Bruce Posted September 2, 2011 Author Posted September 2, 2011 (edited) No, people really can't change. You are born with your genes and upper limits already set. Once you pass a certain age the window of opportunity that opens and closes in your brain stops opening. Miss that mark, and it sets forth a different life in the future for you. As an example..... most everyone knows what a 'burn out' is. Many burn outs started out well as children, but discovered drugs at about age 13. It might differ slightly for each of us, but it is a well established part of normal growth and development. That window opens only for about 1-3 months as the brain goes through a development change. If you start doing drugs at that same point of time, it forever alters your brain and a burn out is often the result. NOTHING you can do to change that. These same windows open and close durring different ages in our childhood. Learning IS easier and once past, restarting school is not of much use if you have not already learned the basics at that proper time in your life. You talk about hope. I have found that the Philippines is FULL of hope with the poor people. Compare and contrast to say certain parts of Africia, where the people were born into a hopeless situation and human growth and development is SO messed up there is an entire population with no hope. And the government.... well the government is not owing you (them) anything but a relative safe place to live. The US and UK, as I have already mentioned, set up a well fare program which is bankrupting the countries and has caused entire generations to DEMAND and EXPECT the government pay for all their needs. I HOPE the Phils government does not follow that path with the poor population. If you look at the Bikini Atoll, where the US had their atom bomb testing, the 'government' decided to move ALL the island people to some other island. And pay them a monthly stipend. Here we are 60 years later, STILL paying them AND their children AND grandchildren with no end in sight. This is the potiental future once the Phils government starts a social program. Charity and social programs are better done as non profits and charity than by governments. You seem to want to help, but in order to help, you are willing to sign away the house! No matter what you do, a very large part of the squatter community is beyond help and changes. I realize and accept this and act accordingly. I have 11 kids I pay school fees for. I have no dreams of any of them going off to college and becoming a doc or lawyer. All I ask and expect is that they learn basic math, language, and writing / social skills to be able to be an active and self supporting member of society. So I would suggest you look around talk to others on the forum about what they do to help and scale back your expectations to a reasonable level and then try to impliment some 'help' with in your budget in an area of your choice. Food is fine, but gone in a short period of time. Education lasts and opens other opportunities for them. So I pay for school fees for kids. But I also buy 6+ sacks of rice a month to feed older poor women / families with small children and no real source of income. 'Lost" money for the food... but a possible tangible return of the education money. Both types of people have needs, once just to live and one to better themselves and open up other doors..... Decide what you want to do and get started! Edited September 2, 2011 by Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp52 Posted September 3, 2011 Posted September 3, 2011 (edited) Your not the only one that helps people in the Philippines. Just some of us don,t talk about it so much. Any decent guy that has spent time hear has helped out in one way or another. You cant help but do that. I think you need to pull back on the reigns a little about how much you are an expert on the workings of mankind. Either that or forget bout the Philippines and go fix the worlds problems People can,t change ( give me a break ). And to back it up with that drugs mumbo jumboThe help and programs that the other countries set up in the Philippines will fail if their government does not get there act together. All the other countries are doing is giving them a band aid, its up to the Philippines government to come up with the cure. If you think that all the government is there for is to provide a safe place to live you better think again. We as a people vote in a government to over look and organize all aspects of our lives ( welfare, jobs, crime, and so on ). Some think the government gets a little to involved. In the case of the Philippines they don,t get involved enough My hats off to you Bruce. I trully respect the work you are doing in the Philippines. I just wish you weren,t so dam smart, so we could have a conversation at my level Edited September 3, 2011 by sjp52 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted September 3, 2011 Posted September 3, 2011 OK gentlemen, I have read with great interest the point-counter points of this discussion. Both of you (Bruce and SJP52) have provided emotional and good arguments. It sets thisforum a world apart from the other forums that we could discuss heated topics and still canshare a beer with laughter and good times. The first round is on me gentlemen! Respectfully -- Jake 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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