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Paul Currion
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Paul commented on the article |See also Stamping on Statistics and Numbers over Georgia.
I would post this on Easterly's blog, but who has the time? (That was rhetorical, by the way.)
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Paul commented on the article |Hey, I've got more detail, but like it says in the post, that's going to cost you...
Not because I need the money, but because nobody places any value on something that's free. That should be another part of your incentives argument, I believe....
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Paul commented on the article |Three pairs of pants? Weakling. Two, max.
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Paul commented on the article |
I seem to be leaving this comment everywhere right now, but I feel quite strongly about this. Very, very strongly, in fact.
There's a little thing that MSF may have heard of (although they don't subscribe to it) called the Red Cross Code of Conduct. Point 10 of the code states: "In our information, publicity and advertising activities, we shall recognise disaster victims as dignified humans, not hopeless objects." This advert very clearly depicts hopeless objects rather than dignified humans, It also reinforces the stereotype historically peddled by British charities that They (the poor, the dark, the Other, however you want to view it) are helpless, and We are the only ones who can provide help.
MSF does good work in the field, there's no doubt about that, but by allowing this advert to be shown, you have shown that you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. Why not try to engage and educate the British public, rather than patronise them with this throwback to the worst 20th century fundraising tropes? These people are not just victims waiting for MSF to save them, and to pretend that they are is to sacrifice the reality of their lives for the sake of your media profile. -
Paul commented on the article |Well, poor countries do have choice - it's just that their choice is more limited.
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Paul commented on the article |"Red Alert" by Basement Jaxx - perfect for when you're coming in to land at airports where they're still clearing mines.
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Paul commented on the article |Great post, especially given your position, Shelly. I do disagree with large parts of it; I don't think that "pirate culture" is a replacement in any way, and I do think the book-as-an-artefact is far more embedded in the culture than (for example) vinyl records were. One comment you made here was very interesting:
"Social media is what you make it"
Which is true - but so is the reverse. We are also what social media (or any technology, including printing) makes of us, and while the possibilities excite me, I don't think that we'll necessarily like the end results of that remaking.
By the time we get there, of course, we won't be worried; it'll just be the way things are.
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Paul commented on the article |"These organizations are VERY EFFECTIVE in saving MILLIONS of people's lives from diseases & hunger every year."
Some evidence for this would be nice, especially considering that there are still an awful lot of people dying from diseases and hunger.
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Paul commented on the article |Humanitarian / reconstruction work in Iraq was broken from day one, and I would have hoped that was pretty obvious. The only way that the system can be fixed is if people like us refuse to participate in activities which we know are nonsense. Be the change that you wish to see, and all that...
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Paul commented on the article |This debate seems as much about culture as it is about science; there's a divide between those who are used to infant circumcision as the norm, and those that aren't. For the latter - and I'm amongst them - I don't think that the scientific arguments are ever going to be very effective. So we can pursue this, but it doesn't seem to be a particularly efficient way of reducing HIV infection rates.
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