The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled out a heart stopping victory at Sunday's Super Bowl in Tampa. And in Anytown USA a man died of cancer because he couldn't afford treatment. Over 140 million Americans watched the game on TV. And a 3 year old girl in Africa took her last breath because there was no food for her to eat. Tampa Bay area businesses will see a 3 to 4 hundred million dollar boost from having the Super Bowl played in their city. And a 70 year old man who had his brains scrambled from a land mine in Vietnam stands under a bridge, warming himself at a burning barrel of trash desperately trying to ignore the pangs of hunger cursing through his weakened body.
I don't have anything against professional sports or those who have benefited from them. Hey, I watched the game myself. Well, most of it. But something about it felt wrong. It's the same thing that always pops up when ever I think about the world of professional sports or any indulgences of the fortunate of our world. Are we so selfish that having professional sports leagues with obscenely high paid athletes is more important than ensuring our fellow human beings do not die from hunger?
I went surfing around about the subject and there is no shortage of defenders of the status quo. But they mostly amount to arguing why efforts to feed the hungry won't work and never over whether they should be fed. You hear things like "political issues often prevent food from reaching those who need it." If that's true then why do 35.5 million people right here in the United States experience hunger? What's really ironic is that I'm positive that a number of these hungry Americans sat in front of their TV and cheered their team on just like everybody else. Except they weren't eating pizza and beer. No, they were eating... uh... well... nothing.
My point is not whether we should continue things like sporting events. But rather to call on us all to consider just how far should we allow our self indulgences to go. How far in light of the need of our fellow human beings. We, the fortunate of the world spend a heck of a lot of money on things like sports, entertainment, and yes, on food that too often is needlessly wasted. I'm sorry but this reveals a society that is bereft of morality and compassion. For the fortunate few of us on this planet to continue to so obscenely indulge our lust and sloth while so many suffer in stark poverty represents some pretty screwed up priorities if you ask me.
I predict that one day in the distant future mankind will look back at these times with disgust and shame. It will be the way we look back at slavery now. For allowing our fellow human beings to continue to suffer in poverty is no better than it was when we allowed slavery. Poverty is a blight on humanity the stain of which is indelibly etched into the minds of those who have suffered it. It is the ultimate wrong and should be the highest priority of that which we must overcome.
*************
Devin Barber, Politics Correspondent
Devin's column, "Left Of The Right" published weekly or more to Gather Essentials: Politics is a Blue Collar Democrats take on current political news.
Devin was raised by proud Roosevelt Democrats. Being the son of parents counted among the throng of Americans displaced by the Great Depression has given Devin a deep rooted passion for causes dealing with the poor and the working class.
You can find all of Devin's columns at http://gather.com/leftoftheright
You can keep up with Devin's postings and his Gather activity by joining his Gather network. Just click here: http://kiwina58.gather.com and then select the orange "Connect" button on the left-hand side of the page.
You can find Devin and other Political Correspondents, plus celebrity content and plenty of other politics experts at Politics.gather.com.
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Comments: 78
Someone poor died of hunger.
There'll be millions more that will die in the next few months.
Why then were they born???
Maybe your right, but neverhteless I'll never shut up about it.
Nothing?
Folks always will have sex, and the result of that act will usually be children.
As there are around 6 billion folks on the Earth now, and with more being born every minute, I guess that feeling bad about those that die is a good idea. However helping them may just be worse idea, for then there will just be more.
Both issues have a place in our society. One could take your argument to the extreme and say that the captains of business and industry should not be allowed to make the millions that they do while others go without their daily bread.
The real solution is to apply enough resources to eliminate the condition of hunger in the world. I believe this problem can be addressed without denigrating the exploits of owners of professional sport franchises or the players who participate in the system.
At any rate my hat is off to you for bringing the plight of the hungry to the fore front of our collective mind.
Kinda like the new President serving $100 per pound Japanese beef?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/01/drinks-are-on-t.html
Oh, I keep forgetting.......... The standards are different for Democrats.
Good to see you, but like always I'm not getting through to you. I'm not saying we should stop doing things like enjoying a professional football game or $100 a pound Japanese beef. I'm saying we need to remember to do the things necessary to raise our fellow human beings up at the same time.
Where is this village where these boys are and what resources can be brought to bear to eliminate the sewer running through it?
I see many, many people everyday working to better the lives of others. I'm saddened that you don't see the same.
