What are the media’s moral obligations in making society aware of extreme poverty in the world?

[Robert_Sock]

ILet me ask you, Robert, how much money would be needed to alleviate extreme poverty?

Perhaps all that is needed is the creation of decent paying jobs and mandatory HS education for children? The building of schools would take government subsidies, as well as the initiative to get things started, but the effort would quickly be rewarded with a stronger economy where everybody is working. Rich nations would need to help the poor nations, but again, just in the short run. As for dictators who refused to go along with the plan, oust them in the name of justice over human rights violations.

 

[Jozefo]

Oh, heavens – no, it definitely isn’t. This is.

Pardon me for disturbing your world view.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Pardon me for disturbing your world view.

It’s reality, and not just somebody’s perspective or perceptions!

 

[Jozefo]

It’s reality, and not just somebody’s perspective or perceptions!

No, it’s world views at stake here. This entire thread is about several ideas that are false: poverty is a crime, that America is immune from third world poverty, and discussing it on a message board will make any difference.

 

[Tradosaurus_Rex]

Many of us have limited incomes… for example, most people probably make around the average income and have children, etc. Many of us do what we easily can, some of us make sacrifices to do a little more, bit most of us have $X and commitments, like children, Y.

You have yourself and your small income, you have time to pray! i have children, who are homeschooled, and other stuff going on–my time is continually interrupted. This is not a time in my life when I can pray a lot. Not much solitude, and silence is even more rare

Rest assured your laboring in raising your children and working for your family is itself, prayer.

It is an “Enlightenment” idea that education will solve all problems. Quite clearly education has little to do with the matter. Very highly educated members of some cultures are unmoved by the poverty of others because their culture tells them the suffering is payback for wrongs committed in previous lives. Very highly educated members of other societies give *only *to members of their own cultures. And so on.

Let me ask you, Robert, how much money would be needed to alleviate extreme poverty?

For example, I once thought about the *billions *of people who are not Catholic, and this seemed so sad, but also too big a problem to solve. Then I realized that, hey! There are a billion Catholics! If each Catholic prayed for the conversion of a mere 5 people, everyone could be converted! and even if only 10% of Catholics did this, it would still be only 50 people each that one would have to pray for (if my math is correct ).

So what would it take to alleviate extreme poverty?

Maybe what you need to do is some research into how much it would take to relieve extreme poverty, starvation, in the world, and toss in a bit extra for vaccinations and the like. Then we’ll have some idea of what we are talking about undertaking.

No, it’s world views at stake here. This entire thread is about several ideas that are false: poverty is a crime, that America is immune from third world poverty, and discussing it on a message board will make any difference.

 

[Robert_Sock]

No, it’s world views at stake here. This entire thread is about several ideas that are false: poverty is a crime, that America is immune from third world poverty, and discussing it on a message board will make any difference.

 

[gracepoole]

I’m sure I don’t do enough, and I’m also sure I’m not the one who says others aren’t doing enough.

I’m afraid this is one of those dodges: “What do *you *do to help? Why should I listen to you?” See ad hominem and/or tu quoque fallacies.

If you make an assertion, you need to be able to back it up. I have necer seen on CAF what you described; I have seen what I described.

No, I don’t. Keep your eyes open and I’m sure you’ll find the same eventually around here.

And for what it’s worth, I am female. “She” was placed in quotation marks earlier because it always feels a bit odd when one is discussed in the third person.

This may touch on the general topic as well, but additionally, I think people can easily feel overwhelmed. There are millions starving ij Africa, and I have $5: a teeny fraction of a cent per starving person. How much will that really help? Why not spend it on coffee? Of course, we Catholics know that the act of giving and sacrificing is additionally meritorious if one is in a state of grace, but few non-Catholics understand that, so they go for the coffee.

But when it comes to a single case of a single person, a regular Joe can see that $5 might make a difference, the difference between 2 or more meals or nothing.

