Author Topic: Undermine charity? (Read 21641 times)

aws_137 · « **on:** April 04, 2010, 01:57:33 AM »

I'm unfamiliar with the meaning of undermine charity. How do you donate to undermine a charity? I've looked up undermine in the dictionary but I still don't get it. It's been bothering me for ages. Would anyone care to explain?

Now now, I'm not asking how to do it - as in clicking the postbox as an Evil sim, selecting Donate to Undermine Charity, then selecting an amount - I'm asking what's the meaning? How would someone do it in real life?

samoht04 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2010, 05:56:47 AM »

Well I am guessing your sim donates to someone who has the power to shut down a charity, maybe they 'bribe' to several people who regularly donate to the good charity, I don't know but thats what I would have thought they mean.

Think of it as in Medieval Terms - They had big walls around castles, if they mined underneath, the base would be weaker, they could use explosives to bring the walll down. Thats how my history teacher described undermining. So undermining must mean to bring something down... Hope this helps you!

Saltypaws · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2010, 06:39:21 AM »

When I was younger, when my mom was mad at me, she use to say "don't undermine my authority", so it also means, to go against......sometimes to find a sentence to use the word in helps.

Swede1992 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2010, 07:21:39 AM »

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary:
Un`der*mine" (?), v. t.

1. To excavate the earth beneath, or the part of, especially for the purpose of causing to fall or be overthrown; to form a mine under; to sap; as, to undermine a wall.
Example: A vast rock undermined from one end to the other, and a highway running through it. Addison.

2. Fig.: To remove the foundation or support of by clandestine means; to ruin in an underhand way; as, to undermine reputation; to undermine the constitution of the state.
Example: He should be warned who are like to undermine him. Locke.

Me again: That will say the second, figurative meaning: Sabotage

aws_137 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2010, 08:19:26 AM »

So... How do you donate to undermine a charity? Could someone apply this to real life give me a real example?

Just say I have this thing called AWS' Earthquake Fund, how would donating benefit evil-doers?

Swede1992 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2010, 08:29:22 AM »

It doesn't benefit the evil-doers, but since they're evil, they get a good gutfeeling from it. Maybe to donate money to undermine a charity is that you give money to a counter-organisation that do the opposite of what the charity organisation wants. For example, I know it sounds horrible, but I think this is in the game as something to donate against, to donate against saving wales is that you donate money to an organisation that go out and shoots wales just for fun.

Or maybe you're just not supposed to read so much into this and that it's just a joke from EA's side. If good people donate to charity, then evil people would want to donate in order to sabotage the good people's charity.

An earthquake-fund could also be a fund that funds evil scientists that have earthquake-machines just as well as a fund to help earthquake-victims!

aws_137 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 04, 2010, 08:41:52 AM »

Ah, my friend just told me what he thinks about the meaning of undermine charity.

It's like this, to undermine a charity is to donate so you look like a good person while actually you're donating to get power in the society. Then later you can backstab them all.

So I'm guessing it's something like buying shares? Heh.

So after funding the AWS' earthquake fund, I'd think you are a good person and won't do anything wrong. Then later if the money is embezzled, I won't suspect you.

That's my interpretation of what my friend has said. It is like digging to get past enemy lines anyway.
___

I'm still not convinced, btw.

Swede1992 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 04, 2010, 08:54:22 AM »

My interpretation is that you fund some supervillain that wants to sabotage the world. Well, they're supposed to be evil!

samoht04 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 04, 2010, 09:40:18 AM »

Okay maybe think of it like this, your an evil sim, you know who donates to the AWS' Earthquake Fund and so you decide to bribe them by giving them money to not donate? Or you could hire hitmen...

