First-world guilt

whirlpool

Look at ye, there, with your roof over your head, your bearable climate, your food and water, your antibiotics, your freedom and your safety from barbarism.

Ever feel like a d*ckhead for getting to live in humane conditions? Guilty for getting to have been born in the first-world?

The third world sucks for its citizens. It could have been any of us.

(And yet, most of us still find stuff to moan about.)

gw80

whirlpool wrote: »

Look at ye, there, with your roof over your head, your bearable climate, your food and water, your antibiotics, your freedom and your safety from barbarism.

Ever feel like a d*ckhead for getting to live in humane conditions? Guilty for getting to have been born in the first-world?

The third world sucks for its citizens. It could have been any of us.

(And yet, most of us still find stuff to moan about.)

Well if no one ever moaned about anything would,nt we still be living in third world conditions.

Nothing wrong with a better life personally or in a wider community sense

Sir Osis of Liver.

So move out there Whirlpool.
Looking forward to seeing you on the 2014 Trocaire box.

Good luck with your next endeavour.

whirlpool

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

So move out there Whirlpool.
Looking forward to seeing you on the 2014 Trocaire box.

Good luck with your next endeavour.

This reminds me. I have to add these kinds of replies to the "trivial things that annoy you" thread.

whirlpool

gw80 wrote: »

Well if no one ever moaned about anything would,nt we still be living in third world conditions.

Nothing wrong with a better life personally or in a wider community sense

No need to defend - I'm not attacking.

wazky

whirlpool wrote: »

This reminds me. I have to add these kinds of replies to the "trivial things that annoy you" thread.

Send me your new address in the Third World and I'll send ya a bottle of Ballygowan.

Seachmall

I don't feel guilty but I do judge people who get in a fuss when their washing machine breaks down or when their phone acts up or similar minor inconveniences occur.

I truly dislike people like that.

Sir Osis of Liver.

wazky wrote: »

Send me your new address in the Third World and I'll send ya a bottle of Ballygowan.

And a flyswatter.

dan1895

whirlpool wrote: »

Look at ye, there, with your roof over your head, your bearable climate, your food and water, your antibiotics, your freedom and your safety from barbarism.

Ever feel like a d*ckhead for getting to live in humane conditions? Guilty for getting to have been born in the first-world?

The third world sucks for its citizens. It could have been any of us.

(And yet, most of us still find stuff to moan about.)

I don't feel guilty but I am thankful that I was born in a country with one of the highest standards of living in the world.

Czarcasm

whirlpool wrote: »

Ever feel like a d*ckhead for getting to live in humane conditions? Guilty for getting to have been born in the first-world?

Why would I feel like a dickhead for something completely beyond my control?

Cantona's Collars

I'm worried if I'll get a PS4 on launch day.

Remember that only a few generations ago we were a 3rd world country under the heel of another countries boot.Lot's of parallels to countries around the world today & no,I don't feel guilty.

Seaneh

Not guilt, but I get really angry sometimes, particularly once in Ecuador.

I was working with a charity in Portoviejo and most of the week I just did stuff like English classes for teenagers and stuff like that, but twice per week myself and 4 other lads would fill a massive water tank in the back of a pickup truck and drive to a landfill outside the city. There are about 5 or 6 families living in shacks on the landfill, their parents make money by sorting through the rubbish for recyclable stuff they can sell. They have no water source or electricity, they literally live in shacks made from scrap wood IN A FU*KING LANDFILL.

I was helping the mothers and older kids fill 20litre jerry cans with water and carry them to their houses, I filled barrels and canisters with water, which would be these families only clean drinking with for the week, carried them from the truck a few yards and while doing so all I could think about was how wrong all of this was. How wrong it was that these families have to live in those conditions, those kids have to grow up with that smell all the time, have to get their drinking water from the back of an old Ford pick up truck twice a week. Water, which by the way, isn't actually safe to drink, if I drank it, I'd be sick for days, but these families have nothing else, it's either this water or whatever water supply they can get at the dump.

