scole2, MANY of us bought into the "Zero Population Growth" and only had two or less kids. What has happened? The poor / ignorant have kept on breeding.

I say give them food, but anyone with more than one child should be forced sterilized. If they don't want to do that, let them decrease the population by starving to death.

All my life I have watched starving Black and South Asian babies on TV and at some point, it is pointless to try and help people that will not follow a system that works. Enough already. Join the "Zero Population" team, or starve.

Mike White, you are 100% wrong. Africa is a huge Continent with lots of people. Many are still trying to overcome the corruption and tribal manipulations of the Europeans. Ever wonder why Antwerp is in Belgium when their are no diamond mined here? Yup, Belgium Congo. The people that brought the cutting off of hands to the Congo. Nope, not Arabs, but Belgium.

There is too much information on Africa for you to be this ignorant unless you like to be stupid.

What you’re looking at are communities across wide areas that need assistance because, despite best efforts, they have been pushed off their ability to cope,” said Martin Dawes, regional spokesman for UNICEF

"they have been pushed off their ability to cope?!?" What kind of lame statement is that?

Unfortunately BlackandGold is correct, they need to stop having more kids. For decades, unlimited procreation has continued to create a population larger than the land can support. Then, other countries come in, give them food and basics, but never address the overpopulation problem. For all practical purposes, we've enabled them to continue to overproduce. The guilt laden infomercials for starving children do not really solve the underlying issue, overpopulation. We have fed them, what, for at least 40 years now, and nothing has changed. We need to pay attention to this, as other places in the world will have the same problem in coming years. We need to stop enabling this behavior.

These problems in Africa have been the same problems for centuries. Here once again, they are calling for the international community to do something, which has been done time and again. It has reached the point where the international community is going to have to leave Africa's problems to be solved by Africans.

"Instead of sending them food, send buses. Take them to a place where they can grow food." ---Sam Kinnison

Im sorry but the concept that because someone has a starving baby, I need to feed it is bull@!$%#. You bring a baby into this world without the means to feed it, then YOU are the criminal. Procreation is not a basic right, its a privilege of having enough resources and the means to raise more human beings. If you bring a child into this world and cannot support it then you condemn it to a life of pure hell.

All these arguments are probably valid. But I am not prepared to let a million plus children die who had nothing to do with the history of Africa. They are innocent in this. They should not have to starve to death in order to solve this problem. That's not a solution, it's a cruel form of genocide.

Ok say 1.5 million kids in Africa might starve, we have enough hollywood types along with our own government sending aid over there to feed China. Yet we have according to CBS 60 minutes last year some 20 million of our own kids that "do not know where their next meal is coming from".

Africa is a fertile land and can grow crops to feed themselves, They are killing off their wild animal herds not for food but for ivory.

The only way they are going to grow up and start taking care of themselves is for the US to stop enabling the corruption and thuggery rampant in that and other parts of the world. A little "Tough Love" is what is needed not Do-Gooder Bull Crap.

In essence what we have created is the ultimate welfare country..

I'm disturbed by these comments. Not only are you saying the the children should die, but the children need to die or even deserve to die.

You do realize that we're talking about humans right? This is the same species you know? The kids next door....

Hey, MOSinEUR,, don't blame this on whitey again. Africans have had their sovereignty for most of the last 100 years. Does anyone really believe they are better off than under European Colonial Rule? How could it get any worse? I love the western liberal idea of freedom of the individual, but there is no freedom in many parts of Africa. There is no food, there is no order. It is incredible that population this large have even come to exist in areas unable to sustain them. It is only because non-Africans subsidize the food and food distribution economy in most of Africa.

What is really sad here is there has been more money given to the Political Parties here than they need. Like that Casino owner in Las Vages gave $100,000,000 to the Super Pac. I feel that there should be a 25% tax charged to these Organizations and given to UNICEF and other Charitable Organizations. It is Pathetic, and disgusting that the United States Government can only give $81,000,000

One and only question needs to be answered here. How much is really needed for a Campaign. There should be a set amount with a little allowed for inflation for the parties. If there is that much money to throw around than there is that much money to do some good for the people of this country.

How many people could be employed for 1 year given $100,000,000?

Those are numbers we are also seeing inside Americas borders. Yet the religious and the GOP are turning their backs on the American people. Crutches prefer to send aid and food overseas rather than inside America. I live in Arizona and the food banks are seeing a 400-500% increase in people seeking assistance, yet the aid given to the food banks has dropped..

Its sad.. But America needs to focus on helping ITS people. The African nations must be responsible for their own citizens. America is $14 Trillion in debt. We can't feed OUR people, why help the world?

Food Aid drops should be done inside America.. But since we are "the greatest, richest" nation on the planet, why do we need any help?

Travel,

Americans aren't starving... quite the opposite actually

Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

The only way this is going to stop is to start educating. These people need to become smart enough where they can think their way out and find solutions to these starvation periods.

Make hay while the sun shines.

Make them stop having babies? Not hardly, not until they feel the first ones they have are going to survive they will not be interested in any sort of birth control. When they are losing such a high percentage of children, they are going to try to make that up with extra kids to make up for the ones they are losing. That's human nature, actually, that's nature, all species do that. Until those people feel that 1-2 children per woman are going to make it to adulthood, this will never be fixed.

BTW: same applies to our inner cities.

@ journal.. LMAO really where did you get your info from? Sure America is the most obese nation on the planet. But we have a massive population that is also starving and malnourished. Do some homework, the idiots abound in America.. Journal is a prime example. I guess you live in GOP fantasy land eh?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/hunger_at_home/hunger-home-american-children-malnourished/story?id=14367230#.T-HIQhdDxBk

Yeah I guess the 17+ MILLION children in America not having access to a reliable food source isn't a problem eh?

