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Call Veritas and ask for Robert Kilory-Silk. !wicked!

I agree in many ways. I found the whole programme quite obscene. The prog last week about him was good though. But this was just "Look how rich we are people".

Personally if the Beckams want to show off, while giving to charity, then at least its better than showing off, & not giving to charity. As long as somebody, somewhere gets the benefit of their dosh then it's always a good thing. (though a admit all the money they probably donate comes from actual 'interest' they've gained over the year rather than touching their capital wealth!)

The real reasons why transport & the NHS is underfunded these days is our own faults. Basically we like to live as long as we can. Lots of waiting lists are full of people waiting for operations that the NHS would have refused in the 70's & 80's. These days, if a 75 year old wants a hip replacement, they get it (eventually), 20 years ago they'd have been told they were getting old and to rest more often! If you're 65 & want a new heart, you'll get put on the list, 20 years ago they'd have just told your family you were dying.

World populations have doubled over the last 20 years while birth rates have decreased. This is due to people living longer and surviving deseases that would have killed them 20-40 years ago. 'The Old' need more care, and the more we can do for them, the more they'll need doing!

I read somewhere that pensioners make up around 30% of the population these days, where as in the past it was 10-15%. These pensioners also live 10 years longer than in the past. Either we have to start denying people treatment over a certain age or significantly increase taxation.

Whichever we choose, we can't deny 3rd world countries clean water just because we live sooooo long and sooooo healthily that we're a drain on our own ecomomies!

photo-taker, I didn't quite grasp your post. Twas a little hard to read....

[quote]Interesting , Sam, choice would be nice to select where the investment goes,[/quote]

Are you talking about investment to charities? If so, I'd rather someone with more knowlege decide where charity money goes. I'm guessing the only stuff we know about the needy is what we get through the media. This is sometimes incorrect or out of proportion to real life circumstances. Other times there are people in need we never here about because the media deems them 'un-newsworthy' (I know it's not a word!).

[quote]bucket of water, I don't object too, life style I may, trying to get people on a guilt trip went out with the Church,[/quote]

It's a little more than a bucket of water mate! I didn't get what you meant about 'lifestyle'?? Better 'life' yes, more 'life' yes, if this gives them a better lifestyle -in western terms- I don't know. I don't think they try and make us feel guilty, just giving out the most powerful message to give the biggest effect. They 'know' it will make some people feel guilty, and I agree, they probably 'play' on this when planning advertising campaigns.

[quote]So much wealth , then why go abroad, remeber it was tax that build most of the systems in the UK , and by who , which is why they require the service?[/quote]

Can't make 'head nor tail' of this sentence mate, so can't comment.

[quote]Or is it take the tax, your getting old , and move along , ' cos a bucket of water is required over there...but don't expect any thanks for employment .[/quote]

Nope, total charity donations are less than 1% of our GDP. Stopping charity donations won't improve the NHS, Public Transport or Education one bit.

[quote]Also the scale of donations, a Football pitch over budget, but the Germans can build in less time, and less cost ?[/quote]

Another sentence I didn't grasp the meaning of -regarding the subject of charity donations- so I can't comment again.

[quote]Sam, what is life expectancy? 50 , and lights out ? milk as much as possible , then snuff it out. What about the city, and the share holders, if it 50+, are you glad your children will be working to 68+ will the bucket of water imported to the UK when required, at a lower rate, in a form of thanks , or true market value?[/quote]

No, life expectancy shouldn't be 50! (though we wouldn't have NHS waiting lists if that were the case). I guess my children will be working upto 75 easily. I can't see how we can all retire at 65 when were living so long these days. The maths don't add up. Also the more pensioners we get the more influence they get in general elections. In the future people of pension age and above will rise to nearly 40% of the population. Thats around 20million voters right now. A lot of people to keep happy indeed.
I don't get the 'imported water' bit. Why would the UK need to import water? Or is this something else I haven't grasped?


photo-taker, I'm not some 'divvy' liberal, nor a hard line 'right winger' either. I just see things from an outside perspective rather than my own personal one. While I think it's wrong to help 3rd world countries so much, as they become totally dependant on aid, I do think that helping them to help themselves is the right way to go. This -after all- helps us as well. The better equipped they become at being self sufficient, the less likely their peoples will want to become illegal immigrants in western europe. In the long term this gives us more world pertners in which to trade goods. Always a good thing.......

Of course, theres no quick & easy solution, and a cull of charities will -in the long term- worsen problems in the western world.