This is utterly shameful

lemongrove I totally understand where you are coming from.

lemongrove, I don't buy it- It's the same old rant where one insists their pitch isn't a slant but flat out truth-

I'd love to hear your personal interpretation of the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein- ?

If The Christmas Carol is ALL about generosity, charity and family ..

"Marley was dead, to begin with-"

I prefer to take a balanced look at things whitewave and won’t be drawn into trading insults with you on any thread.

Keep going lemon generalisation and deflection are your honed skills. A lesson for all.

rosecarmel

I don't buy that sales pitch, lemongrove- It isn't necessary to discuss all countries at once- That's deflection- The polar opposite of being specific, direct and addressing problems as done in countries with greater success rates-

What you're selling is the idea that there is a roof leaking in every country therefore perfectly acceptable, no solution necessary- ?

Did I say that?Of course I didn’t, that is the slant you prefer to put on it Rose because of your own political views....just as whitewave is doing on every thread started this year.
No matter what political parties are in charge in other countries, including all the power sharing ones such as Germany, inequality and food hunger is rising.It’s no good treating the UK in isolation in this matter, and it’s relevant to mention other countries ( it shows that it isn’t the fault of any one government.) Therefore isn’t an easy fix.
Charities and food banks are necessary and helpful (including grants and donations from anyone at all) in all countries in Europe, especially after this year of Covid.
It’s easy ( and lazy) for posters to use emotive insults such as whitewave does about 19 th century and A Christmas Carol
( which is about charity, generosity and family in any case!) not governments.The UK and other countries too would be in the same boat no matter what party led them.
When you look at the big picture instead of focussing only on the UK you can see what is happening. It’s saddening to think that any child is hungry anywhere, or at any time in history especially in a European country in the 21st century ( or the US) but heartening that here at least, we have so many charities helping out because I don’t think that everyone realises how serious a bind we are in economically now, and how affected so many people are by it.Covid has set us and others back by possibly decades.

Ain’t this the truth

I don't buy that sales pitch, lemongrove- It isn't necessary to discuss all countries at once- That's deflection- The polar opposite of being specific, direct and addressing problems as done in countries with greater success rates-

What you're selling is the idea that there is a roof leaking in every country therefore perfectly acceptable, no solution necessary- ?

It takes a certain kind of person who being aware of the hunger children are feeling in the U.K. attempt to deflect the criticism by pointing out that other countries have poor children as well.

Ironic as well given the time of year and the age old story of The Christmas Carol.

Perhaps they would feel happier in the 19th century?

Which countries and governments are not failing Rose in your view? There is poverty and food hunger in just about all.
Norway and Sweden and Switzerland may well be ok,( I don’t know) but in all major countries pay inequalities, and food poverty is rising fast and has been for a while.There are many factors for this, it’s not a simple fix.
It’s still a good thing that charities exist, and that UNICEF and others are helping.We can all do our bit towards food banks.
I am not at all complacent about the situation but recognise that slagging off this government constantly is ridiculous unless you also slagg off just about every other country too.

lemongrove

Then there are very many failed governments Rose in the world including your own.
Summerlove Germany is the richest and yet there is a massive amount of poverty there.France also amongst EU countries.What are they all doing wrong?
Supposedly being in the EU has been wonderful.....or not.
Constantly berating the UK is shortsighted when food poverty in all European countries is on the rise.
There are many and varied reasons for it and from what I read very few countries are getting things right.
Covid is now a contributing factor.

Yes, including the US -- the UK and other countries you mentioned-

They've failed greatly in contrast to responsible governments, those that experienced considerable success in the areas where the others failed-

Failed governments do not apologize- They do not hold themselves accountable- As a result supporters of failed governments don't either-

They do attempt to distort truth, to ignore it and deflect it from their position of delusional comfort while others struggle and suffer-

What's theirs is theirs and what's yours is their's, too- Much like how the last two presidential elections were won by Trump eventhough in reality one wasn't-

Month after month Congress sat around playing Pong then took a break to celebrate Thanksgiving with family while multitudes made due or did without-

rosecarmel

Where there is widespread hunger, there are governments that have failed- There's corruption- There's misappropriation of funds- They go hand in hand- It occurs in countries where a very low percentage of GDP is spent on safety nets- It's a malignant, governmental habit that charities cannot fix- To expect them to would be akin to asking someone else to kick your drug addiction for you- Governments anticipate charitable contributions like addicts anticipate their next score-

So right.

To have so much wealth and yet so much food insecurity, where millions of children are hungry is a political choice.

People who defend this choice are complicit in child hunger.