For just $1 a day, you too can send condoms to help prevent tragedies like this.

America is different. Here we have a DIVIDE in income/food. More and more people are getting obese on one end, while on the other more and more are becoming impoverished.

unfortunately bee rent, rapists don't wear condoms and it's still a huge problem in areas like this. not saying all these kids are from that but alot are.

Go to your local church and see if they will take some of their 71 billion a year income and feed these kids. I can bet they will give you an empty prayer instead of a plate of food.

This is really sad, and I know if Africa had tons of oil there, America would be there asap helping these people and stealing their oil.

Its not GENOCIDE! Christ. If I go off and have 20 kids then demand you feed them then the counter arguement isnt genocide! Cheese and rice some of you bleeding hearters are truly lacking for brains. I am NOT responsible for feeding every starving thing on this planet. Some of you may feel some deep seated desire to do so, but dont get enraged when the rest of us have common sense to see that doing so will only enable their actions further.

Thats my rant......

This is sad and yet an ongoing problem for nearly 50 years that I'm aware. I am going to have to agree. Why bring so many children into a world that cannot support them. A father and mother are responsible. Generations have been having this problem. When ever foreign Countries bring food, thieves and the like kill more and steal the food without helping the mass as intended. The Governments in Africa need to spend their money taking care of their problem. I know people here in the United States that are poor. They won't die from starvation but yet they need help too that is denied by our own Government.

So, we send aid and the leaders take it for themselves and their armies.

And the people themselves are helpless? Really? Are they unarmed? Can they not rise up?

Easter Island, people. Easter Island.

Let's cut off the food, arm the people, and stand back.

itgranny

The only way this is going to stop is to start educating. These people need to become smart enough where they can think their way out and find solutions to these starvation periods.

Hey Itgranny and others who feel the same, here's another solution- GIVE THEM FOOD!!! Who said they are not smart or educated? The reason for this crisis is because of the cycles of drought resulting in failed harvests. Their harvests are used to feed themselves, their animals. And, sell at the market so they can make money. They need assistance during these periods of drought.

I am so sick and tired of hearing about birth control! So the answer is to give the people condoms because there is no food? Really?!!

Okay, so let's do that. Now you have a country without food and are no longer producing children.....there.....problem solved.....

While we pat ourselves on the back for coming up with this SUPERB solution, the people we gave the condoms to are still dying..... hmmmm......I wonder why?

@YouJustSaidWhat,

Well said.

I'm sure your sarcasm might be lost on some. But I just about cried when I read what was being said about these children in these comments. I'm not sure what it says about the human race when people are so thrilled/nonchalant about the prospect of hundreds of thousands of innocents dying.

Genocide, according to the internation definition, includes prevention of births, from what I've read above, this is what is being proposed by the brain trust found in the comment fields. All it takes for bad to succeed is for good people to stand by and do nothing, history has taught us this. And we are still learning this lesson.

I guess you know what, it says more about a person in how they see and treat the poorest of people, the most disinfrancised and the most vulnerable. I wouldn't wish any of these hardships on anyone, regardless of their beliefs, race, creed or status. Be it an African child, an American Indian child, a Russian Child or a North American child. None deserve to be talked about as if they are cannon fodder. None.

Many of these babies were conceived in RAPE. Rape is being used as a weapon, and there is no concern at all on behalf of the rapists for the children so conceived. When a child is conceived, it is "God's will."

I wish Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Muslim world would kick in and do something about the culture of rape that appears to be so prevalent in their cultures and societies, and stop this atrocity. According to local customs there, as I understand them, if a baby is conceived by a Muslim man, it is assumed to be Muslim. Then Muslims, take care of your children and their mothers! Unfortunately, there is no way to excommunicate a Muslim for ungodly behavior, and abusing women has been covered here time and time before.

"I wish Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Muslim world would kick in and do something about the culture of rape that appears to be so prevalent in their cultures and societies"

lol Im sorry but this is not going to change. The koran demands rape in many cases as punishment. Read up on it. They are litterally allowed by Allah to rape women, so its not going to stop.

The ignorance here is appalling. I want to think better of my fellow man, especially the westerner who holds himself in such high moral esteem, but I guess I should know better by now.

West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, these regions of the world were in great shape until, well, Europe showed up a few centuries ago. And this is not drudging up a long-ago past because Europe, and now America, are still there sowing the seeds of tragedy. If you don't know, then its because you choose not to. Its so you can sleep at night thinking your tax dollars had nothing to do with famine in Niger, war in Congo, genocide in Rwanda, political instability in Sudan and Somalia. Its so you can pat your backs for sending Charles Taylor to jail for life after propping up his western-puppet dictatorship for decades.

For those of you who don't why vast regions of the world are destitute to the point that a drought that doesn't make Texas blink can put a whole region in grave peril, I suggest you keep your mouths shut. Its harder to sound willfully ignorant that way.

I am NOT responsible for feeding every starving thing on this planet.

You're right. You're only responsible for the ones put in that position by your tax dollars. Which is most of them.

The koran demands rape in many cases as punishment. Read up on it. They are litterally allowed by Allah to rape women, so its not going to stop.

Forget spell-check, web browsers need fact-check.

The leaders in Africa keep stealing and warmongering - that is primarily why so many people go hungry there. Most Africans were far better off under the colonial rule. And that is a very sad truth.