Branr · « **Reply #9 on:** April 04, 2010, 11:13:16 AM »

Or the money you donate is used to create a scandal that reduces the public's trust in the charity.

aws_137 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2010, 11:20:21 AM »

Or then there's a website saying undermine means put to shame.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090905153632AAugnlh

So... by donating to AWS' Earthquake Fund you humiliate the fund? Maybe perhaps the money is to out of pity? Gah! Makes little sense... Bothering me...

Swede1992 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2010, 12:52:24 PM »

Nothing bad meant to whoever answered that at answers.yahoo, but though it may be an accurate synonym in some cases, it doesn't fit well here. I think the most similar meaning in that "donate to undermine a charity" sense would be to sabotage the charity. Maybe it's a little unclear in how the donation sabotages the charity, but it's certainly a sabotage.

To undermine is usually to sabotage in some sense (except purely literally of course (see above, earlier post by me)).

The Illuminator · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2010, 12:55:23 PM »

Maybe the yahoo answer is right. If an organisation accepts money from criminals and the media discovers it, it's reputation will get a serious hit. Compare it with the Swiss Bank buying gold from nazi's who stole it from the dead jews.

LivvieLove · « **Reply #13 on:** April 04, 2010, 01:32:39 PM »

This is simple. Your sim must be evil. Click on the mailbox and donate to the charity. If that's what you wanted to know.
Basically its saying it's donating to a charity that will undermine things, or pretty much "bad people" charities.
Like if you donate to the "Bring back the Jewish Holocaust Fund".

Swede1992 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 04, 2010, 02:31:13 PM »

Quote from: LivvieLove on April 04, 2010, 01:32:39 PM

This is simple. Your sim must be evil. Click on the mailbox and donate to the charity. If that's what you wanted to know.
Basically its saying it's donating to a charity that will undermine things, or pretty much "bad people" charities.

Yeah, the question isn't how to do it, since it's just the same as donating to charity when you're good, but what the organisation you donate to actually does to undermine a charity. Any ideas?

Pam · « **Reply #15 on:** April 04, 2010, 03:26:29 PM »

Swede's got it right. Donating to undermine charity would be to sabotage the charity or to sabotage the works of a charity. Or to donate to a charity whose purpose is to do ill in the world, which undermines the concept of charity in general. Look at the actual names of the evil charities in the game. They are opposite in spirit to the good charities.

LivvieLove · « **Reply #16 on:** April 04, 2010, 04:25:50 PM »

Hmm I guess I misread that, and I'm not quite sure about what they could possibly do, I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of a secret service Sims force, but I have a feeling that I've seen too many spy movies.

aws_137 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2010, 03:25:51 AM »

Quote from: Pam on April 04, 2010, 03:26:29 PM

Look at the actual names of the evil charities in the game. They are opposite in spirit to the good charities.

But the names of the charities are the same when you have a good or a bad sim. The only difference is the word undermine.

Pam · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2010, 04:00:14 AM »

Quote from: aws_137 on April 05, 2010, 03:25:51 AM

But the names of the charities are the same when you have a good or a bad sim. The only difference is the word undermine.

Ok, I don't have evil Sims often enough to know they are exactly the same. But I don't understand where the confusion is coming from.

aws_137 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 05, 2010, 04:41:52 AM »

The confusion comes from the way to undermine a charity.

A few say it's about sabotage - either through paying money to an opposing party or by bribing people in a charity.
Another says it's about humiliation.
Another says it's about backstabbing.
And another says it's about bribing others to not donate.

So...

samoht04 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 05, 2010, 04:59:57 AM »

In all I think everyone is saying - Destroys the Good Charities!

Pam · « **Reply #21 on:** April 05, 2010, 06:36:43 AM »

Is it just me or is the tone a little arguementative about it? I feel like the question about what undermine means has been sufficiently answered. Does the Original Poster feel that all this duscussion is helpful?