You post doesn't offer any information on what you are specifically doing to combat the problem or what you expect others to do. What are you specific suggestions?
ONE Wall Street firm gave out $18 Billion in bonuses as they were going bankrupt, then they got their $35 Billion government crutch, and Exxon made $45 Billion in profits last year.
Do you really think if Jesus, Gandhi or Mother Theresa had been an American that they would have abandoned their wine drinking, sports watching fun with Homies just to care and minister to the needy?
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Devin, I am so in total agreement with you on this.
Why such a negative tone towrds me? And why the assumption I don't see the work of the countless folks who are working to eliminate poverty? If you had read my column throughout the years you'd know that I've forwarded many suggestions and ideas about how to combat poverty. And I don't "expect" anyone to do anything. But I think you'll agree that not enough is being done otherwise we wouldn't be having this debate at all. All I'm saying is that as we enjoy the indulgences we grant ourselves, I think we need to rethink some of our priorities towards ending the plight of the poor too. It's time to grow up.
It is hard to hear about the latest multimillion dollar contract being written for a rising sports star when you're struggling just to make ends meet. And no one seems to connect the dots between a team built of those multimillion dollar atheletes and the exorbitant ticket prices for their games! Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, et al made a comfortable living, but nowhere near (even adjusting for inflation) what atheletes make today!
I think Devin's point is valid; I'd happily give up my little luxuries in order to ensure that someone else had enough to eat. "Live simply, so that others may simply live".
So, what do you do on a national basis? Should it be done on a national basis? You forcefully take money away from someone using the force of government to give it to someone else?
I don't know what we can do. You have to do it individually, research your charities, and monitor them.
My cousin is an optician and volunteers through the Lions Clubs and goes to Central America and fits glasses donated from Americans. That works. My church has a sister parish in Vladistovok Russia, and works through them. You gotta stay close to your charity. Giving tons of aid as a national policy may not always be the right choice.
Than do it.
Don't expect someone else to do it or someone else to pay for it.
DO IT.
Every county in America has a food shelf. DO IT. Every church of every faith has some sort of program to help the needy. DO IT.
You gotta pick your cause and stay focused. You can't be everything to everybody. Don't expect the government to do it. But you gotta do it.
The USA usually gives more in aid and equipment that any country in the world when a major disaster hits. We are the most giving country in the world.
We also cherish freedom, so they countries that have fewer freedoms usually don't like us. Or free people who hate freedom don't like us also.
Another example is when Dale Earhardt was killed "doing exactly what he wanted to do", you would have thought the entire south had gone into mourning. That same weekend seven young Marines, whose families lived in sub-standard housing, and survived only by the aid of Food Stamps, were killed in a training exercise off of Hawaii. Can anyone remember THEIR names!!???
I searched your gather profile for the articles you describe but couldn't find them. Can you please post the links or gather mail them to me?
I would be very interested in reading them.
I've written over 180 articles here at Gather and it would take weeks to gleen through all of them to find each idea I may have had. Here is my best idea though. Republicans are always going on about "redistribution of wealth." My idea is that perhaps the original distribution of wealth be a little fairer than it is. Most of the ideas I have are not original though, like requiring employers to pay a "living wage." I could go on but I think you get the point.
The motivation here is to get people who normally don't think about this issue to start.
Keeping the population from ballooning is also needed. The news has been good, at least sort of, as fertility is down. Education of women is a big driver of smaller families--educated women have more options and more knowledge.
It sounds good and makes good talk, but no matter what "fair living wages" are, a company will have to raise it's price due to increase costs and sellers will know more people have money in their pockets.
I think Devin's point is that we as individuals don't think twice about throwing down money for entertainment, but we bitch and moan about "nobody does anything" about real social issues. Nobody is saying we all need to become monks. But I think the point is if you sacrificed some little thing and instead funneled that money into a worthy cause, you yourself could make a positive change in another person's life.
It's about doing things in moderation. You want to buy a jersey for your favorite team? Nobody is saying that is bad. Buying six different styles of jerseys, four hats, seven pennants, a bumper sticker, a jacket, a t-shirt, and a autographed photo? Maybe scale back and think about better ways to use that money.
Here's a way you can have your cake and eat it to.
Kiva.org allows you to issue micro-loans to small businesses in developing nations. These micro-loans help people in impoverished areas run their own business, feeding their families and providing jobs in their communities. When the loan is repaid, the money is redeposited to your Kiva account. You can then reloan it or withdraw it.