There is nothing special or righteous about humans. We're animals just like any other. If we outgrow our resources, nature exercises population control and it doesn't care how old you are or what part of the globe you reside in.

Africa needs to solve its own problems. It's painfully obvious centuries of outside intervention have done nothing but delayed this inevitability. Feed the poor and they're still hungry. Raise the poor up and they'll take care of themselves.

The world needs to foster economic growth and social equality in Africa, not continue the handouts. Only then will the endless starving-children commercials stop.

Umm Bilal....read... http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Rape_in_Islam

1.5 million Americans are not starving to death. Give it a rest.

YouJustSaidWhat? Not sure what your rant is about, but you may one day be 55, and if you make it, I expect you to kill yourself to free up resources.

Population beyond resources isn't an oversimplification. It may make you feel good to feed those 1.5 million starving babies, but it doesn't help the problem at all. In fact, the problem will exponentially expand at a rate dependent on how many babies are produced by feeding the current crop. Feeding the starving babies is just like a ponzi scheme, it will eventually fail. The past has shown that providing only food isn't the answer, we have a bigger problem now than we had 20 years ago.

Take your self righteous indignation and stuff it. I wonder how much money you've donated to these starving children, or how much volunteer work you've provided in Africa to help those you're so concerned with. If you're answer, as I suspect, is none -- then you're exactly what you accuse others of being. If you're unlike most liberals and actually do what you want everybody else to do, congratulations you'll be responsible for even greater suffering in the future.

javondure-These people are NOT educated. That's the problem. WE can either go in half assed and put a bandaid on it, or we can fix it with education which will prevent it from happening again. They've been having drought cycles since the beginning of time.

I've heard of pumps that water crops, going out because someone installed them but no one showed them how to fix it or make the parts to fix them. Better seed and animal genetics could produce more food on less ground with less water and less work. Better husbandry (crop rotation, vaccines for their livestock, etc) can increase the amount of food output also. Refrigeration so their food will keep. The list goes on and on and on.

Child bed fever is rampant in these places because of the dirty conditions. Dr's, nurses and facilities are stretched to the limit. Parasites are attacking the little ones. etc.

With money, we can go in and fix all these for them, but until we put the time and energy into educating these folks to do this stuff for themselves, we're blowing it because it won't be sustained.

Most Africans were far better off under the colonial rule.

No, they were better off before colonial rule. The colonials still rule.

Umm Bilal....read... http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Rape_in_Islam

Nothing there. I've read lots of that site over time. They need fact-check themselves. Misleading and assumptive interpretations of Quran, and quoting sources outside the Quran in order to prop up their deceit, these tactics only work on people who don't know any better. I urge you to do your own research, do your own thinking, and form your own opinion.

endless starving-children commercials

The problem is that's all that it is to you. To your point, this is not the after-effect of crippling welfare, this is the after-effect of colonialist and neo-colonialist resource theft.

6dog said:

How many people could be employed for 1 year given $100,000,000?

Pretty much none if there is no product to be made. That's the problem we have right now, no need to employ if they have no product to produce.

The real question you need to ask yourself, "what has happened that a rich person is willing to give up that much money in hopes we don't have another 4 years of this?" It goes to show just how bad things have gotten in the US. In all honesty, it is also, "fight fire with fire" mentality. What about the billions Obama raised in 2008, let alone the money he has raised this time around? Why don't you bring that up?

West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, these regions of the world were in great shape until, well, Europe showed up a few centuries ago.

Great shape? Really? There was plenty of food for all and entire villages were not raped to "breed" the enemy into extinction? Maybe in Northern Africa, you know, the ones taking slaves to build monuments and pyramids, but the rest of the continent was plodding along just as they have for countless centuries before.

Maybe, on second thought, it was the Europeans fault with all those nasty vaccines and schools and irrigation and such. Now we have generations of offspring that have made it to breeding age. So many, it seems, that all of a sudden, the land cannot support all the people any more.

Sounds like the long term solution is to leave them alone and let Mother Africa solve the problem. After all, it's Europeans and Americans that are the cause of all of Africa's woes so they don't want or need anything from the rest of the world.

Remember, "these regions of the world were in great shape until, well, Europe showed up a few centuries ago."

Oh and 6dogs, giving that money to feed Africa still won't fix their problems.......just more enabling.

Enabling them to what? Survive?

I love how people trot out the "people are animals" and "overpopulation" speeches for Africans who are starving. What it really is "Africans are animals" and "We don't need to feed animals we don't like".

Face, you people think Africans are subhuman animals and their deaths are as inconsequential as roadkill.

The real question you need to ask yourself, "what has happened that a rich person is willing to give up that much money in hopes we don't have another 4 years of this?"

Or, how much does that person have to gain that spending that much money is worth it to them.

down south, all you need to read to know that link is biased is the part about using certain interpretations to come to their conclusion about a "not easy to understand" verse. or just read the join us link "wiki islam is a site critical of islam".

Realist-1226632

YouJustSaidWhat? Not sure what your rant is about, but you may one day be 55, and if you make it, I expect you to kill yourself to free up resources.

Check the batteries on your sarcasm-o-tron, sir. I was using a literary tool to mock the "let 'em starve, it is their own damned fault" group of soulless cretins populating this thread.

With that said, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If we're willing to let 1.5 MILLION children starve with little-to-no flinching, why not just put the rest of the "societal burdens," such as baby boomers (I am guessing you're one of that population) out to pasture?

Population beyond resources isn't an oversimplification. It may make you feel good to feed those 1.5 million starving babies, but it doesn't help the problem at all.

