Gordon Brown to send £8.5bn to Africa etc

**threaded** · 10 April 2006, 04:41

I think it is the right thing to do as we are so rich in the west, and we are only rich because they are so poor.

My Algerian co-worker tells me that there were never any famines in Africa until the Europeans arrived (18C) . He also tells me that previously there was no slavery or disease, not even sickle cell anemia, apparently these are all things the Europeans brought to Africa and he says it with such sincerity it must be correct.

It must have been a truely wonderful place so it is only right the west payout for all the damage they have done.

**mcquiggd** · 10 April 2006, 05:33

Actually, wasnt it the UN that hacked all those Tutsis and Hutus to death in Rwanda...? Suprised nobodies tried to sue them for compensation....

**Fungus** · 10 April 2006, 06:34

A Nigerian told me that Aids was created by America to devastate Africa. Well, I think we owe Africa compensation.

**Fleetwood** · 10 April 2006, 06:38

nobody's

**wendigo100** · 10 April 2006, 07:09

It is a well known fact that the Sahara was lush forest and grassland until Europeans invaded and started cutting down trees to catch gorillas. No amount of our money could compensate for that.

**Board Game Geek** · 10 April 2006, 07:55

Why is he giving so much of our money overseas ?

How will this benefit me and my local community ?

How will it benefit the 94-year old veteran who lives 2 doors down from me who can't afford a daily carer and has to rely on family ?

How will it benefit the family with a spastic child across the road where one parent has had to give up work ?

How will it help the local primary school fund new books because the LEA have cut all budgets ?

How will it help the local church repair the damaged vestry after a fire by yobboes ?

How will it help the local doctors purchase an x-ray machine, so patients can be x-rayed quickly, rather than wait 8 weeks for a hospital appointment.

Gordon ? WTF are you doing ?

**sasguru** · 10 April 2006, 08:09

1. That sum is over 10 years

2. UK Overseas aid is one of the lowest in the EU at around 0.4% of GDP.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/competitio...cators/k1.html

3. Pretty low for a country that ruled much of the region in question and got rich from it.

4. Unless the third world is made bearable to live in, mass migration will continue increasing on a large scale.

But when did IT geeks/code monkeys ever look at the big picture, eh?

HTH

**EternalOptimist** · 10 April 2006, 08:19

Malaria

One of the worst legacies of the colonial period is the herrendous problems caused by Malaria which was introduced by the British in revenge for the Africans getting all the best roles in the films 'Zulu' and 'Zulu Dawn'

10 years spread across 8.5 billion only seems fair to me

**PerlOfWisdom** · 10 April 2006, 08:20

Originally posted by BBC Website

The world's wealthy nations want every African child to have access to a good primary school by 2015.

When we've done this, maybe we can aim at the same for the UK.

Gordon Brown to send £8.5bn to Africa etc