To all you people selling donations

[Nova Bacia]

For a while I have been compelled to make this speech, so here goes.

Did you know that:

Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day.

20% of the population in the developed nations, consume 86% of the world’s goods.

A few hundred millionaires now own as much wealth as the world’s poorest 2.5 billion people.

“The combined wealth of the world’s 200 richest people hit $1 trillion in 1999; the combined incomes of the 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $146 billion.â€

According to UNICEF, 30,000 children die each day due to poverty.

Consider the global priorities in spending in 1998 Global Priority ($U.S. Billions)

Cosmetics in the United States: 8

Ice cream in Europe: 11

Perfumes in Europe and the United States: 12

Pet foods in Europe and the United States: 17

Business entertainment in Japan: 35

Cigarettes in Europe: 50

Alcoholic drinks in Europe: 105

Narcotics drugs in the world: 400

Military spending in the world: 780

And compare that to what was estimated as additional costs to achieve universal access to basic social services in all developing countries:

Global Priority ($U.S. Billions)

Basic education for all: 6

Water and sanitation for all: 9

Reproductive health for all women: 12

Basic health and nutrition: 13

Ok the stats might be a bit old but they are still relevant to today. If you are thinking of making a donation to CN, just think how that money could be used elsewhere, for a greater need. Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with giving to CN, it needs our support, but maybe if you donate a lot of money to CN, maybe donate $20 of that to charity, and change real people's lives, rather than your CN nation population's lives. If everyone in CN donated $20 to charity, that would make $614,460. And if you don't give to CN then you can still make a difference (I know its cheesy but its true) and change someone's life forever with whatever money you have to give.

Thanks for reading

[Rozalia]

What is this? Advertising!

I won't lie to you, while I feel sorry for the people there, I'd rather improve my lifestyle then theirs.

Don't take offence, I'm just stingy.

[atotalstrangerobr]

So, how far should I extend this? Should I not buy any video games? What about board games? DVDs? What entertainment is it alright for me to spend my money on rather than send that money to a poverty stricken family/country?

Should I stop going out to eat? Instead of spending $80 on a dinner at a restaurant for me and my fiancee, should I eat ramen noodles and mac and cheese every day? I mean, if I really stretched it, I could probably subsist on less than $20 bucks a week.

Should I spend as little as possible, and send the rest to poor people? How much of money is it alright for me to spend on non-necessities? How much of the money I've earned am I allowed to spend on myself?

[Telchar]

Life is unfair. Some people have to suffer so we can play CN and enjoy all the luxury money can buy.

Such is life.

[TheDave]

So, how far should I extend this? Should I not buy any video games? What about board games? DVDs? What entertainment is it alright for me to spend my money on rather than send that money to a poverty stricken family/country?

Of course you shouldn't buy DVD's. You shouldn't have the DVD player to begin with because you gave the money away remember

Edited September 26, 2007 by TheDave

[Nova Bacia]

What is this? Advertising!

I won't lie to you, while I feel sorry for the people there, I'd rather improve my lifestyle then theirs.

Don't take offence, I'm just stingy.

First of all, this is not advertising, i'm only in high school.

Secondly, what is feeling sorry for the people out there going to do. is feeling sorry for them going to stop them dying of hunger?

So, how far should I extend this? Should I not buy any video games? What about board games? DVDs? What entertainment is it alright for me to spend my money on rather than send that money to a poverty stricken family/country?

Should I stop going out to eat? Instead of spending $80 on a dinner at a restaurant for me and my fiancee, should I eat ramen noodles and mac and cheese every day? I mean, if I really stretched it, I could probably subsist on less than $20 bucks a week.

Should I spend as little as possible, and send the rest to poor people? How much of money is it alright for me to spend on non-necessities? How much of the money I've earned am I allowed to spend on myself?

Is this a serious post? I'm not saying you should sacrifice your own lifestyle, i'm saying that maybe now and again, you could give a small amount of money to a needier cause. I'm not saying you should go over the top and change your life, just help change someone elses.

Life is unfair. Some people have to suffer so we can play CN and enjoy all the luxury money can buy.

Such is life.

What sort of attitude is that? Its as if you've decided that playing CN is more important than real people. CN is an internet game. People don't have to suffer so you can play an internet game, thats stupid.

Oh yeah this probably should go in the water cooler area or something

Edited September 26, 2007 by Nova Bacia

[Emperor Mccole]

eh, 3id rather have the 200 infra.

