Gore, U.N. body win Nobel Peace Prize

[Caladan 19]

And if we're talking Mother Theresa, are we talking about the same nun who collected millions of dollars that sits in a fund rather than helps the poor?

link please.

It's pretty sad that an American (with the UN) won a Nobel Peace Prize (patriotism, anyone?) yet all anyone can do is make this thread become is another Dem vs. Rep pi$$ing match.

oh i got it now. patriotism by republicans = bad, patriotism by democrats = good. thanks for clearing that up.

Well-sourced article (and maybe even a book) Hitchens a couple years back, numerous testimonies. It's pretty well-known that not all of the money donated ended up buying medicines and blankets.

Mother Theresa's organization isn't corrupt and stealing the money, it's just that she saw money as contaminating, and saw her job as primarily witnessing (in the religious sense) the suffering of the poor rather than solving it. Basically, don't give money to an organization that's taken a vow of poverty as they're just not very good at distributing it. And so quite a lot of the donations just weren't put to use in the way that the donators probably thought, but ended up sitting there.

I still think she's a great woman, mind, it's just to say that anyone can be nitpicked.

Gore has a private jet which isn't green, but probably more green than flying inefficient commercial airlines would be. He has a big house, but doesn't have to rent office space to hold meetings. &c. It's only hypocrisy if you're looking for something to nitpick.

[Ban Hammer 13,644]

It's pretty sad that an American (with the UN) won a Nobel Peace Prize (patriotism, anyone?) yet all anyone can do is make this thread become is another Dem vs. Rep pi$$ing match.

oh i got it now. patriotism by republicans = bad, patriotism by democrats = good. thanks for clearing that up.

There is no patriotism here, Charles. That is the point.

And if we're talking Mother Theresa, are we talking about the same nun who collected millions of dollars that sits in a fund rather than helps the poor?

link please.

http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/missionaryposition.htm

Mother Teresa prefers providence to planning, and the very strictest economy is always enforced - much to the detriment of the patient's interests. It is interesting to note that, despite the enormous sums involved ($50 million remains in a cheque account in the Bronx), needles are used over and over again, and are rinsed under the cold water tap. The nuns' answer to "why are you not boiling water and sterilizing your needles?" was simple: "There's no point. There's no time." Perhaps the patients take too long to die, and hastening death saves money. Cynical as that may be, Mother Teresa's global income is more than enough to equip several first class clinics like some of the finest in the West that she herself has checked into.

http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/shields_18_1.html

ATHEIST FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA INC

can that count as unbiased and balanced?

i'd not be surprised if that 50 mil in the bronx isn't caught up in some legal battle btw since mt passed away.

[no name 1]

It's pretty sad that an American (with the UN) won a Nobel Peace Prize (patriotism, anyone?) yet all anyone can do is make this thread become is another Dem vs. Rep pi$$ing match.

oh i got it now. patriotism by republicans = bad, patriotism by democrats = good. thanks for clearing that up.

There is no patriotism here, Charles. That is the point.

And if we're talking Mother Theresa, are we talking about the same nun who collected millions of dollars that sits in a fund rather than helps the poor?

link please.

http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/missionaryposition.htm

Mother Teresa prefers providence to planning, and the very strictest economy is always enforced - much to the detriment of the patient's interests. It is interesting to note that, despite the enormous sums involved ($50 million remains in a cheque account in the Bronx), needles are used over and over again, and are rinsed under the cold water tap. The nuns' answer to "why are you not boiling water and sterilizing your needles?" was simple: "There's no point. There's no time." Perhaps the patients take too long to die, and hastening death saves money. Cynical as that may be, Mother Teresa's global income is more than enough to equip several first class clinics like some of the finest in the West that she herself has checked into.

http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/shields_18_1.html

ATHEIST FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA INC

can that count as unbiased and balanced?

i'd not be surprised if that 50 mil in the bronx isn't caught up in some legal battle btw since mt passed away.

google it, you'll see many stories about it. I could link the scathing catholic org story link about how wrong the author who outed her $$ (Hitchens) was...I figure an atheist link would be a better link than a (biased) Christian one.

Edited October 12, 2007 by devilette

[Ban Hammer 13,644]

It's pretty sad that an American (with the UN) won a Nobel Peace Prize (patriotism, anyone?) yet all anyone can do is make this thread become is another Dem vs. Rep pi$$ing match.

oh i got it now. patriotism by republicans = bad, patriotism by democrats = good. thanks for clearing that up.

