what silly things did you do for comic relief today?

[stfcinbmth]

My point is I can't understand why people have this strange hierarchy of those deserving charity, based on how close they live to them, or how much like them culturally they are. I just don't get it. How is someone I don't know and are unlikely to meet in Glasgow or Newcastle, or even just up the road in Rotherham, more deserving of my money than someone else I don't know in somewhere like the Sudan? I don't get it?

Throw into the mix that the people in Rotherham have access to free education, healthcare, and a welfare state to feed them and house them, where those in the Sudan might not have the means to feed their children and it's bordering on being a fucking bizarre way of thinking.

Guess I'm fucking bizarre then. Perhaps I should just keep anything I do have spare in my pocket then rather than donating to something like this

http://thetownend.com/index.php/topic,41904.0.html

[Lumps]

Fair enough. I just couldn't originally see your point through all the sarcasm.

FWIW, I actually agree with you.

Now I feel dirty for agreeing with Lumps. Eurgh.

Obviously I'm now convinced I must have got this wrong. I felt the same last night when for a brief second I caught myself nodding at something Kelvin McKenzie said on Question Time. Mind you I think he was basically calling Baroness Warsi a thick bitch so it was difficult to disagree.

[Lumps]

Guess I'm fucking bizarre then. Perhaps I should just keep anything I do have spare in my pocket then rather than donating to something like this

http://thetownend.com/index.php/topic,41904.0.html

Fair enough I like a man with the confidence to say that they don't really give a shit if kids starve.

[stfcinbmth]

Fair enough I like a man with the confidence to say that they don't really give a shit if kids starve.

I can't really recall ever saying that, only that I prefer to give to UK based charities. Twist it how you like

[yeo]

 

I can't really recall ever saying that, only that I prefer to give to UK based charities. Twist it how you like

and only those from Midsomer...

[Batch]

and only those from Midsomer...

Nick Griffin, is that you?!

[oxford_fan]

My point is I can't understand why people have this strange hierarchy of those deserving charity, based on how close they live to them, or how much like them culturally they are. I just don't get it. How is someone I don't know and are unlikely to meet in Glasgow or Newcastle, or even just up the road in Rotherham, more deserving of my money than someone else I don't know in somewhere like the Sudan? I don't get it?

Throw into the mix that the people in Rotherham have access to free education, healthcare, and a welfare state to feed them and house them, where those in the Sudan might not have the means to feed their children and it's bordering on being a fucking bizarre way of thinking.

Exactly.

It's also a complete misconception that all of your money goes abroad, a significant proportion goes to British charities but like you say Lumps, it is prioritised. And the whole dumb, superficial fundraising part is not a reflection on how wisely the money is distributed - Davina McCall doesn't also choose the charities believe it or not.

[leefer]

So Lumps and Oxford....you obviously feel strongly about it.

What have you done....donated?...sponsored a child?....gone to Africa and actually tried to help?

If someone feels he would rather give to the lifeboats or the Prospect hospice in Wroughton(as i do) thats there perogative..

There are millions dying in Africa,....all over Asia....kids live on the streets and are regularly beat and killed in South America....15000 people have just died in Japan....there was a tragic earthquake in New Zealand...i could go on and on,there all worthy causes.

Just because some people prefer to give to causes closer to home dosn't make them inferior.

[tans]

Good post leefer.

[Samdy Gray]

Just because some people prefer to give to causes closer to home dosn't make them inferior.

I don't think that was implied to be fair to Lumps and OF.

What is clear is that the amount of money donated to charity each year by hard working every day people such as ourselves, no matter how it is allocated, is enough to cure every single problem in the world.

It's clear that people have associations with different charities (national and international) for many different reasons, be that for personal, family or moral reasons. Like you say leefer, that's everyone's own prerogative.

[tans]

Fuck off rio ferdinand.

"im from the same place as these kids"

Err no, youre from peckham mate, not kenya

Prick

[Crispy]

I'd be much more interested if all the money was put to good use in this country

 

[axs]

Tans, it was sarcasm.

[axs]

Yeah, because complete strangers lucky enough to have been born this side of an entirely arbitary border in closer proximity to where you live are obviously going to be much more in need and deserving those other complete strangers that live a bit further away aren't they. Some of those fuckers are a different colour and can't even speak English for chrissake!

Agree with all of that.

[flammableBen]

Yeah. As normal when I was about to post a load of angry badly written tripe, Lumps comes up trumps and puts it a lot better.

I can get a bit evilly cynical about comic relief sometimes, but I don't really mean it. If anything, people should be made aware of the benefits that a little bit of worldwide wealth distribution can accomplish more often. The tiny amounts of money it takes to massively increase the poorest people's quality of life is astonishing - both in the UK and around the world.