Text 15192, 70 rader
Skriven 2011-03-14 13:59:22 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
  Kommentar till text 15174 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
Ärende: Names will never hurt me...
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Ward Dossche wrote to Robert Bashe on Monday March 14 2011 at 10:49:

WD> Most people, Bob, do not leave their home country and their family and
WD> their way of life etc etc because the leaching's better elsewhere.
WD> I've said it before and I'll repeat that it needs to be pretty bad
WD> before someone packs up and leaves.

And indeed, that is exactly the case in many countries. When did you last live
in the slums of Nigeria? Incidently, a very rich country - for the lucky few in
power. Same applies to the so-called "Democratic" Republic of Congo. And not
only there.

WD> I feel very guilty for having such a good life here and not really
WD> doing all that I could do to help the situation.

Like what? Selling your house, giving up your bank account and letting _your_
wife and children starve instead of someone else? Feel as guilty as you want -
maybe that makes you feel good in a way - "Hey, I'm guilty!". The facts of life
are simply that we were lucky to be born where we were. Others - most of
humanity, in fact - weren't so lucky. Regret it or be happy - neither changes
anything.

I'm now 69 years old, and for at least 60 of those years, I've been seeing the
same thing in the so-called "third world". Poverty, poor infrastructure,
dictators with huge bank accounts in Switzerland and elsewhere. I don't expect
that to change anywhere as long as I'm alive, nor for a long time afterwards.
I've seen do-gooders beat their heads against the wall for six decades without
changing anything significant, and expect that the future will merely bring
more of the same.

WD> So if they live here for 3-4 months off my money, I at least have
WD> helped them to try even if they are rejected.

3-4 _months_? You mean 3-4 _years_ and more, and more coming every day as long
as you hold out your hand with money.

If that makes you feel good, go right ahead. Pay even more if that makes you
feel better. But the fact of the matter is simply that most of us are more
interested in our own welfare and that of our families than in that of people
we never met and never will meet, nor - in many cases - would we care to meet.

And the plain truth is that you could starve yourself, your family and your
country without making the slightest dent in the reality of this world, namely,
that most people are not anywhere _near_ as well off as you and I - and those
that are, and live in the so-called "third world", are people like Gadaffi,
Mugabe and the other potentates who don't care whether their own people live or
die as long as _they_ live well.

I've talked to people - Europeans - who've been in India and seen Indians
treating their own people worse than a European would. Beggars - kick them out
of the way. Nothing but scum. An Indian doesn't even see beggars, he's so used
to them. But the Europeans and Americans get tears in their eyes and want to
help, where the locals wouldn't lift a finger and even grin when they see how
naive the Europeans are.

So wallow in your guilt if it makes you feel good, but don't assume anyone
outside your well-fed, well cared-for neighborhood gives a damn about anyone
except "number one". That's not the way the world works, nor has it ever worked
differently.

Anyone who thinks there's such a thing as justice in this world hasn't seen
much of it.

Sorry for the blunt talk, but sometimes it's necessary. And that applies
whether you personally believe it or not.

Cheers, Bob

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