[abaddonis]

First of all, this is not advertising, i'm only in high school.

Secondly, what is feeling sorry for the people out there going to do. is feeling sorry for them going to stop them dying of hunger?

Is this a serious post? I'm not saying you should sacrifice your own lifestyle, i'm saying that maybe now and again, you could give a small amount of money to a needier cause. I'm not saying you should go over the top and change your life, just help change someone elses.

Oh yeah this probably should go in the water cooler area or something

I'd like to know what you do to support your own cause.

[Nova Bacia]

I'd like to know what you do to support your own cause.

I give £2 ($4) a month to sponser a child, so they can get a good education and do something in their life.

[Rozalia]

I give £2 ($4) a month to sponser a child, so they can get a good education and do something in their life.

You know that the government steal all that money right?

[TheDave]

What sort of attitude is that? Its as if you've decided that playing CN is more important than real people. CN is an internet game. People don't have to suffer so you can play an internet game, thats stupid.

Oh yeah this probably should go in the water cooler area or something

Sell your PC and give the proceeds to charity. Sell you console games, TV, DVD, Designer clothes....

Sell it all and give the money away

[Caesar_101]

oh please...i can't stand people who use guilt-trips. its freaking despicable.

honestly, we haven't done anything to cause their blight, its their own fault(well, their parents fault for having them).

[zzzptm]

No, he's right. I sent a $20 donation so China could get more infrastructure and they sent me $75 million REAL dollars! And now traffic in Shanghai just cleared up!

I'm sending another $20 donation to Brazil. They're gonna gove me $71 million for it.

The only catch is that the payments are keeping all my real-life aid slots full for the next year...

[thatguybil]

First of all, this is not advertising, i'm only in high school.

This explains it.

Ever wonder why the area's that have the most problems are the areas that recieve the most aid, highest NGO involvement, ect?

People starve because of systemic problems in the country they live in. These countries are often "run" in such a terrible way that famine, war, and displacement are inevitable. While donating to UNICEF and other NGO seems like a good idea and might make you feel better it does nothing to fix the systemic problem that is causing the famine/war/displacement in the first place. In fact it actual can prolong suffering because of decreasing the anger the people otherwise would direct at the corupt "government".

If one desires an analogy one can be drawn, I'llbeit a poor one to a homeless person. Sure giving him/her a couple bucks for some food is nice, it won't help him in the long run. Giving them free room and board at a shelter will keep her from freezing to death and keep the city looking nicer, but will do nothing for the actual homeless person. One has to adress the REASON why the person homeless to actual impact what really maters. (typically its a mental health issue or a dependency issue)

Anywho. Feel free to do what you will with your money, but as always realize that projecting your own morality on some one else microeconomic decisions is problematic at best, foolhardy at the worse.

[Rozalia]

This explains it.

Ever wonder why the area's that have the most problems are the areas that recieve the most aid, highest NGO involvement, ect?

People starve because of systemic problems in the country they live in. These countries are often "run" in such a terrible way that famine, war, and displacement are inevitable. While donating to UNICEF and other NGO seems like a good idea and might make you feel better it does nothing to fix the systemic problem that is causing the famine/war/displacement in the first place. In fact it actual can prolong suffering because of decreasing the anger the people otherwise would direct at the corupt "government".

If one desires an analogy one can be drawn, I'llbeit a poor one to a homeless person. Sure giving him/her a couple bucks for some food is nice, it won't help him in the long run. Giving them free room and board at a shelter will keep her from freezing to death and keep the city looking nicer, but will do nothing for the actual homeless person. One has to adress the REASON why the person homeless to actual impact what really maters. (typically its a mental health issue or a dependency issue)

Anywho. Feel free to do what you will with your money, but as always realize that projecting your own morality on some one else microeconomic decisions is problematic at best, foolhardy at the worse.

Also, blame the dictators.

[Bart23]

The problem in these countrys (africa mostly) is that they have waaaay to many children.

How can you expect to support 9 children in an area that is dirt poor.

Sending money wil give them food temporarily so they wil have more children.

Not realising they have to be able to feed them every single day until they become adults.

These people need to realize that they have to do things for themselves.

Back in the day when we had it tough noone just threw money and food at us.

This is why we developed on our own and became prepaired for every possible future event.

This is the reason why i don't like being forced to send so much money there.

You talk about your 2-4 bux a month to help.

But you don't know the goverment is already taking bilions yearly to send there without your consent.

