Jump to content
IGNORED

Joy & Austin 29: RV Living


Coconut Flan

Recommended Posts

Kind of off topic but the whole idea of christmas in july kind of bugs me because the half way point after christmas is in June. But that's just me being a nitpicky Ass. 

As a charity I didn't even know Christmas in July was one. I just thought it was some weird holiday people celebrated

  • Upvote 1
  • Haha 1
  • I Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am selective of which international charities I support as well. Some of the Christian charities are about converting people to their brand of Christianity first and helping people last. 

  • Upvote 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have just finished reading "Half the Sky" (and the follow up- "A Path Appears") which discuss international giving and impact. The books made me consider some factors I hadn't previously thought of. Worth a read, imo

  • Upvote 6
  • Thank You 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just saw a conversation on the Duggar subreddit talking about Joy’s latest instastory. It looks like Gideon is holding a book by Ken Ham called The Lie: Evolution. Not that anyone here had any doubts about their beliefs but damn. They are most likely going to homeschool and this is what they already are teaching him. 

  • Upvote 13
  • Disgust 4
  • Sad 10
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Kelsey said:

I have just finished reading "Half the Sky" (and the follow up- "A Path Appears") which discuss international giving and impact. The books made me consider some factors I hadn't previously thought of. Worth a read, imo

I have not read this one but a great book is "When Helping Hurts: how to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor.. and yourself" by Corbett and Finkert. There is a section on Operation Christmas Child which has many of the objections listed by @LacyMay above. The book itself is extremely eye-opening. I consider myself a fairly informed person and I had no idea of the damage that can be done by some of my well-intentioned participation in various charities, including Operation Christmas Child and clothing donations for various ministries.

Edited by livinginthelight
  • Upvote 5
  • Thank You 2
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/7/2019 at 7:43 PM, Peaches-n-Beans said:

Kind of off topic but the whole idea of christmas in july kind of bugs me because the half way point after christmas is in June. But that's just me being a nitpicky Ass. 

As a charity I didn't even know Christmas in July was one. I just thought it was some weird holiday people celebrated

Xmas in July is a thing (but not massive) in Australia. I think it was brought in by northern hemisphere ex pats who wanted a white Xmas. 

I kind of love the idea. But I’m always up for a celebration. 

If I moved to the northern hemisphere I would do Xmas in July because I would miss my hot Xmas. 

  • Upvote 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to Joy’s instagram, Austin is back from the Bahamas. Joy mentioned that some family members are still there, but didn’t give any details.

  • Upvote 3
  • Thank You 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Daisy0322 said:

I have read half the sky as well it's a beautifully written book. I'd be interested in reading the sequel... how does it differ? 

It was similar. It went more into the background and motivation of starting organizations. And that the last thing we need is another thrown together (ahem Duggs). I think there was also more discussion about the impact (or lack there of) of different projects. I'd recommend it. My local library had it.

  • Upvote 2
  • Thank You 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, AussieKrissy said:

Xmas in July is a thing (but not massive) in Australia. I think it was brought in by northern hemisphere ex pats who wanted a white Xmas. 

Lol my mil claims credit for this! They were £10 poms in the 1950s, and some years later had friends with a guesthouse in the Blue Mountains.  For a few years they had a weekend up there in July, and cooked a traditional English Christmas meal because it was cold like England at Christmas.  She says the guesthouse started advertising it, and others followed.  Who knows if this is what actually got it going.

I do know that my youngest bil’s birthday is 25/6, and she cooked a turkey for his bday dinner every year from when he was a very small child until his wife took over making that meal a few years ago.  This was well established in 1985 when I met mr k.  The family they spent Christmas Day with were always invited as a reciprocal Christmas meal. 

  • Upvote 4
  • Love 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think some of the appeal of Christmas in July in the northern hemisphere may be, by towards the end of July, people are getting tired of summer and really tired of being hot, and Christmas makes them think of much cooler times. I know when I lived in Arizona, the idea of dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh was really appealing when it was 115 degrees!

Edited by Audrey2
  • Upvote 2
  • I Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My experience with Christmas in July was always associated with Summer camp, camping grounds and such. Where I am from it is actually called ''Noël des campeurs'' i.e. Camper's Christmas.

I worked 4 summers in a summer camp it was a highlight of the summer and super fun thing to do with the kids around July 25th. I mean, it is summer, the kids are on vacations and Christmas is an awesome excuse to do tons of Christmas' theme games, costumes, and stuff. One of the camp counselor would always do a little skit disguised as Santa. But it was Santa... on summer break! With like a kitschy hawaiian shirt, bermudas and sunglasses. It was silly and fun so I actually like this tradition. And I know some camping grounds do similar stuff, especially aimed at kids.

But I've never seen it celebrated outside of that context, at least not in my area.

  • Upvote 6
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always thought it was because it was the middle of summer there was nothing on TV and no one cared so they just invented something for cheap programming. 

  • Upvote 3
  • Haha 4
  • I Agree 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in the US recently and I was struck by the culture of charity there. For example, people being encouraged to buy snacks to send to serving members of the forces at drugstores. Or Michelle Obama’s Joining Forces charity, to help veterans. In Europe it is  the responsibility of the state to adequately feed and provide pensions for retired service people. Mind you, we don’t have anything like the military machine that is the US. 

But it speaks to the concept of governments relying on individuals to do their job. As much as we all feel compelled to give where we can, it’s unfair when that becomes the norm and absolves governments of their duty. Same applies to poverty etc.

Just on this train of thought reading the shoebox posts. We used to participate years ago until I read (here on fj) about the sinister elements 

Edited by Irishy
  • Upvote 21
  • I Agree 9
  • Love 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/9/2019 at 8:21 AM, Karma said:

Lol my mil claims credit for this! They were £10 poms in the 1950s, and some years later had friends with a guesthouse in the Blue Mountains.  For a few years they had a weekend up there in July, and cooked a traditional English Christmas meal because it was cold like England at Christmas.  She says the guesthouse started advertising it, and others followed.  Who knows if this is what actually got it going.

I do know that my youngest bil’s birthday is 25/6, and she cooked a turkey for his bday dinner every year from when he was a very small child until his wife took over making that meal a few years ago.  This was well established in 1985 when I met mr k.  The family they spent Christmas Day with were always invited as a reciprocal Christmas meal. 

Oh I love this story, I love that Xmas in July could have become a thing right near where I live.

  • Upvote 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/9/2019 at 3:56 AM, Irishy said:

I was in the US recently and I was struck by the culture of charity there. For example, people being encouraged to buy snacks to send to serving members of the forces at drugstores. Or Michelle Obama’s Joining Forces charity, to help veterans. In Europe it is  the responsibility of the state to adequately feed and provide pensions for retired service people. Mind you, we don’t have anything like the military machine that is the US. 

But it speaks to the concept of governments relying on individuals to do their job. As much as we all feel compelled to give where we can, it’s unfair when that becomes the norm and absolves governments of their duty. Same applies to poverty etc.

Just on this train of thought reading the shoebox posts. We used to participate years ago until I read (here on fj) about the sinister elements 

I am so glad that in the US it is not government's job to care for those in need. Why do we remove ourselves from the problem rather than getting involved in the problem? Just throw money at it and it will go away? I believe that we will be more compassionate and empathetic if charity happened on a more local level. If we knew that Jane Doe in the next housing division over was having a hard time so we take her dinner or take money to an agreed on location to help our neighbor rather than being forced to give to nameless, faceless "people on welfare." And if John Doe doesn't want to be known, that's fine. We still have some type of venue where we can give to those in need in our community just as we give to our community of veterans or our community animal shelter without knowing each person/animal. We do know they are ours and need help. If we got to know the people and their situations, we'd probably give more than we are taxed, and maybe give some of ourselves not just money. Is forced charity easier? Sure. We also lose money to those we have to pay to administrate it and people tend to hold more tightly to what they have left. (Yes, I have libertarian leanings!) No it's not perfect but I don't think that paying money so we don't have to be personally confronted by it is perfect either. https://fee.org/articles/what-if-charity-replaced-taxation/?fbclid=IwAR0QXEsSQFVZgzl5xaW3jyNNXLZBQ4J7lNn6AWhAUpdYQpxv4Xp5jYfS8Cw

BTW- so disappointed to hear bad news about KIVA. I do "loan" money through them and it was recommended to me in a graduate level community and stewardship class at my state university. I'm going to have to see if there is an alternative.

  • Upvote 2
  • Downvote 32
  • Disgust 1
  • Confused 3
  • Bless Your Heart 3
  • WTF 4
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our city of 60,000 had a city run shelter for the homeless in winter. It only opened when the temperature got below a certain point. Five of the churches in town got together to open up their churches for 5 months of the winter, regardless of temperature. The good thing is, the homeless will not die from the cold. The bad thing is that the city government does not have to do anything.

it's complicated, but everyone should have access to food, shelter and medical needs, and they cannot rely on neighbors. There must be a system in place to ensure the wellbeing of others.

  • Upvote 20
  • I Agree 13
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Virago said:

Yes. Yes, you just “throw money at it.” When the problem is that the wealthy hold an absurd amount of resources (one might even call it sinful) while the poor and middle classes toil endlessly just to get by, you tax the rich and give the money to the state to distribute to everyone else. Spoiler alert - sometimes the solution just is money. Money to fix leaded water pipes. Money to invest in schools with low property tax bases. Money to fix parks and playgrounds.  M O N E Y. Money that has been unrighteously extracted from poor communities through unfair labor practices, colonization, racism, slavery, and straight up theft. Give. It. Back. 

Also, if you think taxes and a governmental security net takes administrative dollars but charities and nonprofits don’t, then I don’t really know what to say. Those are good jobs that feed and house people. 

And finally, why are those with money better at distributing it than a governmental agency? That notion that those “with” know best how to help the poor is a dangerous offshoot of prosperity gospel. Do they know the struggles of the poor? Do they know how systems operate and how to fix them? Usually they don’t. Their wealth does not bestow some kind of benevolent wisdom on them. If anything it is the opposite. I have seen the 1% from the inside - I grew up poor and married generational wealth (we do not have it, but I see the inside) and it is ugly. They are no smarter than us, and absolutely not capable of knowing the solution that their struggling neighbor needs (as if they’d live near the poor). They are absurdly out of touch with how the 99% live and they should in no way have a disproportionate say in how to help the needy. Their wealth insulates them from consequences, it does not make them wise. Their charitable foundations are rarely more than ineffective bandaids that throw absurdly expensive parties for their fellow rich friends.

So sure, giving by a working class person to another poor or working class person is great. I would bet there is a lot of thought and insight that goes into that gift. By all means we should help each other out in the 99%. But that is merely a stopgap until we reclaim our wealth and resources from the robber barons who currently hold it. And they work very hard to convince you that socialism is evil, the government safety net is evil, because it would mean an end to their 5 vacation homes, private jet lifestyle. Please, stop buying their BS that charity is better than taxes because they laugh about it behind our backs.

 

 

And if neighbors, churches and charities met and were meeting all needs, we wouldn’t even need to have this discussion.

I agree let’s stop buying the BS of those who have the vaaaaaaaast majority of the resources, enough that they are able to buy favorable legislation that allows them to keep even more and Lord their power over the rest of us folks that work or have worked decades to earn a living.

  • Upvote 25
  • I Agree 2
  • Love 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great points from several poster above. I have two more to add though:

First, those with money (doesn't even have to be the rich, just better off than the next person), even those with a "charitable disposition" just don't actually know and in some cases really can't know how those with struggle. I have had several conversations with people in my Mr. Outtas friend/family circles. They are, for the most part, not wealthy, just better off, and yet they will argue with me, the one who lived welfare in their country, how it is "perfectly enough" and if you "just budget right" and "did you know this extra money exists for after school activities". That last one was particularly funny as the person was stunned to find out it was only 5 euros per half year (at the time I was getting it for Little Outta to do an activity, it was a sport and cost 30 euros per month). They simply cannot imagine what it is like and what things a poor person has to think about, what everyday things actually cost. Especially as a lot of poorer people don't wear a "I am poor" sign and sometimes appear to be doing just fine. I certainly looked like I was doing just fine and felt like we were ok while going through that time (because I knew if I was still in the US I would have been on the street), but that does not show the stress I had everyday, accounting to myself where every penny went, attempting to plan for unknown costs that could arise, dreading the mail, going without as much as possible, constantly comparing prices by spending time shopping at different stores (on foot). Yeah, you can look like your are doing fine, but there is so much underneath that only "throwing money at the problem" could help with. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying call the better off (and to be clear I mean those with a decent job not rich, but not struggling), stupid or aloof, they are not the 1%, I am simply saying from my experience they really think that there is enough available, people just are not using it right. I am speaking from a European view on it, but I see and hear the same attitude coming from family in the US (on both sides) wear there is next to no help/social safety net available.

Which brings me to my second point: other countries have real and helpful (though far from perfect) social systems in place and it is not hurting those countries. It is often quoted that Scandinavian countries are the "happiest" and don't they pay the highest taxes and have really comprehensive social help? Certainly there is an argument there that if it works in other countries, it could work just as well in the US.

The US is in no way a good example of helping others (no offense to those who live there, I believe individually people are trying). The government and taxes are there to help citizens first and foremost, the US is helping banks and dictators before their own people.

  • Upvote 23
  • I Agree 5
  • Love 13
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. Yes, you just “throw money at it.” When the problem is that the wealthy hold an absurd amount of resources (one might even call it sinful) while the poor and middle classes toil endlessly just to get by, you tax the rich and give the money to the state to distribute to everyone else. Spoiler alert - sometimes the solution just is money. Money to fix leaded water pipes. Money to invest in schools with low property tax bases. Money to fix parks and playgrounds.  M O N E Y. Money that has been unrighteously extracted from poor communities through unfair labor practices, colonization, racism, slavery, and straight up theft. Give. It. Back. 

Also, if you think taxes and a governmental security net takes administrative dollars but charities and nonprofits don’t, then I don’t really know what to say. Those are good jobs that feed and house people. 

And finally, why are those with money better at distributing it than a governmental agency? That notion that those “with” know best how to help the poor is a dangerous offshoot of prosperity gospel. Do they know the struggles of the poor? Do they know how systems operate and how to fix them? Usually they don’t. Their wealth does not bestow some kind of benevolent wisdom on them. If anything it is the opposite. I have seen the 1% from the inside - I grew up poor and married generational wealth (we do not have it, but I see the inside) and it is ugly. They are no smarter than us, and absolutely not capable of knowing the solution that their struggling neighbor needs (as if they’d live near the poor). They are absurdly out of touch with how the 99% live and they should in no way have a disproportionate say in how to help the needy. Their wealth insulates them from consequences, it does not make them wise. Their charitable foundations are rarely more than ineffective bandaids that throw absurdly expensive parties for their fellow rich friends.

So sure, giving by a working class person to another poor or working class person is great. I would bet there is a lot of thought and insight that goes into that gift. By all means we should help each other out in the 99%. But that is merely a stopgap until we reclaim our wealth and resources from the robber barons who currently hold it. And they work very hard to convince you that socialism is evil, the government safety net is evil, because it would mean an end to their 5 vacation homes, private jet lifestyle. Please, stop buying their BS that charity is better than taxes because they laugh about it behind our backs.

 

I would like this post a 1000 times if I could. Plus as far as I know charitable foundations are also used to pay less taxes. There are so many loopholes people with money can use to avoid paying taxes which is a whole other topic.

  • Upvote 24
  • Love 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@nolongerIFBxyou have removed all of Jane Doe’s dignity by expecting her to rely on your charity because you feel that that system is better for you, for YOUR levels of compassion and empathy. 

What you describe is the complete lack of a safety net for all citizens. That is how people, especially children, get left behind. The problems associated with economic inequality are devastating to society. They go far beyond poverty. Those few dollars you save on tax will literally cost lives and affect the overall happiness of entire societies. 

The truth is that there should be minimal need for charity in any country.

Edited by Irishy
  • Upvote 29
  • I Agree 2
  • Love 14
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HerNameIsBuffy locked this topic
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.