How Rich Are You?

[A Twig]

But once corruption is in place, it becomes self-reinforcing, and increases the poverty...

[Dingo]

Originally posted by smilodon@Mar 14 2006, 06:45 PM
Corruption is a product of poverty and not the other way round.

[post=117048]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

Interesting concept......but doesn't explain why all the highly paid government officials are the ones who are corrupt, after all, it's hardly the poor siphoning off from the rich, rather the other way around I think you'll find.



......bit like the current Labour Government in truth, so I hope you are all happy now you "new labourers" you!!, we know who you are and when the day of the revolution comes.................





You'll be first in the TAX Line (provided of course we can discover just how many houses you have!! :whistle:  :devil: )

[smilodon]

Corruption thrives in an environment of poverty or political apathy. Poverty is not a consequence of corrupt officials. Global poverty cannot be blamed on corruption. Billions upon billions of pounds of trade that should go to the developing world doesn't end up in the pockeys of a few corrupt officials or local warlords. It ends up in the profits of western run business, and indirectly provides us with the affluent lifestyles we have become acustomed to.

We have a collective responsibility for the state of the world and the degree to which we choose to share its wealth fairly. If we are happy to keep the world as it is, then fine. If we don't like what we see, then we change it. What we shouldn't do is decide we don't like what we are doing, and then in order to shirk our own moral responsibility simply  try to blame it on someone else.

That is called hypocracy

[Gandalf]

Originally posted by smilodon@Mar 16 2006, 12:41 AM

We have a collective responsibility for the state of the world and the degree to which we choose to share its wealth fairly.
That is called hypocracy

[post=117340]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

isn't that called communism?  

[TeaLeaf]

Originally posted by smilodon+Mar 16 2006, 01:41 AM-->

QUOTE(smilodon @ Mar 16 2006, 01:41 AM)

Global poverty cannot be blamed on corruption. [/b]

Neither is corruption the product of poverty as you stated earlier.  Otherwise rich countries would not be corrupt.  Corruption is the product of greed.

[noevra]

DID YOU
KNOW...?

Microsoft CEO Bill Gates has more wealth than the bottom 45 percent of American households combined.

mebey bill gates should give more money away  :blush: i couldnt look at my self in the the miror if i know that.

[Thulsa Doom]

Originally posted by noevra@Mar 16 2006, 10:45 AM
mebey bill gates should give more money away :blush: i couldnt look at my self in the the miror if i know that.

[post=117379]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

Bill Gates apparently already gives a bucket load of money away and runs a Foundation with his wifey.  Still has loads of change left over though.

[Blunt]

[Gandalf]

[suicidal_monkey]

I was getting tired of this thread ... then you two come along :roflmao:

[smilodon]

Originally posted by Gandalf-LordOfJelly+Mar 16 2006, 09:03 AM-->

QUOTE(Gandalf-LordOfJelly @ Mar 16 2006, 09:03 AM)

isn't that called communism?

[post=117360]Quoted post[/post]

[/b][/I]

Nope I don't think you can. Communism would be a forced mechanism that decided what people would own based on some sort of set of fixed rules. And the rules would be fixed by those with power. Which is exactly what happens now. A free global society would be one that allowed for unrestricted trade across the world. Where artificial tarriffs and trade barriers were removed and where a person could make as much or as little money as the free market would allow. What we have now is far closer to communism that an open global market.

Originally posted by TeaLeaf@Mar 16 2006, 09:53 AM
Neither is corruption the product of poverty as you stated earlier. Otherwise rich countries would not be corrupt. Corruption is the product of greed.
TL.

[post=117366]Quoted post[/post]

[/B][/quote

[A Twig]

We've already battered the World Poverty haddock to death in previous Seriously Though posts.

Everyone is pretty much aware of everyone's respective viewpoints on the issue, so indeed, this seemingly isn't a serious debate, proved by the lack of length in the posts. More just people commenting on a piece of Charity propaganda methinks. (Which is essentially what the website in the first post is.) So there we go...

[TeaLeaf]

Originally posted by smilodon@Mar 16 2006, 12:16 PM
But poverty is a catalyst for corruption.

You could equally argue that corruption is a catalyst for poverty.  By definition there has to be a loser.  QED.

And yep, it probably should be over in Seriously.......thread transferred

TL.

[Blunt]

Originally posted by TeaLeaf@Mar 16 2006, 02:51 PM
You could equally argue that corruption is a catalyst for poverty. By definition there has to be a loser. QED.

And yep, it probably should be over in Seriously.......thread transferred

TL.

[post=117441]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

It did start off a bit banterish I thought

[smilodon]

Threads change as they go I guess.

And the word propoganda is interesting. I saw the web site more as an illustration of the huge difference in levels of wealth in the world. Kind of made me think again when I moaned how hard up I felt. If it is propoganda. then is that a technique charities should not use? Is an attempt to make us feel guilty a fair method for raising money, awareness etc. ?

In the past we have been encouraged to feel good about ourselves if we gave to charity. A quarter of a million people died in the Tsumani of 2004 and we happily gave millions, because it wasn't our fault those people died and we felt good about helping the survivors.

But now charitable organisations are highlighting the fact that they believe, rightly or wrongly, that it is us who are primarily responsible for the deaths of a quarter of a million people a week, every week. Now we are being asked to do something not because we want to but because we are morally obligated to. I think it doesn't feel so good to undo damage we have been accused of causing ourselves. Seems altruism is a greater mover of people to do something noble and good than guilt is?