There is only 1 real solution to make the african economys healthy again.

Send leaders from Europe and America there.

Because frankly, the local leaders are hopeless at running theyr nations...

[Fonzoland]

If someone wants to give money to charity, it will happen. Fortunately, it is none of your business when/how/if they do it. It would be ridiculous of me to lecture you for saving just one £2 child instead of a £10 family. Likewise, keep your nose out of my budget decisions please.

Also, I agree that this is the wrong forum.

Edited September 27, 2007 by Fonzoland

[TheDave]

There is only 1 real solution to make the african economys healthy again.

Send leaders from Europe and America there.

Because frankly, the local leaders are hopeless at running theyr nations...

Yeah, European colonisation and rule of Africa worked very well in the past

[Rozalia]

Yeah, European colonisation and rule of Africa worked very well in the past

Quite well actually. We're pretty rich thanks to them.

[wazcaster]

Most of the problems of Africa are caused by hopeless governments. Look at zimbabwe. 13,000% inflation, 90% unemployment and an economy that exists alomst entirely through the black market.

Come on, lets get real, what is sending $20 to some impoverished nation actually going to do. Depending on what nation you send it to, its either going to pay for a few rounds of ammunition or go to the government's bank account.

[Näktergal]

1) You actually have no idea whether or not some of the people here already give to charities they believe in. As hard as it may be to believe, not everyone who donates is going to gloat about it. It's entirely possible that some of the people who donate to CN also donate to causes they believe in.

2) Contrary to what Sally Struthers tells us, sending a few dollars to impoverished nations will not help them to live happy and healthy lives in the long-term, because the problem isn't simply lack of funds, but systemic flaws in their governmental and economic situation. It's been estimated that more than half (at the very least) the aid sent to various groups in Africa never actually gets to the people. Understandably, this discourages many people from donating anything in the first place.

3) Many charities are so inefficient, a fair share of the money you donate winds up going to support the charity's own system, employees, and operations. There are some charities out there that will absorb as much as 80% of what they take in. Understandably, this also discourages many people from donating anything in the first place.

4) Aside from donations made to CN, the very electricity we're using right now to go online and play as well as the Internet connection we're paying for to get here costs money that we could easily donate to charities. Where do you draw the line? As others have suggested, money donated to CN can be compared to other entertainment expenses, which hardly makes it as frivilous as it seems as first. The sheer fact that you're able to post this at all implies you're no better than the people you're effectively criticizing.

[zzzptm]

Those nations didn't mismanage themselves on their own. Most are offered massive loans to build infrastructure projects. Those infra projects fail to produce the massive growth projected for them, so the nation repays the loans by renegotiating them and providing "special access" to its resources, be it giving a base to the US or really lowball rates on a natural resource, particularly oil. The lenders and leaders of the nations benefit from the deal, but grinding poverty is the reward for the poor of that nation.

Forgiving the loans does nothing for some of these rascals: after Bono got the G8 to forgive debt to African nations, many of them went out and racked up massive loans to buy brand new guns for their security forces to bolster their corrupt, pro-US regimes.

Aid that goes to NGOs for specific purposes, such as famine prevention and disease prevention, however, can be very beneficial to the recipients, as that aid will bypass possibly corrupt/always inefficient governmental channels and get upwards of 90% of the donation to the people in need. It behooves one to check out one's NGO before donating, but there are many that do a great job at aiding the poor of the world. Any little bit can help them and the solution to world poverty is not in sitting in judgment over the poor, but deciding compassion truly is the answer.

[Jacob the Malignant]

I care about poor people...but it's not really my problem, is it?

Besides, I'd rather get free money, tech, land, and infra

[Aqua Man]

Good to have your beliefs and act on them. I certainly cannot object to you donating your $$$ to poor children instead of a game, who could?

If your purpose was to interest other people who may not have thought of it into doing the same even more power to you. If your purpose was to guilt other people into spending THEIR money the way YOU want them to, then you lose me there.

[htl2001]

and I could better spend my time finding a cure for cancer.

Seriously, let people spend their time and money how they like.

Also, just in my personal opinion, by sending money we are perpetuating the problem - as heartless as it sounds, if we send money to support the current population and don't get them to be self-sufficient, they will only need even more money to support themselves in the future (and the death tolls will be higher)

sort of like the "give a man fire" quote

P.S. sorry if someone has said this already, I didn't read every post

Edited September 28, 2007 by htl2001