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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 8:57pmSanction this postReply
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I admit that - owing to a cheesy horror flick on FX starring the woman who played Faith the bad slayer - I didn’t catch all of 20/20, but my take on what I saw:

- It did have some moderately interesting factual points from studies, with varying levels of surprise – e.g. religious people give most even to nonreligious charities, conservatives give to charities more than liberals, working poor give the greatest percentage, followed by the wealthy (>$100K/yr), with middle class being lower than either.
- On the plus side, Stossel played up the value of productive labor rather than idle leisure in a segment on trust fund kids.
- There was an intriguing bit about a ‘giver’s high’ including brain studies reporting dopamine release after charitable giving or work. Given how dopamine really works in the motivational system of the brain and its relationship to addiction, I’d be quite curious to see follow on studies to confirm if all this indicates is that charity can be addictive.
- The bit on billionaires pissed me off. It mainly had Turner speaking, who I thought was handled far better 8 years ago in ‘Greed’. It then had 4 reasons billionaires gave for not giving more to charity, and presented them in a mocking manner, such as ‘they don't think they're rich enough!’
- TJ Rodgers, who kicked ass in Stossel’s ‘Greed’, was seen only in a brief flashback clip. David Kelley, who Stossel interviewed in that, was nowhere to be seen. There were simply no voices promoting self interest as proper behavior, indicating any difference between benevolence and sacrifice, or advocating any principles other than a dutiful ‘people need to give time and money’.
- The show said that ‘forced volunteerism’ (he at least did point out the irony in that) at one high school improved kids’ grades, that an elderly man volunteering helping kids to read resulted in the miracle of him being able to walk without a cane, and the show ended on essentially ‘Americans give a lot, and you go out there and give more!’
- Skip this tripe and go find an old copy of ‘Greed’ instead

Aaron


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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 9:22pmSanction this postReply
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Like Aaron I was also disappointed in Stossel's bit on the billionaires. Stossel being a libertarian I guess I expected more out of him, but, then again, he is a libertarian and not an Objectivist.

Further, I was very disappointed in the billionaires that Stossel interviewed. What a bunch of morally unaware people they are. They offered no reason for their selfishness, no defense. I wonder how they would react to a visit from John Galt?

A plus to Stossel, concerning the billionaires, is that he did take time to point out how much more economically sound it is to hold on to one's fortune and continue to make more money. And, the economist blasting Turner as stupid for giving his money away was especially delicious.

Thanks for the heads up Mr. Rowlands. Overall it was an enjoyable show.


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Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 3:26amSanction this postReply
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Damnit, I missed this special all together.   Thanks to Aaron for the run-down.

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Post 3

Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 3:35amSanction this postReply
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There's no need to spend lots of time looking for old copies of John Stossel's "Greed"! You can find it in 3 parts at the following addresses:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3
(Edited by Scott Cram
on 11/30, 3:37am)


Post 4

Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 5:55amSanction this postReply
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Mitchell-
The person blasting Turner for giving his money away was the clip from Greed of T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor.

Scott-
Excellent find, thanks!

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Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 7:55amSanction this postReply
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I admit that - owing to a cheesy horror flick on FX starring the woman who played Faith the bad slayer - I didn’t catch all of 20/20, but my take on what I saw:
Are you talking about the very bad Wrong Turn? Eliza is always worth watching though. She's much better in Bring it On.


Post 6

Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 7:57amSanction this postReply
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By the way, I didn't see this posting here until today. Notices such as these should have at least 24 hours advance notice.


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Post 7

Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 10:36amSanction this postReply
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"Notices such as these should have at least 24 hours advance notice."

Are you volunteering to provide such service?

Post 8

Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 10:48amSanction this postReply
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Chris-
I never found out what the FX film was. It was bad enough I didn't watch it attentively either; just last-channel'ing back and forth. Bring It On is of course fine cinema. Were you like me disappointed by Tru Calling?


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Post 9

Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 11:07amSanction this postReply
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A new book is out that may germane to this thread.  I haven't read it, but Sowell's review makes it look interesting.  It may have been one of Stossel's sources: http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MWJjZWVkY2YyM2I2NGNmZTFlNGNmNjcxMzI0MzQyYjM=
(Edited by Peter Reidy on 11/30, 11:08am)


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Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 11:28amSanction this postReply
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I hardly watch television, so I never watched Tru Calling.

Of course, it is a joy to see both Eliza and Kirsten Dunst as cheerleaders. Clare Kramer (Glory) and an actress who played one of the Cordettes were also in Bring it On.

I've seen every episode of BTVS, as you may have surmised. I could certainly appreciate the beauty of a Buffy-Faith fight.

Rent Bye Bye Love if you have time. It has both Eliza and the Great Amberous One--Amber Benson, that is.

(Edited by Chris Baker on 11/30, 11:29am)


Post 11

Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 2:19pmSanction this postReply
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Aaron and Chris, I believe it was Wrong Turn (inbred cannibals... sort of a cross between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deliverance). I just finished Stossel's book "Give Me a Break". Not exactly challengin material, but I enjoyed it.

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Post 12

Friday, December 1, 2006 - 4:31pmSanction this postReply
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I was mostly disappointed with this show. After having done "Greed", this was a bit of a let down. When he added some of the message from "Greed" into this one, it made it seem like an intellectual apology for the rich to keep their money instead of giving it away. Like he argued that billionaires making more money means more jobs and people helping themselves. But instead of the consistent defense of people keeping their own money, it pretty consistently put down people for not giving as much as they could. And even the excuse that they help people by giving them jobs when they keep the money is an implicit acceptance of an altruistic standard. The morality of their use of money is dependent on how well it helps other people.

Like one excuse given for keeping the money is that they can use it to make more money, so they'll have more to give later. Is this really the best moral justification for people keeping what they've earned?

There was still a bit to like in the show. Discussions of how private donations in America are large. Someone highlighted the difference between charity (giving wealth away) and philanthropy (creating something new and useful). Highlighting the fact that liberal states and cities give less in donations than conservative states. Showing how arguments that compare donations from countries equate the governments with the countries. Etc.

But still, I wouldn't recommend it. Most of the show seemed to fully accept and promote the ethics of altruism. The slight libertarian bent of the show was lost in the promotion of altruism.

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