There is no getting away from it. It is a major scandal.

Then there are very many failed governments Rose in the world including your own.
Summerlove Germany is the richest and yet there is a massive amount of poverty there.France also amongst EU countries.What are they all doing wrong?
Supposedly being in the EU has been wonderful.....or not.
Constantly berating the UK is shortsighted when food poverty in all European countries is on the rise.
There are many and varied reasons for it and from what I read very few countries are getting things right.
Covid is now a contributing factor.

Where there is widespread hunger, there are governments that have failed- There's corruption- There's misappropriation of funds- They go hand in hand- It occurs in countries where a very low percentage of GDP is spent on safety nets- It's a malignant, governmental habit that charities cannot fix- To expect them to would be akin to asking someone else to kick your drug addiction for you- Governments anticipate charitable contributions like addicts anticipate their next score-

and in my view, if UNICEF want to give a grant to food charities that’s great.

And how sad is it that one of the richest nations in the world need that help.

That’s what you seem to be (choosing?) to miss in people upset.

The United Kingdom should not need this help from this charity.

The chanvellor missed millions of people in his so called giveaways....there are millions of families who have had no income since March .Its the government's duty to provide for the people left in this position by no fault of their own...NOT just thier mates who they have handed BILLIONS of taxpayers cash to .
#Never trust a Tory .....

We’re not the worst in Europe for inequality but we are worse than Germany ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/4187653/9834837/income+inequality

You are right greeneyedgirl - we are a nation with huge amounts of inequality / the pandemic has highlighted those in all areas (eg kids in the poorest areas most impacted by educational disruption - so exams will most definitely not be the ‘fairest’ means of assessment).

For those who will time and time again blame Conservative governments for any and all disasters, I urge you to simply google hunger and child poverty in Germany ( or any other EU country) and it will be a shock to you.

Rosecarmel my son sent me photos of his house in the snow today. It is indeed a bit cold! ?

rose your answer sounds like the truth yet is a view.
It wouldn’t matter how much more either a government or charities gave to some parents, addicts to drugs/ alcohol or with mental health problems or neglectful or chaotic ..... or generally hopeless at parenting.
I commend all charities /food banks / the church / salvation army etc because they are needed when benefits or very low wages are spent ( wisely or not.)That’s why charity is there, and I have always defended it on GN from those who say the State should do that job.The State does give monetary help but charity is a back up.

lemongrove

It isn’t just the UK you know ( of course you know!) it’s France,Italy,Germany, Greece, Spain etc that all have poverty,
People on low wages, and children who go hungry for all kinds of reasons including poverty or neglect, parents with addictions, parents with mental health problems.
It shouldn’t happen in an ideal world, but it isn’t an ideal world, far from it, but nobody should run away with the idea
That only the UK, amongst countries in Europe has these problems.
We do seem very caring in the UK, and have a great deal of charities here.The government ( evil Tories!) have put vast amounts of cash into getting the public through the pandemic, and in my view, if UNICEF want to give a grant to food charities that’s great.

They havent given enough if people are without food- And that's not a view, it's the truth-

It isn’t just the UK you know ( of course you know!) it’s France,Italy,Germany, Greece, Spain etc that all have poverty,
People on low wages, and children who go hungry for all kinds of reasons including poverty or neglect, parents with addictions, parents with mental health problems.
It shouldn’t happen in an ideal world, but it isn’t an ideal world, far from it, but nobody should run away with the idea
That only the UK, amongst countries in Europe has these problems.
We do seem very caring in the UK, and have a great deal of charities here.The government ( evil Tories!) have put vast amounts of cash into getting the public through the pandemic, and in my view, if UNICEF want to give a grant to food charities that’s great.

Sue, I'm in the Mid-West as well- (C-O-L-D!)

Yes, shoplifting is increasing- People are stealing food and personal hygine products out of necessity- It's sad-

The last stimulus package provided a percentage of people with enough money for down payments on houses while others struggled to afford to get internet in order to teach their children at home-

The package widened the financial gaps and glaring governmental mismanagement-

Whitewavemark2

Ask yourselves. Has UNICEF given to France, or Spain it Italy or Germany or even the USA where poverty is so dreadful.

Then ask yourself why. The only possible conclusion is the policies of the Tory party.

It’s UNICEF UK ( in other words the UK arm of the organisation) who are thus able to give this grant.
The charity which is set up in other European countries will be able to do the same if they want to , and it’s accepted.

There are so many problems with parties that promote folks taking care of each other opposed to the government doing so, the main one being that government has squeezed people dry leaving very little left to give if anything at all and still survive themselves, nevermind thrive-