NationStates Jolt Archive

So the other day I was pottering around the house when the doorbell goes, and it turns out to be a charity fella. I listen to his spiel, consider it a worthy cause and, since I'm currently lacking in funds, ask him to put me down for future consideration. All well and good, and I go about my business.

A few days after that, I'm wandering down the precinct, as one does, and a very nice girl from another charity catches me and we have a very nice chat about gorillas, and how there aren't many left, and how this is a bad thing. Unfortunately I'm still lacking in funds, so I get details from her about how to register myself at a later date.

Today I again amble through the shopping precinct, and a Greenpeace fella calls to me. Unfortunately for Greenpeace I'm in something of a rush today, and can't spare him the time, so with my sincere apologies and the promise to continue riding my bike everywhere as a favour to him, I go on my merry way.

The point to all this is this; I've been thinking about charities, as there seem to be rather a lot of them these days. I can't recall how many times in total I've been hallooed in the street by various well-meaning people, and my parents receive vast amounts of post from charities - many of which they are members of, many of which are hoping they will become members.

In the past, I've tended to dismiss most charities as generally well meaning, but fairly pointless, but lately I've been exploring alternate thought paths; could it be that, far from being a bunch of whiners, nitpicking over the smallest of wrongs in the world, the vast numbers of charities and organisations designed to solve the worlds problems, whether big or small, is more a reflection on how screwed up the world is at the moment?

After all, if there are so many charities trying to get so many things done, does that not mean that there are at least that number of problems which are serious enough to a) attract attention and b) encourage people to feel strongly enough about it that they are compelled to take such drastic action.

So what does NS Gen think? Are these charities a reflection of just how many problems the world has? Or is the problem simply an overabundance of whiners?

or perhaps a reflection of the number of people who are well off enough to devote some time to charity

I couldn't disagree with you more. Yes it means people feel strongly about things, but it doesn't mean everything is messed up or ruined. As another poster commented it means that people have the time and money to voluntarily help out their fellow man/beast/plants w/e. But also, I think that there are more efficient ways to get things done than government. Charities can get things done more efficiently in alot of cases than the government could, or where it would be inappropriate for the government to spend public funds. In other words, its all cool.

It is a result of the near-death of postmodernism. The grassroot is interested again.

Another symptom is the upsurge in religion, extremism, opinions, patriotism, etc

I couldn't disagree with you more. Yes it means people feel strongly about things, but it doesn't mean everything is messed up or ruined. As another poster commented it means that people have the time and money to voluntarily help out their fellow man/beast/plants w/e. But also, I think that there are more efficient ways to get things done than government. Charities can get things done more efficiently in alot of cases than the government could, or where it would be inappropriate for the government to spend public funds. In other words, its all cool.

Sorry, I should've said that what's in the OP isn't actually my final opinion - that was merely some of my musings. I did also wonder whether it was more a case of actually things have always been this messed up, we're just noticing it more now.

I'm also not saying that the world is, possibly at least, totally screwed up - just quite a lot - enough to warrant all the many charities and organisations there are in the world.

Sorry, my bad :) Consider this a minor extension to the OP.

I like raffles and tombola's :)

mostly because I always win something...

I like raffles and tombola's :)

mostly because I always win something...

I feel I have to thank you CtP - that post was so beautifully inane that it all but brought a tear of joy to my eye :)

My heartfelt thanks good sir, for bringing a touch of sunlight to this thread.

It shows how screwed up the world is, but more importantly, it shows how many people are aware of this and aren't happy as a result.

It's prob more to do with the time of year. People are more likely to donate during the Xmas season, and the charities know this. Hence the apparent proliferation of them around December.

I can't recall how many times in total I've been hallooed in the street by various well-meaning people,...Come to the US, where you will be accosted in the street by no well-meaning person.