I realize that this is a complicated situation
and some very valid points have been raised.
However, to do nothing is not the answer,
in my opinion. I question the trillions
being spent on war - and the
killing of human beings - when as I stated in
my opening post, if
those resources and that energy was diverted -
we could well wipe out
poverty on this planet.
I remember Derryn Hinch years ago -
questioning the money that was spent in aid
to these poor nations - and he stated that
for every dollar that we send - they receive
less than half of that amount
(I forget the exact sum he mentioned).
However, if we didn't send that dollar
they would get nothing at all.
Certainly - educate them,
certainly teach them - how to survive - but
to ignore starving children -
I'm sorry I for one cannot simply walk
away. And yes, I support World Vision (
as well as Doctors Without Borders).
I've been thinking about supporting a child in Africa -
and it may not be much - but I do intend to do it.

There's also another reason that I raised
the issue of the money we
spend on wars. I came across this website:

http://newmatilda.com/2011/07/29/hidden-cost-war
The Hidden Cost Of War by Terry Friel, 29 July 2011.

It's something you all should read.

plight of indigenous people in an advanced industrial nation like Australia?
Poirot,
the above is a blatant example that throwing money at a people is not working.

below for your info.

Plight; definition
an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad or difficult one
the plight of the poor/homeless
Few of us can be unmoved by the plight of the Romanian orphans.
(Definition of plight noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

individual,

I'm very pleased that you are an "advanced" learner.

Your point was?.........

Your point was?....
Poirot,
my point.

Lexi , as I have been eating a meal or when I rolled into my bed my mind threw vision of the starving millions in the Horn, at which point I gave thanks, and felt a helpless guilt simultaneously.

In a nutshell:

0-5% of the population own 40% of the worlds assets,
8% of the population own 80% of the world’s assets,
Yet the funds for humanitarian and beneficial projects are funded from you and I, the billions that own bugger all. You ask why we can stand on the moon but not build infrastructure to sustain the people given the technology and resources available in this modern world. I ask where is the UN? They are in the business of wealth distribution and equality, yet they follow a program that on the whole delivers some fish but does not teach them how to fish.

the is UN good at putting band aids on but not disaster proofing the future for these second and third world nations? The reason is to be found with the 0-5% that own nearly half the worlds assets and their foul army of leaches that jointly own 80% of all there is on this globe of dust. They want human attrition for their future survival and the survival of those who were born or associated with their gene pool. These handful of people with the ultimate wealth and power are only threatened by one thing,… us, and our draw on THEIR resources, and you can be sure that they THINK in these terms. People power is gone it is about technology and the control of it, we control nothing, but the awareness of "something rotten in Denmark" is spreading in the first world, and conspiracy is looking like fact.

Your heritage gives you an understanding of totalitarians, this lot governing us now are puppets of the 0-5% that OWN, but they do not see it. They have been working towards helping the downtrodden of the world for the past 60 years and the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, what does that suggest?

Poirot,

No No- read it again. It wasn't my idea. I asked if anybody recalled the name of our Australian PM who said it?

It goes way back ad long before what you raised was put into place.

Love the humor btw:)

Lexi, You will get no arguments from me about the world bank. They are imop he most evil corrupt-dont even start me on them.

Hinch said 30 cents in the $ but probably less now. If you really want to send food send food clothes etc in containers.S dont forget to pop some birth control in.

DONT send money.

Mind you we would have to have volunteers to get it out because the Church organizations will walk away if there is no big buck in it for them anymore.No wonder they dont want birth control- endless business out of starving people. If you want the facts I have just given them to you.

If there are enough serious people you can get goods to them. There are also people making huge $ out of sending second hand clothes in containers. We donate - they sell.

Pretty crook the world we live in. You will require at least one high profile person onboard your project otherwise you wont get your containers out through AQIS on into which ever ports your shipping to.

Cheers young Lexi always a pleasure