$1 billion in 2 days?

[Kyle]

A billion dollars has been raised in two days to repair Notre Dame cathedral.

That's mindblowing to me.

I'm all for repairing Notre Dame cathedral- it's a historic site and we should preserve it. But does anyone else feel like I could just build a whole new one for $1 billion dollars? I mean... a BILLION? That's a lot of money.

And... I'm just saying... aren't there better (and more humanitarian) things we could spend $1 billion on rather than donating it to the government of France for a historic cathedral?

[Bonefish]

"whiteness".

[Mike]

Firstly, it's an oversimplification, but these are the same people that gave it up to the Nazis rather than risk having Paris destroyed. I have no connection to or conception of pride in a culture that extends back a millennia, so my priorities are not in line with theirs.

Secondly though, I had a similar thought at the first huge donor that got reported. Like, seriously? You have $130 million just laying around not helping anyone, but you're motivated to roll it out for an old building? All the humanitarian crises and natural disasters of the last decade, and this is the final straw that finally gets your checkbook out?

[mimekiller]

My experience playing the game civilization suggests that wonders are important and help you with end game conquest.

[Eliahad]

[WillyGilligan]

Isn't this always the problem with charity? People are extremely motivated to help a crisis that's in their face and immediate, but systemic issues go begging. Then everyone gives money in the most direct way they can see whether it actually helps or not.

Humanitarian crises involve logistical challenges, political considerations and the need to sort out the people we need to help from the ones we don't. It's complicated and the money will not "fix" the problem, because the world just won't, in the words of Mr. Incredible, "stay saved".

Fixing a building we've all been trained to see as a Big Deal is something achievable.

[Phoebe]

[mimekiller]

Yea its not like all these world problems are "shovel ready" with a whole org just waiting for a fat check to spring into action

Without looking into it to deeply WORLD HUNGER is one of those eye rolling things...I bet any country with large swathes of starving population can not be helped by pumping the government in charge with cash and hoping for the best.

[Phoebe]

Yet solutions still exist and require money.

[Bonefish]

Just to put this out there: Doctors without Borders runs on slightly less than 2 billion a year. This was half a years funding for them.

The problem, as I see it, isn't that people want to rebuild Notre Dame nor fund that. The problem is that we live in a society that places more value on inanimate objects than on objectively combating human suffering and misery. It's why we don't make any measurable progress on combating global warming, it's why the international order is disintegrating into a terrible hydra.

It just bothers me that we CHOOSE to not do anything about the other problems, not that we CANT.

[Phoebe]

AMEN!

[Ronster]

I am just grateful that people are willing to be that generous. I will not question their motives. I may not even understand them or agree with them.
Frankly I am glad that this much generosity exists.

The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.