I walked back and forth with the barrels and canisters, thinking, how can we change this, who needs to know about, why is this acceptable, how can this be normal life for these little girls, why isn't anybody doing anything about it.



And then a few days later I realised something...
We were doing something. OK, we might just be delivering a few hundred liters of water, and this might not sound like much, but without it, how much worse would these families lives be? How less healthy would those kids be? What kind of water supply would they have? Would they even be alive?
I didn't have any magic solution for their situation, I cannot, by myself, lift them out of this poverty and into a better life, I can't give them a new house and their parents a better job, an education, health care. I don't have the ability, knowledge or resources to do those things.

mad muffin

whirlpool wrote: »

Look at ye, there, with your roof over your head, your bearable climate, your food and water, your antibiotics, your freedom and your safety from barbarism.

Ever feel like a d*ckhead for getting to live in humane conditions? Guilty for getting to have been born in the first-world?

The third world sucks for its citizens. It could have been any of us.

(And yet, most of us still find stuff to moan about.)

Their world is far removed from my concerns.

As long as I can buy my iDevices and designer cloths at a reasonable price I care not. Not one **** do I care.

clairefontaine

8000 Irish people died building the canal in New Orleans because they were cheaper to replace than slaves, who only knows how many Irish dead bodies are at the bottom of bridges in NYC.

So I hate to tell you this folks, no Irish person is entitled to feel first world guilt.

Mr. Incognito

People with best guns get best lifestlye

Welcome to earth

Seaneh

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

People with best guns get best lifestlye

Welcome to earth

Yeah, those Danes, they have the best guns, for sure.

crockholm

clairefontaine wrote: »

8000 Irish people died building the canal in New Orleans because they were cheaper to replace than slaves, who only knows how many Irish dead bodies are at the bottom of bridges in NYC.

So I hate to tell you this folks, no Irish person is entitled to feel first world guilt.

Factoid 1- the first and last people to die on the Hoover Dam Construction were Irish, sadly father and son:(

Factoid 2- "hard-hats" as we know them were invented on said Construction site,the men drilling the walls of the canyon would tar the top of their normal hats

gw80

i dont think there is a lot we can do, maybe help out as much as we can here and their but thats more of a band aid on a gapping wound.Its the people of those countries that have to pull themselves out of their situation ultamatley.

You cant just go in and force it to happen as is evident from history recent and further back.

Ace Attorney

cant say I ever felt guilty for being born in the first world, but I am as sure as hell greatfull for being born here, I post a lot in the trivial things thread and thats exactly what they are trival things, a place to rant first world problems, I doubt many of the posters in that thread in real life roar and shout at the top of their lungs out over the things posted in there tbh,

HansHolzel

A Pop Fan's Dream - I, Ludicrous (1988)

It's a pop fan's dream, thought I
as i trudged up the long drive, sick with nerves
I hoped my hosts would find me interesting
and i would not make a fool of myself
I had bought the most expensive wine i could afford

After crossing myself
I rang the bell for Sunday lunch
with Bob Geldof and Paula Yates

Inside, my esteemed hosts welcomed me
Paula looked lovely with her hair swept back into a bun,
contrasting with Bob's more hedonistic cut

Also present was an attractive lady friend called Lydia
who wore a charming cocktail dress

and baby Fifi Trixiebelle

I begin to talk hesitantly,
the words being hard to find
Luckily, Bob interrupts
and holds forth on the inequalities
between the First and Third Worlds
I am impressed

Dinner is served -
roast beef with all the trimmings -
Bob carves marvellously
the food is lovely
the portions American in size
I compliment the cook
as does Lydia
with whom i have struck up a rapport
she is almost as lovely as Paula
Bob makes quite a fuss

A dark question passes over my mind

I'm the only one not talking
Paula speaks of one thing -
rock stars in their underpants -
Lydia talks about her new shop
just opened off the King's Road
and Bob talks about there being no snow in Africa