So before going out and buying a special collector's edition whatever, loan the money first. And when it is repaid, withdraw it and then buy yourself something.
The laws of supply and demand would prevent this from getting too out of hand. Markets only sustain a certain price. Eventually, you hit a point where you can't simply increase costs because you gave an employee a raise. Instead of raising costs, you would end up with more pay equity between the highest and lowest employee. So instead of paying your cashier $5.00 and hour and your CEO $100,000,000 a year, maybe the cashiers get $10 hour and the CEO only gets 14,000,000 year. Or whatever.
The current system allows for wealth to accumulate among 1% of the population. It doesn't "trickle down". It consolidates. Requiring fair wages prevents wealth from consolidating in one place.
(and said it well)
Why are there so many people who seem to bend over backwards rationalizing the current crazy CEO pay ???
When I think of football stars then I am proud to know that our star players in the Tampa Bay area contribute greatly to our community. One player in particular stands out who builds a new home incl all kitchen appliances and furniture for Habitat of Humanity. Another donates regularly and everyone of them is involved in charity events - they do their part.
No, I didn't miss the point you were attempting to make. While I am tempted to agree with Spartan's comment about Rome burning while they enjoyed the games at the museum.
I do not see it in the world of football, but in the world of American politicians. Not only do they not pay their taxes, but I can't remember the last time one of them built a house for a needy family like our players do on a regular basis.
They donate to local schools and children's homes collectively and on their own. One of the players says he gives back, because he always remembers how his mom struggled to raise five kids by herself.
This was an incredibly well written article, but I am sorry to say you missed the mark. I also know about Bank of America, one of the sponsors who had already committed to spending plenty. They and other businesses set up a gorgeous, extravagant football experience, cost in the millions - a free event for the community, that will remain in the city park.
BOA was called on it and said in it's defense that it collected X amount of new account and credit card applications - a business - marketing strategy.
You can see this is an endless ripple effect, but as much as I hate Bank of America they have a point, they need to do what they can to stay in business if possible. Still our banking system might totally collapse, but that is another story.
There were no suggestions or solutions offered in your article, but I would say that our players as well as the football league do their share and that is all one can expect.
But when I was reading and you mentioned that there might be some in the US who were sitting there watching the football game and starving, that brought to mind how some people here in the US wait for help from the government rather than helping themselves.
I had an online conversation with someone the other day who is on the verge of losing "everything". When I suggested that she sell 2 of her 3 TVs and 1 of her 3 cars, plus even selling off her fancy living room furniture, she thought I was nuts. Instead, she is hoping that she and her husband get that $1,000 promised - and real quickly.
UNLESS! The government forces prices on manufacturers!
When will you liberals ever stop blaming america for poverty. Now the working man in america is told by you a socialist liberal, that if you enjoy a football game, you are a self-indulgent selfish person.
Government according to a leftist should be able to let the tax paying people know what self-indulgent activities they will be allowed to enjoy.
My fellow Americans read this:
Americans you are the most generous, giving, caring people in the world, never forget that. And when the liberal tells you are bereft of morality and compassion for enjoying a football game. I would suggest that these kings of compassion to stop reading the works of------ Lenin-Marx-Castro-Chavez- and let us not forget-President Obama's good friend
Terrorist Bill Ayers and his terrorist anti- american wife Bernadine Dorn.
Devin, it was a great game my morally compassionate family and friends had a great time.
I applaud your conscientiousness, but please know that my article was not aimed at folks who always remember to do what ever they can for those less fortunate. And again folks I am not denigrating professional sports or someone who becomes successful enough to afford a million dollar house. I'm saying that if that is all there is for you, then perhaps you need to review your priorities.
We must accept that each generation has a responsibility to history. A responsibility to do all they can during their time here to improve our world. To take it to the next step in it's evolution. Perhaps we won't eliminate poverty in our time. But if we don't try we'll have shirked our duty to our ancestors and our descendants.
And there is Rich Kaye and his obligatory “I’ve got mine, so to hell with everyone else” rant. How refreshing Rich. I wish you would at least come up with a new way of saying nothing.
This statement as it stands alone seems to be a very positive one. But when GOPs use it as an answer to someone calling for more to be done about poverty it sounds bizarre. Even if the statement is true, what does that have to do with the fact that not enough is being done? Just the fact the GOPs assume I'm talking about just America reveals just how limited thier sphere of understanding is.
