Angelina Jolie: We Have a Moral Obligation to Help Iraqi Refugees

oscar s eas son @ 02/29/2008 at 12:32 am

The phillipino refugees who called on her for support were not important enough to visit.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I hope the filipino fans won’t mind if I respond to this.

(1) The philippines has really bad government. The administration is very corrupt.

(2) the top 10 families in the philippines control more than 50% of the nations wealth. A study in 1999, showed that one family controlled more than 17% of the nations wealth and I doubt that has changed. Can you imagine this??if you’ve never heard of the gokongwei’s, the aquinos, the ayalas, you might want to try googling them. Many of these families have entrenched political positions as well. Well, it stands to reason, vote buying, vote rigging, etc require money. And if you own 17% of a nations wealth, you are a little king/queen yourself.

(3) what the filipino farmers are doing is calling for greater equality in the distribution of land and wealth. There are landless peasants in the Philippines, as they are in Mexico and South America. I think its a system the spanish left behind (and I’m not being sarcastic here).

(4) Essentially then, what the filipino farmers are seeking is greater justice, a redistribution of wealth. But it is hardly civil war. And it is hardly caused by an external oppressor on the rights of another people and another culture. What they are doing is very very important but they are not refugees of a civil war or of oppression.

(5) UNHCR is not involved in the Philippines fight for justice and neither should Angelina as a representative of UNHCR. If UNHCR becomes involved and requests Angelina’s presence, I have no doubt she will make an effort to go. Alternatively, when the US State Department makes a special request for Angelina to visit these poor peasants, Angelina will most likely make an effort to go. From her past behaviour, that’s what she has done when she wants to visit a trouble spot.

(6) I seriously doubt the filipino farmers thought angelina would visit them. But, hey, they used her name and got the attention they wanted.

(7) And if you are really serious about wanting to protect these poor farmer’s rights and advance their causes (rather than take a cheap shot at Angelina), I’m sure you can visit their website, make a donation. You can also start to put pressure on your congressman or senator to do something about the poor farmers in the philippines whom the UNHCR and the US State department amongst others, have ignored.

Additionally, if you are sincere about helping the filipino farmers, then to sound like a credible advocate, you must consider all the issues before shooting your mouth off. It’s very important you don’t let your hate and prejudices blind you so that you end up sounding like a bitter vindictive fool.

Hello to all the fans and special kaway to all my kababayan……

Thank you Angie for speaking your mind and relating your experience and observations. You are a role model worth emulating for….With people from both sides of the political spectrum opining about what you wrote, discussing issues such as related to Iraq, oil crisis, refugees, and other related issues, IMO that’s a guage that you were effective in spreading awareness and social consciousness.

As has been said by many posters upthread, having military personnel help or work with humanitarian or rebuilding efforts, paints a different picture, than seeing them carrying guns. With a shovel or laying bricks and building schools and hospitals, being involved in medical missions depicts a positive perception that the US or the coalition forces are there to help them create and sustain peace and order. In a stable political environment and governed by leader with political will, can only increase the chance of paving the way for social and economic infrastructure for recovery and sustainable development.

If by being criticized and every word dissected and studied under the microscope of public opinion, jolts people from their stupor, then I hope, Angie you’re as strong as I perceived you to be because you will likely have to be subjected to this kind of scrutiny over and over again if you keep on doing your job and your mission.

In a fast changing world, the world is getting smaller. Situations in far flung places in 3rd world and war torn countries affects those that lives in fragile “safe environments” of the 1st world and highly industrialized countries. With our dependence to petroleum based products and as global citizens, we can’t afford to have an insular mindset. Unless, more countries adapt what Brazil has done.

In business/global trade, relationships among countries and businesses, people are much closer, and interlinked with mass production, assembly lines and OEMs for example. If for ex. there’s a strike in one of the factories in China that makes special ICs for a consumer product, then those assembly lines in a factory somewhere in the Philippines for example cannot complete a consumer electronic product marketed as a Japanese brand. In the Philippines for example where there are designated economic zones (foreign investors, setting up factories that generates jobs for the community and neighboring areas) highly depends on electric power or petroleum based products to run their machines. If oil becomes scarce with chaos in oil producing countries, then factories will close because they can no longer sustain the skyrocketing overhead costs and price surges of raw materials. Hence, many will loose jobs, which in turn have a multiplier effect.

So everyone has a stake in this global village that we live in. We should be aware of what’s going on around our own community and our global village. Think global and act local.

