Best Posts in Thread: Australian nun arrested in Philippines granted release after 22 hours in custody

The definitions aren't mine and I didn't say anyone should do anything. Actually, I just asked some hopefully thought provoking questions. I don't see the nun wanting to make the Philippines a better place a bad thing. I don't see where you owning land has much to do with a homeless person starving on the street and I don't see a nun becoming a dictator. In no way did say I say that people shouldn't pick themselves up, as in the mental illness post, sometimes people need a little help. Where did all this Better country, Dictatorship stuff come? LOL

 

I have to agree, *humanitarian* does not mean getting involved in a countries internal politics they disagree with. It means helping those who need it directly not through round about agenda's of trying to press political change.

 

The advice to keep clear of electoral politics is good. The nun, however, has a visa situation different from most of us. She is a missionary. She takes it as her duty, as a Christian missionary, to stand up for the poor, regardless of borders or nationality. This is transcends politics and goes back, in her view, to the beginning of Christianity. Previous administrations of the Philippines have had no objection to that.

 

I agree 100% and for sure my wife agrees with your GF. Furthermore, If they want to see improvements they emigrate. It works. Many seem happy here as middle class, never to get rich.


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According to Wiki:

The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity.

Couldn't political change have a positive result on the 3 objectives above? It's not aid as you typically think of it (money or food), but I would suggest that alleviating the cause is a better strategy than treating the symptom. Not disagreeing that the quickest way to help is to treat the symptom, but without addressing the cause, it's unlikely the symptom will go away.

Edit: Here is another definition more inline with the general public:
Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by government and other institutions replaces it.

What if the government never steps up? What if the cause is the government?

 

From an electoral standpoint, du30 has most of the people behind him. I think most of those people are very envious of the West and deep down inside resent all those “rich” foreigners coming in and acting like they own the place. From stories I have heard, and I was 7 years old at the time, This reminds me of the way it must have been in Cuba when Castro empowered the Cubans to spit in our faces, shout “yankee go home” and then realize just whom they put in power only after it was too late. The people do not care about statistics involving remittances, they care about honor and pride. It is like the good feeling of pride we Americans felt after Reagan drove the Cubans out of Grenada, after our long humiliation with the Iran hostage crisis. So now it is their time to feel proud, to feel good, to be nationalists. Nothing we foreigners can do in will put an end to that nor should we. That stupid nun should realize that. For me, I will stand aside and watch from a safe distance.


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Exactly. We can disagree with how things are run but as foreigners this is not our country and we have no place trying to become political to voice our opinions. Its illegal as it rightly should be and should be in all countries. A countries politics should be for its own citizens... the rest of us can share our random gripes at your local foreign venting table.