What happened, Devin, where did the money go?- it failed and still failing. Maybe someday the liberal mindset will change and be honest enough to admit that the great liberal welfare program has absolutely failed-Trillions of dollars wasted on failed policy. Devin, the needy have been given trillions of our money- they got theirs, no!. Devin, people like you should at least come up with a new way of wasting our money.
The Great Society Program. A disaster. But you had good intentions so that's all that matters. Devin, to keep telling people that these failed welfare programs are what is needed to help them is self-indulgent and morally wrong and shows a total lack of compassion for these victims of the liberal socialist failed idea of Utopia.
Yours is a defeatist attitude and I'll have nothing to do with it. Considering Nixon shut down the Great Society Program before it got off the ground, I think how effective it could have been is debatable. And your assumption that I advocate give away policies is also false because I do not. I advocate adequately compensated jobs for those who can work and compensation for those who cannot that respects their humanity.
Right here at Gather I know a former police officer that suffered an injury that left him in a wheel chair, barely able to feed and dress him self. But because the accident occured off duty he has to survive on nothing but Social Security Disability. Don't you think this guy deserves some self respect? Why should he have to spend the rest of his life eeking out a minimum existence because of circumstances beyond his control?
OK fine, maybe these ideals are too lofty for you. Maybe these issues seem so insurmountable to you they appear hopeless.
But not to me...
S-chips program aid to uninsured children just expanded at the tax payers expense to include 30 year old adults "absurd". Metaphor for the liberal mentality, when that druggie got his check from the working class American, where did it go?- to a drug dealer.
What the liberal spread the wealth socialist never stops to think is how unfair it is to take a mans wages and just piss-it away in the Trillions to druggies, criminals, condoms, abortion groups, ACLU, Acorn, and the rest of the liberal Leach groups in order to keep this failed welfare state going.
What really gets me is that these same liberals of compassion think nothing of cutting off all funds for a group like boy scouts. girl scouts, or strip catholic charities of any funds if they do not support killing babies.
Americans like me want to be charitable and we are, but we also want accountability to where did all the trillions go and end the failed programs 50 years and more of these programs. Devin, to blame Nixon, C'MON- THESE PROGRAMS ARE MANDATED, they are the law. Please!!
And... you're saying everyone who receives SSD is an undeserving bum? And uh... the ACLU and ACORN do not receive government money. They operate on donations from the private sector so I'm not sure what your talking about.
micky d.
I can only assume that you are a cold blooded, heartless Redneck who is so limited in his thinking that he is incapable of true compassion for his fellow human beings. So small in his understanding that he actually believes that in order for the less fortunate to be treated fairer means he has to be treated unfairly. It's not you against them micky. It's all of us for everybody. I'm so sorry you don't get that...
1. NOBODY said to stop watching football
2. NOBODY said to stop entertaining yourselves
3. NOBODY said anything about taxes, hand-outs, socialism, or anything
4. The question was that maybe if folks spent a little bit less on entertainment and instead put that money into helping others it would make a world of difference.
That doesn't mean redistribution of wealth. It means instead of buying the $100 collector's edition of Wrath of the Liche King you buy the normal version and donate the difference to a local food bank. It means instead of buying a 60" flat screen maybe you get a 55" and support something like Operation Backpack to help homeless children with school supplies.
From your lips to the worlds ears...
Devin, as usual you completely miss the obvious point I was making. There are millions of people getting a welfare check. disability check, food stamps, etc. etc. who should not be getting it- throw them of the backs of the working people, that would be the fair thing to do.
ACLU GETS NO TAXPAYER MONEY-WOW!**** Acorn was just given 4 billion in the Obama pork bill, Obama steered millions their way when he was a senator in Chicago.
Devin, get with it. Julia, Devin, stay out of my bussiness.
following observation several years ago and it bears great Significance
today:
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the rich out of
freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must
work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything
the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the
people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other
half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea
that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what
they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation."
"You cannot multiply the wealth by dividing it."
So, in your opinion, it is OK to use your hatred of Obama and Acord as an excuse to not take some initiative and help others. Tell us, what was the last thing YOU DID to make the world a better place? Do you volunteer at homeless shelters? Do you volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters? Do you collect old clothes and toys for impoverished children? Collect canned goods for the food bank?
