to think comic relief is a manipulative millionaire sleb lovein?

[glasnost]

After watching most of last night's nth comic relief can't help thinking it's ever more hypocritical in laying a guilt trip on us poor folk to get us to part with some of the dwindling cash we have whilst never getting to the root of the problem.

Political corruption, greedy pharmaceutical companies etc. Without addressing these core problems we'll keep on having comic relief as an annual salve to people's consciences while poverty and injustice continue.

Jonathan Ross et al who earn vast amounts have alot of front in standing there emotionally blackmailing us when the obscene wealth he and others like him earn is part of the problem. AIBU?

olipolly if it is not an excuse, why to bring it into the subject? it is just a meaningless statement used to provoke guilt trip of westerners unable to think straight.

i give to charity here in the uk and abroad and i am proud of it. i also very choosy with what charities i give to and prefer transparent organization, including those in cuba and in russia. i can afford to but i will never expect other people to do it because we are all individuals and have our own priorities in life.

The OP is absolutely right, I talked about this on another thread recently where i and other posters discussed the actual harm caused by this kind of 'aid giving'.

As an African person, I find Comic Relief something I can barely stomach and so I haven't watched it in years, nor will I any time soon.

I have not read trough the whole thread but just wanted to say that so excuse me if it has been addressed already.

Thanks for those positive facts badgercub and I take your point entirely. I do feel though that without the opportunity to grow rich on the back of colonising and exploiting other countries, Africa's progress will be staggeringly slower than our own.

"Of course there are still problems and ultimately long-term and sustainable change has to come from the top from the countries themselves, but in the meantime charity DOES make a difference."

Um, No. The change needs to begin with the most powerful countries who are keeping these countries poor in order to sustain wealth here.

glasnost you really are feeling very smug and self righteous aren't you?
Idealism is a nice place to be. But the world is by no means ideal.

Bemy - I said its no excuse therefore I am blaming the current situation to the current leaders!

It is not a meaningless statement - to ignore the impact of colonialism would be ignorance on so many levels.

I could talk to you about my home country but its too sad.

Well done for giving to charity. Like I said, my education was partly financed by a charitable organisation so I know the benefits.

I am due to start a degree in Int Development in Sept and hope to contribute to the development of struggling countries. Most people need a sustainable solutions.

Oh lordy when we deride someone for being idealistic we're in a bad place. The alternative is putting up with shite.

LDNmummy - I know. That comment was in reference to corruption and mismanagement within those countries, not in reference to what our governments are doing to perpetuate the problems.

"These countries have a history of corrupt leadership"

The majority of corrupt leaders have been aided into power and supported at some point by western governments. Idid Amin is a good example of this.

and Robert Mugabe

Badger the corruption in thos countries is usually benefitial towards big western companies or governments that come in and swallow up resources leaving distruction of small communities in their path. On their way out they throw some money toward some politicians who have (as I stated above) been placed in favourable positions by these organisations in the first place.

With respect, LDNmummy, I already know these things. You're preaching to the choir.

*"These countries have a history of corrupt leadership"

The majority of corrupt leaders have been aided into power and supported at some point by western governments. Idid Amin is a good example of this.*

Western governments AND western banks AND western business (oil industry being a major problem), all guilty of corrupting African leaders to meet their geo-economic/political ends.

LDNmummy and the rest of vile regimes were supported by the Eastern european bloc (Angola and Mozambique for starters).

www.suite101.com/content/how-the-west-created-robert-mugabe-a117175

This is just a brief article but I used it instead of writing the whole answer as it summarizes quite well.

Indeed bemy, outside powers creating an anti democratic environment to suit their own needs.

"and Robert Mugabe"

Yes, it would help if the African leaders weren't so afraid of criticising one another- at the moment it seems to be a case of "well he's a murderous twunt, but he's one of our twunts."

Excuse my spelling or grammar in some places

Well in short, as an African individual who's Country survives in a neo colonial existence, I see first hand the impact of these issues and the impact of supposed charities like CR.

I find it makes my skin crawl and disgusts me on many levels.

It is adding insult to injury and making a media commodity of the suffering of my people at the hands of global powers elsewhere.

Actually, what would help Africa enormously would be an end to agricultural subsidies and tariffs- i.e a global free trade in agricultural products.

However, obviously that requires a global consensus

Bagged I agree, the problem is that African nations are under such scrutiny over whether they can actually manage themselves, that they have to put on a show of union, even when it is not there.

There are plenty of people calling for African nations to come under a neo colonial rule in order for foreign powers to step in and "manage" them again that showing discontent is not always an option (if that makes sense)

Whether you hate them or not, last night's slebs helped to raise more than £74m. There will be more to come as the rest of the money rolls in.

Sure, we can all give 'quietly' in the background, but I doubt we would give as much.

And yes, it's manipulative. That's what gets us to think about it, and therefore to give.

Sadly most people have to be manipulated in this way before they are prepared to open their wallets.

And there are lots of positive stories about the work that CR has being doing. Many of them were reported last night. Or did you not watch those bits?

LDN BUT the arguments that you are making divert from the real issues and the solutions to the problem. Colonialism, support of dictators during the cold war is not relevant for the problems TODAY.

Today people need education and microfinance to start their own businesses (kick start wealth creation and education to start self-organizing into groups that would through legal system reforms and independent journalism will eventually demand change to the way the country is run.

NOTHING at all to do with redistribution of wealth!

My grandmother was a cocoa farmer, if the the companies like Cadbury were not dictating to her what price she could sell her cocoa at, it probably would have helped her.