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jimk
06 Feb 10 23:00
Joined:
Date Joined: 17 Feb 03
| Topic/replies: 327 | Blogger: jimk's blog
I googled it but couldn't find an answer.

Anyway, I just had a conversation/argument with my mother...

Mother 'Isn't it sad that all those Haitian people died in that earthquake?'. Me 'No'. Mother 'OF COURSE IT IS YOU INSENSITIVE**'. Me 'Haven't you just been on holiday for two weeks?'. Mother 'Yes'. Me 'Assuming it cost you about a grand, you could have fed ten starving African kids for a year and helped them to enjoy their currently unbearable lives'. Mother 'Don't be stupid, I worked hard for that money!'

At least I'm honest (scientifically minded). I don't care about people I don't know. If I had the choice of a million quid and a million people get killed, or carry on as normal, I'd take the million in a flash. I'm not completely insensitive, but I always put myself first. It's only natural and we're only mildly intelligent (I can't say just intellegent as 90% of the World's population still believe in a higher power, aka god... which makes us pathetic and a wee bit crazy).

What are your thoughts on this matter?

And for future arguments sake, how much does it cost to keep a poor person alive?
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Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:01 PM GMT
In England about 30k apparently
Report mitchell downie • February 6, 2010 11:02 PM GMT
I'm different. Laid a horse for £200 the other week and it died. I'd rather have lost my money.
Report u want some • February 6, 2010 11:03 PM GMT
You see i would of been glad mitchell
Report JOMO • February 6, 2010 11:03 PM GMT
You can buy own brand noodles for about 8p a pack I, however, only buy superioe brand noodles such as Sharwoods. Large packs of Pasta can also be purchased for 24p. I would suggest this could sustain a person for two days, ergo 84p per week. However they would require extra nutritional input. Also they burn more calories crying due to the ridicule they are put through due to not buying superior brands of noodle
Report mitchell downie • February 6, 2010 11:03 PM GMT
not being sanctimonious, it's a fact.
Report Andy Murray • February 6, 2010 11:04 PM GMT
of course its sad to see innocent people die

i hate it when people say "isnt it sad" cos i always think, im not going to say no am i :s

yet you did, so i guess that line of questioning is reasonable
Report jimk • February 6, 2010 11:04 PM GMT
Fair enough Mitchell.

I'm interested in all interpretations.

Interestingly, are you a vegetarian?

Serious question.
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:04 PM GMT
Jim- look at it another way. 1 Million people lined up to be killed. Dr No offers you 1 million quid but if you refuse it he wont kill them. Is that ok.Or does Dr No know you only to well
Report mitchell downie • February 6, 2010 11:06 PM GMT
no, I'm not a vegetarian, not eaten chicken for 5 years though, although it's delicious. I try and research before I eat meat, not that I eat a lot.
Report jimk • February 6, 2010 11:15 PM GMT
Murray, my thoughts exactly.

Dobbo, if they were lined up in front of me and I could see their eyes, I probably wouldn't be able to do it... but only because the thought would stay with me.

Mitchell, you could probably spare 500 animals over your lifetime and this is quite avoidable, yet you wouldn't let a horse die for your own gain. Is it because you think a horse is a superior animal, you just like them, or because your thoughts are influenced by other people (programmed at a young age)? ... Or a completely different reason?

I am actually fascinated by your thoughts on this matter, so keep them coming.

Thanks.
Report Phil Lynott • February 6, 2010 11:16 PM GMT
I agree in general, but I'd have to turn down the million pounds in your scenario. No chance I could live with the guilt, whether I knew them or not.
Report u want some • February 6, 2010 11:17 PM GMT
1 million pound would wash away any guilt i had
Report Phil Lynott • February 6, 2010 11:18 PM GMT
You say that but I don't think it would. Not to me anyway. I'd probably have nightmares the rest of my life if I'm being honest.
Report naydam • February 6, 2010 11:20 PM GMT
It depends on your definition of 'keeping alive'. And indeed, alive for how long and in what conditions? I have a figure in the archives of my memory that says the Nazis calculated that a slave worker would be useful for 3 months at 640 calories per day. The figure might even have been 460. Yes, they were that thorough! :-(
Report liamcol • February 6, 2010 11:22 PM GMT
thatchers children all the same, and they couldn't give a fvck about the horse, let's not beat around the bush here.
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:28 PM GMT
You come cheap JMK.germany 1939 - 45 would have suited you
Report jimk • February 6, 2010 11:30 PM GMT
Phil, I understand what you've posted. Us humans have the ability to interpret thoughts, which can overcome natural instinct, which is the reason we exist in such a large quantity.

I think we need to remember that we are only intellegent beasts. In 70 years when when there is twice the current population and even the rich can't feed themselves, this will cause a real World War.

Politics is influenced by today's needs. Investing in the future doesn't gain votes.

Apologies for being a pesimistic bore, but I've had a few pints and I'm feeling philisophical (plus I wan't to put my mother straight!)
Report Big Charlie • February 6, 2010 11:31 PM GMT
As long as none of the million are from my family, tell Dr No to send me the cheque.

