees we get from Somalia are the needy once? Just like those Tamils a couple of years ago were most likely not the neediest of them all. Honestly is the solution to take people out of Somalia rather then help them build a stable country of their own? We can't bring all Somalians here but we sure can send some Canadians there to help them which in my mind is the better choice.

The refugee system we have is far from perfect. And again, I do not claim to have the solution. We should be helping in any way that we practically can - and one way is to accept some refugees. It is not an either/or choice it fact doing both is probably more effective, refugees established in Canada can perhaps one day help re-build their former homeland.

[carepov]

Who says we don't have sympathy for children?

I'm not saying that and I am not accusing anyone - but I was concerned about the following comments:

... We seem to continue to accept immigrants from Somalia...? Why?

All your missing now is a few tears and a phone number and i'd send you some money...

Needs more flies.

Oh sure.....been there....done that.

Oh yeah? For my entire life I've been giving money to fly covered children for what? ...

Some comments could be sarcastic jokes, again I am not judging - just concerned.

Edited June 28, 2012 by carepov

[Signals.Cpl]

The refugee system we have is far from perfect. And again, I do not claim to have the solution. We should be helping in any way that we practically can - and one way is to accept some refugees. It is not an either/or choice it fact doing both is probably more effective, refugees established in Canada can perhaps one day help re-build their former homeland.

It is an either/or scenario, you want to take people from their country in the hoped that 10,20 or 50 years down the line they will go back and help rebuild their homeland. How is that working for the Somali teens going back to Somalia and joining militias? What about Sudanese children? Who will help them?

We need to make our Refugee system available only for those clearly in need of asylum as opposed to taking anyone and everyone. Help them help themselves as opposed to bringing some of them here to stay on welfare and still be crying "Will somebody poles think of the children"... We don't have the resources to bring all the children in need to Canada.

[Signals.Cpl]

I'm not saying that - but I was concerned about the following comments:

The question is simple, you think about the children who are not at fault, I think about their parents who will come to Canada and drain the resources of the welfare system and those innocent children who will continue to drain the system.

And I believe that bush_cheney2004 was referring to the mission to Somalia in the early 90's hence the "been there done that"

[guyser]

We need to make our Refugee system available only for those clearly in need of asylum as opposed to taking anyone and everyone.

We don't, never did.

Next?

[Signals.Cpl]

We don't, never did.

Next?

We don't do what? Take in everyone and anyone? Because if thats your argument I would beg to differ, I know of a number of "refugees" who come from stable countries and found being a refugee the easier way to come to Canada.

[DogOnPorch]

I'm not saying that and I am not accusing anyone - but I was concerned about the following comments:

Some comments could be sarcastic jokes, again I am not judging - just concerned.

That's the great thing re: Canada. If one wishes to throw one's own money at a "problem", have at 'er. Providing one is not giving it straight to terrorists. Make sure there's at least a middleman. And if one is supporting terrorists, try to avoid holding parades praising them. Makes the rest of us nervous...or something akin to nervous. But, the fly covered children have long worked their course...grown-up and have had their own large number of fly covered children. Some who might even 'hate the West' and 'seek to destroy our lifestyle'. Nice.

So, don't be so concerned about me. Be more concerned about what you're actually doing by shipping dollars to these regions. I'm not sure what it is doing...but, it isn't saving children or stopping war and starvation.

Edited June 28, 2012 by DogOnPorch

[bush_cheney2004]

I'm not saying that and I am not accusing anyone - but I was concerned about the following comments:

.....Some comments could be sarcastic jokes, again I am not judging - just concerned.

Go ahead and judge if you wish...my mother use to tell me to eat all my dinner because there were people starving in China. So I responded with, "OK...box it up and ship it to them instead". I embraced sarcasm at a very young age.

Somalia is a great place for...pirates.

[DogOnPorch]

Go ahead and judge if you wish...my mother use to tell me to eat all my dinner because there were people starving in China. So I responded with, "OK...box it up and ship it to them instead". I embraced sarcasm at a very young age.

