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Original poster

Dragons Dens James Caan tries to buy baby girl from family in flood struck village in Pakistan.

169 replies

TotorosOcarina · 22/10/2010 09:13

story here

This really shocked me.

Do you think you get to the point in being so rich you really think you can buy anything?

That family must have been devestated enough at loosing everything without someone trying to buy their daughter.

And £1,500? when he has £130million?

It was just horrible.

OP posts:

claig · 22/10/2010 10:29

I give up.
Who is he trying to do the right thing for? The child or his brother? What about the millions of other newborn children there? Will he do the same for them? Will his brother "desperately" want them?

claig · 22/10/2010 10:31

I think he is living in cloud cuckoo land, I think he went cuckoo and did a shocking thing.

Appletrees · 22/10/2010 10:31

There is a lot more to be scandalised about. This is just there, right in front of people, and you can have a knee jerk eeuw reaction.

Celebs have been doing it for yonks. AJ could leave all those kids with their parents and pay for them to be educated, so could Madonna, so could all of them. This bloke, never even seen him on telly, was torn in his gut and he blurted and regretted.

Mind you he's probably not paying enough tax so I disapprove anyway.

Awitch · 22/10/2010 10:32

given that these are questions that can only be answered by james caan, there's not much point in answering them.

you could, however, answer my earlier questions, which you seem to have missed. "why do you care so much about what James Caan does? would you have cared this much about his charity work alone? would we expect there to be a thread on brick houses in this section had he not made a fuck-up (for which he immediately apologised)?"

Original poster

TotorosOcarina · 22/10/2010 10:33

I agree with claig.

His reasons were purely selfish.

He coukd do so much for that baby and hundreds more without ripping them from their families.

His brother wanted a baby ffs! People think they can buy anything these days, it was hughly disrespectful to that poor family but he was just thinking of his 'childless brother.

She IS a beautiful baby, really stunning. I think it was a case of 'I want that one'

OP posts:

Appletrees · 22/10/2010 10:33

Hi Claig, yes I agree it's bad but then think of the pain he's witnessed in his brother, and there's a child he knows would have a much better life with his brother, can't you see how he could be overcome by a surge of "if only"? That's all this is.

Awitch · 22/10/2010 10:34

oh, and do address the point i made about many parents giving this plan serious consideration. we are all very privileged compared to some, the story of much-loved children being given up to have a better life with others is something that has been played out many, many times throughout history. would you think a parent who considered this plan immoral?

Appletrees · 22/10/2010 10:35

I really am with you on this Aitch, I feel very strongly that this armchair judging needs to be subjected to a bit of "walk in their shoes". Nobody including you is saying it's acceptable but I think it's a bad mistake that should be forgotten.

claig · 22/10/2010 10:37

I only care about what James Caan did, because it was a shocking thing to do. It's got nothing to do with James Caan, I would be just as shocked if Gordon Brown offered the mother £1500 to buy the baby for his brother if he was visiting the disaster zone.

I think this overshadows his charity work. There are lots of charities there, he is not the only one doing charity work. It's not about whether there is a thread for brick houses on MN or not.

Awitch · 22/10/2010 10:38

it's not just armchair judging, appletrees. totos seems to have insight into what james caan was actually thinking at the time... quite remarkable really.

Awitch · 22/10/2010 10:40

ach, you want to be shocked, claig. it's why people read the daily mail every morning, so they can make faces over their cornflakes. kinda pathetic.

claig · 22/10/2010 10:41

'would you think a parent who considered this plan immoral?'

No I wouldn't consider a parent who considered this plan immoral. But I would expect the parents to have thought it through very carefully. There are adoption organisations that deal with this and help the parents realise all of the implications and whether they will retain any access or contact. I don't expect "deals" to be made on the hoof and money to be handed over out of a back pocket. If Gordon Brown had done the same thing, the entire country would have been scandalised and rightly so.

Original poster

TotorosOcarina · 22/10/2010 10:41

and then some come on mumsnet in the morning to look at the Daily Mail link, kinda pathetic too.

OP posts:

Awitch · 22/10/2010 10:42

what has gordon brown got to do with it?

PosieComeHereMyPreciousParker · 22/10/2010 10:43

I think rebuilding a village is great, well done James because it's terrible PR to be charitable isn't it? And he's sacrificed so much of his fortune to help the needy in Pakistan and a massive £1500 for a village child for his brother, does his generosity know no end. A mistake would have been donating his entire fortune to this cause, a mistake would have been risking his whole life for the cause, but offering someone money for their child....that's perverse. That illustrates a huge sense of entitlement and skewed perspective about family and money.

If he was truly moved by the tragedy he would have a)not felt the need to tell everyone he was going and b)donated lots of money, relative to how much he has.

Awitch · 22/10/2010 10:44

lol, you didn't say it was a daily mail link. you said that he tried to buy a baby, and complained about the price that he offered (which was weird, tbh, but anyway..).

and everyone, including him, has said that it was wrong.

claig · 22/10/2010 10:45

I am showing that it is nothing to do with James Caan. If Gordon Brown was caught on camera offering £1500 to buy a child for his brother in a country that has suffered such devastation, then he would have to resign immediately. The public would not stand for it, because it is shocking.

Awitch · 22/10/2010 10:46

the idea that news at ten didn't BEG to send their cameras with him is a bit silly, you know. they have someone there and must be desperate to report on something with a british celeb angle. when was the last time you saw a report on the continuing tragedy in pakistan?

PosieComeHereMyPreciousParker · 22/10/2010 10:47

oi claig...you know he's not the PM anymore, right?

claig · 22/10/2010 10:47

agree Posie

Awitch · 22/10/2010 10:48

oh claig... you are sounding quite mad.

claig · 22/10/2010 10:48

Posie, thank God he is not PM anymore. The cheers resounded throughout the land.

claig · 22/10/2010 10:50

I think James Caan was a bit mad. I'm not mad, I read the Daily Mail.

PosieComeHereMyPreciousParker · 22/10/2010 10:52

In that moment most normal, yet irrational people, would have given the family loads of money and a new home....which still may have been wrong given the number of families affected but that's an understandable course of action. If James was white I am sure lots more shit would have been peddled at his door about this...the idea that villagers in Pakistan aren't ths same as the rest of us, don't love their children as much???

hubblybubblytoilntrouble · 22/10/2010 10:54

Posie, he has not only donated a significant sum but he is there, giving his time and his experience to ensure that the money is used to benefit those who need it.

I suppose it would be must better for those people living through this shite if he'd just quietly popped a cheque in the post eh?

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