I don't do guilt.
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:33 PM GMT
You dont need guilt you need mercy.

Yeah Yeah you dont do that either
Report cunnybobbler • February 6, 2010 11:35 PM GMT
its not sad when people die, people are meant to die. its just the way it is. everybody on the planet will die at some point. you may aswell say its sad all those sperm dont get to live, everytime you have a w@nk.
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:39 PM GMT
Sperm are a very simple life form. I call them cunnybobblers.
Report naydam • February 6, 2010 11:39 PM GMT
It Doesn't???
Report cunnybobbler • February 6, 2010 11:45 PM GMT
you must be a genius then dobbo, my iq is in the top 1%. and yes i know i dont use capital letters or punctuation.
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:46 PM GMT
Its not your punctuation thats troubling. Its your reasoning.
Report jimk • February 6, 2010 11:49 PM GMT
Dobbo, my grandparents came to England after the second war.

They have stories which many English youngsters (I'm only 24) have not heard... shooting babies because they wouldn't stop crying, then telling the inconsolable mother to stop crying otherwise they'd shoot her as well. I've also got a great Uncle (who's now dead) who was locked up in a Russian prison for 12 years and never told why and several other relatives who were burnt alive by German soldiers.

My Nan's life was saved by a German doctor in '45. He was bribed to help with jewellery as he said he would be shot if they found out he'd helped her.

I'm not a Nazi. I'm not racist. I no not dislike German people and in fact I even got stabbed when I protested in the pub at the last World Cup over idiots singing 'there were 10 German bombers in the air'. It was only in the arm and I was ok, but I'm likely to be repeating this venture in the Summer. My Grandparents had an Hungarian lodger living with them a few years after the war ended. I have a massive respect for this. Racism is a natural influence, yet from another more humane perspective, they overcame it.
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:49 PM GMT
Its the Henry Ford philosophy. History is**.
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:49 PM GMT
s punk
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:51 PM GMT
No wonder your mother is horrified.
Report Dobbo • February 6, 2010 11:52 PM GMT
But my guess is you would not really take the million
Report McChicken_Sandwich • February 6, 2010 11:53 PM GMT
At least I'm honest (scientifically minded). I don't care about people I don't know. If I had the choice of a million quid and a million people get killed, or carry on as normal, I'd take the million in a flash.

So you take the option of killing a million people...

Going to have some trouble sleeping at night, I think.
Report armchair jockey wilson!! • February 6, 2010 11:53 PM GMT
how do you define a "poor person?".........gordon brown is a "poor excuse for a person"...does that count?.......or are we talking a down on his ar5e haitian with only his counterfeit watches to sustain him?
Report mitchell downie • February 6, 2010 11:55 PM GMT
jimk 07 Feb 00:15
Murray, my thoughts exactly.

Dobbo, if they were lined up in front of me and I could see their eyes, I probably wouldn't be able to do it... but only because the thought would stay with me.

Mitchell, you could probably spare 500 animals over your lifetime and this is quite avoidable, yet you wouldn't let a horse die for your own gain. Is it because you think a horse is a superior animal, you just like them, or because your thoughts are influenced by other people (programmed at a young age)? ... Or a completely different reason?

I am actually fascinated by your thoughts on this matter, so keep them coming.

Thanks.


will do tomorrow, I'm too knackered now.
Report cunnybobbler • February 6, 2010 11:57 PM GMT
billions of people have lived and died, am i meant to have a minutes silence for each one?

im not saying its ok to go out and kill people, and im not saying saying you shouldnt do something to help other people, im just saying its not as big a deal as people make out.

i once watched a news item on starving kids in africa. the girl i was with said it was really sad. i said ok well lets go out now and sell your car and send the proceeds to the charity. noooo im not doing that. why not? whats more important, peoples lives or your car??? umm...my car. well its not that sad then is it...
Report Dobbo • February 7, 2010 12:01 AM GMT
Perhaps a little empathy for the tragedy of humankind rather than writing people off as equal to w ank residue
Report jimk • February 7, 2010 12:07 AM GMT
Interestingly, I've just read my thoughts again.

I started off with my instincts and my last post seemed to adjust into 'human' thinking. Dobbo, your comments have prompted me into noticing this.

It is a difficult situation to comprehend. I am alive because of millions of billions of trillions of freak coincidences, plus factors such as the German doctor I mentioned. I'm alive because someone got bribed. I'm also alive because one million years ago a velocirapta (or however you spell it) turned left instead of right.

hmmm. maybe i would turn down the money, but then again, if no-one would ever find out, maybe i'd take it.
Report Tory Girl • February 7, 2010 12:45 AM GMT
An atheist has faith too just their faith is that there is nothing to have faith in.
Report Max and Paddy • February 7, 2010 12:48 AM GMT
My mum gets the State pension, plus a few quid from other places. I she "a poor person"?
Report thelibertine • February 7, 2010 1:16 AM GMT
jimk, thank feck you are not a political leader/dictator, or you would just keep your grubby mitts on all available money and turn a blind eye to the needy/poor. Your mum doesn't sound like the most logical of people either!
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