Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

[Jax]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

(As a lifetime atheist, why do I have a strong urge that I have difficulty in suppressing, to point out Christian Values to people? It's quite absurd really!)

Jim

Jimbo, my Christian values tell me charity begins at home. You really do need to try and control your strong urges, they could get you into quite a lot of trouble

Jaxsie

[Otto]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

Even food aid, clothing and emergency supplies, given in times of disasters, often never reaches the intended recipients.

The same applies to charity donations in the UK, which SWMBO is very fond of supporting. Unfortunately, she never checks their published accounts to see what percentage ends up funding the "Fat Cats" in administration.

Jax

While there have been cases of major charities paying absurd sums to their directors, the vast majority of smaller charities don't have any paid staff and rely wholly on volunteers and donations to do their valuable work. Again though, our foreign aid budget is tiny compared to overall government spending. Just consider for a moment "telethons" like Children in Need and Comic Relief. They raise huge sums so thankfully many ordinary people are perfectly happy to support charity work. What is wrong is that in a supposedly rich economy like the UK such charities are necessary.

[Jim Ford]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

Jimbo, my Christian values tell me charity begins at home. You really do need to try and control your strong urges, they could get you into quite a lot of trouble

Good discussion about the use of the proverb 'charity begins at home' here:

http://www.cracked.com/article_20251_the-5-most-frequently-misused-proverbs.html

Selected quote from the link:

The point being, when people first started saying "charity begins at home," what they were trying to get across was that being a loving person in the home leads to being a loving person out in the world. In other words, it served as an instruction about how to be more generous, which is kind of the opposite of the way it's used today as a warning against being too generous. Or, as other experts have pointed out, only an ******* could hear "charity begins at home" and interpret it to mean that it also ends there.

Jim

[Otto]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

so that Belgian pays more than we do.

Jim

Well, as host to the alleged EU "gravy train" that is as it should be .

[Jax]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

While there have been cases of major charities paying absurd sums to their directors, the vast majority of smaller charities don't have any paid staff and rely wholly on volunteers and donations to do their valuable work. Again though, our foreign aid budget is tiny compared to overall government spending. Just consider for a moment "telethons" like Children in Need and Comic Relief. They raise huge sums so thankfully many ordinary people are perfectly happy to support charity work. What is wrong is that in a supposedly rich economy like the UK such charities are necessary.

I agree the telethons you quoted do excellent work Otto. However, I can't agree regarding smaller charities unless you're referring to church based and similar charities. A local football club used to call every week and sell a soccer based lotto type card. They had charity status, yet their accounts proved the vast percentage of funds, well over 50%, went towards admin and salesmen's salaries not towards the club.

A worldwide religious charity SWMBO donates to flatly refuses to supply or publish any financial information of any kind despite numerous requests from many people in different countries. Why does she continue to donate ? I only wish I knew

Jax

[Otto]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

There are always bad apples but I’d like to think they are in the minority. Did you see the news story today about the gambling nuns?

http://https://inews.co.uk/news/world/nuns-stealing-from-catholic-school-las-vegas-casinos-gambling/

[Jax]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

There are always bad apples but I’d like to think they are in the minority. Did you see the news story today about the gambling nuns?

http://https://inews.co.uk/news/world/nuns-stealing-from-catholic-school-las-vegas-casinos-gambling/

Yes I had seen that Otto. I noticed there would be no prosecution, just confession, absolution, and hey-ho probably back to Vegas

Jax

[Harold Gough]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

OK, I give in. I am convinced, lets stay and change the EU from within then at least the liberal elite will be happy.

What makes you think the EU can be changed? Their project has become a religion.

Harold

[Wally]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

Breaking News... The gloves come off and the knives come out https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexi...id=mailsignout

Also on BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46535739 The rabble scrabble for what? Vote for NOTA should become compulsory as too, to discontinue 1st past the post.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

Yes I had seen that Otto. I noticed there would be no prosecution, just confession, absolution, and hey-ho probably back to Vegas

Jax

There would be a few Hail Mary's too I suspect.

But gambling, along with drinking is a good Catholic tradition; usually in the name of sport.

I am told that it is impossible to find a Priest in Ireland during Cheltenham Gold Cup week.

[Harold Gough]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

Breaking News... The gloves come off and the knives come out https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexi...id=mailsignout

Also on BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46535739 The rabble scrabble for what? Vote for NOTA should become compulsory as too, to discontinue 1st past the post.

You can't blame them They felt their self-importance was threatened.

Harold

[Wally]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

You can't blame them They felt their self-importance was threatened. Harold

As it's Panto season... 'Oh, yes I can.'

[wornish]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

What makes you think the EU can be changed? Their project has become a religion.

Harold

I was being sarcastic. Fed up of the people on here saying if we remain we can change it for the better.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

The E.U. officials have admitted long ago that Brexit will damage the E.U., as well as the U.K..

The link is interesting that it shows that the only countries that pay in less than we do are 'small time' economies - Austria, Denmark, Finland and Italy, as a proportion of G.N.I.. Also that Belgian pays more than we do.

Jim

What about Luxemburg? Amazon, eBay, Google, Facebook and many others declare their tax there so they must be loaded.

Now remind me, who was their PM?

[Otto]

Re: Political: We're doomed, Captain Mannering...

Fed up of the people on here saying if we remain we can change it for the better.

I'm fed up with the whole darned thing. Now we're going to get a confidence vote to add to the shambles. Is there no end to it? Just seen this, lightens the mood a little -

https://twitter.com/davidschneider/status/1072622077621010433?s=21&fbclid=IwAR1Mze4Big4QqiFVNRDdTWSFR9kUOyGav32lidGxWor1sOprsXIWP-eUsHY