Smug advisory

[sabotabby]

There is no one better equipped to advocate for the rights of girls in Third World countries than girls in Third World countries.

There is no one better to make a statement like this than two incredibly rich young white dudes from Canada.

Oh, Kielburgers. You are your own parody. The term "Backpfeifengesicht" was invented just for you.

Comments

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

I hate their smarmy smiles.

[sabotabby]

They are the smarmiest. It's actually unnerving.

[fengi.livejournal.com]

It appears some one told the fae gentry Ed Helms and Jason Sudeikis are the actors to study for expressions of human sincerity.

Second theory: the are the tone of the announcer voice from "This Is That" made flesh.

[sabotabby]

I am unfamiliar with two of the three references you just made. :(

[fengi.livejournal.com]

Ooh, which two?

[sabotabby]

I know who Ed Helms is.

[fengi.livejournal.com]

This is That

And I actually meant Chris Parnell - it's hard to tell the smarmy SNL guys apart.

[sabotabby]

I fail at Canadian, don't I?

[fengi.livejournal.com]

Nah, I'm like one of those Winnetka kids who spends all his time listening to WGCI so he can pretend to be down with the south side. I mean, I've actually looked up Dzintars Cers music because I'm such a fan of his work on the World Report podcast (and it's...interesting). I'm not sure what the term would be for it - MMS (for mock maple syrup)? Maybe "filmed in Vancouverian".

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I had to go look up Backpfeifengesicht and now I'm really glad I know it. Because holy shit, is that appropriate.

[sabotabby]

It's perfect. I need to learn how to pronounce it so that I can use it all the time.

[the_axel]

Remind me on Thursday or if that's too long to wait: http://www.forvo.com/word/backpfeifengesicht/

[sabotabby]

Haha, thanks.

[fengi.livejournal.com]

I saw "white dudes" and "backp-" and thought it was German for something else that would actually be unsichtbaren Rucksack.

[sabotabby]

Oh fuck, that's kind of perfect too.

[lienne.livejournal.com]

That's the word for "face that needs a good smacking", right?

[sabotabby]

It is indeed. I'm trying to make it a thing.

[ironed_orchid]

Ugh, those faces! They need punching through the internet.

[sabotabby]

I'd try but I'm afraid of hurting my computer.

[begundan.livejournal.com]

Not sure what your point is. It seems that the dudes are doing good work overall.

[sabotabby]

They are doing the opposite of good work.

[begundan.livejournal.com]

What's the reasoning behind your statement? All I understood from the article you linked was that they were trying to reduce the number of child marriages. Whether they are successful or not I don't know - I suppose the stats need to be consulted - but they are obviously trying.

[sabotabby]

Look into the organization itself. Or don't. They have a tendency to sue anyone who questions where their money goes. (Hint: buying houses in Cabbagetown for their interns.)

On an international level, their MO involves taking jobs away from locals in Third World countries to provide awareness-raising voluntourism for rich white kids. On a local level, they harness the power of student activism and redirect it into bake sales. Their net effect on the countries that they claim to help is negative.

If you have suddenly developed an interest in stopping child marriage, I'm sure there are plenty of organizations that you could support that are more transparent and less corrupt.

[begundan.livejournal.com]

Regarding ineffective use of funds, their G&A is about 10%, although an additional 43% is spent domestically rather than internationally. But that's part of what they do, so it's no surprise. They do fundraise through bake sales and car washes; but why is that a problem? They do own property, but I don't see how that's in itself a problem (is renting property better?)

Internationally, they seem to at least pay lip service to the idea of sustainable development. What jobs do they take away and from whom? I suppose that if volunteers are building a school one can argue that local builders could have done the work instead. True, but providing Kenyan construction workers with jobs is very far from the stated purpose of Kids Can Free The Children. And in any case, they only take away the jobs they have themselves created via their funds. So I don't think that argument quite flies.

Of course, if you show me the blog of a Kenyan villager who details the calamitous effect of FTC involvement I'll be very interested. But I don't think you know of such a blog. All you have is a ghetto-style dislike for non-apologetic successful white people.

[sabotabby]

They do own property, but I don't see how that's in itself a problem (is renting property better?)

Do they actually need a house where their underpaid staff can live because of the scary black people in Regent Park? Because that's their justification for buying it.

Internationally, they seem to at least pay lip service to the idea of sustainable development.

Lip service being the key word here.

What jobs do they take away and from whom? I suppose that if volunteers are building a school one can argue that local builders could have done the work instead. True, but providing Kenyan construction workers with jobs is very far from the stated purpose of Kids Can Free The Children.

Yes, local builders can do that work. There's also the matter of who is running and working in those schools, something that the organization seems very quiet about.

Of course, if you show me the blog of a Kenyan villager who details the calamitous effect of FTC involvement I'll be very interested. But I don't think you know of such a blog.

Do you read a lot of blogs by Kenyan villagers?

You'll also note that FTC has sued practically everyone who's published critical things about them and got Toronto Life's exposé pulped. Speaking out against groups like this isn't particularly good for anyone's health.

All you have is a ghetto-style dislike for non-apologetic successful white people.

Ghetto-style. Nice. This is going on my quotes page.

[princealberic.livejournal.com]

All you have is a ghetto-style dislike for non-apologetic successful white people.

All I'm getting from this is that you're pretty fly for a white girl. I bet that person wants to roll with the gangstas and is laughed at for going up to them on a segway.

[sabotabby]

I suspect not, but it's a hilarious image.

[begundan.livejournal.com]

This is going on my quotes page.
Mission accomplished.

As for the rest, I don't read blogs by Kenyan villagers, but the point is that surely their opinion must be consulted before any judgement regarding the impact of FTC projects is passed. You understand this perfectly well, quit pretending you don't.

About houses and exposes I don't know, nor could I easily google up something relevant.

[sabotabby]

Really, dude, it's not hard.

And there are plenty of recent articles by Kenyans, and other Africans, on the actual impact of rich white philanthropists on their countries. I encountered at least two such articles today, and I was barely on the internet and not even looking.

[begundan.livejournal.com]

Say, is there some new netiquette rule I'm not aware of that says "make statements you can back up, but never disclose your sources?" If you can decisively demonstrate that know of some good articles about how FTC's, or some other philanthropist's involvement in Kenya, or some other third world country has had "negative net impact", then by all means please do cite them.

[sabotabby]

Is there some new netiquette rule that I need to do your research for you?

[begundan.livejournal.com]

In this discussion I am defending FTC, and you are accusing them. Therefore, my research in the context of this discussion is one that supports the defense. Evidence against FTC is your research.

But this has grown quite stale by now.

[sabotabby]

I have already blogged extensively on the subject. It is not my job to educate you.

[begundan.livejournal.com]

Of course not. But in the context of this discussion you have failed to back any of your statements up.

[sabotabby]

Guilty as charged. I just hate white people! I hate them ghetto-style.

[maeve66.livejournal.com]

I wish this was FB, just for a tiny sparkling moment, so I could Like this.

[sabotabby]

I sometimes wish for a Like button, and then I remember that they shouldn't change things about LJ to be more like FB.