Crying population as the sole issue IS oversimplification. It is MORE than the goddamned population. You're illustrating my point of a lack of knowledge of Africa's other plagues -- such as the vast corruption of the African governments and the continued exploitation by western governments and corporations.

Get educated.

In fact, the problem will exponentially expand at a rate dependent on how many babies are produced by feeding the current crop. Feeding the starving babies is just like a ponzi scheme, it will eventually fail. The past has shown that providing only food isn't the answer, we have a bigger problem now than we had 20 years ago.

I am sure your ancestors -- breeding like proverbial rabbits to ensure enough working hands for the farm -- would appreciate your sentiment.

You get that, right? I don't really need to describe in detail the necessity for underdeveloped societies to have an abundance of children in order to offset atrocious mortality rates of both adults and children to ensure that the f*cking village doesn't die off, do I?

Oops. Well, I guess I saved you some time on wikipedia. You're welcome.

Take your self righteous indignation and stuff it.

What, exactly, is self-righteous about me calling out the sheer lunacy of people advocating sitting by and watching 1.5 MILLION children starve?

I wonder how much money you've donated to these starving children, or how much volunteer work you've provided in Africa to help those you're so concerned with.

I can't afford to go to Africa. I can afford to pledge donations to organizations, such as UNICEF ... which I do.

If you're answer, as I suspect, is none -- then you're exactly what you accuse others of being.

My answer is decidedly NOT "none." So I'll ask a pointed question in retort: what the f*ck have you done?

That is rhetorical, by the way; I already know the answer, judging by the tone of your post.

If you're unlike most liberals and actually do what you want everybody else to do, congratulations you'll be responsible for even greater suffering in the future.

F*ck it; let 'em starve, right? I'll meet you down at Buffalo Wild Wings for a celebratory glut on cheap food and beer.

Let's be clear, here: you, and your ilk, are the ones with the self-righteous indignation, reminiscent of Cain. Here's a hint, you are your brother's keeper.

If you're unlike most liberals and actually do what you want everybody else to do, congratulations you'll be responsible for even greater suffering in the future.

What he's saying is, Don't feed them. They might LIVE.

Stickey Justice, you wrote:

"Hey, MOSinEUR,, don't blame this on whitey again. Africans have had their sovereignty for most of the last 100 years. Does anyone really believe they are better off than under European Colonial Rule? How could it get any worse? I love the western liberal idea of freedom of the individual, but there is no freedom in many parts of Africa. There is no food, there is no order. It is incredible that population this large have even come to exist in areas unable to sustain them. It is only because non-Africans subsidize the food and food distribution economy in most of Africa."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonisation_of_Africa#Decolonisation

Read a bit...The main period of decolonisation in Africa began after World War II. Growing independence movements, indigenous political parties and trade unions coupled with pressure from within the imperialist powers and from the United States ensured the decolonisation of the majority of the continent by 1980. While some areas, in particular South Africa, retain a large population of European descent, only the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and the islands of Réunion, the Canary Islands and Madeira remain under European control.

I don't count very well, but 1980...2012...not a hundred years. Hell, even after 100 years after slavery in the USA, Americans with African ancestors were still treated like dirt. Study up on the Civil Rights movement. Look at the condition of millions of Americans with African ancestors, with MANY more opertunities, living in an industrial country that still have not overcome slavery and racism. AND YOU THINK Africans are able to move on in destroyed countries 30 years after freedom?

BIRTH CONTROL in the water PLEASE!!!

What water?

Great shape? Really? There was plenty of food for all and entire villages were not raped to "breed" the enemy into extinction?

More or less. As a continent full of diverse peoples across various regions, they did well for millenia before the overwhelming outside interference of the last 400 years. No different than any other region of the world. Some famine, some pestilence, some wars, but nothing near today's level. I suppose your high school didn't offer African History.

the rest of the continent was plodding along just as they have for countless centuries before.

Yes. They were doing just fine. Its the land of plenty (evolution apparently agrees, since it chose that land for the first humans). And that's precisely why outsiders came. To take it.

Sounds like the long term solution is to leave them alone and let Mother Africa solve the problem. After all, it's Europeans and Americans that are the cause of all of Africa's woes

That is precisely the long term solution. I think Africa would certainly right itself in the absence of the neo-colonialist destabilization, destruction, and resource theft that the West offers with its right hand and the 'aid' proffered with its left hand. For the record, I think the same is true of the Middle East, portions of Central and East Asia, and Central and South America. As it stands, the situation is akin to shooting a person, blaming him for his wound, and then offering him a bandaid.

All the idiots saying that the problem is that they are having too many kids don't f***ing get it.

Africa has wars, lots of them, that destroys infrastructure (roads, bridges, telephone, etc.), forces farmers off their land and eliminates government. There is a lot of food but it can't make it to the people who need it because it is stolen by warlords or is unable to be delivered because of bad roads.

Blow up all the bridges in New York and California, take out a few power stations and communications and wipe out the governments then watch how many Americas die of malnutrition. The Rodney King verdict should be a lesson as to how fast a "civilized" society can fall apart.

@ Rob80 - first of all, he would gain a President who doesn't tell people not to go to Vegas... It is about the same if the money came from Bill Gates after he told everyone not to use Microsoft products. Not the President's job to tell consumers what product to buy.

@ journaljournal - enabling them to continue to overpopulate their lands beyond the land's ability to feed them ....funny you don't get that. Just like the remainderof your post came 100% out of your head, no one else considers them animals. Africa needs to fix their own problems and stop letting other countries treat the results of their not taking care of their problems. The problem never goes away.

