How about asking the banking executives to donate their bonuses to Haiti?

[Hugabear]

As much as it sucks to see these banking fatcats get millions of bonus money, they could do something beneficial with that money - for example, donating it all to the Haitian relief effort.

What are the odds that any of them will donate even a sizable portion of their bonus money?

[Uben]

1. Kinda like asking Cheney to act moral....

...aint gonna happen.

[murray hill farm]

2. Depends...

on what kind of tax break it would give them. Perhaps if it benefits them in some way, it might seem like an idea worth exploring. Otherwise it is not going to happen.

[rrneck]

3. International relief efforts are the responsibility

of the government. NGO's, religious organizations, wealthy individuals and other private entities actually discredit the state even though their efforts do tremendous good in the world.

Make them shut up and pay their fucking taxes like everybody else.

[Hugabear]

4. So the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and other groups have no legitimate role?

I'm sure that Haiti would be much better off if the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations just got the fuck out of there, and let the UN handle everything themselves.

[rrneck]

7. Like I said

their efforts do tremendous good in the world.

You were so busy being snarky you failed to read the post. Private organizations doing good in the world, while obviously beneficial, are Grover Norquist's wet dream. The next time there is an actual war that needs fighting why don't we just send Blackwater? The only time the planet sees the will of the American people we are shooting at them. Hell, even what little humanitarian aid we do has to be done by the military.

So fine. Let the government take the bonuses from the bankers and funnel it to Haiti through NGO's. The Haitians certainly need it. Another fire put out. Good for us. A more meaningful change we can believe in would be to significantly increase taxes on the wealthy and corporations and use that money in the name of the American people to do actually good in the world through a non military agency run by the government of the people that are funding it.

Disaster capitalism is everywhere.

[Hugabear]

8. Again, why didn't you post this in the Alysa Milano donation thread?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7469748&mesg_id=7469748


Or better yet, start your own thread on this topic.

[rrneck]

9. Awwwww. Am I not doing enough?

Since you have no response why don't you change your position and post over there yourself.

[Hugabear]

10. Why should I change my position?

My position is that private charity does have a role, you seem to be the one in disagreement with that. If you're really firm in your belief, then you should be able to post your thoughts in an original thread, or at least share those thoughts in a thread with lots of activity. But by posting your thoughts in my thread, with such a low response rate, you don't have to worry about having a lot of DUers who might disagree with you.

I've posted plenty of threads here on DU that weren't very popular. I have a feeling your position wouldn't be very popular either, but if you really believe in it, you should be able to start an original thread and let your position stand on its own merits.

[rrneck]

11. Focus fail.

How about asking the banking executives to donate their bonuses to Haiti?

That, in case you forgot, is the subject line in your OP.

I did post in a thread. Yours. And I'm talking to you. What is your response to the point that I made regarding the role of government in humanitarian aid? Hint: Asking rich people for money ain't it.

[Hugabear]

13. You obviously have a strong opinion on the subject

My post was merely about challenging these bankers who received bonus money to donate their bonuses to the Haitian relief effort. Your position is that instead of charity, government should be handling 100% of humanitarian efforts, and that we should be taxing the wealthy and corporations to do so.

I'm just curious why you chose my post, out of all the myriad of posts on DU regarding donations to the Haitian relief effort, to spell out your position. I have a feeling that you don't want to deal with what would surely be a bunch of angry DU responses. But hey, prove me wrong. If you really, truly believe in your position, create your own thread about it!

[rrneck]

14. I just happened to run across it.

There was another (that one was about Brangilina) that caught my attention.

I wasn't trying to spell out a position. I was engaging in a discussion. Unfortunately, I attempted discourse with somebody who cannot return the favor. You would rather offer snark and then send me trotting off to another thread to see how somebody else would respond. That's rude.

If you want to be chickenshit horse's ass waste somebody else's time.

If you want to discuss the role of NGO's in our country's humanitarian efforts we both might learn something.

[Dr.Phool]

5. Bingo!

[Hugabear]

6. I don't see you or the other poster in the Alysa Milano donation thread

Methinks if you were genuine, you'd be posting these sentiments in any thread about donating to the Haitian relief effort.

[LeftishBrit]

12. Actually if it seemed like good 'public relations' some might even do this...

Not out of pure kindness, but perhaps there are ways of encouraging it.