Blog Action Day
Today is Blog Action Day, an annual event with the aim of uniting bloggers, podcasters and videocasters all over the world to get everyone talking about the same issue.
This year’s theme – Poverty – is one we’ve touched upon before, not least in discussing Crisis, the charity for the homeless, which has David as its vice president.
We’ve talked about the environment and the banking crisis recently, as well as Live 8. They’re all connected to this all-encompassing issue of poverty, an issue we could see solved.
However, although the eight wealthiest nations promised, in 2001, to halve world poverty by 2015, targets are not being met. Some three billion people are still, in the year 2008, living on less than $2.50 a day.
I’d like to hear your reaction to this, about any thoughts you may have, experiences you can share, and especially tips on how everyone can play their small part in spreading wealth around; most crucially, directing it to where it’s most desperately needed.
Send in links to campaigns, petitions, photos, poems, even list your favourite poverty-related songs, books or films… Whatever it is, send it in.
Everyone is missing the point here.
I am NOT against everyone on this planet having the same or nearly the same access to the lifestyle we enjoy…Not against China and India having it. My point is it just isn’t possible….and don’t tell me that, well, if we lower our lifestyle and raise theirs..somewhere in the twain we will meet…this is nonsense.
And don’t insult them by saying we will give you the basics, be happy with that.
The reality is that there will always always be poverty and it will go up not down despite all efforts because of declining world resources. This is not an issue where throwing money at it will solve anything.
The bottom line is too many people are living on this earth…
Cheers, Howard
[We'd have to lower our lifestyle a hell of a lot before it would meet theirs as things stand. It would involve using the expensive military equipment that we place so much importance in to get that true 'barren wasteland' effect, for starters (although that's money well-spent, so I'm sure no one will mind if we make use of it). I feel we should be happy to lower it and make simple sacrifices if that's the only way that every man, woman and child on the planet, wherever fate dictated they be born, has access to clean water and basic medicine. That is not asking a lot of anyone who has more than they need. It is achievable. Oh, and resources decline because the rich consume far more than they should. - FEd]
Funny how I get wound up sometimes.
This would be a lively discussion in a pub somewhere over a pint. But remember, you need people like me and Howard to stir things up a bit. Otherwise you all would be sitting there just nodding your heads and getting soused.
Thanks.
Andrew
[Damn right. (There's still too much nodding, don't you think?) - FEd]
Johnnie, keep ‘em coming. You chose a wonderful instrument and want to share it. Good for you!
Now, bring it here, I’m in Canada.
Well, as one of the hated Americans, I will still keep trying to do my bit towards making my corner of the world better.
I am retired on limited income. I appreciate all I have and try to share where I can. Evenings, coming home from work we used to pass homeless. Even in Minnesota winters. They station themselves at the top of exit ramp stop lights.
I saw a very dejected woman once. I bagged up clothes, food and some cash to take to her. I heard from police that these are druggies looking to score easy cash. Made me feel like a fool, but does not stop me from trying to do something to help. Either with poor, homeless, starving, or the environment. Not to make myself feel good, but because it is the right thing to do.
My friends give all they can. None of us is rich, but comparatively speaking we are. So we give in thanks of this.
We are not ALL wasters and abusers of resources.
P.S. Damian, America belonged to the Indians.
Jan
[Great post, Jan. - FEd]
Oh no, it’s me again. Just thought I would make the most of this topic.
Half a trillion pounds, that’s a shit load of money the British government has offered British banks to keep the greedy pigs fed. That’s more than the USA has given, and where the hell has all that money suddenly appeared from, like out of thin air? It beggars belief and that’s besides what they have already pumped into the world banking system.
The older I get the more I realise we are all little pawns. We can sit there and watch our own people kill themselves with drugs and ruin the life of others with the crimes they commit to feed their habit, children here in the UK and the world grow up in abstract poverty, homeless people we walk by on the streets, parts of towns and cities no-go areas, people earning a shit wage in a shit job. I thought we put up with this because there is only so much money.
I’m just blown away by that amount – half a trillion pounds – and we give it to tw*ts who balls up in the 1st place.