The only help Africans need from us is to send doctors to perform free abortions and sterilizations. And condoms too, if only the african men will agree to wear them. And the rapists should be killed. We have overpopulation in the world. No need to be nice to african rapists.

Please stop!! My white-guilt-o-meter is pegged out!!

When we started vaccinating Africans by the millions for malaria, the number one killer in Africa, the death rate changed. But that is the only thing that changed. A family that had 4 children might have been logically able to assume that only 2 would make it to adulthood back then. But now 3 or maybe all 4 are going to become adults. Apply this to an entire continent.....well famine is not exactly a hard thing to predict. If you save a life, you become responsible for that life. It's time to fix this.

RobinMay

and YouJustSaidWhat,

Thank you for your eloquence and character in standing up for fellow human beings.

Anyone who doesn't understand the problems begin and end with the people of Africa need to look at the history of Zimbabwe and it's current terrorist regime under Robert Mugabe.

@ journaljournal - enabling them to continue to overpopulate their lands beyond the land's ability to feed them ....funny you don't get that

You don't seem to get that the land is not producing any food at all. It's not like they're hoovering everything in sight like a bunch of locusts. and yes, people who let other people die are treating them like animals. Not addressing the problem does not make it go away.

@Travis: There is no vaccine for malaria. Malaria is not a viral illness, but instead a protozoal parasitic illness. The protozoa is spread by mosquitos. The only way to prevent malaria is by eliminating the mosquitos with insecticides or preventing the bites by sleeping under a mosquito net. There are a few medications used to treat the disease after one contracts it. The majority of vaccines prevent viral illness such as measles, chickenpox, mumps, smallpox and polio for example. Tetanus is a vaccine derived from clostridium tetani a bacteria which produces a neurotoxin, it is unique in that it is targeted against side effects of the neurotoxin produced by a bacteria as opposed to a virus, it's akin to antivenom for a snake bite. I took that class so long ago I really had to search in my brain for that.

I'm almost 60. This has been going on my entire life. So long as children are born indiscriminately, and droughts are repetitive, this will continue to happen.

It is they who need to come to terms with the reality that it is they who periodically starve millions of children. It is their guilt.

So long as people come along and rescue those children, the moral hazard continues. If you want it to stop, you must also stop. They have to be made to face what they are doing.

Stop feeding them and they will stop breeding one way or another. Problem solved.

I bet the "do nothing starvers" on these posts are the same ones who are do not believe in abortions here in the US. Those without compassion have an overly simplistic view of the world, which they tailor to fit their own current short term extremist view point. Our government and M/I industries would be
quick to sell or give arms, if it fit our world view strategies - but giving 1% of that amount for food - out of the question. How low can we go ??? !

The "you must be a horrible person guilty of all faults assigned if you do not think like me argument" never had a chance of sounding anything but incredibly stupid.

This is really sad. Church and religion rakes in an estimated 71 bil per year, and they cannot send 1 billion in food and supplies to help them, but they will offer all their empty prayers as usual that does squat for people.

If this region of Africa was sitting on tons of oil, our government would be there feeding them, and taking their oil asap.

Shame on all the people (especially religious ones) that do nothing for these people.

All kinds of people all over the world are starving. We cannot feed them all. Many countries are the way they are because of their own internal strife and incompetent governments or religious zealots. We cannot help these people, they need to fend for themselves and either die or figure their way out of their own mess.

There was recently an article showing the worst countries in the world to live. It seemed as if at least 75% of Africa was in the dumps. So much for the do-gooder anti-aparthied movement, all it did was doom these people to a very very difficult life. Once again, liberal tinkering and ignorance just made things worse for a lot of people.

despite recent pledges of international aid.

Aid has been going there for many years. They need to learn to "help themselves" The world is running out of help for everybody. We are 7 billion already. The only help that really would be significant would be education at all levels, and stop depending on others for your survival.

What you have said is true.

But you forgot the fact that all of those governments are hording the food aid for themselves and their armies. They could care less about their own people.

hording the food aid for themselves and their armies

Exactly my point. Why send food if it is not going to reach it's destination? We are only feeding criminals.

Hunger games?

I think these statements nail it. How much do we send when it won't get to where it is needed? I know for a fact that the US and religious organizations in the US have been sending aid to Africa for over 55 years. I'm pushing 60, and I remember very well about being told about the starving children in Africa, and how we HAD to help them. We went around and collected money, food, clothing, toys, and on and on, and boxed it all up and sent it off to the missionaries in the African countries. And we did it the next year, and the next year, and the next year, and the next . . . .

Even after the missionaries were killed off, we kept sending. I no longer am affiliated with these organizations, but I know they continue to enable the receivers of these goods. And now I know that not a bit of it got to its intended destination. I think the missionaries may have long been dead, and their mailing address was just a drop point for our largess.

Do I want to see dying, starving babies? Of course not. But unless we can actually hand carry our donations to these malnourished children, and actually put the food in their mouths, it's not going to happen. The corruption in these countries is staggering, but as long as aid donations are intercepted by thieving governments, corrupt officials, warlords and the like, we are just throwing good money after bad. It's a fruitless, lose/lose venture. I truly wish it could be different, but until honesty becomes the byword, everyone is just plain out of luck.

Oh! But don't forget, Bill Gates will see to it that each and every one is immunized and will not die of some preventable disease! Buying food isn't the answer either. Education and birth control are what is needed. When a couple has just one or two kids, then the kids need immunizations. We need to re-introduce small pox, but of course that isn't realistic. We can just sit on our hands and mother nature will take care of reducing the population; maybe to zero.

