A Simple Solution to World Poverty

[Basstrap]

Lately, for some reason, I've been fixated with celebrity society. It goes beyond my hatred of their demi-god status and their being set apart the rest of us this time.

recently I've really been taken by the problem of starvation in Third World countries. And always the first thing that comes to mind is celebrities such as the friends who actually become angry if they get less than a million A SHOW.

A SHOW!!

I don't know, maybe my picture of the world is much too simplistic but I see an easy solution. If all celebrities gave 80%....even just 50%...of their yearly earnings the problem would be nearly anhiliated within the year. Can you imagine the billions that would pour into those countries? it would be beautiful. And the stars would still have plenty left over buy their gold-plated vibrators and diamond encrusted cereal bowls.

We in the west have too much money. It doesn't make sense that people die from something as stupid as no food or no healthcare.




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I'm not living
I'm just killing time

[OzAurora]

Right on Bassy- I too have felt the way you do for so long- it makes me so angry when you hear or read of actors and actresses getting paid something like 10 or 20 million for doing one movie and then because of their celebrity they get so many other things for free and when you hear them say that they really do work hard and the like- hwat a load of crap there is no way to justify the amounts that they get paid when there are so many starving and poor people in the world- in my dreams I have always thought that if I were famous (yeah one day!!!) I would start up an organisation for actors and actresses worldwide where just 5% of their yearly earnings would go towards a chartity set up to distribute financial aid directly to those less fortunate- now even 5% of a lot of these celebrities money would combine to a huge amount and I am sure that this money would only stop them not being able to have Moet at dinner for one week- a small price to pay I think

[Diogenes]

In theory that would be a great idea, but as far as getting people to give up part of their paycheck for someone else. Well that would never work.

Modern times have made it possible to expect something in return for doing a good deed. No one wants to give something for nothing (not really no one, but most do not).

One more thing, where would this method stop? Would the lower-middle class have garnished salaries to pay for the homeless in their own cities? Technically they are "richer" than the social classes below them (I'm completley apposed to social classes, however, they are nessisary for a civilization to run).

Well, I don't really know if that last part made any...logical...ness........

end communication.

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" Can playing a Gibson guitar make you rich and famous? ... how do you define rich and famous? "

-Gibson, pure

[Miss MacPhisto]

Oh hell yeah, Basstrap. I couldnt agree more.
Not a very realistic solution, but it is their responsibility - as well as ours - to do something about this.
Of course, i'm referring to the problem of poverty/lack of healthcare in America and in other rich countries, as well as the more infamous hot spots.

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Look...look what you've done to me...You've made me poor and infamous, and I thank you...

My name is MISS MACPHISTO...I'm tired and i want to go HOME...

"Well you tell...Bonovista,that i said hello and that my codename is Belleview" - Bono before opening night of Anaheim Elevation concert

Well tonight thank God it's them, instead of you...

[Zooropa]

It's not just about the money, its what gets done with it. Unfortunately a large percentage of relief aid never gets to the people who need it. That's the problem thats needs to be fixed.

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Don't let the bastards grind you down.

Zooropa FTP

MSN Messenger: zooropa16@hotmail.com

[Saracene]

I seriously doubt that the world poverty can be fixed as simply as that. As Zooropa said, there's no guarantee that money will get to the people who really need it.

And how do you really decide what do people actually -need- and what is a luxury they can do without? Sure, celebrities are the easy targets, but we all spend unbelievable amounts of money on something we do not actually need. You could similarly argue that if everyone in the Western world just gave up the money they spend on essentially unnecessary stuff, the world poverty would be relieved.

[foray]

Basstrap, you've been reading my mind.

I have been pondering not so much the paychecks of celebs, but the fact that we probably never pay attention to 2/3 the world. Our culture is so very Western-centric, and entertainment-based... we forget that the majority of the world's population doesn't care about celebs, music, art etc. They just want to survive. I wonder if they even ever hope for happiness.

This thinking of mine has been reinforced after watching the Afghanistan movie 'Kandahar' (a semi-documentary). It was heartbreaking to watch a particularly stunning scene where many legless men raced with each other to grab prosthetic limbs thrown down from a Red Cross helicopter.

Times like these I really know how guilty Sulawesigirl feels about her own relative luxury.

Well, those are my thoughts this weekend.

foray

[Basstrap]

Thats the things that bothers me. Worrying about wheather or not it would get to the right people.

If I ever become rich I suppose I would try and see to it personally somehow. Once again, my own naivity may be showing through there.

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I'm not living
I'm just killing time