Brandies are served

Paula and Lydia go upstairs to compare tattoos
leaving us men to chat

We talk of football, drugs,
the music business
and the government's overseas aid policy

Fifi cries out raucously
Bob deals with her so well
and soon the happy gurgling returns

We resume our conversation
we talk of politics, religion,
the meaning of everything
and the government's overseas aid policy

First prize in a Sunday newspaper competition
Sunday lunch with the Geldofs
The entry was enormous
it was a fantastic day

On leaving we exchanged best wishes
and telephone numbers
Bob said he would listen to tapes of the band
Paula kissed me warmly

I took Lydia to the coast the next day
nineteen years old
athletic long legs
she is much sought after
by men
and women
we got on famously
the night ending in romance

and all due to that Sunday lunch
spent with Bob, Paula, Fifi Trixiebelle

in affluent Kent

where there IS no Famine

Too Tough To Die

[Ludacris]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Give it to me now, give it to me now
Give it to me now, give it to me now

[Shawna]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Give it to me now, give it to me now
Give it to me now..

[Chorus: Ludacris, then Shawna *2X*]
I wanna, li-li-li-lick you from yo' head to yo' toes
And I wanna, move from the bed down to the down to the to the flo'
Then I wanna, ahh ahh - you make it so good I don't wanna leave
But I gotta, kn-kn-kn-know what-what's your fan-ta-ta-sy

[Ludacris]
I wanna get you in the Georgia Dome on the fifty yard line
While the Dirty Birds kick for t'ree
And if you like in the club we can do it
In the DJ booth or in the back of the V.I.P.
Whipped cream with cherries and strawberries on top
Lick it don't stop, keep the door locked don't knock while the boat rock
We go-bots and robots so they gotta wait til the show stop
Or how 'bout on the beach with black sand
Lick up your thigh then call me the Pac Man
Table top or just give me a lap dance
The Rock to the Park to the Point to the Flatlands
That man Ludacris (woo) in the public bathroom
Or in back of a classroom
How ever you want it lover lover gonna tap that ass soon
See I cast 'em and I past 'em get a tight grip and I grasp 'em
I flash 'em and out last 'em
And if ain't good then I trash 'em while you stash 'em
I'll let 'em free
And the tell me what they fantasy
Like up on the roof roof tell yo boyfriend not to be mad at me

[Chorus]

[Ludacris]
I wanna get you in the bath tub
With the candle lit you give it up till they go out
Or we can do it on stage of the Ludacris concert
Cause you know I got sold out
Or red carpet dick could just roll out
Go 'head and scream you can't hold out
We can do it in the pouring rain
Runnin the train when it's hot or cold out
How 'bout in the library on top of books
But you can't be too loud
You wanna make a brother beg for it
Give me TLC 'cause you know I be too proud
We can do it in the white house
Tryna make them turn the lights out
Champaign with my campaign let me do the damn thing
What's my name, what's my name, what's my name a sauna, jacuzzi
In the back row at the movie
You can stratch my back and rule me
You can push me or just pull me
On hay in middle of the barn (woo) rose pedals on the silk sheets uh
Eating fresh fruits sweep yo woman right off her feet

[Chorus]

[Ludacris]
I wanna get you in the back seat windows up
That's the way you like to ****, clogged up fog alert
Rip the pants and rip the shirt, ruff sex make it hurt
In the garden all in the dirt
Roll around Georgia Brown that's the way I like it twerk
Legs jerk, overworked, underpaid but don't be afraid
In the sun or up in the shade
On the top of my escalade
Maybe your girl and my friend can trade; tag team, off the ropes!
On the ocean or in the boat! Factories or on hundred spokes!
What about up in the candy sto' that chocolate chocolate make it melt
Whips and chains, handcuffs, smack a little booty up with my belt
Scream help play my game; dracula man I'll get my fangs
Horseback and I'll get my reigns, school teacher let me get my grades

Wacker The Attacker

They can still **** and gamble

Wacker The Attacker

HansHolzel wrote: »

A Pop Fan's Dream - I, Ludicrous (1988)