Somalia is a great place for...pirates.

Said the same thing re: Brussel sprouts as a kid. Africa should be rolling in Brussel sprouts.

[dre]

Somalia is a great place for...pirates.

Somalia is a great libertarian success story that proves deregulation really works! I know for a fact nobody is really starving there, because clearly now that they are free from the meddling, thieving fists of big government everyone is rich and prosperous there now!

Edited June 28, 2012 by dre

[bush_cheney2004]

Said the same thing re: Brussel sprouts as a kid. Africa should be rolling in Brussel sprouts.

:lol: ...and China should have plenty of lima beans.

[bush_cheney2004]

Somalia is a great libertarian success story that proves deregulation really works!

You can't de-regulate that which has never been regulated.

[DogOnPorch]

Somalia is a great libertarian success story that proves deregulation really works! I know for a fact nobody is really starving there, because clearly now that they are free from the meddling, thieving fists of big government everyone is rich and prosperous there now!

Somalia shows what happens when Russia/China/etc builds 200 million plus AK-47s.

[Guest American Woman]

...the fly covered children have long worked their course...grown-up and have had their own large number of fly covered children. Some who might even 'hate the West' and 'seek to destroy our lifestyle'. Nice.

So, don't be so concerned about me. Be more concerned about what you're actually doing by shipping dollars to these regions. I'm not sure what it is doing...but, it isn't saving children or stopping war or starvation.

I'm not sure where the reference originated, but I have to say that the referring to less fortunate children as "fly covered" doesn't sit well with me. I've met some of the world's "fly covered children," and their parents, and they were so proud to speak what little English they knew and to shake my hand. If some of the money given is helping/saving even some of these children, it matters to the children who are helped/saved - and I think that has to be part of our "foreign policy." We need some of the people in some of these regions to think well of us - so we should do it strictly for our own interests if not for humanitarian reasons.

[bush_cheney2004]

.... We need some of the people in some of these regions to think well of us - so we should do it strictly for our own interests if not for humanitarian reasons.

I think that is perfectly reasonable and far more compelling than Save The Children infomercial scams. Those who are truly dedicated can join an NGO and risk certain death to save the children..and flies.

[Guest American Woman]

I think that is perfectly reasonable and far more compelling than Save The Children infomercial scams. Those who are truly dedicated can join an NGO and risk certain death to save the children..

Why not a government organization?

and flies.

I would think that's beneath you....

Edited June 29, 2012 by American Woman

[bush_cheney2004]

Why not a government organization?

Because they would be accused of being CIA.

I would think that's beneath you....

Flies are a fact of life in certain places....why do the infomercials include flies?

[DogOnPorch]

Plus, it should a non-religious NGO least one be proselytizing in areas where it is forbidden. I have no problem with folks tossing their own money at saving pandas or buying craters on the Moon. Just be aware that money sent may not be money spent.

[Signals.Cpl]

Why not a government organization?

A government organization might entail military intervention in order to secure the government workers

[Signals.Cpl]

Flies are a fact of life in certain places....why do the infomercials include flies?

You help the kids, you help the flies... same price twice the positive feeling.

[DogOnPorch]

I'm not sure where the reference originated, but I have to say that the referring to less fortunate children as "fly covered" doesn't sit well with me. I've met some of the world's "fly covered children," and their parents, and they were so proud to speak what little English they knew and to shake my hand. If some of the money given is helping/saving even some of these children, it matters to the children who are helped/saved - and I think that has to be part of our "foreign policy." We need some of the people in some of these regions to think well of us - so we should do it strictly for our own interests if not for humanitarian reasons.

Cheers, AW.

I'm aware of the value of not having folks sleeping under the local bridge. But, these commercials often do make a point of showing the flies. Since you seem to confirm not all these folks are fly covered, it seems that you should be angry at them, not me, for lying. I'm just jaded by too much World over the years to care too much more seeing the results after 40+ years.