Thank you JJ for this thread up.

uh, HELLO ANYONE? @ 02/29/2008 at 2:43 am #493

Great post.

You know what the old folks say, its much harder to wake people who are just pretending to be asleep than those who are truly sleeping.

I grow up with friends who are Moslems, I have relatives who are Moslems are married to Moslems, I have an uncle who converted to Islam, went to school with some Moslems, who are as peace loving and family oriented people as anyone who are practicing other religions…..those that are ready to point their accusing finger and play the blame game, are most often than not are those that has no solutions to offer but practice the art of negative thinking as opposed to rational thinking. There’s nothing wrong with being skeptical and probing but being actively critical all the time is another matter.

Admire you Angelina & more power to you. Bless you & your family.

I think If I were Angelina and my fans kept bringing my guy’s ex, I would not like those fans. Its old news and boring as hell. Do you really think it’s a benefit to Angie to have people yakking day and night about the previous lover. No it isnt. Also, Jen has moved on. What is this need to bash her? I dont think a great person like Angie would approve of that. She has a heart.

Whoaaaaa, Francesca. Maybe you should simmer down.

It’s understandable that you are proud of your mother and want to defend her but I suggest that if you don’t want others to comment on your mother stories when you want to use her as an example and reason to deny assistance to others in need of help, then just don’t use her as an example.

Sorry, honey, but you invite an analysis of your mother’s story by bringing her here and using her to make your point.

There is NO way that your mom came to the US with $3 dollars and somehow survived with no food or shelter until she could get a job. There was a LOT of help and good feelings for the Cubans who came to this country during the post Castro years. I grew up in Florida (by way of NY) and I remember it all very well. I realize that these stories are wonderful for families to tell but they always include a bit of puffery and exaggeration. That doesn’t take anything away from your mother. It just puts her life in the realm of reality. I would have a lot of questions just like other posters but since you are clearly taking it too personally I’ll leave it alone.

May I suggest that you leave your mother’s life and her immigration to the US from Cuba out of this discussion. It is in no way comparable to the lives of people bombed out of their homes living under constant threat of death. And since you don’t know the personal lives of other posters on this board perhaps you should also refrain from suggesting they can’t compare to your mother just because they question you.

Peace.

Hey PT…
This was their initial run-in. Angie was on her way out of town but she wanted to visit Jesse’s grave:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn51GV1OFdI&feature=related

Great work Angie. You are truly a beautiful person. Brad so darn lucky to find Angie and Angie to find Brad.

Blessings to Jolie-Pitt Family

Great responses, Groundcontrol & Lylian to oscar s ea son……!!!!!!

This is the highlights from the 02/18/08 episode.

Back in each other’s arms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5wvilO7_yo&feature=related

to francesca,
my mother went to med school in Spain but did her residency and fellowships at state universities here in the states. it was during her fellowship that she became a US citizen…..i’m sure that finishing her medical education and licensing here in the states made it easier for her. whereas, someone who does everything (education, residency, etc abroad) might have a harder time. good news is, med school is the pricey part and that can be done more inexpensively overseas….just do the rest of the stuff here and get paid while doing it.

groundcontrol,
another poster brought up Cuba refugees to me not realizing, i’m sure, that i might have personal history with all that. it’s not a random subject matter that was plucked out of the clear blue sky.
it’s amazing that you lecture me on suposing things about other posters (which i have at no time done), while simultaneously spouting what you seem to think are facts regarding several different things regarding my own history. perhaps, you come from a family of boasters and tale tail tellers but i don’t. my family doesn’t have to brag or make up stories or elaborations. they speak simple truths.

now, since you were not part of the original conversation and because all you wish to do is belittle and try to accuse me of lying….you’ll have to excuse me from not addressing you further. think what you want. i’m sure you only have your experience to reference. obviously, your experiences and personal examples were far less awe inspiring then mine. sorry about that.

What a beautiful & compassionate woman. Angie, you are the best. God bless you & your family always.

Francesca @ 02/28/2008 at 3:31 pm MyEyeisonu,
You mention Cuba….my mother is from Cuba. ,,,,(Blah Blah Blah) ……….Like I said, kudos to Angelina but she accepted an important job. She wants to be considered credible and so she should come up with real solutions instead of just happy endings.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXFrancesca, don’t be an ass. that’s not the job the UNHCR asked her to do. They asked her to BRING AWARENESS TO THE PROBLEM, and that’s exactly what she is doing. That’s how mindless twits like you come to be gabbing about a serious isues. The only thing is you are lacking understanding.