Re: “Nil illigetimi carborundum” (that’s a vintage tag from the the Annals of the Roman scholar and wit Junior Meccano)
Don’t YOU let the bastards grind you down, Marco! 
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I would have taken your comment as “gallows humour” …so no need for tarring and feathering… as humour can defuse a stressful situation… 
My little brother always came up with such comments at “trying times”… I would have whacked him (as sisters do) and then we would both have smiled and discussed the ongoing situation (whatever)… 
Now, you’ve got me at it… I’m wondering… what has the air-quality in Paris been like these past few days … and have they banned vehicles as a result ?? (quite a reasonable question IMO)
Donations have reached €1 billion. Perhaps Macron will get ND restored in 5 years.
30 years on I think York Minster still has work on going but these are less obvious pieces like pinnacles and butresses which are not necessarily related to the last fire but to the one started deliberately in 1829 by a local resident. This latest renovation work has no direct government or church of England funding.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/18/billionaires-donations-notre-dame-france-inequality
This link says it all for me. Witnessing the fire was , of course, very upsetting . There are two sides to my emotions. One, it’s always sad to see any historical monument ( anywhere in the world) destroyed. Other side, billionaires were quick to offer money to a building, it’s just a building!!, as opposed to helping people. This is what the whole gilet jaune business has been about.
Hubby’s suggestion is that ND can redeem itself, as well as the catholic religion overall, by becoming a charitable institution and giving help to the destitute in this country.
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It’s much much more than that.
I’m agnostic so have no particular ‘faith’ but this building is a world heritage site and deservedly so.
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I think you may have missed the support from all over the world … the ordinary people … the rich and the poor… all who have been similarly touched/moved by this event… the rich are not impervious to pain/distress/emotion…
A rich person is rarely thanked for generosity… no matter to what/to whom he/she gives… 
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Or woman, but then how do you become immensely rich if it isn’t by taking excess money from others for whatever you peddle?
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So by buying something that someone produces or paying for a service they provide they are " taking excess money " from you? That’s a novel way 9f looking at it. Would you like them to give you it for free?
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Thankfully, I know rich folk who do think of others… who do “give back” without being asked and without it necessarily being known by those who are not concerned/involved.
Your idea that a rich person must somehow have “done the dirty” on others… is not necessarily correct…
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It depends on whether they avoid their taxes really.
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and interestingly, the family who first offered a significant sum of money to the fund announced that they will not be taking, nor seeking, the tax breaks available.
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Yes. I read that. A person that behaves morally as well as legally.
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So if you invent something that everyone wants that’s bad?
I think you’re missing the point. The very rich got that way by overcharging whatever they were selling, and probably being cheap with the labourers. Hubby and I were selling products made by our own hard labour for years. We were obviously selling at a reasonable price, because we have never been rich, not even close. No one says you should not charge anything.
Jeff Bezos started selling discounted books from his garage, the business took off and he’s now super rich, did he actually exploit anyone? Google and Facebook don’t really sell anything but we all want the product, who’s at fault us or them?
Have you ever read articles about Amazon and the way their staff are treated?
IMO it is unfair to use the “one size fits all” thingy… when passing judgement on others…
Some mega rich probably/possibly have ethics which do not match my own… some mega rich are on my wavelength…
Criticism is rife the world over, it seems to me… no matter what one does, there is always someone who will stick in the knife…
Is this down to jealousy (perhaps deep-rooted and unrecognized) … stupidity, ignorance or what… the list of possibilities could well be endless as each person seems to have their own stance (which is fair enough)…
For every good example (of whatever) there will always be the very opposite… such is life… but I find it sad that so many folk can only see darkness… where I see light… 
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Anyway, back to the thread.
On BFM news this morning, there are warnings about miscreants posing as places where you can deposit your hard earned cash to support the rebuild…
Truly despicable. I hope they burn in hell 
Certainly I hope they’re punished - but burn in hell?
You’d think seeing ND on fire would spark something in the brains of the GJ’s that maybe setting things alight would not be the smartest thing to do this weekend, but no these morons just can’t help themselves.
Totally clueless.
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