DrDawkinstein Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I know I shouldn't laugh...but I can't help myself... Jmo, on point again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeviF Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Clearly, you've never been to Elma. Dear lord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 2 factors take away the impact of the ads featuring hungry kids that I don't think you get in the animal ads: 1 - For me there is some skepticism about how much of my money would actually go to that hungry kid - seems like there are lots of people between me and him, including people putting together glitzy advertising for future campaigns and government officials that need to be bribed to actually let aid get to those who need it - I don't really feel that with the animal ads 2 - The thought that the hungry kid is actually being used in some way - I remember feeling pretty negative about the Christian Children's fund - not because I hate christians, but because I felt their real mission was to ensure the hungry kid was educated about christianity. Looking at that hungry kid, religion was the least of his worries - he needs food and water - I'm not really concerned about what god he prays to. I kind of got the feeling that the main goal was getting christian converts in the third world - the benefit for joing up was that you got needed food - doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies. As in the South Park meme, a 350-pound Sally Strothers making the case for these kids just smacked you in the face. Either that, or the reality that a % of donations went to feed/support militaries or gets sold on the black market and goes into pockets, at which point that donated food simply crowds out whatever local food production there is by being able to undercut its price. It seems like this has gotten less of a problem with more recent efforts e.g. micro-lending, but no doubt that it still happens. We live in the land of plenty where 60%+ of the population is now overweight or obese (and yet, we've got hunger in our own backyard). We don't need all the food we eat; we could do with shipping it overseas... but why should this be done for free? Another point is our inherent food production failures --- there are a good number of obese kids that are, by definition, undernourished. Should we really be fobbing a foreign carbohydrate/HFCS/junk diet on people? Does that help them? As to the second point, it is now simply called "The Children's Fund." That name-change rubbed me the wrong way tho, as if they need to hide the fact that they're doing this as a tenet of their beliefs. I guess it has to do with perceptions in certain parts of the world and even here, as you give question to. Just seems stupid that they have to change the label and defeat part of the original purpose, which was to show that 'Hey, I'm a Christian and you're a Muslim. That doesn't matter. I want to help you. Accepting that help doesn't mean you need to adopt my beliefs. I just hope that you'll respect them, and don't want/try to kill me just because we believe in different ghost stories religions.' I guess with all the foreign apology tours of the last four years, that this way of conducting oneself in the world just went out vogue. (Sorry, that's the only light political comment I'm going to make.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JÂy RÛßeÒ Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Sam Kinison, as always, had something to say about this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN7ehccspao&feature=player_embedded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Sam Kinison, as always, had something to say about this youtube.com/watch?v=vN7ehccspao&feature=player_embedded Jay,Exiled in Illinois beat you, or you forgot that you posted this with your alter ego yesterday. Maybe desensitization... What do you want to do? Get this moved to PPP. I will reserve comment. youtube.com/watch?v=P0q4o58pKwA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Interesting question. Oddly, it seems that we're more horrified about human misery in the abstract. I can remember being sick to my stomach thinking about the people of Haiti crushed under their buildings. But when it came to watching the actual coverage, I was closer to just...interested. You think it has to do with self-determination? Where animals are totally at the mercy of humans. I posted the Sam Kinison routine. He mentions in his joking that people can pack up and leave. Can they really? Most humans are at the mercy of a lot variables. Jay,Exiled in Illinois beat you, or you forgot that you posted this with your alter ego yesterday. Man... He's just not that quick on the draw... ;-) :-P Showing compassion for suffering animals is one of the most humanly compassionate acts I can think of. But why doesn't the compassion cross-over back towards other humans for some people? Is it really because they are human too and the uncompassionate feel they caused their own fate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JÂy RÛßeÒ Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Jay,Exiled in Illinois beat you, or you forgot that you posted this with your alter ego yesterday. That's what I get for not reading every post in the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 That's what I get for not reading every post in the thread. That is okay... Now I can stay on either page to play it... It is such a great bit! Wasn't Kinison a preacher? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 As to the second point, it is now simply called "The Children's Fund." That name-change rubbed me the wrong way tho, as if they need to hide the fact that they're doing this as a tenet of their beliefs. I hear they are going to rename it again to "The Human Fund". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I hear they are going to rename it again to "The Human Fund". I donate to that charity every Christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I think it has to do with a few factors. 1. We all love our pets and animals and think of them as being completly dependent on us to survive and weaker (even though your pitbull or Rottweiller can probably defend itself better against an abuser then an infant/child, and that your cat or dogs natural instinct is to catch its own food) 2. When you hear or see the kids on the commercials, you know they are from third world areas that are overly populated yet they continue to breed even though they already can't feed whats there. 3. The animal abuse is happening in our own backyard, while the starving children in Africa are on the other side of the planet. 4. You hear more stories about coroption, or that not all the money from your donations go to the starving children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Gordon Gekko: That's the one thing you have to remember about WASPs: they love animals and hate people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I must be extremely unusual, then, because I feel exactly the opposite. It goes a long way towards explaining why y'all think I'm such an !@#$. You are one sick puppy DC. I know you will take that as a complement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 But why doesn't the compassion cross-over back towards other humans for some people? Is it really because they are human too and the uncompassionate feel they caused their own fate? Did I say they're mutually exclusive ? I said "one of" as in there's more than 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 You are one sick puppy DC. I know you will take that as a complement. Because I have sympathy for real people, not abstract tragedies? Yeah, I'm a real sociopath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 It's the music. If they were to put some sad song with the African kids commercials, you'd probably feel the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 It's the music. If they were to put some sad song with the African kids commercials, you'd probably feel the same way. Thats possible, but people do go out and pay good money for her CDs and to see her in concert sing that song.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 It's the music. If they were to put some sad song with the African kids commercials, you'd probably feel the same way. Here's a chance to test that theory: http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/387377/famous-for-2-months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts