h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Maybe, but it pi$$Ûs me off when people diss the Red Cross.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-redcross25sep25,1,5469775.story?track=mostemailedlink

They certainly do good work here; i have personally been on the recieving end when i had very little food. But they are much more careful than they used to be about who gets aid, you have to undergo a vetting, which is pretty humiliating & many people just won't do it.

But that's probably 'cos they are trying to sort out many more people these days, lots of refugees here now in france since the EU opened up more.

A lot of people don't realise there is also an Islamic version, the Red Crescent; which does loads of essential work in many places like Pakistan & parts of the Middle East.

I think that article is pretty unfair & unpleasant.

zdt

"I think that article is pretty unfair & unpleasant."

I thought so. I think the Red Cross has one of the best records for percentages of donations that go to actual relief rather than back into fund raising. There was some controversy after 9/11 that money people donated for that was diverted to other things. The Red Cross denies that, however I wouldn't care if they did divert it if it was needed more elsewhere. It's so petty people being upset about that, imo.

Call me paranoid, but I think this part of a trend of discrediting international and non-partisan agencies. I hope GWBs stupid "faith-based agencies" are put under the same microscope, but I doubt they will be.

I wanted to volunteer for the Red Cross when I moved here to Cal, but after a couple training classes, I realized it was a bigger commitment than I am able to make right now. So I'm back to giving blood.