That's stupid. Poverty in Africa is due almost entirely because of conflict. Fix that and you'll fix starvation.

Let nature take its course, we can't save the world from humans. Our State Dept. will try by importing more people we don't need and who are dragging us down with their inabilties. It is time these people learned to stand on their own two feet in their own countries.

This our own news media trying garner simpathy for these people. News pictures of starving people got us into trouble in Somalia when we went into help. Stay away.

Let nature take its course, we can't save the world from humans. Our State Dept. will try by importing more people we don't need and who are dragging us down with their inabilties. It is time these people learned to stand on their own two feet in their own countries.

Spot on! People used to immigrate into America for its opportunities...now they immigrate here for its welfare. Just dead weight.

"Let nature take its course..."

It will. It certainly will.

I really feel for those kids. Population should be controlled by whatever means (short of murder) in those countries. However, the morons in charge only care about themselves. They steal everything, kill and rape everyone else and we keep sending them the food, money and weapons to continue to do so. Shame on us.

Maybe church and religions can do a little less praying and more physical work in helping those that are in need.

Send them food, money and medical supplies, not bibles and prayers.

Sad about the kids starving, but there is absolutely nothing we can do.

Yes, it is our media spinning up some sad pictures and BS stories about starvation and need. We can not help them at all. There is more than enough food in Africa's warehouses and in the hands of the governments. They just don't deliver it to their people, and that, is NOT our problem.

In addition, instead of bibles and prayers - send birth control pills and doctors to sterilize and castrate. This christian BS does not work over there, don't you get it you stupid missionaries?

Provide machinery and tools so the Africans can help themselves. Stop sending money and food. Teach them to work, which is not one of their strong sides anyway! And if they don't make it, so be it.

Ever heard about Darwin? Watch it work!

It is sad when you see children starving anywhere, however, if things do not change, our own children will be starving too if our government doesn't start doing something about our economy and job markets!

We need to worry about us first and fix our issues first before we start helping any other countries. The U.S. is always helping everyone else and you never see any handouts from any other countries for us do you? Sorry, but it's time to be a little selfish.

you people are disgusting. small children and families are dying. most likely they had farms and the ability to provide for themselves and their neighbor. godless corporations have forced, tricked and worked with less than honest governments to displace people from their land. they become refugees and rely on government and outside assistance.

you are what they call complacent and the filth of humanity.

giving food, grains and tools to help people is only the first step, even if corruption exists and gangs and rebels steal some of the food, you have to continue. it is far better than supporting the soul deadening materialistic way of life t most likely you consider to be entitled to.

the amount of resources used to support the sickening way of life that america has become should seriously shake you to the bone.

Too many years of the US and West just writing checks and not actually overseeing that the money actually reaches the people it was intended to help. Too many years of Swiss bank accounts. Too many years of deposed dictators walking away with billions. Marcos, Duvalier, Mubarek, the Shah, Idi Amin, etc etc etc etc it is a long sadly too long list. Too many years of arms sales to third world dictators. Too many years of people being caught between colonists, tribalism, the US and Soviet Union. Many African countries have great wealth in natural resources and no infrastructure, no way of creating wealth for themselves. In 1997 the entire continent of Africa had 18% less miles of paved road that Poland. Europe has 121,205 miles of railroad and America has 155.757 miles; Asia, 18,791: Africa, 4,285. and Australia 8,045. The people are uneducated and speak some language that no one outside a couple hundred miles speaks. Africa is the logical consequence of trickel down economic theory and the practical exercise of natural selection. World population in 1900 1.6 billion. World population in 2012 7 billion. The War over Resources is not far away.

@Procrustes as long as your happy with a large block of the worlds population starving there is plenty of room to go around. The actual fact is if everyone ate as well as we do in the developed world it would take 2.5 earths to sustain the food and water needs. Earth is indeed overpopulated and cannot support the existing population. Its why africans are forced to kill and consume a million pounds of bush meat every day. Add to that the extreme over fishing of the oceans resources and the train is coming down the tracks but to many ignore the whistle.

BS, teach the men how to keep their Dic* in their pants,
women are raped by the minute

Incorrect. They consume so much "bush meat" because they are still not part of the developed world. It seems because of politics and culture they have remained several hundred years behind, though there are regions where things are getting better.

Note, however, what happened to Rhodesia when it became Zimbabwe. Same country, different leadership and political philosophy. Once prosperous, now in ruins. The notion that man is somehow outside of nature and is a malevolent presence on Earth is nonsense.

Maybe you should look at our country, The Dust Bowl and how it effected many peoples lives. It was just an area of our country, but in this case It is whole countries. Mother Nature does not care how productive an area is or has been for how long. When she wants to change the landscape she will and she doesn't care a thing about it. If you pay any attention to this country you will see that we are stating to have climatic changes here.

@ Procrustes your only half right about the politics and the developed state of their culture. But the main cause is still the planets inability to support the current population and not just in africa. The famines of today or small time compared to what we will be looking at down the tracks when world population adds another 3-4 billion.

You may not hear it but look to your left, the trains coming and should be here about the time world population hits 10 billion and like most trains we cant stop it.

Exactly. So why is it our place to try to save the world? We need to take care of our own. I too have been around a long time and have always heard they need money and food. Put birth control in drinking water. That would help.

@Weary ... you are just flat wrong. We have the ability to feed EVERYBODY many times over but do to conflict and corruption we see famine. Stalin starved MILLIONS of Ukrainians back in the 30's. That was back when the world population was about 2 Billion people. Do you think that was because there were too many people or a maybe because an evil man wanted power and kept food from going to where it needed to go?

