I want your honest opinion..

JEK717
JEK717 Posts: 1,497
edited September 25 in Chit-Chat
I want your opinion on helping the poor of other countries. I want to discuss what others think but i do not want others to argue about this. I just like debating things and i figured i am not the only one. So lets have some fun....what do you guys think?

Do you think that we should let the poor countries die off without helping them or should we settle for a little less so that we can help others in need?

Why do you think the way you do?
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Replies

  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    I think it's nice that we help them.

    And we should continue to help them.

    But maybe we should help our own communities a little more,

    then give them our remaining effort.
  • mrmarius
    mrmarius Posts: 1,802 Member
    we should help other countries but we need better focus on the poor in our own country
  • gozdeh
    gozdeh Posts: 59
    I am happy to do with much less so others can live!
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    I would like to help the world,but when does it become time to help our own?
    I volunteer for serveral charitys and there are many children in america starving or living in really really bad conditions.
    If I am able to donate money it goes to charitys here first,but if there is some really big bad that happens like japan or haiti i will donate.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Absolutely we should help others.
  • biggiwig
    biggiwig Posts: 76
    Since there are hungry children right here in the US, I rather concentrate to help here, than helping other countries.
  • babygurl48
    babygurl48 Posts: 1,237 Member
    i think we should help other poor countries but at the same time let's not forget the poor in our own city.county.
  • rachyrach1234
    rachyrach1234 Posts: 160
    i think we need to help the poor communities in our own country first.
  • MakingAChoice
    MakingAChoice Posts: 481 Member
    We should help those that are willing to work toward sustainability be it in our country or others. The ones that just expect a hand out can die off in my opinion. If your not willing to work/fight for a good life, I am not willing to work/fight to support you. That might sound callous, but you wanted honesty.
  • mark62730
    mark62730 Posts: 13
    The purpose of life for all should be to give and help others who are less fortunate. Our world is in such chaos because of selfishness.
  • gozdeh
    gozdeh Posts: 59
    I think the poor in other countries are just as important as poor in our county. Often they need more too.... Dont wanna be argumentative here but this is what i think. :smile:
  • WanderLaura
    WanderLaura Posts: 135
    My viewpoint is that all people deserve to have at least the basic necessities, which, to me, are food, drink, shelter, and education.

    I think we should help as many people as we can, regardless of where they live.

    "Love thy neighbor as thyself." :)

    Pretty much Mother Teresa said it all : "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need."
  • ashleynicoleb
    ashleynicoleb Posts: 376 Member
    As great of a nation as America is, we should absolutely help those countries in need given our resources. However, we must make it a priority to help those struggling in our own country and to make sure we don't overlook the needs of our own people or to neglect our citizens.
  • monicanicoletta
    monicanicoletta Posts: 176 Member
    I absolutely think its a CRIME AND SHAME that there are millions in our own backyard, homeless- starving- in pain- abused- neglected etc and we are so quick to throw millions at other countries before our own. Should we help? Of course- I contribue in any way I can when there is a crisis as I hope other countries would do if we needed support. HOWEVER I think there should be other alternatives/resources to help our own people first & foremost!
  • iamnox
    iamnox Posts: 39
    we should help other countries but we need better focus on the poor in our own country

    I agree, We need to clean up our own yard before we complain or help out with our nieghbors. I am all for helping them and not seeing someone die just because they were born in a place that was poor. However it bothers me because I never get calls on my phone or see the adds on TV to help those in need here in our own country. That and does anyone know of someone that adopted a needy child from our country. Why do we make it so hard to help out those around us? It does not make sense to me.
  • Lizzy_Sunflower
    Lizzy_Sunflower Posts: 1,510 Member
    Heres the thing. I feel like if you look at the Big picture, the world is a small place and we are all brothers and sisters under God, so yeah we should help everywhere we can. On the other hand there is so much suffering and poverty right here in our own country, that yes we should start local.
  • Candyrot89
    Candyrot89 Posts: 25
    Honestly, I think that our country can't be completely free unless the whole world is. We can't have complete peace unless the whole world has peace. We are all one. We are all humans. We feel the same emotions. Think about it like this. If I was a starving child in Africa...witnessing all the blood massacres and an AID Epidemic around me....I would hope and pray everyday that someone or something would help me..help my loved ones. We are lucky to live in a nation where we at least have welfare and goverment help...let it be not totally perfect we still have it. We are lucky we aren't living in a " third world country" where death and starvation are all too common. I mean we still have it here...but we have homeless shelters and ways to get food assistance. There's too much greed and selfishness in this world..in OUR country. Look at all these people that are head of big companies...earning enough money to feed a small country. Yet, they're out there on there yachts and spending money on young girls boob jobs and jewelry. It makes me sick.
  • sarahs440
    sarahs440 Posts: 405
    I would rather help the people of my own country. I have a hard time knowing all the poverty and starving children in the USA arent getting much help, but when there is an earthquake or tsunami, every show you watch and website you go to has a way to donate. Correct me if I'm wrong, because I honestly never looked in to it, but I don't remember getting millions upon millions of dollars from all over the world and from all those celebrities when Katrina hit.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Today in class, we were debating an article written by Garrett Hardin. http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_lifeboat_ethics_case_against_helping_poor.html

    There was much debate on the topic of the World Food Bank that Hardin discusses. One of the guys in my own group decides to pose his thoughts. These thoughts caused much disruption within the class, each of us taking a stand on our side of belief. He decided to state his mind as cruel as it sounds and says, "As mean as this sounds why don’t we just let them die off, and not help them. Then we would have more” In his way of thinking, which i am not saying is wrong, is that the people in American have worked for what they have whereas people of poor countries have not done much to help themselves, after all they have always been poor.

