Which of these places would you rather donate your money?

[DownWithTheLeft]

Say you realized that after you crunched your numbers, you had $5,000 to donate to a charity (realistic in my opinion for a lot of people).  Given the choice between helping out those struggling in your community or a town/city nearby and sending the money to "Save Darfur", which would you do?  I think the answer is obvious but I would like to see arguments both ways.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I'd donate it to local charity.

If I had a substantial amount of money, I'd probably go to Darfur and help.

I know you really don't care about Darfur, DWTL, but what is going on there is pretty atrocious.  Do you really enjoy knowing that people are suffering and opposing doing anything about it or do you just look for a rise out of others?

One is sadistic and the other is just foolish.

[Хahar 🤔]

I'd donate it to local charity.

If I had a substantial amount of money, I'd probably go to Darfur and help.

[Speed of Sound]

I would split it because both are equally as important. A human is a human, and they all need help, no matter how close I live to them.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I would split it because both are equally as important. A human is a human, and they all need help, no matter how close I live to them.

[Lief 🗽]

Darfur. I think my money would do more good there, where it could easily buy food, water, and medicine as a short-term solution for the millions of refugees. Meanwhile, poverty in the United States is more a problem of infrastructure and policy, that can only be changed by the government.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I'd donate it to local charity.

If I had a substantial amount of money, I'd probably go to Darfur and help.

I know you really don't care about Darfur, DWTL, but what is going on there is pretty atrocious.  Do you really enjoy knowing that people are suffering and opposing doing anything about it or do you just look for a rise out of others?

Its more of the idea of prioritizing, why are we trying to help people overseas when there are plenty who could use our help here?  It is the same principle of me objecting to these celebrities who go overseas and adopt children, lots of American children could use a good loving home.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I'd donate it to local charity.

If I had a substantial amount of money, I'd probably go to Darfur and help.

I know you really don't care about Darfur, DWTL, but what is going on there is pretty atrocious.  Do you really enjoy knowing that people are suffering and opposing doing anything about it or do you just look for a rise out of others?

Its more of the idea of prioritizing, why are we trying to help people overseas when there are plenty who could use our help here?  It is the same principle of me objecting to these celebrities who go overseas and adopt children, lots of American children could use a good loving home.

I don't buy that for one minute.

If you had a real concern to help those in need in the U.S., you wouldn't have the stances that you have on taxes and welfare.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that charity exploits those willing to donate while cheap people get away without paying a penny.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I'd donate it to local charity.

If I had a substantial amount of money, I'd probably go to Darfur and help.

I know you really don't care about Darfur, DWTL, but what is going on there is pretty atrocious.  Do you really enjoy knowing that people are suffering and opposing doing anything about it or do you just look for a rise out of others?

Its more of the idea of prioritizing, why are we trying to help people overseas when there are plenty who could use our help here?  It is the same principle of me objecting to these celebrities who go overseas and adopt children, lots of American children could use a good loving home.

I don't buy that for one minute.

If you had a real concern to help those in need in the U.S., you wouldn't have the stances that you have on taxes and welfare.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that charity exploits those willing to donate while cheap people get away without paying a penny.

My real concern is cutting taxes so people can give money to those who need it and not funding the war and failing and corrupt social programs.  Do you really think money you give to Darfur is doing anything but going to funding terrorism by the government of that country?

[Ban my account ffs!]

I wasn't aware that I was donating money to the government of Sudan who support the Muslim radicals that rape and pillage the villagers of the Darfur region.

Lowering taxes will not "free up" these vast sums of money that you speak of.  The only ones paying substantial amounts of taxes are those that can already afford to donate to private charity anyway.

I can safely say this coming from a "high tax" state.

[Ebowed]

I don't understand why you hate Darfur, Down.  What's going on there is a genocide.

You probably would have been one of those people who thought Rwanda was in the state of "civil strife" when 500,000+ people were slaughtered, mostly with machettes.

[Jake]

I hold that my money is less likely to be misappropriated by the local soup kitchen run for the homeless and seniors than a multi-national aid agency operating in a lawless area. Darfur is certainly a problem, but one that needs a political/diplomatic solution, preferably one that involves the "castrating" of the Sudanese government and their allies's ability to wage war.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I hold that my money is less likely to be misappropriated by the local soup kitchen run for the homeless and seniors than a multi-national aid agency operating in a lawless area. Darfur is certainly a problem, but one that needs a political/diplomatic solution, preferably one that involves the "castrating" of the Sudanese government and their allies's ability to wage war.

