Thread: Why Us??

Partly true, I also think the wages are a factor as well. A 50 year old will have a wealth of experience compared to someone straight out of uni, so i'd imagine they'd be commanding a significantly larger salary.

Plus i also think another reason is the rapid pace of technological advancement. I think there is a perception out there (not one that I subscribe to mind you) that older people aren't "With it" and the time and resources to train them in newer technology is too great an expense.

While technology has made our lives significantly easier/better etc it has also eroded the need for human intervention in a lot of things. Look at furniture making as an example, you could argue that today's society in the current economic climate with none to negative wage growth and cost of living expenses asking "Why would i pay an expert craftsman thousands to make me custom furniture when i can get a combination of flat packs from ikea that'll do the job at a fraction of the cost?"

Even houses are going to go down the line of flat pack. I'm actually surprised that the huf haus model hasn't exploded in Australia (probably the regulatory requirements are a nightmare to navigate) but for those not familiar with it, its essentially a prefabricated house that has EVERYTHING pre-assembled or prepped in a factory and assembled on site. Average house takes 2 weeks to assemble apparently (although thats with a German construction team, gotta love that German efficiency!)... That's the world we're moving to unfortunately.

Originally Posted by issatree

I see these Adds on TV for us to donate money to these Overseas People who look after all these Starving Children. I think there are 2 of them.
Now I'm not saying don't, but why us.

Lets get away from the normal diatribe against our own poor and not well off people and get back to the original question why are there so many TV ads to donate money to overseas starving multitude.

Most of them are starving displaced persons because of religious intolerance and power struggles in their own countries by those that couldn't give a damn about individual people.

So they appeal to the western world whose Christian ethics normally care about individuals. Thus we are supposed to fix all the ails in the world whilst their own religious based system of governments don't give a damn.

Interesting that Saudi Arabia, with all its oil based wealth, doesn't help at all to solve these problems.

I personally believe that charity begins at home, so I would prefer it that we all, government included, help our own poor instead of foreign problems.

Peter.

Hi,
I blame it all on decolonization.
But then I am prejudiced.
Regards

Aduke, what an interesting comment. Only yesterday I was talking to an Economist friend (who came over to look at my new work) and he discussed exactly the same thing - Decolonization. An interesting read.

Originally Posted by Dibbers

I'm pretty sure i read somewhere that with all of it's wealth, the Vatican could essentially end world hunger...

I used to work for two (2) vatican influenced/owned/controlled companies, and they were very profitable - you honestly have no idea how wealthy the vatican is.

They would clearly be the largest/valuable land owner in Australia.

Originally Posted by Sturdee

Lets get away from the normal diatribe against our own poor and not well off people and get back to the original question why are there so many TV ads to donate money to overseas starving multitude.

Perhaps because Australians are seen as a soft touch.

There's enough people well enough off to afford to give $10 or more dollars per week to a "deserving" cause.

Likewise, have you noticed the adds for funeral "insurance"? and locally (Canada) I'm seeing adds encouraging the elderly to adjust their wills to leave a substantial amount to "charity"

Originally Posted by ian

Likewise, have you noticed the adds for funeral "insurance"?

Yes, especially during the afternoon TV there is a glut of them from a number of outfits with so called free gifts if you take them out immediately but the actual insurer is the same for all.

Originally Posted by ian

I'm seeing adds encouraging the elderly to adjust their wills to leave a substantial amount to "charity"

Yes, mainly on the daytime radio, especially in favour of the Salvo's.

Peter.

There are many ways of being charitable without lining the nests of the large organizations.
There is nothing nicer than seeing your efforts rewarded first hand, yet nothing more frustrating than seeing good money squandered.
A couple of examples: Upon completing her uni degree, my daughter decided a trip to Africa was in order. She found a local school in an underprivileged area of South Africa, contacted the head and scored a voluntary position as a teacher aid. She felt this better than a full teaching roll as her time was limited. On her arrival she was given the job of assisting the under achievers class teacher. End result; the under achievers out performed the regular class in the end of year exams. The teacher was delighted. The students were delighted and the parents were delighted. My daughter was over the moon.
My uncle's next door neightbour had an argument with his wife and jumped on his motor bike to go and cool off. He hit an electricity pole and was rendered a quadriplegic. The following Christmas my uncle slipped a Christmas card under his door. An unusual thing for my uncle as he didn't believe in Christmas cards or Christmas for that matter. Inside was a cheque for $50K. My uncle would neither confirm nor deny this and always maintained he had no idea where the rumour started. Easy, the guy in the wheelchair, with tears running down his face, told me.
So what say we stop bellyaching about charity and justifying our niggardly attitudes and get on with life the way it was intended?

Rustynail - your daughters story is fantastic. What a truly life altering story. Profoundly so.

In my experience a lot of the poor and homeless in this country is self inflicted with a lot of them having no intention of working. I would rather fund a poor person overseas trying to achieve something by direct means as my link above showed then give the local bludgers anything. I know at least three people who have the no work philosophy, one a family member and they will go to any length to avoid trying to earn a wage.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Rustynail - your daughters story is fantastic. What a truly life altering story. Profoundly so.

Yes, I dont know who got the most out of it...my daughter or the kids.

Originally Posted by rustynail

There are many ways of being charitable without lining the nests of the large organizations.

So what say we stop bellyaching about charity and justifying our niggardly attitudes and get on with life the way it was intended?

Here here

now back to the shed

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

In my experience a lot of the poor and homeless in this country is self inflicted with a lot of them having no intention of working.

...MM

There are many reasons why people have difficulty holding down jobs. Laziness is only one of them.