It's a pop fan's dream, thought I
as i trudged up the long drive, sick with nerves
I hoped my hosts would find me interesting
and i would not make a fool of myself
I had bought the most expensive wine i could afford

After crossing myself
I rang the bell for Sunday lunch
with Bob Geldof and Paula Yates

Inside, my esteemed hosts welcomed me
Paula looked lovely with her hair swept back into a bun,
contrasting with Bob's more hedonistic cut

Also present was an attractive lady friend called Lydia
who wore a charming cocktail dress

and baby Fifi Trixiebelle

I begin to talk hesitantly,
the words being hard to find
Luckily, Bob interrupts
and holds forth on the inequalities
between the First and Third Worlds
I am impressed

Dinner is served -
roast beef with all the trimmings -
Bob carves marvellously
the food is lovely
the portions American in size
I compliment the cook
as does Lydia
with whom i have struck up a rapport
she is almost as lovely as Paula
Bob makes quite a fuss

A dark question passes over my mind

I'm the only one not talking
Paula speaks of one thing -
rock stars in their underpants -
Lydia talks about her new shop
just opened off the King's Road
and Bob talks about there being no snow in Africa

Brandies are served

Paula and Lydia go upstairs to compare tattoos
leaving us men to chat

We talk of football, drugs,
the music business
and the government's overseas aid policy

Fifi cries out raucously
Bob deals with her so well
and soon the happy gurgling returns

We resume our conversation
we talk of politics, religion,
the meaning of everything
and the government's overseas aid policy

First prize in a Sunday newspaper competition
Sunday lunch with the Geldofs
The entry was enormous
it was a fantastic day

On leaving we exchanged best wishes
and telephone numbers
Bob said he would listen to tapes of the band
Paula kissed me warmly

I took Lydia to the coast the next day
nineteen years old
athletic long legs
she is much sought after
by men
and women
we got on famously
the night ending in romance

and all due to that Sunday lunch
spent with Bob, Paula, Fifi Trixiebelle

in affluent Kent

where there IS no Famine

I preferred preposterous tales myself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGDKTTNXH2w

darlett

I really dislike when I'm sitting down for a steak dinner or some such with all the works I've brought and prepared for my family, and some ad comes on in the middle of a show we've been enjoying with truly miserable pictures telling me if some poor wretch on deaths door thought I had a heart she would ask me for help.

I believe most of these charities are run like business and even the money paid for these prime time ads represent really bad return for an individual who donates and believes that most of their money goes straight to those in need. Also having worked in sales and learning that many of the 'volunteers' and their bosses who get subscriptions on the street with similar heart stringing techniques are in fact working for their crust and will be getting about half of your subscription puts it double sideways in my craw.

This will probably read the worst, but I used to have a lot more time for the African aid projects until my work in school led me to deal with some unbearable characters of African origin who have treated me appallingly-far beyond how I have ever been treated by people from Europe, Asia and America. I cant help but feel some of them lack the decency or any appreciation of their opportunity to be here, or indeed any effort which we might make to send money to there. I am sorry about such negativity and I dont mean to disgust.

Another point that may qualify as minor things that greatly annoy type of thread. Stories that run "John-Joe works all day for 50 cent etc." Well not to be crass but while 3 fibby a week would result in starvation where John-Joe comes from it might be enough for a basic standard living. It might not be, but telling me how much he earns in terms of first world Irish prices does not give me any understanding of his reality.

I also know that this will read badly too. If a famine strikes and crops fail for some reason-or something happens like the situation in the Philippines-lets all dig in and help. But if its the continuous vicious cycle of large families in certain parts of Africa, and mothers not having anything for feeding their children. This is a problem that can't be solved by paying for their milk. Or crop seeds or even sending our cows. They need to take responsibility and say hey, I wont be able to feed X amount of children. The line we hear is that Africas problems are all because they were colonised back in the day. Eh, weren't we all. Seriously is there ever a time when that excuse is done?

