Americans ...

[Butters 0]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19409188/

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[Skyrad 0]

Its because they're so vulgar.

http://www.newstatesman.com/199904190016

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Skyrad 0]

The figures, alas, do not bear any of this out. On governmental aid, the OECD says that the US comes 22nd in a league table of 22 western countries, handing over just 0.14 per cent of its gross national product, compared with Britain's 0.34 per cent, France's 0.41 per cent or Norway's 0.92 per cent.

On funds donated overseas by private citizens, the US-based Centre for Global Development calculates that Americans give less per capita than the Swiss or Irish or Norwegians: private donations amount to just five cents per American per day, compared (say) with 24 cents per Norwegian per day.

It is certainly true that Americans give extensively to charities, though the reasons are not widely understood in Britain. They receive substantial tax breaks for charitable contributions; if you earn $100,000 a year and donate $10,000 of that to charity, for example, you will be taxed only on $90,000. The American Association of Fundraising Counsel says that roughly $240bn was donated to charity by Americans in 2003. But 98 per cent of this never went beyond US shores.
I take no pleasure in documenting this lack of generosity by Americans to overseas causes, but the United States is clearly in need of a reality check.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200501100004

Next!

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Butters 0]

That is interesting information. According to that, the American Government donates a little, the American People donate a lot (and the majority of donations are for Religion and remain in America).

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[rehmwa 2]

these are fun threads - some caviats that always come up and are debated but never accounted

1 - how is it counted?
2 - per capita or total
3 - does it include only government managed giving or does it count private contributions and those via corps
4 - does it discount charity that doesn't fall into the author's personal "list" on only stuff HE considers to be REAL charity
5 - how does it track charity that is unclaimed in any way?
6 - are people discounting completely charity that is given by a certain class of people? "it's not charity unless it hurts to give" attitude
7 - if the government is doing it on "behalf of the people" can you really say the "people" are that generous?

etc, etc, etc, etc ad nauseum, ad boredom

This is such a quagmire, that even opening the thread is an exercise in futility.

And who cares, generalizations like this are nonsense anyway. We could be the most generous country by any metric and Bob over their is still the biggest tightwad I know. How does it matter except to people with no individual identities that need to establish nationalistic thoughts (or anti-nationalistic thoughts) to validate themselves?

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Skyrad 0]

Facts facts facts...Always with the facts

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[SpeedRacer 1]

well it kind of sums it all up.

Inhabitants of Country A might be more heavily taxed then those in Country B, and consequently, rely more on the Government to donate/support charitable programs, or even to run those programs itself.

In Country B people are not taxed as much, and therefor there is more $ available, (and more reliance on donations ) for charity that come directly from the people & corporations.

Speed Racer
--------------------------------------------------

[shropshire 0]

If you want to give, give but don't boast about it, it's terribly gauche.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[PLFXpert 0]

After Katrina, Billy and I ransacked the house for goods that might be of service to donate, & also wrote lump sum checks to various organizations.

Perhaps I should have asked for a sticker that read "I donated", but that would have ruined the fun of seeing the pissed off looks on cashier's faces everywhere, everytime I declined to have them ring me up for an extra dollar to donate to the Katrina victims.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[joedirt 0]

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The figures, alas, do not bear any of this out. On governmental aid, the OECD says that the US comes 22nd in a league table of 22 western countries, handing over just 0.14 per cent of its gross national product, compared with Britain's 0.34 per cent, France's 0.41 per cent or Norway's 0.92 per cent.

This might mean something if the GDP of any of these countries came even close to that of the United States. The GDP of the entire European Union is roughly the same size as the U.S. which makes your statement very misleading.

[shropshire 0]

Bet we can piss high up the wall tho

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Butters 0]

Quote

This is such a quagmire, that even opening the thread is an exercise in futility.

I found it interesting given the limitless possibilities of material possessions that Americans have that Americans donate as much as they do.

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[kallend 2,158]

Quote

Quote

The figures, alas, do not bear any of this out. On governmental aid, the OECD says that the US comes 22nd in a league table of 22 western countries, handing over just 0.14 per cent of its gross national product, compared with Britain's 0.34 per cent, France's 0.41 per cent or Norway's 0.92 per cent.

This might mean something if the GDP of any of these countries came even close to that of the United States. The GDP of the entire European Union is roughly the same size as the U.S. which makes your statement very misleading.

The thread title is "Americans", not "America". hence a per capita comparison is correct.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 2,158]

Quote

these are fun threads - some caviats that always come up and are debated but never accounted

1 - how is it counted?
2 - per capita or total
3 - does it include only government managed giving or does it count private contributions and those via corps
4 - does it discount charity that doesn't fall into the author's personal "list" on only stuff HE considers to be REAL charity
5 - how does it track charity that is unclaimed in any way?
6 - are people discounting completely charity that is given by a certain class of people? "it's not charity unless it hurts to give" attitude
7 - if the government is doing it on "behalf of the people" can you really say the "people" are that generous?

etc, etc, etc, etc ad nauseum, ad boredom

This is such a quagmire, that even opening the thread is an exercise in futility.