    Should we really let them die off when we are in a position to help them? Are we in a position to help them? Are we more deserving then those in poor countries? Are those people in let us say Africa lazy and ignorant? Are they just not knowledgeable in helping themselves? Do we need more than what we have?

    What do you think? Why do you think the way you do? I find it very interesting to see how others view things, not just to know that they view things different but also to look at WHY they view such things...so state your mind people. Go into detail...what do YOU believe? Here is your chance to speak up :)
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    We should help those that are willing to work toward sustainability be it in our country or others. The ones that just expect a hand out can die off in my opinion. If your not willing to work/fight for a good life, I am not willing to work/fight to support you. That might sound callous, but you wanted honesty.

    Hey what you say is your own stand, i just wanted to know opinions. Dont worry about offending anyone with what you say because after all, it is your own opinion. And quite frankly, you summed up my opinions:) I agree.
  • Queen_Christine
    Queen_Christine Posts: 342 Member
    We should help those that are willing to work toward sustainability be it in our country or others. The ones that just expect a hand out can die off in my opinion. If your not willing to work/fight for a good life, I am not willing to work/fight to support you. That might sound callous, but you wanted honesty.

    I agree completely with this quote by Making A Choice.
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    I don't have a whole lot of money to spare, so I volunteer my time.

    In the summer I volunteer at the zoo. (that's more for me. :)

    Twice a week I volunteer for my church's food shelter.
    Assisting in passing out the food, and making deliveries for people that have no way to pick it up.

    I'm also trying to find a shelter to volunteer in.
    Some in the Detroit area are frightening for someone of my age.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    As great of a nation as America is, we should absolutely help those countries in need given our resources. However, we must make it a priority to help those struggling in our own country and to make sure we don't overlook the needs of our own people or to neglect our citizens.
    Well said:)

    iamnox- "I agree, We need to clean up our own yard before we complain or help out with our nieghbors. I am all for helping them and not seeing someone die just because they were born in a place that was poor. However it bothers me because I never get calls on my phone or see the adds on TV to help those in need here in our own country. That and does anyone know of someone that adopted a needy child from our country. Why do we make it so hard to help out those around us? It does not make sense to me."

    I agree, are we too quick to jump to another's aid when our own are suffering?
  • mfergie889
    mfergie889 Posts: 77
    There is a really good book called Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. One of the things discussed is that many of these third world countries are starving because they have overpopulated and tapped out their resources. He brings up the point that IF this is true, we are actually not doing them a favor by handing them out more food. Instead, if left alone, their populations will be reduced (die off) to what their resources can actually support. Controversial, but definitely an interesting thought.

    I agree with the other posters that we should support our own first...
  • Angela4Health
    Angela4Health Posts: 1,319 Member
    My viewpoint is that all people deserve to have at least the basic necessities, which, to me, are food, drink, shelter, and education.

    I think we should help as many people as we can, regardless of where they live.

    "Love thy neighbor as thyself." :)

    Pretty much Mother Teresa said it all : "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need."
    ^^^THIS!
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
    I think we should help those who need it most, wherever they are. There is a difference between hungry and starving.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Do you think that the people in poor countries have wasted what they have been given or do you think they do not know how to use it?

    Do you believe in the old Foreign Aid policy of handing people food and money or in exporting technology and advice to them like the new policy?
  • gozdeh
    gozdeh Posts: 59
    Do you think that the people in poor countries have wasted what they have been given or do you think they do not know how to use it?

    Do you believe in the old Foreign Aid policy of handing people food and money or in exporting technology and advice to them like the new policy?

    I don't think people in poor countries have wasted the aid they have been given. However when there is a lot of poverty there is also a lot of corruption. Also I think your question was misunderstood as you can see from the answers that were posted
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
    I'm tired of paying for it. Especially when I have no input as to how the money is spent.

    "Let's help them, because they are an Oil Producing country."

    "Let's ignore this atrocity, because we should respect their cultural diversity."

    "Let's help this group in their Civil War, but not this group."

    Who do we think we are?
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Do you think that the people in poor countries have wasted what they have been given or do you think they do not know how to use it?

    Do you believe in the old Foreign Aid policy of handing people food and money or in exporting technology and advice to them like the new policy?

    I don't think people in poor countries have wasted the aid they have been given. However when there is a lot of poverty there is also a lot of corruption. Also I think your question was misunderstood as you can see from the answers that were posted

    Yeah but that is okay. I kind of think everyone thinks i am against helping people..which i am not. I just want some opinons and to get people thinking:noway: ..i just really like this smiley face:)
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