We are some of the luckiest people in history
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Prove it. Name a country that has given more to others - whether in actual dollars or in percentage of GNP. Go ahead, do it.
One thing you can almost always be assured of, is that whenever someone says "Everybody knows" or "We all know" what follows is an out and out lie.
E. itajara
You are right..the thread ran way off topic......had lots of help mine included...........
Yes we are lucky to be able to see things under the water that others may only see on TV or in the movies. To experience the thrill of your first wreck materializing out of nowhere......or having your first uninvited shark come cruising by while you are admiring the coral and other water beings..............
And lastly we are lucky we still aren't walking semi-upright, with our knuckles dragging on the ground looking for the latest lightning strike for fire............:boom:
Yes we are lucky to be able to see things under the water that others may only see on TV or in the movies. To experience the thrill of your first wreck materializing out of nowhere......or having your first uninvited shark come cruising by while you are admiring the coral and other water beings..............
And lastly we are lucky we still aren't walking semi-upright, with our knuckles dragging on the ground looking for the latest lightning strike for fire............:boom:
DazedAndConfuzed
Contributor
The intention was not to bring the subject off-topic, but this is not a subject that is brought to light much. I'm just highlighting the subject, since the health of the corals and fish life are directly related to the prosperity of those resort islands.
Not to drag on the subject, but I was asked.
A simple search on the web:
http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Debt/USAid.asp?so=p2001#oda
The US is 22nd in terms of aid as a pct of GNP, and Japan provided more dollar amount until a couple of years ago, where its domestic economy caused it to reduce the amount.
As described on this article:
http://www.terrorismanswers.com/policy/foreignaid.html
Polls indicate Americans has the perception that a big amount of our GNP is going to foreign aid.
I guess the term everybody knows is relative, depending on what circle one is in.
You misunderstand the grouper guy's point. Generosity doesn't stem only from government and "foreign aid" - the people of the United States send far more overseas in aid projects than the government does, and the United States is way ahead of all others when private generosity is considered. For example, one local charitable organization here in Lower Alabama, (one of the poorest areas of the US) the Southern Baptist Convention's Board of missions sent out over a quarter BILLION dollars in direct aid to poor people around the world. And this money isn't from a few rich donors, but nickels and dimes and dollars from the common folk, the generous, kind folk of this country.
No other people do it to the extent our people do.
Rick
tinman
Contributor
Excuse the paraphase my Brit friends, but I recall that Winston once bubbled:
"Socialism has one sole redeeming virtue, the equal distribution of misery" ... are you listening LW?
I had a West German friend that was at Checkpoint Charlie when the Wall was dismantled. It was the only time he recalls, Westerners rushing to climb the wall into East Germany...to help dismantle it (I have a piece on a plaque at home to commemorate that day). Our system's not perfect but the alternatives suck.
Steve, it's a pity you walk in a room with a full glass and before you even have enjoyed the first sip, someone's telling you it's "half empty".
Glad you had a wonderful time down South. Wish I could have been there to share it. Keep the good dive memories coming, it makes my day.
"Socialism has one sole redeeming virtue, the equal distribution of misery" ... are you listening LW?
I had a West German friend that was at Checkpoint Charlie when the Wall was dismantled. It was the only time he recalls, Westerners rushing to climb the wall into East Germany...to help dismantle it (I have a piece on a plaque at home to commemorate that day). Our system's not perfect but the alternatives suck.
Steve, it's a pity you walk in a room with a full glass and before you even have enjoyed the first sip, someone's telling you it's "half empty".
Glad you had a wonderful time down South. Wish I could have been there to share it. Keep the good dive memories coming, it makes my day.
I still fail to see what this has to do with everyones enjoyment of diving and to remember to thank those who got us there. If you want to rain on other's parades, start another thread so those of us who want to enjoy something for what it is can avoid those who want to "bring eveyone down a notch". People who go through life can't possible enjoy anything if they're always thinking of someone worse off - there will always be someone worse off. Thats a sad way to live.
steve
...to some extent, but I call it "being thankful". Do I feel bad that some people can't eat and have it rougher than I do, yes. That makes me appreciate what I have and what I have worked for that much more (including dive trips).
The people I don't feel bad for are the tree-hugging hippie activists I see outside my window 3-4 times a year that come into town, screw up everybody's commute, break windows, destroy private property, and fail to make any sort of meaningful contribution to society. They are usually a bunch of poorly educated (although most have more degrees than a thermometer) trust fund babies that travel the world b****ing about life, the universe, and everything and then cry when someone pepper sprays them.
IMHO, if they hate the way the US runs its foreign policy that much (like they understand it at all....really it is quite comical to try to talk to them about the "issues" they are protesting...they don't have any clue why they are even there other than to smoke pot, grope each other, and spend mommy and daddy's money) they need to move to whatever country they are currently interested in raising a stink about and start a grassroots effort over there. This is a free country and I wish they would exercise their right to get the hell out of it.
Well put O-ring but that's what's nice about our country, people are free to do so if they wish. And we are free to oppose their viewpoint without being persecuted. Activists are not afraid to be the squeaky wheel, that's their power. Those of us that aren't typically activist need to make our wheels squeak more often IMO. The problem is we are usually too busy working, raising families or paying taxes to bother.
By the way, are you old enough to use the term "hippie"?
Sorry to keep this off topic but i wonder what the posted study actually did include as giving. Somehow i don't think aid given to countries for less Pc reasons was included. Military aid springs to mind. Agree with that kind of giving or not, there are countries that would not exist today without it. Personally i can't think of a more humanitarian use of aid than to help insurance a country or it's people don't get wiped out.
All politics aside i doubt, if this type of aid was truely included in this study, that any country would be close to us in aid given.
JMO
That's true...free speech and the right to voice one's opinions is an important right. However, I think that the right to "peacefully assemble" is different than what these idiots usually do (break stuff, disrupt economically disadvantaged mothers trying to pick up their children from daycare and getting charged extra for every 10 minutes they are late, destroying coffee houses, etc.). I think in these cases they have too much freedom and the police and national guard should be free to dispose of them how they see fit (rubber bullets, sprays, clubs, dogs, whatever..). I was thrilled when some of our US style activists tried to pull this stuff in Italy and the police handed it to them Italian style..
Yeah, you didn't hear? We have hippies again now...they aren't as cool as the ones in the 60s though...they remind me of the students in the movie PCU...just protesting to be protesting because they have nothing better to do with themselves..
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