Do you grow all your own food? Do you live near a water source? Do you create your own electricity? Unless you are then maybe you should give it a rest how some kids in Africa are bringing down the planet.

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It sounds like you're not to familiar with MSNBC's revenue model. My personal favorite are the articles related to the housing/loan/debt with advertisements to lenders. Adblock works well and the best part is MSNBC does not get paid for a blocked ad.

Government corruption, tribal warlords stealing the aid sent there, forcing children to become a gang of killers and rapist or they are killed themselves. Africa doesn't care about Africa. War profits the corrupt and the innocent die. Money and the power hungry have broken this country. It has among the highest AIDS numbers and the population just keeps adding up. I see Africa as a festering wound that needs to be cleaned but there is no doctor big enough to do it.

And THIS is what the African Americans here are proud to call their "Mother Land". Let them have it.

SRScott, Blacks haven't done that for years. At least the seventies that I remember. They're Americans that originally came from Africa. How proud are you of your European heritage? After the Civil war their was some that wanted to move back, but the majority were born in the USA and wanted to stay and set up their own towns with their own people. That didn't go over too well. I can't remember the towns name but it got raided by angry whites. Anybody? My work computer has blocking on it.

SRScott, Blacks haven't done that for years. At least the seventies that I remember. They're Americans that originally came from Africa. How proud are you of your European heritage? After the Civil war their was some that wanted to move back, but the majority were born in the USA and wanted to stay and set up their own towns with their own people. That didn't go over too well. I can't remember the towns name but it got raided by angry whites. Anybody? My work computer has blocking on it.

deepblue - it is not in the best interest of the land to constantly farm it, it needs to rest too. But it should not be America's, or Russia, or China's responsibility to feed Africa. Africa needs to be able to feed itself. It can only do so by not overpopulatingng the land. If we had overpopulation like this any where else on the planet, the result would be the same as Africa's plight. We and many other countries have been feeding the starving in Africa for decades. They need to fix their problems, not have the rest of the world treat the symptoms.

The overpopulation comes from the fact that they are so incredibly poor.

What do you do when you are unable to work and can't take care of yourself when you're old? You hope one of your 10 kids will help you.

And that is what our parents and grandparents and their parents did. What is wrong with that?

You are so very right; and just think the US foots 70% of the UN,s budget. so the politicans in DC must approve of what is happening. Time for the UN to disapear or maybe they are "to big to fail."

The US should disengage its' self from the so called United Nations. They need our money, but more so than not, go against us in the 21st century.

They don't practice birth control. Maybe instead of sending money we should send birth control pills.

People in the US can't stop their hormones and they have access to birth control in the form of pills and abortions. Unfortunately, pills and abortion are not readily available to them. Use your head.

Gene what is needed is not birth control pills (they won't take them - it has been tried) what is needed is an airborne defertilization spray that works the same as agent orange did on the foliage in Vietnam.

What they need is education and modernization. You educate them and give them skills and they'll be able to save money for when they're too old to work.

Instead, they have 10 kids in the hope that at least 1 of them will take care of them when they get too old to work.

@Eugene: It will not be better next year. It will be worse. The political struggles and corruption, genocide, civil wars and religious wars, ignorance, poverty or disease will not end. Billions of dollars are sent there every year for decades and nothing has changed. Nothing. I think it has gotten worse. There are but a few countries over there that have stable governments or economies. Africans cannot get it together and take care of their people or their problems. Visit or google the ForeignPolicy magazine website and read the article entitled Post Cards From Hell. It's an eye opener. Sorry, don't have the email address.

In Africa food is a weapon of war. By sending them food we are promoting these wars. Some day food will be a weapon of war for us.

It won't....if we spend the money and feed the 1.5 Million innocent children...they grow up to have 3 million more starving innocent children.

And we know the food doesn't get to the children. So what's the point?

My thoughts exactly. I don't care if they are black, white red, yellow green, whatever. If we continue propping them up when the land or the people are incapable of supporting themselves, then the problems will just get worse. With enough outside support people can live just about anywhere, but we have to ask ourselves if that is sustainable (its not) and the best solution to the problem. An example might be medieval Europe before the Black plague hit. The population outstripped resources while large numbers of children were born. After the outbreak, when the population was reduced by as high as 50 percent, more land and food was available for the remaining population, society changed and eventually became sustainable. Until something like that occurs in these areas, all we are doing by giving aid is prolonging the suffering for more generations.

I doubt their breeding habits are any different than ours. The major difference is that they have no food and little access to abortions.

Kind of like the inner cities in our own country, right?...When we just give money, access to medical, food, we get more and more mouths to feed, clothe and shelter, instead of people who take responsibility for themselves. Countries that supply welfare to it's citizens and/or the world make the problems worse, not better.

Janellect.. The US has an average fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman. Africa has an average fertility rate of 7.3. Yes, their breeding habits are QUITE a bit different than ours.

The thing is you have a thought process and plan for what you can and can't do in life. I don't believe this culture comprehends that. Plus for many of the women, I don't think it's their choice. Education and aid has not help and I don't see it helping - ever.

I think many are still disgusted and outraged by Octomom. I know I am.

I don't think society should shoulder my decision to have children when I can't afford them by providing insurance or other necessities for them because I could not

It's not your children's fault that you're unable to provide for them, just as it's not the fault of the children in Africa that they're starving.

However; blindly throwing money and food is a terrible idea and won't fix anything, even in the short term.