Saltypaws · « **Reply #22 on:** April 05, 2010, 06:44:50 AM »

Personally, I think that the question has been answered very well. Sounds like it is going in circles.

aws_137 · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2010, 08:26:05 AM »

Ah, it's just that the thing never made any sense to me. With this topic, I expected an unanimous answer... but since it wasn't, and it had different meanings here and there, it just made more confused and not convinced. Plus, I can't seem to apply the answers to reality... Sure, not all things in Sims are meant to be real, but language is rarely fiction in Sims.

Metropolis Man · « **Reply #24 on:** April 05, 2010, 08:33:12 AM »

aws_137, like Pam said, are you clear now on the meaning of "undermine" for the purposes of the game?

Pam · « **Reply #25 on:** April 05, 2010, 05:33:52 PM »

The answers given weren't unanimously exactly the same, but they were all in the same spirit of the idea. There are often several ways to explain something. To undermine a charity is to contribute in some way that works against the charity. That's about as simple as it can be explained. This is something clever the developers of Sims 3 thought up for their game and isn't necessarily a reflection of anything in real life, unless someone is involved in mob criminal activities or something.

aws_137 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 05, 2010, 11:43:55 PM »

Ah, I'll accept then... but deep inside I'm not satisfied.

jestina · « **Reply #27 on:** April 06, 2010, 12:31:59 AM »

It's like contributing funds to a terrorist organization or something like that.

It's good to do before your sim goes off to work for the fiendishly delighted moodlet.

samoht04 · « **Reply #28 on:** April 06, 2010, 03:06:51 AM »

Aws, I don't really see why you are still confused if it's about how many different ideas people have put up then all those ideas are linked - To spread Evilness in the sims world.

aws_137 · « **Reply #29 on:** April 06, 2010, 03:16:59 AM »

That, to me, is too general. I seek something specific. Anyway, it's fine. I don't have to know the meaning. I already know the general meaning. Perhaps that's enough for now.

Pam · « **Reply #30 on:** April 06, 2010, 03:25:51 AM »

Quote from: aws_137 on April 06, 2010, 03:16:59 AM

That, to me, is too general. I seek something specific.

How is it too general? It's not like donating to undermine charity is a skill to be learned or a career to be worked. There's nothing more to it than it's the opposite of whatever the charity does. It doesn't come up again in the game and it's not part of the criminal career track. Good people donate to help an a particular group of people, while evil people donate to undo the good works. I had to smile when you said that deep inside you're not satisfied (because that was just cute the way you wrote it), but I'm really stuck because I don't know what else you need to feel satisfied with what we've been explaining. What else can we do?

aws_137 · « **Reply #31 on:** April 06, 2010, 06:02:10 AM »

Ah, I'm not looking for things in the Sims 3 in this particular topic. I'm just looking for the specific action called donate(verb) money to undermine(verb) charity in real life. A true/real life example would suffice. Anything I can relate to... as if I wanted to donate to undermine charity... but how am I supposed to do so if I don't even know how to? There are some answers here, like donating to an opposing party(as the word charity doesn't have to be charity) of a party. The only reason I'm not convinced is because there are too many different sorts of answers.

Metropolis Man · « **Reply #32 on:** April 06, 2010, 06:36:11 AM »

Quote from: aws_137 on April 06, 2010, 06:02:10 AM

Ah, I'm not looking for things in the Sims 3 in this particular topic. I'm just looking for the specific action called donate(verb) money to undermine(verb) charity in real life. A true/real life example would suffice. Anything I can relate to...

I'd be violating forum rules by diving into politics and giving you a clear example of a heated issue with 2 sides, but that's what you need to think about to wrap your head around the meaning behind undermine. Certain people really believe in cause x (insert heated political hot button issue). There are many charities, and politicians spearheading the movement to advance cause x. On the other side of the fence we have people who would love nothing more than seeing cause x crumble into the sea. There are organizations and politicians involved in "activities" to make things much more difficult for cause x. So, you donate money to these organizations to undermine cause x.

News:

Author Topic: Undermine charity? (Read 21641 times)