You keep bitching about Obama. Devin's post was NOT ABOUT OBAMA. It was about us as human beings. Damnit, woman, stop being willfully stupid. You are the type of person that would stand by and do nothing while a human being lay dying in the middle of the street two feet away from you, and then bitch that Obama didn't have enough ambulances available because he was palling around with ACORN. You represent the very self-centered, passive, lazy attitude that you profess to hate so much.
Maybe your real problem is self-loathing, and you are projecting on others because you don't have the guts to look in the mirror.
If any of you had even the slightest idea about what I write about I might be inclined to debate you in a serious manner. But you've lumped me in with every single negative cliche ever uttered about anyone on the Left. This reveals a laziness on your part to actually try to get to know who "I" really am. Rich asks if I believe half of Americans aren't capable of supporting them selves. What an idiotic question, of course I don't believe that. Sure, there are some fakers collecting disability, but the vast majority are receiving it legitimately. For you miscreants to acknowledge that some people need to be taken care of and then treat the issue as if everyone getting SSD is a freeloading bum is what's hypocritical. The reality is that there are I believe around 8 million people collecting SSD. That's only one in fifty so we're actually not talking about a whole hell of a lot of people. And as far as the issue of unemployed or underpaid workers, my solution is not higher taxes. My answer is fairer compensation by employers and more incentives (like tax savings) for employers to employ more workers, not fewer. And as far as taxation it self is concerned. If you actually read my articles you'd know that I don't advocate higher taxes (although I believe the top 10 percent should be paying more) as much as I argue for smarter government. I happen to believe we could do a lot more with the money we have if we would just be smarter about it. You are going to see that with Obama like we saw it with Bill Clinton. Say what you want about the man. But when he was President our Federal government actually shrank for the first time in history. The projected surplus he left us with was more about smart government than it was about high taxes.
The reality is that your comments are moot because you've obviously judged me long before you read, ..skimmed my articles.
Any what does that have to do with YOU, as a citizen and human being, taking it upon yourself to do something positive?
Bitching about Obama, Biden, Devin, or the Easter Bunny does not remove your responsibility as a human being to once in a while pull your head out of your ass, look around and say "What can I DO to help someone today?" The poor behavior of one person does not justify the poor behavior of another. You can bitch and moan about anyone you want as much as you want. NONE OF THAT relinquishes you from your responsibility to your fellow human beings.
If each person that could make it their person goal to help one other person, image the real change that could take place.
Whether you think Devin is a fraud or not is not relevant to the point. I think the Pope is a fraud, but when a co-worker's local church is holding a fundraiser to help the homeless I still donate. I don't say "What a sham. Tell the Pope to sell some of that gold in the Vatican" or start flipping out about pedophile priests.
So tell me, Rich, what do YOU DO to try to make the world a better place?
So you do nothing. Good for you. Keep your house tidy while the city burns around you. Maybe the fact that you sweep your own floors will keep the fires from consuming you, too.
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
But trying to communicate with Rich is pointless. His ability to color anything we on the Left say or believe the way he WANTS to see it is absolute. For folks like him, making a sincere effort to truly understand another person's point of view is seen as a sign of weakness. Unless of course if it comes from Faux Noise.
Strike a nerve there did I Richie Poo...
This particular "fat, lazy oaf" holds a full time job, runs a small business, owns her own home, two cars, and pays all of her bills and takes care of herself. The difference between you and me seems to be that I still find time, in all of that, to ALSO think about other people and support charities and try to do something to help others.
I suppose it is easy for you to hide behind your little generic icon with your little fake name, pretending to be so vary together and better than everyone. But while folks like Devin and I have courage to show our faces and back up our words with actions, you are really just another anonymous troll with a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease.
Then when the eventual line dividing the debate between left and right developes, you galvanize your biases with statements that begin with "Even if the statement is true, what does that have to do with the fact...." Facts ???? You skip over truth and use 'facts' to wallow in the polemic.
I think you missed my point. The point is that if I see someone doing something locally that is good for the community, I support that effort instead of using some far-reaching excuse not to. Why would I let my personal feelings about the Pope, as an example, be used as an excuse not to support a local homeless shelter that happens to be ran by a local church? My point was instead of using personal animousity as an excuse to not do good, we should do good in spite of it.
believe that I got your point perfectly. Your personal feelings about the Pope and your lecturing the masses of their responsiblities to their fellow man were 1st and foremost over actually giving to that charity. I see much more condescension than charity.