From: chellibean54	Date: July 19th, 2005 10:31 am (UTC)		(Details, Details.)

whoops. I forgot to log in. That comment came from your favorite cousin. ;)

	From: aaronbsam	Date: July 19th, 2005 03:47 pm (UTC)		(Details, Details.)

yeah aaron, you're really exceptional, being a lazy bum and not supporting people trying to make a difference

THEY'RE NOT MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!! That's the whole POINT! I don't support people lying to themselves about making a difference when they're NOT!

instead complaining about their efforts and suggesting they do exactly what you do, NOTHING in an effort.

I am NOT condoning "doing nothing". I'm saying it's better to do nothing and accomplish nothing than buy something and lie about accomplishing something when you've accomplished nothing. Of course it's better to make an actual difference and accomplish something rather than nothing. But I don't really have the time or energy to focus on that right now, so I choose the low road of nothingness.

Well, if we all did nothing unless we were sure we could fix the world without the support of others look where we'd be.

Fine, so raise money and actually make that money DO something. I've got no problem with non-deceitful methods of raising money to make a difference or going somewhere to make the difference yourself. I'm a believer in believing, but I also don't trust pieces of plastic or fabric that are associated with making differences.

is ignorance bliss, aaron?

Yes, it is. Which just goes to prove that your insipid attempts to "bring me down" aren't working.

	From: lurch_e_bean	Date: July 20th, 2005 05:16 pm (UTC)		(Details, Details.)
	How to help? DO NOTHING

Guess what, though I'm sure he'd never get off his lazy ass to look into things that are going on in the world, Aaron is actually doing the right thing for Africa. You don't believe me? Let's ask this Kenyan economist!

Here's why Africa is fucked. The leaders of the countries are completely corrupt and/or inept and fuck over their people any time they can profit from it. By keeping their people fucked over, they can bitch and whine for free handouts from suckers in rich countries. They get their free money and fuck over the people again ad nauseam. It's the whole give a man a fish/teach a man to fish idea here. If you stop giving handouts to their leaders, they start losing a grip on their power. If Africa can get their economies rolling, they'll realize their leaders screwed them and they will be removed, peacefully or otherwise.

Africa has the resources to pull itself out of the shitter. You know where most of the world's diamonds come from? Africa. Exporting to American rappers alone would be a huge boon to Africa if the money was actually used to help people. You know what else Africa has? Oil. Three African nations are in OPEC (Nigeria, Libya, and Algeria). Oil prices have climbed higher then they've ever been this year. How many OPEC countries do you know that are dirt poor? NOT A LOT.

North Korea is bordering on a third world country nowadays. There's a huge energy shortage there, and what little power they have mostly comes from China. So what do you say we all get together and have Bono organize a big music festival and sell retarded wristbands to help the poor North Koreans. We can write out one of those big oversize novelty checks and hand it over to Kim Jong Il directly. Wouldn't that be wonderful? No, it would be retarded. Here's the reason we don't do this:

North Korean allocation of hippie aid
Easing plight of the people:	0.00000000001%
Nuclear weapons program:	99.99999999999%

And it's not like you can't have corrupt/inept leadership AND not live in a third world hell-hole. Just look at us! (on BOTH sides of the party line, I don't want anyone lumping me in with all those damn "Bush is Satan, but Democrats are all saints who piss holy water" morons)

Wow, that was fun! I think this belongs in my Live Journal, too. Away it goes.