There is no patriotism here, Charles. That is the point.

And if we're talking Mother Theresa, are we talking about the same nun who collected millions of dollars that sits in a fund rather than helps the poor?

link please.

http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/missionaryposition.htm

Mother Teresa prefers providence to planning, and the very strictest economy is always enforced - much to the detriment of the patient's interests. It is interesting to note that, despite the enormous sums involved ($50 million remains in a cheque account in the Bronx), needles are used over and over again, and are rinsed under the cold water tap. The nuns' answer to "why are you not boiling water and sterilizing your needles?" was simple: "There's no point. There's no time." Perhaps the patients take too long to die, and hastening death saves money. Cynical as that may be, Mother Teresa's global income is more than enough to equip several first class clinics like some of the finest in the West that she herself has checked into.

http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/shields_18_1.html

ATHEIST FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA INC

can that count as unbiased and balanced?

i'd not be surprised if that 50 mil in the bronx isn't caught up in some legal battle btw since mt passed away.

google it, you'll see many stories about it. I could link the scathing catholic org story link about how wrong the author who outed her $$ (Hitchens) was...I figure an atheist link would be a better link than a (biased) Christian one.

like an atheist organization does not have an ax to grind?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

"His strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change," the citation said. "He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted."

He's unfortunately not the single individual that has personally done the most along the lines what he says needs to be done - in fact, I don't think he's done anything he preaches. That is where he loses a lot of credibility with me.

[Caladan 19]

They might, but that $50 million certainly wasn't spent on the poor when she was alive either. But that's just the point, isn't it? Anyone with an axe to grind can find something to ###### about, and 'omg he has a jet!1one!' falls into that category.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Okay, so... why don't we just agree that no one really does anything for purely altruistic reasons, then? Gore obviously had (perhaps still has?) an agenda behind this -- and maybe some of it was to do some good, I don't know -- but I'm sure a large part of it was also to benefit him in some way.

After all, history isn't usually very kind to former vice-presidents. How many of them can you remember off the top of your head? Unless they became president, it's rare for someone to actively recall a VP. So perhaps this is merely his way of securing his own legacy, since he didn't win the presidency.

[no name 1]

They might, but that $50 million certainly wasn't spent on the poor when she was alive either. But that's just the point, isn't it? Anyone with an axe to grind can find something to ###### about, and 'omg he has a jet!1one!' falls into that category.

exactly.

[jundp 191]

They might, but that $50 million certainly wasn't spent on the poor when she was alive either. But that's just the point, isn't it? Anyone with an axe to grind can find something to ###### about, and 'omg he has a jet!1one!' falls into that category.

I'm absolutely not in the mood to get into a pissing contest b/n dems and republicans, as I am a Dem and a Catholic, but this line just made me laugh and choke on my coffee, Caladan. Especially adding the "one" in there ty, I needed that today!

[Caladan 19]

Okay, so... why don't we just agree that no one really does anything for purely altruistic reasons, then? Gore obviously had (perhaps still has?) an agenda behind this -- and maybe some of it was to do some good, I don't know -- but I'm sure a large part of it was also to benefit him in some way.

After all, history isn't usually very kind to former vice-presidents. How many of them can you remember off the top of your head? Unless they became president, it's rare for someone to actively recall a VP. So perhaps this is merely his way of securing his own legacy, since he didn't win the presidency.

His interest in the environment predates that. He might be interested in securing his legacy, but it's not <i>all</i> it is.

[no name 1]

since he didn't win the presidency.

[Sister Fracas 5]

They might, but that $50 million certainly wasn't spent on the poor when she was alive either. But that's just the point, isn't it? Anyone with an axe to grind can find something to ###### about, and 'omg he has a jet!1one!' falls into that category.

exactly.

it just seems odd to get your panties in a twist over who wins the Nobel... good grief!

[DeadPoolX 9]

since he didn't win the presidency.

What part of that don't you understand? He lost his bid to become president against Bush, remember? If not, here's a reminder.

[Fandango 1,440]

I honestly would be quite happy for him to have won, had it not been for something filled with lies and inaccuracies...

The fact that it is just makes it a '####### is everyone smoking to not comprehend that?' moment.

[SteveLaura 0]

Regarding Mother T, I have first-hand experience of her hospitals, having volunteered at one in Calcutta on and off between '94 and '97. I bet your first aid kit is better stocked than what we had to work with. Her place (the Mother House) was no palace, either, in fairness. The rumour, however, was that the Vatican saw a large portion of the donations.