And who cares, generalizations like this are nonsense anyway. We could be the most generous country by any metric and Bob over their is still the biggest tightwad I know. How does it matter except to people with no individual identities that need to establish nationalistic thoughts (or anti-nationalistic thoughts) to validate themselves?

Agreed.

FWIW I would be more impressed with a small contribution to famine relief than with a large contribution to buy the Reverend Billy-Bob a new Cadillac.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[NCclimber 0]

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FWIW I would be more impressed with a small contribution to famine relief than with a large contribution to buy the Reverend Billy-Bob a new Cadillac.

How much do you give for famine relief, each year?

[rehmwa 2]

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FWIW I would be more impressed with a small contribution to famine relief than with a large contribution to buy the Reverend Billy-Bob a new Cadillac.

Why do you hate the United Auto Workers? Don't they deserve to avoid famine also?

Is it because some are brown skinned?

(sorry, it really is fun and I see why you play that card so much now. GOD, the power it brings)

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[kallend 2,158]

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Quote

FWIW I would be more impressed with a small contribution to famine relief than with a large contribution to buy the Reverend Billy-Bob a new Cadillac.

How much do you give for famine relief, each year?

How much do you give the church?

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[NCclimber 0]

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Quote

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FWIW I would be more impressed with a small contribution to famine relief than with a large contribution to buy the Reverend Billy-Bob a new Cadillac.

How much do you give for famine relief, each year?

How much do you give the church?

Nice dodge. LOL

[Butters 0]

It is entertaining to post an open ended thread in Speakers Corner ...

I was interested in the fact that people living in a capitalist economy that is focused on material possessions are not only responsible for large amounts of charitable donations but that the amount of charitable donations is increasing.

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[joedirt 0]

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The thread title is "Americans", not "America". hence a per capita comparison is correct

His numbers are comparing government aide to a percentage of gross national product. Governmental expenditures are a smaller percentage of GDP in the U.S. than in most of Europe. In that scenario even if the per capita number was exactly the same for two countries, then the percentage would be higher in the European country. He's comparing the wrong things, maybe it's a typo, but I was just responding to a very misleading statistic.

[popsjumper 2]

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...The American Association of Fundraising Counsel says that roughly $240bn was donated to charity by Americans in 2003. But 98 per cent of this never went beyond US shores.
I take no pleasure in documenting this lack of generosity by Americans to overseas causes....

I'm happy that my donated money is staying at home for those Americans that need it.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[NCclimber 0]

Quote

The figures, alas, do not bear any of this out.

According the article in the OP, " Americans gave nearly $300 billion to charitable causes last year"

That comes out to about $1000.00 per capita for 2006.

Do any other countries give as much on a per capita basis?

[kallend 2,158]

Quote

Quote

The figures, alas, do not bear any of this out.

According the article in the OP, " Americans gave nearly $300 billion to charitable causes last year"

That comes out to about $1000.00 per capita for 2006.

Do any other countries give as much on a per capita basis?

Certainly not Ethiopia.

I guess I'd like to see a breakdown by type of charity. I know a man who gives to his own foundation and then uses the foundation's plane to jet around the world "on foundation business". The business always seems to be in expensive resort locations.

I am told that lots of charities spend less than 50% of their donations on the actual cause for which they ostensibly exist. "Overhead" uses the rest.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

I guess I'd like to see a breakdown by type of charity.

ahh, #4 of my list - (but yours is a good example - but it shouldn't stop me from getting silly on it)

Me too, because some feel that cancer is "natural" selection and that trying to cure it is against natural order.

Therefore, contributions to the "Cause" shouldn't be counted.

Also, men are jerks, so contribution to solve prostate issues are just enabling the patriarchal society. Obviously NOT a legitimate charity.

Only gifts to skydiving scholarships should count as charity. All else is smoke and mirrors.

College scholarships? WHAT? something that allows someone to become successful? what kind of priority is that? can't count it. we can't send one person to school until everyone has a home and a bowl of soup. gotta have priorities.

etc

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[kallend 2,158]

Quote

Quote

I guess I'd like to see a breakdown by type of charity.

ahh, #4 of my list - (but yours is a good example - but it shouldn't stop me from getting silly on it)

Me too, because some feel that cancer is "natural" selection and that trying to cure it is against natural order.

Therefore, contributions to the "Cause" shouldn't be counted.

Also, men are jerks, so contribution to solve prostate issues are just enabling the patriarchal society. Obviously NOT a legitimate charity.

Only gifts to skydiving scholarships should count as charity. All else is smoke and mirrors.

College scholarships? WHAT? something that allows someone to become successful? what kind of priority is that? can't count it. we can't send one person to school until everyone has a home and a bowl of soup. gotta have priorities.

etc

Most charities have to file a Form 990 with the IRS. For some reason, Faith Based charities are exempted. Hmmmm. So the Rev. Billy-Bob can buy his new Caddy with no-one the wiser?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.