Lastly poverty is relative. If we go back 50 years (less) we could create ads for the grinding poverty of Farmer Joe who only has a dying donkey left to work the land. Someone from the here and now could be heart broken. But the fact is Farmer Joe is a hard-worker and is equally happy even though he doesnt have an inside toilet. Likewise I spent months in indonesia where the showers and toilets are operated by filling up a plastic saucepan shaped container with cold water and firing it where necessary. This isn't poverty even though I felt from the start it was a hard knock life. Its completely normal, just not what I was used to seeing.

Do I feel first-world guilt.
Only in ever decreasing amounts >>> <<<

padma

First world I don't know, here in Ireland we've lived for hundreds of years in a class system, no longer determined by your religion but now by the district you come from.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 60, my dear and loving son John
Your good friend the schoolmaster Pat McNamara's so good
As to write these words down.
Your brothers have all gone to find work in England,
The house is so empty and sad
The crop of potatoes is sorely infected,
A third to a half of them bad.
And your sister Brigid and Patrick O'Donnell
Are going to be married in June.
Your mother says not to work on the railroad
And be sure to come on home soon.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 70, dear and loving son John
Hello to your Mrs and to your 4 children,
May they grow healthy and strong.
Michael has got in a wee bit of trouble,
I guess that he never will learn.
Because of the dampness there's no turf to speak of
And now we have nothing to burn.
And Brigid is happy, you named a child for her
And now she's got six of her own.
You say you found work, but you don't say
What kind or when you will be coming home.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 80, dear Michael and John, my sons
I'm sorry to give you the very sad news
That your dear old mother has gone.
We buried her down at the church in Kilkelly,
Your brothers and Brigid were there.
You don't have to worry, she died very quickly,
Remember her in your prayers.
And it's so good to hear that Michael's returning,
With money he's sure to buy land
For the crop has been poor and the people
Are selling at any price that they can.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 90, my dear and loving son John
I guess that I must be close on to eighty,
It's thirty years since you're gone.
Because of all of the money you send me,
I'm still living out on my own.
Michael has built himself a fine house
And Brigid's daughters have grown.
Thank you for sending your family picture,
They're lovely young women and men.
You say that you might even come for a visit,
What joy to see you again.

Kilkelly, Ireland, 18 and 92, my dear brother John
I'm sorry that I didn't write sooner to tell you that father passed on.
He was living with Brigid, she says he was cheerful
And healthy right down to the end.
Ah, you should have seen him play with
The grandchildren of Pat McNamara, your friend.
And we buried him alongside of mother,
Down at the Kilkelly churchyard.
He was a strong and a feisty old man,
Considering his life was so hard.
And it's funny the way he kept talking about you,
He called for you in the end.
Oh, why don't you think about coming to visit,
We'd all love to see you again.

clairefontaine

Czarcasm wrote: »

Why would I feel like a dickhead for something completely beyond my control?

Exactly. But people feel pride over what other people accomplish in the olympics. It's weird. It had nothing to with you.

crockholm

There was a young man from Nantucket
Whose d1ck was so long,
He could suck it.
He said with a grin,
with jizz on his chin
If his ear had a cuunt,
He would fook it

we'llallhavetea

I feel bad I don't have any poetry to contribute

Pumpkinseeds

No.

Wacker The Attacker

aya startin wha wrote: »

I feel bad I don't have any poetry to contribute

Thank f**k

whirlpool

Some of these replies are too long to maintain my concentration. For that reason, I have not read those posts.

Sorry, I mean - TL;DR.

darlett

whirlpool wrote: »

Some of these replies are too long to maintain my concentration. For that reason, I have not read those posts.

Don't worry.