Education is primarily what is needed. With education, the people will be able to make better choices, acquire better skills, and get better jobs. Without the need for children to support them when they get older, they'll have less.

The second thing is pretty much just to kill off all of the corrupt officials and warlords.

Well, let's just eliminate hospitals then OK?

Well, I see we have a drama queen on the boards this morning. That is just being ridiculous.

lisa, there is such a thing as civility.

Is the population density higher per square mile than the US?

Kind of ironic (and emblematic) when you think about it. Thats a line from USA for Africa from 1985. So in 27 years and millions (if not billions) of dollars later, not a thing has changed, except the problem is probably worse than it would be if we let the population decline to a sustainable level and not artificially propping it up.

We fired off more than $81M worth of ammunition and artillery in Afghanistan - yesterday. The TSA wasted more than $81M checking baby diapers for non-existent bombs - today. The US loves to waste money on all kinds of things.

Exactly. They say narcissism has risen considerably with the last generation.

@proudamericanveteran: There is no lack of compassion. The US and other countries for decades have sent aid in the way of money, food, technical expertise, military support and what have you and nothing has helped. Today they are still killing each other in many African nations. Much of the food aid that is sent over there falls into the hands of criminals or rogue armies and doesn't even reach the people who need it. Until the political instability and corruption stops, and the leaders begin looking out for their people, nothing will change. All the foreign aid in the world cannot teach these people how to govern themselves. The aid we send is like cutting off someones arm and putting a bandaid on the stump. It's not going to help. And where is the Muslim outcry? There is so much strife in Africa in the name of Islam, but you don't hear about them trying to help, they only bomb and persecute those who don't believe in their "peaceful religion".

Yes, where is the outpouring of Muslim charity for their starving brethren?

Crickets!

@pete: I think part of the Muslim strategy in Africa is to create a terroristic state through poverty, persecution, starvation, violence and what have you, just as the Jews in Europe during Hitlers era. Once the people are without hope, they will either die off or allow the Muslims to take over..

WhatIsGoingOnHere:

I totally agree. Destroy and conquer; the muslim way.

square dude, you are so right, they are all coming to America. I just love the way That we inforce the immigration laws and allow such high immigration quotas. we;ll soon see the Asians running the place.

When you talk about the Asians, I must remind you that the Chinese have a strict one-child policy that seems to be working for them.

I live in an apartment complex where thousands of African immigrants have lived. Part of little known programs to Africanize America. After all, the promotion of "diversity" demands the importation of "minorities" until they are no longer of minorities. We are doomed by our treasonous politicians.

You could say the same about texas.

If you are a left wing skull of mush.

Mr. Thanatos,

No, you can't.

What I meant was that texas is a land of incest, rape, and no education whatsoever (birth control or otherwise). Sorry for the confusion.

Please tell me a another state out of Obama's 57 that does not have incest, rape, and no education whatsoever (birth control or otherwise).

Finally! Someone who understands my point! A+ for you, Mr. Hardcoffee. As you can see, my comments are often taken as personal attacks by the extreme left- and right-wing lunatics in this country. Irony is usually beyond the scope of the slow-witted. Remember: country comes before any political party or ideology. Any who disagree are traitors to this nation who need to be killed in the most horrific way possible as an example to others. There is no left or right, only the United States of America and those that need a rope around their necks.

Oh yes, American children are somehow more important because they are like us, right?

And I believe I read somewhere that our own children here in the U.S. are staggeringly obese. Pick your poison.

I agree with you- we need to keep sending whatever aid we can to whoever needs it- thats the difference between American values and those of the rest of the world-

Due to our economy and job loss, there are plenty of families that need help and assistance. I do think we should pick the weeds in our own backyard before going to other backyards.

@odb2: Other countries have the same values as we do, we are not the only country that sends foreign aid to Africa, maybe we send more, but we are not the only one. Do you think all the aid that has been sent has made any difference? The food aid that we send ends up in the hands of criminals who sell it to the people or rogue armies for their own use, who terrorize, butcher and maim their own. The leaders are corrupt and think of enriching their pockets only instead of helping their people. The harsh reality is, until the political landscape changes over there, we will hear about situations such as these, and until then the common people will suffer. All the foreign aid in the world cannot change those facts.

@janellect: Yes, American children are more important because they are, in a sense, our children. What exactly do you mean by "they are like us"?

I too understand the importance of education for the people in order to sustain themselves but I also need to say the bottom line is their are millions of innocent people that are dying. Right here in America we coddle the less educated all the time. How many people spend years of college and hard earned money to go into the profession to "help" others. Social workers, doctors, teachers, nurses to just name a few. People that by their own stupid mistakes have children they can't afford, injuries that could be prevented, and future children that need to be taught. Where do you drawn the line and say these people's lives mean more than theirs. Because they were born in the wrong country? I think not. Matter of fact, many people right here in this country make a very good living off of other people's mistakes. Example, lawyers and doctors. Maybe the difference in whether to help them lies more in whether there is a profit to be made or just help them because it's a human life that is living today for a reason we quite don't understand yet why.

Didn't finish college, did you "VerySadStory", because that post is full of venom for people that "help others" because of "their own stupid mistakes".

You are very clueless, ignorant and uneducated...

http://online-behavior.com/analytics/online-decision-making

If children are starving here in the US, it's not because of lack of programs, but neglect from parents. We have WIC and food stamps as well as school lunch programs. I have never seen children in America on life support over starvation. But I have seen children go to school hungry because MOM did not feed them. If anything, we have malnourished kids, not undernourished.