Why are you wasting your money on frivolous things when there are children starving in Africa?

Question

You are in the wealthiest country in the world. Poverty is your responsibility. Why are you so selfish that you are allowing others to suffer? Do you care about the people infected with AIDS in Africa? There are children in Ireland who don't have potatoes to wear on their feet. Poverty affects everybody, it's up to you to stop it.
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Answer 1

not to sound offending but ...
why are you bothering about the kids in africa when there are millions of homeless people in your own country?

Answer 2

The world's poverty is not my responsibility and its not the responsibility of my country! My country fought damned hard for the last 230 years to be where it is at. We're still fighting and we have our own problems here that need our attention.

I've got an idea: since you make more money in a single year of touring than I have made in a lifetime by actually contributing to society with back-breaking work, why don't you buy shoes for all those poor Irish kids and pay for condoms and sex education classes for all the Africans spreading AIDS. Don't tell me how to spend my money; I earned it, I'll do with it what I damn well please! If and when I donate my money to somebody else I'll do it out of the goodness of my heart and of my own free will, not because of some idealistic, hippie rockstar living in a fantasy world that 99% of the rest of the world only dreams about, says I should!

Charity is not an obligation; once you make it an obligation it is no longer charity, its socialism. In the history of the world there have only been two types of socialism that have been successful: Communism and Fascism. I'm not a real big fan of either.

Answer 3

I would wonder how much the sunglasses, coat and shoes you are wearing cost. I have to shop at Walmart. My sunglasses came from there as did my shoes and coat. I saved a few dollars too! I drive a beat up car, I can't fly all around the world.

Would you live in a 1200 square foot house that starving children in AMERICA could eat? Would you forego the driver or high status mobile that AMERICANS could have lights and gas? Poverty is universal. It really doesn't matter the location. If I have not the tools, my awareness is only that awareness.
When I went to the free lunch, and got lunch and a bag of staples, I was glad I lived here, but it didn't change my impoverished status. It really left me feeling violated because I put the free food in my trunk and went back to work, where I dont' make enough to buy food for my own family.

I don't mean to impy that it is your fault, but your questions says its up to me to stop it. I am in that group. I never get to leave it and my circumstances are my circumstances. Your celebrity gets you more ability to not only bring awareness btu to also change the situation.

Live simply that others may simply live.

Answer 4

Helping Africans just creates more suffering. Giving them handouts just makes them dependent on western nations to survive which is detrimental in the long term. These people are too stupid to exercise birth control. What kind of idiot has 9 children when they're living in shanties? AIDS in Africa is caused by irresponsible sexual activity. The best thing western nations can do is fly over Africa in cargo planes and drop condoms in every community.

Charity starts at home. I'd rather look after homeless people in my city.

Answer 5

I'm not selfish :) I try to give as much as I can, in line with my own circumstances. I care about the people infected in the motherland. My high school has tried to help end the cycle of poverty...it's one of the ideas our school is based on. My family and I have just bought things from RED that have helped donate money towards the fight of AIDS in Africa.

Answer 6

Are not the products you yourself produce not frivolous things? Do you yourself not encourage people to spend money on frivolous things while there are children starving in Latin America, Africa and Asia? Have you been to parts of Eastern Europe and Russia lately? Seen the conditions that workers in the new economic miracle that is China live and work in. I doubt it. If you had you might realise that the only solution has to be global, entailing a profound change of society and its goals.

I'm sorry, my friend, but you, and people like you, are part of the problem and not part of the solution.

Answer 7

I don't know which character trait is strongest in you...the abhorrently racist and dehumanising one...or the impossibly simple minded and reductionist one.....they're both equally unattractive however and I wish to cease thinking of you any longer, so it is not an issue I shall choose to ponder long. Sounds like you've come up with a right "Final Solution". Here. I have an idea to cure all Africa's ills. How about we get the myriad western mining corporations, pharmaceutical companies, bio fuel growers, arms dealers, animal traffickers and child sex slave traders the hell out of there and let their societies work trhings out for themselves, with the richness of the resources they rightly own, but have never been allowed to benefit from since the fvcking Portuguese first put to sea and began empire building in the 14th Century?

Answer 8

I have children of my own to clothe and feed. What are you doing to ensure that the Children in America are being feed? Selfish I don't think so, We are a one income family barely able to provide for ourselves and we are not selfish. We try to do the best we can for our family and for our own community. Why don't you address this issue with all the wealthy people in the world that have multiple homes, vacation homes, spend thousands of dollars for a dress shoes, etc. Or better yet, with the Governments of these nations that you have proclaimed to be poverty stricken. We need to take care of our own children, elderly, homeless, jobless and anybody else that is in need of help here in America. Then after our country is taken care, then helping out somebody else.You need to walk a mile in our shoes then maybe you will reconsider your question!!

Answer 9

I like to buy nice things for myself. BUT, I also do a lot of volunteer work in Africa for the AIDS orphans. That is how I am helping with poverty in Africa.
There is also poverty in the US too, so I try to help out my country as well by helping victims of natural disasters.
I volunteer my time, not my money.

Answer 10

I personally try not to. And I JUST bought a 'go RED' shirt at the Gap to help fight HIV AIDS in Africa. Though I do hope to do more over the summer(for any country), now I am swamped with schoolwork. Thank you for actually realizing that there are needier people one earth and if we want to survive, we have to help each other out, unlike the millions of ignorants who waste everything without thought.

Answer 11

I agree wholeheartedly. I used to sponsor an African child through Christian Children's Fund, which is supposed to be one of the more reputable charities. I am also a supporter of ONE. However, I have some concerns about donating, since I have heard that donations sometimes don't reach the people that need it most because of violence and corruption in some countries. It's a shame, but true. Thank God for rich and influential people like Bono, Oprah, etc. who are making a difference.