There's no need to feel guilty about it. :pac:

NuckingFacker

Some woman got €70k for slipping and falling on her own kitchen floor. She sued the tile company who sold her the tiles. Her hubby had laid them. With stuff like that, any minor whinging I might have done, ever, pales. God bless the first world. Nutty as ever.

smurgen

Normally I'm a pretty cynical person and I dont get emotional very easy but I seen a show about street kids in new Delhi on BBC 3 about two weeks ago and I was really gutted after it.there was one particular group of kids living in the slum,five brothers and sisters between the ages of four to ten and the parents had just died.there was an older local boy about 15 giving them what ever food he could find.all the kids were so good looking and well mannered.they were trying to fake smiles for the camera but the oldest girl burst out crying .it's was heart wrentching.any other place in the world they could grow up to be anything they wanted but given the situation they were in the boy who was trying to help them explainsd that they'd probably be dead within a few months.

Femme_Fatale

And no child protection for them - they have to fend for themselves. People who say "Ireland is a third world country" are ****ing morons.

Untouchable Peasant

Seaneh wrote: »

I walked back and forth with the barrels and canisters, thinking, how can we change this, who needs to know about, why is this acceptable, how can this be normal life for these little girls, why isn't anybody doing anything about it.

I've seen a few documentaries about families living off landfill and it's not nice for the boys either.

crockholm

If you thought too much about it,it is something that could drive you insane.There was a photo taken,Ethiopia I Think,of a moribund Child,alone (except for the photographer) and a vulture lingers in the background.I feel physically ill thinking about it.


So much bad sh1t happens in the World every day,if one dwelled on it,you'd blow your brain out.And be thankfull for what we have.

Vito Corleone

No, I never even think about it.

Seaneh

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

People who say "Ireland is a third world country" are ****ing morons.

Yeah, some people really have no ****ing perspective.

Even compared to the rest of Europe we have it pretty ****ing good.
We might not be doing as well as we were 10 years ago but we still have one of the highest standards of living in the world and one of the best social protective systems. Anyone who tries to argue otherwise is a ****ing idiot.

I've seen real poverty, I've seen entire villages where the locals live on less than $1 per day, I've seen families living in a rubbish dump.

Ireland is ****ing paradise!

Seaneh

crockholm wrote: »

If you thought too much about it,it is something that could drive you insane.There was a photo taken,Ethiopia I Think,of a moribund Child,alone (except for the photographer) and a vulture lingers in the background.I feel physically ill thinking about it.


So much bad sh1t happens in the World every day,if one dwelled on it,you'd blow your brain out.And be thankfull for what we have.

That photographer killed him self not long after winning awards for that photo.

crockholm

Seaneh wrote: »

That photographer killed him self not long after winning awards for that photo.

Did he take the child to safety?

Vito Corleone

crockholm wrote: »

Did he take the child to safety?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Carter

Untouchable Peasant

Can't find the full docu about families living off Landfill which I seen a few weeks back, but here's a clip from it and another news story also about a similar one in Mexico:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63x4eZ29TFU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxqbwebKpX4

Rabelais

The modern European Left are in dire need of a figurehead and set of principles that actively challenge the general consensus, and put forward workable proposals on a genuine alternative.

It has been injured since the Marshall Plan poured money into Europe, hamstrung once the French student protests became a 'hot topic' issue, and utterly handicapped since the liberalisation of economic policy as a result of the downfall of the Iron Curtain and marxist socialism.

There is an overarching consensus that modern left wing ideology must concern itself with social issues. So we have righteous indignation over things like the abortion debate and the legalisation of cannabis; issues that are of very little concern for the broader working and middle classes. The centre right are taking such broad concepts on board and legislating for them, and have thus been in power across most European jurisdictions since the early 40's. Social and Christian democracy is an appealing concept to most voters, and those further left have to come up with reasonable alternatives.

crockholm

Vito Corleone wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Carter

I sure hope that the Portugueese/Spanish version is correct or else his corpse should be whipped posthumously

mikom

whirlpool wrote: »

Look at ye, there, with your roof over your head, your bearable climate, your food and water, your antibiotics, your freedom and your safety from barbarism.

Ever feel like a d*ckhead for getting to live in humane conditions? Guilty for getting to have been born in the first-world?

The third world sucks for its citizens. It could have been any of us.