Yes! This is part of the problem, and it’s part of the psychology of giving to which I earlier referred. We may feel overwhelmed by the problem, but God forbid this keeps us from doing anything to combat it. Hopefully we agree there.

Pardon me for disturbing your world view.

Jozefo, I’m just going to be blunt. You’re familiar with American poverty, which certainly adds to the conversation. But your comments reveal naivety regarding third-world poverty, so they are misinformed – and strangely proudly misinformed. Please read more about the regions that I and others have mentioned. You haven’t disturbed my worldview – but it’s extremely clear that yours needs to be dramatically expanded.

 

[Jozefo]

Go on rolling the eyes. If you want to truly alleviate poverty, fix the problem: let people issue their own money.

Money scarcity is the problem, and being coerced into participating in a system that causes scarcity is a crime.

 

[Jozefo]

Jozefo, I’m just going to be blunt. You’re familiar with American poverty, which certainly adds to the conversation. But your comments reveal naivety regarding third-world poverty, so they are misinformed – and strangely proudly misinformed. Please read more about the regions that I and others have mentioned. You haven’t disturbed my worldview – but it’s extremely clear that yours needs to be dramatically expanded.

Oh, I think being misinformed is the rule of the day in this society. What I have to say conflicts with your world view. Please inform yourself. You simply have no idea of the poverty in America. Take some time away from your life, and go looking for third world poverty in America. You’ll find it. Oh, and turn off your tv.

 

[Tradosaurus_Rex]

I’m afraid this is one of those dodges: “What do *you *do to help? Why should I listen to you?” See ad hominem and/or tu quoque fallacies.

You should see “wishful thinking” and “in a perfect world”.

Yes! This is part of the problem, and it’s part of the psychology of giving to which I earlier referred. We may feel overwhelmed by the problem, but God forbid this keeps us from doing anything to combat it. Hopefully we agree there.

I’m sure everyone agrees there, however, others do not agree that we have any power or resources to eradicate extreme poverty completely. No most of the people believe we must help those in extreme poverty BUT that we will always have those in extreme poverty. You may be the person that believes there is some human action that can solve all the worlds problems when in reality it is only divine intervention that could do that.

 

[gracepoole]

You should see “wishful thinking” and “in a perfect world”.

I’m sure everyone agrees there, however, others do not agree that we have any power or resources to eradicate extreme poverty completely. No most of the people believe we must help those in extreme poverty BUT that we will always have those in extreme poverty. You may be the person that believes there is some human action that can solve all the worlds problems when in reality it is only divine intervention that could do that.

You’re allowing paralysis to set in – no one is suggesting that any of us can solve the problem of world poverty. But we can take some kind of action and have some kind of impact. Saving a few lives, I’d wager, is far better than saving none.

 

[gracepoole]

Oh, I think being misinformed is the rule of the day in this society. What I have to say conflicts with your world view. Please inform yourself. You simply have no idea of the poverty in America. Take some time away from your life, and go looking for third world poverty in America. You’ll find it. Oh, and turn off your tv.

I’ve given no indication that I’m naive to American’s poverty plight. I just haven’t provided a snapshot of my personal history as you have. Your “worldview” is seemingly based on inaccuracies. “So is yours!” is probably not the savviest or most persuasive response. I’ve based my comments on what you’ve provided, not what I assume about you. I suggest you do the same if this conversation is to have any merit.

 

[Jozefo]

I’ve given no indication that I’m naive to American’s poverty plight. I just haven’t provided a snapshot of my personal history as you have. Your “worldview” is seemingly based on inaccuracies. “So is yours!” is probably not the savviest or most persuasive response. I’ve based my comments on what you’ve provided, not what I assume about you. I suggest you do the same if this conversation is to have any merit.

I still don’t understand your point, but right now I’m off to work. Bye now.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I still don’t understand your point, but right now I’m off to work. Bye now.

The point is clear, and easy to see! You’re playing the part of a great escape artist by ignoring what is being said to you.

