well done to everybody for your excellent work.

Imagine - Google Earth as a force for good!

Wow... sucks to be them.

Here's a thought. The next time you think about donating money to some 3rd world country to help them with their problems, why don't you stop looking the other way when that homelss man or woman comes up to you on the street asking for change? Give them a dollar or two. Help them to eat, take them home and give them a shower and a warm bed to sleep in if even for one night. Help your fellow American first. We need help too.

Before trying to be the foreign saviour. try being the domestic guard.

I don't mean to sound cold-hearted (let the flames begin), but how about trying to fix what's broken in your own home first before buying your neighbor tools to fix his?

I know, I know... help thy neighbor and all that crap. Well, your neighbors in this country need help first. Those countries don't care about their people or they wouldn't let that happen. They are so currupt that a few dollars makes them look the other way. They are indifferent as to what happens in their own country, so why should we care?

Wow... Come to think of it, that sounds a lot like us.

Help Darfur... Help Somalia... Help Iraq... Help this, help that... HELP US! Feed the friggin' homeless here in this country!

Bush spent over $300 Billion dollars over in Iraq. $300 BILLION! Do you know what that money could have done for our own people? Almost 1 million Americans are homeless. 11 million other Americans are at risk of becomming homeless. That $300 billion divided amongst those 1 million homeless would give them a fresh start. Used wisely, that money could get those 11 million other Americans back on their feet.

I'm sorry those people lost their grass huts and perhaps a goat or two. Really, I am. But as I see that old woman living in a cardboard box and sleeping in the rain I have to wonder... Who is that money really going to help?

Do you realize that for every dollar you donate to one of those so-called Relief Efforts, barely .002 cents is actually spent relieving those who need it? Yet, that dollar would almost buy a meal for the homeless guy on the corner.


Sorry for the long rant. It just erks me when I see everyone rushing to give aid to others when we so badly need it ourselves.

Hi MrProfessor,

I find your post and your attitude distasteful in the extreme. Distressing even.

I don't want to get into an argument, so I won't even attempt to address your individual points one-by-one. I'll just leave it to people to draw their own conclusions.

Suffice it for me to ask why the two should be mutually exclusive? I am quite confident that many people who feel motivated to support their fellow human beings will do so without reference to national borders. Who says anybody "looks the other way"?

(Please note that the above question was rhetorical!! I am really not interested in any further elaboration of your thoughts on Darfur, thanks. If you really believe these people have only lost a hut and a goat and anyway brought it upon themselves then I feel sorry for you.)

well said heamit

Hi MrProf

I also dont want to argue anything but there are three points to express that anyone would agree or not.

- $300 Billion dollars is not something more than the US companies are earning from the countries that you imply.

- As to the statement "Give them a dollar or two. Help them to eat...", this behavior is the worst thing done by the helpers. This approach itself is the reason to the facts you complain. People need ways to earn the tools to build up their own lives; ie, giving them dollar doesnt help but further worsens the situation. In other words, your words are deflecting the realities.

- As GEC members, mods, and admins, we'd like the have more constructive criticisms and ideas in this Current Events forum, not discriminating approaches.

Thanks for your contribution and staying at the line where a post could be removed.

dear mods! feel free removing this anger-speech, i could not resist to launch! hope, Prof will catch it!

hi prof...

very nice to be a patriot, but...
...before you'd say a word about countries do not take care of their people, you'd better take a glance at
what are you doing among the folks of the globe first!

to tell the truth, i do not really give a sh!t you take care of my country or not -we have our own problems even without it-,
however would like ask some things:

try not to spill the water all day,
try not to let the lights turned on all day,
try to build smaller cars,
try to make less wars,
and at last -for the godness sake- try to sign that cursed Kyoto Protocol!

do not be ashamed remove your shameful post!
if mods will not remove mine, than i will in this case.

God Bless Poor America!

g

On a more general note, it's again clear that the majority of the world is simply not interested in Africa.

The original post is about one year old. Darfur is still a hot topic. Even the UN isn't capable/willing to stand firm (send off of Mr. Jan Pronk, special envoy to Annan). And, remember Somalia, Rwanda, Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone... we can go on.

I'm not saying all these conflicts are caused by the West, but I certainly don't get the impression that they're working hard to solve them. It seems that when there's no gain the west says "no game".

That's what's really sad in this world, not the one individual who thinks Africa is less important than his "next-door neighbour".

In a message of 03/15/07, heamit writes :

<<Hi Humanbe and welcome to Google Earth! I have to admit, I have absolutely no idea what you are trying to sell us! Except perhaps a compendium of buzz-words??>>

Hello,

A compendium of buzz-words?? Trying to sell ?? I feel very sorry for you that you are thinking by this way, but I understand how you could be so angry about what is passing in our Earth.. We are a non-profit association trying to make changes in the mind of the enterprises.. Do you really think that you can change the world by the way of the politics ?? You are a cartographer ?? Look at the history.. and at GoogleEarth..

Who made a long time ago the biggest buildings ?? The religious.. And after them?? The politics.. Who made today the biggest buildings?? The entreprise... You have to work with them if you want to change the world.. They distroy the world today, but tomorrow we can change the way they work...

To help is generous, but don't you think that giving to the people the means of managing by themselves is better.

Sorry for you if you consider again these lines for a compendium of buzz-words...

Best regards

jacmacaire@humanworldcity.com