Oh, I forgot to comment on the key issue of this thread. Sometimes I wonder if people really want to help, or just want to tell everybody else in the world that they want to help. Fundraising through a commercial organisation like Outspark invites which kind of people and benefits who the most?

Rather that signing a petition like that, one might as well write some text for publicity appealing to the charitable ones that directs readers straight to donations.

It makes people that wont normally donate, to indirectly contribute to helping those who needs help...

I think every avenue to raise any bit of money would help. Nothing wrong with spreading your concerns to a community that you're familiar with.

At least they tried. It's ashame that the thread starter stopped updating the thread, and didnt reply my PM... he's probably inactive now LOL

but its the thought that counts...

We should help all we can because the Chinese helped the US when Katrina came. Though I know why the US is not putting much on the news about this........... The US supposedly has data that the Chinese are helping fund the soldiers in Darfur (found it while doing research for my 7 minute speech for English class) and therefore has feelings of resentment towards the Chinese. But it would be awesome if we could help the Chinese who helped us in the US's time of need. Yes the Olympics is a source of pride to the Chinese therefore they are focusing more on the Olympics than the earthquake survivors.

I don't hear anything about the survivors or injured anymore. :cries: Maybe I'm just missing the stories, but I haven't heard much about US aid... Or aid from other countries.

When did the poster last update the petition? /too lazy to look

I must have struck a nerve? Haha, I apologize for my oh-so-limited views on the Chinese government. Maybe the relocation of people because of construction of the Olympic stadium in Beijing and the flooding of cities and homes along the Yangtze because of the Three Gorges Dam (Which looks pretty damn cool.) just left a bad taste in my mouth. I guess having a few million people lose their houses is small in comparison to how either of those would help the country, though. There's also the Darfur thing, which I forgot about until Lexaeus mentioned it. Having the Olympics in China is probably one of the best things that could have happened for the country, with all the improvements there have been, though.

I also apologize for using the word crisis without quotation marks. I was trying to use the word that many news headlines use to describe it. Oh well. Seems appropriate since there were riots going on in the country (Not currently, as far as I can tell though.), as well minor violence and much protest in other countries though, no?

And yes, the biased media where I live does seem think that. Reading biased articles on CNN probably doesn't help.

Apart from the sarcasm, you stick pretty well to facts. Don't forget that the US & Co. also fund the other side of the Darfur issue. There's got to be somebody funding each side or there wouldn't be a conflict.

Riots do not equal crisis. They were swiftly squished. They were also localised to a certain part of the country where certain individuals habour thoughts of using violence for personal gain. The handling of these people was heavy-handed. How else do governments treat rioters?

Your media can't possibly not be biased when it, like many others, ain't got access to facts.