< for all his cleverness, seems to be devoid of a "moderation" gene.....and that Western man is never in more need of one than when he stands to make a profit from his ingenuity and entrepreneurship>

Well put, Poirot.

Another point I would make apropos recent posts, is that it's all very well to go on about overpopulation but a) it's driven by global economics too, and not just a mania to breed, and b) overconsumption by wealthy nations, despite stable population growth, is every bit as big a problem as overpopulation.
Ethically, it is a much bigger problem!!

Kerryanne's 17 million hungry Americans is an internal example of the gross inequalities that also prevail internationally. These 17 million don't need welfare either, they need a life wherein they can provide for themselves. The system denies people the capacity to be even middling self-sufficient, instead breeding utter dependency in those who, for whatever reason, fail to "prosper" (read accumulate) in the rat race. It's impossible to opt out except by way of beggary, and for a great many it's impossible to surmount the various barriers, tangible and intangible, that block the way.
Meanwhile the fat cats and complacent middle classes look down condescendingly from their imagined heights.

Squeers, there are very few people in the world who would give half of the last of their food to a stranger. This is because such behaviour is not selected for in the rather brutish world of natural selection. If we're in a famine and I give some food to you, we both may die and so neither of us pass on our genes. If I make the hard-nosed decision to do all I can to maximise my own food intake, I may survive and hence pass on my genes.

All the sophistry in the world can't hide the underlying reality - people take care of themselves first, their kids next and everyone else afterwards. This is even more the case in extremis.

What is the point of accumulating wealth if not to insulate oneself from life's worst experiences?

Poirot,

I read this thread from head to toe and what i saw was a few people talking about the best ways to help. Until YOU came along with your anti western rant.

So what I think you are apart from a trouble maker is someone probably from a non western country who lives under the western system and never stops running us down. Now speaking of help tell us what YOU are doing to help these people?

You rave on about others miss high and mighty -

underbelly,

It's endlessly fascinating that when someone points out the West's impact on the third world, people like you toss around epithets like "troublemaker"...I'll wear that with a badge of honour, btw.....

Now, if I may interrupt your semi-regular sweep of OLO chastising people for their opinions - and nice of you to parachute into the thread to take care of moi - but can I inquire as to whether you have anything to offer regarding the original premise of the thread?

You still have not realised what is happening around you !

Poirot,

I already did by asking you what you intended to do about it.
Its a bit hypocritical to go about your having a go at the west and people o this thread without knowing what your doing.
I am waiting for you to answer my question.?