And unfortunately that is not what Ron Paul and the "OMG... ME@!!!!@!@11`3r" crowd will want so seek out if they come into power.

I'm glad to see a Republican in this thread making some sense.

[dead0man]

If we really wanted to help the people in Darfur we would be petitioning our govt to send the military there.  The only way life is ever going to get better there is if regime change happens.

[Ban my account ffs!]

If we really wanted to help the people in Darfur we would be petitioning our govt to send the military there.  The only way life is ever going to get better there is if regime change happens.

This is a situation where we could use our military to really make the world a better place for the sake of making the world a better place.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Local.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I don't understand why you hate Darfur, Down.  What's going on there is a genocide.

You probably would have been one of those people who thought Rwanda was in the state of "civil strife" when 500,000+ people were slaughtered, mostly with machettes.

I don't hate Darfur and I despise what is going on there, however, I don't think we should be the ones trying to help them or give money there.  There are plenty of other countries that could help.  Also, there are soooooooo many problems at home we need to fix that people don't pay attention to because they are not as glamorous as "Save Darfur"

[Ban my account ffs!]

I don't understand why you hate Darfur, Down.  What's going on there is a genocide.

You probably would have been one of those people who thought Rwanda was in the state of "civil strife" when 500,000+ people were slaughtered, mostly with machettes.

I don't hate Darfur and I despise what is going on there, however, I don't think we should be the ones trying to help them or give money there.  There are plenty of other countries that could help.  Also, there are soooooooo many problems at home we need to fix that people don't pay attention to because they are not as glamorous as "Save Darfur"

"Save Darfur" obviously isn't that glamorous because we have done little as a nation to help them out.

Our government continues to ignore our own problems at home as well as those abroad that wouldn't give us a profitable return on the investment.

Does the fact that liberal celebrities are promoting and encouraging donations for Darfur have anything to do with your opposition to helping them?

[Dr. Cynic]

Who's to say I haven't already donated to both?

[DownWithTheLeft]

I don't understand why you hate Darfur, Down.  What's going on there is a genocide.

You probably would have been one of those people who thought Rwanda was in the state of "civil strife" when 500,000+ people were slaughtered, mostly with machettes.

I don't hate Darfur and I despise what is going on there, however, I don't think we should be the ones trying to help them or give money there.  There are plenty of other countries that could help.  Also, there are soooooooo many problems at home we need to fix that people don't pay attention to because they are not as glamorous as "Save Darfur"

"Save Darfur" obviously isn't that glamorous because we have done little as a nation to help them out.

Our government continues to ignore our own problems at home as well as those abroad that wouldn't give us a profitable return on the investment.

Does the fact that liberal celebrities are promoting and encouraging donations for Darfur have anything to do with your opposition to helping them?

It has nothing to do with celebrities directly.  It has to do with society not caring about the true problems facing us and trying to fix those glamorized by the media.  Helping Darfur is seen as the hip thing while donating to the local homeless provides no excitement.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I agree to some extent.  But going against the grain here isn't helping anyone.

And keep this in mind:  It's very easy to volunteer at soup kitchens, etc.  Give it a try, it's pretty fun and quite rewarding.  You certainly meet some interesting people.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I agree to some extent.  But going against the grain here isn't helping anyone.

And keep this in mind:  It's very easy to volunteer at soup kitchens, etc.  Give it a try, it's pretty fun and quite rewarding.  You certainly meet some interesting people.

Why do you think I don't donate my times at places like this?  I donate whatever time and money I can find into helping youth programs (i.e. coaching rec sports) and local charities.  Despite what many may think, I believe what I say and practice what I preach

[Gustaf]

I donate money to Medicins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders?) and I also buy Situation Stockholm, which gives money to homeless people here in Stockholm. I do believe there is a fundamental difference between the duty I have towards citizens of my own country and the moral reasons for supporting those abroad. In other words, I think one must help out at home and should help out abroad.

[Person Man]

I donate money to Medicins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders?) and I also buy Situation Stockholm, which gives money to homeless people here in Stockholm. I do believe there is a fundamental difference between the duty I have towards citizens of my own country and the moral reasons for supporting those abroad. In other words, I think one must help out at home and should help out abroad.

Sounds Reasonable. Also, money at home would go A LOT farther...though, when I think of charity, that Thanksgiving SP episode makes me think of Java the Hut. Though I will give to poor strangers asking for money. I once gave $5 to a homeless man and his wife from N.O. when I was in the middle of Colorado Springs at a gourmet food deli when none of the fundies would help them.