BarkellWH -> RE: A church is burning (Apr. 17 2019 18:32:14)
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Cheap tickets to heaven available. Ticket Office open. Of course they could invest that money in creating sustainable economies in poverty stricken areas which would lead to better education, health and security. But that doesn't come with quite the same publicity I take your point, flyeogh, but Notre Dame is part of the cultural heritage not only of France but indeed of Western Civilization and the world. I have no problem in people contributing to its restoration, be they wealthy or not. Frankly, there have been billions of dollars and untold numbers of man-hours spent in aid projects in the underdeveloped world and much of it has been wasted, not least because, in my opinion, development requires a critical mass of certain cultural attributes in the targeted population that by and large is missing. Until a country reaches a certain level of income, a certain size in its middle class, and has genuinely cemented an institutional framework that includes the rule of law, a rational economic system, and other attributes that lead to development, throwing money at it does little good. There are other things in much of the developing world that impede its advancement such as a low level of social capital, the widespread belief that it is a zero-sum game (my neighbor's gain is my loss), and lack of follow-through once the initial aid projects are completed (ever see what happens to everything from buses to heavy equipment when it is not maintained? It usually stays on the side of the road forever). A critical mass is needed for development to occur and be maintained, and I'm afraid much of the developing world lacks it. We cannot do it for them. The best we can do is assist on the margins, but they must do the heavy lifting. In any case, I am glad to see people of whatever means contributing to the restoration of one of Western Civilization's and mankind's treasures. Bill
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