 

[St_Francis]

Perhaps all that is needed is the creation of decent paying jobs and mandatory HS education for children? The building of schools would take government subsidies, as well as the initiative to get things started, but the effort would quickly be rewarded with a stronger economy where everybody is working. Rich nations would need to help the poor nations, but again, just in the short run. As for dictators who refused to go along with the plan, oust them in the name of justice over human rights violations.

Who will “create” those jobs and how will they do it? Where will governments get the money to build, maintain, and staff he schools?

And more importantly, how are people who are *starving *going to go to school and get those jobs?

 

[Robert_Sock]

Who will “create” those jobs and how will they do it? Where will governments get the money to build, maintain, and staff he schools?

I’m certainly not an economics major, but I can assure you that money is relative; governments, such as ours, print it up with a wink of the eye! As the world population grows, so too must the money supply. The goal here is to drastically reduce the huge gap between the filthy rich and those suffering from extreme poverty within a most unfair economic system.

And more importantly, how are people who are *starving *going to go to school and get those jobs?

The jobs would need to be decent paying jobs that allows children to go to school.

 

[Tradosaurus_Rex]

You’re allowing paralysis to set in – no one is suggesting that any of us can solve the problem of world poverty. But we can take some kind of action and have some kind of impact. Saving a few lives, I’d wager, is far better than saving none.

I would say I’m not allowing paralysis to set it but rather reality.

Plus I never said we shouldn’t take action.

 

[Jozefo]

The point is clear, and easy to see! You’re playing the part of a great escape artist by ignoring what is being said to you.

If it were clear and easy to see, I would understand it. Maybe you can explain it. And please don’t say poverty is a crime, because that’s silly. Poverty is the result of other things, but not the cause of anything.

 

[Brendan]

Oh, I think being misinformed is the rule of the day in this society. What I have to say conflicts with your world view. Please inform yourself. You simply have no idea of the poverty in America. Take some time away from your life, and go looking for third world poverty in America. You’ll find it. Oh, and turn off your tv.

I do volunteer work at both an inner city Detroit free clinic (run by the Archdiocese) and in rural Tanzania.

There really isn’t any comparison between the levels of poverty. I have yet to find whole regions of the US where the people live in mudbrick huts with grass roofs, no door, just a sheet, no electricity for miles, and where the water comes from hand dug wells.

Even in the midst of economically depressed Detroit, the homeless and poor can come to a clinic and get access to Doctors and trained medical professionals. In the areas of Tanzania that I work in, health care is more often the first aid kit that the local pastor keeps in his hut.

Where it’s not uncommon to have kids who have so little experience with something as simple as a Jolly Rancher candy that they don’t even know that you have to take the wrapper off it.

There might be isolated cases in the US of people having to live like that, but not whole communities,

Here is a music video from one of my favorite Tanzanian artists. It pretty much sums up what life is like in the villages where I work.

youtube.com/watch?v=36LCcu3xyeM

 

[Jozefo]

I do volunteer work at both an inner city Detroit free clinic (run by the Archdiocese) and in rural Tanzania.

There really isn’t any comparison between the levels of poverty. I have yet to find whole regions of the US where the people live in mudbrick huts with grass roofs, no door, just a sheet, no electricity for miles, and where the water comes from hand dug wells.

Even in the midst of economically depressed Detroit, the homeless and poor can come to a clinic and get access to Doctors and trained medical professionals. In the areas of Tanzania that I work in, health care is more often the first aid kit that the local pastor keeps in his hut.

Where it’s not uncommon to have kids who have so little experience with something as simple as a Jolly Rancher candy that they don’t even know that you have to take the wrapper off it.

There might be isolated cases in the US of people having to live like that, but not whole communities,

Here is a music video from one of my favorite Tanzanian artists. It pretty much sums up what life is like in the villages where I work.

youtube.com/watch?v=36LCcu3xyeM

That’s all well and good, but you’re not being exposed to the same people I’m talking about. I’m talking about people who purposefully avoid outsiders. There is great distrust in some people, which I happen to share to a degree. It’s just the way it is.