(And yet, most of us still find stuff to moan about.)

First world problems..........

whirlpool wrote: »

For probably the first time in as long as I can remember, I have NO gigs or concerts coming up. It feels strange! I've almost always had a ticket for something coming up. But I've no plans to go to any at all.

Indeed.

FixdePitchmark

It seems for all we give out we are doing very well in Ireland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index


Listening to Joe Duffy - you would think we are in Nigeria.

Femme_Fatale

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

It seems for all we give out we are doing very well in Ireland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index


Listening to Joe Duffy - you would think we are in Nigeria.

One example: the elderly are living in cold homes because they are afraid that their heating will be cut off if they can't pay their bill. Eh... no it won't. The key is in "They are afraid that" - a fear doesn't mean a reality. Newspapers scaremongering such shyte is just going to make it worse for them.
Disconnection is an absolute last resort following countless notifications - and is carried out on people who don't bother their arses paying; not people who genuinely struggle.

FixdePitchmark

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

One example: the elderly are living in cold homes because they are afraid that their heating will be cut off if they can't pay their bill. Eh... no it won't. The key is in "They are afraid that" - a fear doesn't mean a reality. Newspapers scaremongering such shyte is just going to make it worse for them.
Disconnection is an absolute last resort following countless notifications - and is carried out on people who don't bother their arses paying; not people who genuinely struggle.

This is not going to go down well - but why should older people get a fuel allowance - is it means tested. Also - does it prevent them insulating their houses. Do they get a BER cert to see if it is value for money -

If you are given money to waste energy - you won't try save it.

So a digress.

Try take a penny off the OAPs and there is war - sure they have caused many of the problems in this country.

Femme_Fatale

Nah I don't have any issue with the fuel allowance for elderly people. I just hate the way some media muppets scaremonger them into thinking their heating will be disconnected easily.

KyussBishop

Third world problems are caused by politics, with responsibility largely laying in the hands of various Europen ex-colonial nations, and the US (with responsibility tied up with many corporations past and present), even many BRIC nations too, who have been deliberately keeping African nations in a weak political state for decades/centuries (particularly a few decades ago, with a massive jump in their debt thanks to the US), so their people can be kept powerless while their resources are plundered.


Just because standards somewhere else in the world are so low, does not mean we should stop demanding higher standards ourselves - we should always demand higher standards, and a more fair distribution of wealth/resources both locally and internationally, and shouldn't ever feel guilt or schadenfreude that someone, somewhere else, has it worse - when we have absolutely no direct control over that (but we do have indirect control, through politics).

It's kind of ironic that, that the common comforting sentiment of "things might be bad, but at least we're not in Africa!", is really like a big dose of schadenfreude, mixed with trying to guilt/shame someone into accepting crap standards in their own situation - if you're putting up with shítty standards in one way or another, you probably should be angry about it (if nobody ever is, nothing will change), so when you get that from someone, let them know just how unhelpful and actively harmful it is.


If you want to do something about the problems in Africa, start by learning about the problems with economics in the western world (an immense topic that is not easy to read up on, where you need to pick your sources carefully, to avoid being indoctrinated with flawed 'knowledge'/propaganda), so you can understand (and pressure for) the political changes that are required.

These are topics (politics/economics) that most people just do not want to care about, which makes it easy for them to fall into the more simplistic/comforting frame of thought, that these problems in Africa are esoteric/complicated and nobody knows the solutions, and that aid is the way to help - people need to learn the controversial political/economic problems, in order to make a lasting difference, instead of just letting their efforts be diverted/absorbed by band-aid solutions, that are temporary and don't provide any real solution.

That diversion of effort away from the real political solutions, is actively harmful and, if absent efforts for a political solution, ends up being a waste of time because (in the long run) it helps ensure things stay bad by not tackling the real problems.
Seeking political solutions is actually a lot closer to home than you think as well - within politics/economics; so, seeking better standards locally for yourselves, can actually help resolve the problems with politics/economics, that help keep Africa as it is as well.