Damian
[Hear, hear. The rich look after their own and we wonder why things don't change. - FEd]
Hi FEd,
The Live in Gdansk show will be on VH1 Classic tonight (from 8pm to 10pm).
They will be having repeats next week.
[They're all on the calendar, Bev, but thanks for giving me an excuse to mention it again. - FEd]
This topic has legs!
I’m with F’ed … the most important thing is to separate absolute need from the desire for more.
We can say with absolute certainty that we can never solve the fact that some people are rich – even obscenely rich – whilst others have little.
But I think it is possible – the UN seems to think so – that we can eliminate absolute degradation.
I’m actually very encouraged about that aspiration of achieving 0.7% GDP could make a real difference … and that some of our Nordic friend are already there … and some of our E.U. friends are planning on it … that really looks achievable.
It doesn’t mean the World will be perfect but then maybe we can find the next 0.7% and the next – and address good governance while we are there.
Our Governments should be more aggressive. We are at our most resourceful when we HAVE to act … set clear, aggressive, worthwhile targets and we will adapt.
Jan reminds us that we shouldn’t simply slam America and certainly not Americans … how could we hate a nation that gave us the Muppets and Bob Dylan!
However we can see that the route America has taken is not a template for sustainability.
When I look at America I am reminded that it has many corners that look “Third World” by comparison to Western Europe where the benefits of wealth have generally been better shared by all, with more progressive welfare states, more emphasis on wealth redistribution and higher taxes.
Unsurprisingly, when you start off trying to get a fair deal for all in your own country, you naturally apply some of that thinking to the wider World … or at least I’d like to think so.
[It's amazing how they found enough - money and bottle - to bail-out the banks when they needed to act, isn't it? 0.7% GDP doesn't seem like such a hard target. - FEd]
I’d echo comments about this topic as well.
Sometimes we see some bollocks talked here. Occasionally it isn’t even me!
But the standard of debate and contribution has been high throughout.
And Johnnie, don’t feel bad mate, this is a music blog and we like Strats also. The main thing is you weren’t complaining about the price!
[Yes, thank God for that. - FEd]
My brain is on fire over this one Fed…Well done to bring it up!!
Sorry to sound so down on this one but I am of the school of thought that human beings have brought very little joy to this planet. And we are always so concerned about our own navels…forgetting about every other living thing here. Look at all the extinct species of animals, birds and other wonderful creatures, gone forever with so many others on the cusp of disappearing.
We have a lot to answer for at the day of reckoning (..no biblical meaning here…don’t want to start a discussion about that..we really would be here all night, LMAO).
Cheers, Howard
[We'd be here all bloody weekend, Howard! (By the way, I agree with every word you said in this one and thank you - and Andrew, especially - for adding so much to this topic.) - FEd]
RE: JAN, USA OWNED BY THE NATIVE AMERICANS
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU THERE JAN, BUT YOU STILL HAVE A COWBOY IN CHARGE.
IT WAS A BIT OF BRITISH HUMOUR TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD OFF A BIT OF HOSTILITY BEING THROWN AT THE USA. WAS NOT MEANT TO BE SERIOUS.
Damian
..erm, what Tim said.
Personally I don’t have a problem with people being rich (I ain’t one of them, but what the hell). I’d just like to live in a world where people don’t starve to death and worse still don’t have to watch their children starve to death. It’s not a lot to ask, is it?
[Should we break into John Lennon's 'Imagine' at this point, or Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On'? - FEd]
John Lennon every time!
PS. The ‘B’ side ‘Working Class Hero’ is even better!
[I am rather fond of that one. "As soon as you're born, they make you feel small by giving you no time instead of it all..." (You do know that I'm going to be listening to John Lennon all weekend now, don't you?) - FEd]
John Lennon for me too.
Thank you all for your comments and for generating some healthy discussion.
The Blog will be back on Monday. Until then, here are some beautiful words to close this topic.
“Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for the day
Imagine there’s no country
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you will join us
And the world will live as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed, no hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you will join us
And the world will live as one”
- John Lennon, ‘Imagine’