Africa and why waste money on them?

[ArthurBigot]

"Africa and why waste money on them"

Famine, Disease...just Gods way of saying there's too many of them

[SupremeSpod]

Whose God?

[sunnysan]

I am watching the TV profile of Botswana, who have managed their economy well, created reliable public services and have a higher GDP per head than South Africa.

So , becuase the country has suceeded in relative terms , they do not qualify for any debt relief or upliftment from the West.

So , the message to African leaders is, kill and torture your political opponents and destry the infrastructure and then you will recieve more aid?

Yet the farmers cannot compete against Europen farmers, the industry is labouring under unfair tariifs and they still need to pay off a massive debt to the IMF.

So we will p!ss money away to leaders who have no commitment to their countries and their people and not invest in the countries whose leaders have proven a commitment to uplifting the living standards of their citizens.

[Lucifer Box]

It's the socialist way, sunnysan. It's the same sort of principle as NL's policy towards the retirement saving problem: p1ss all your money up the wall and the state will look after you, save hard and you get nowt.

[sunnysan]

I think there is a difference between socialism and bad policy.

I think it will work out in practice that Africas worst and most corrupt leaders get the lions share of the aid.

IMHO its got nothing to do with socialism. Take Iraq for example. When the politicians real reasons for attcking Iraq became obselete(IE It was proved to be bullsh1t) , the invasion was justified morally by advocating the "liberation" of the Iraqi people.

The net result was the creation of an anarchic wasteland where there once was a country, albeit a dictatorship.

However Mugabe can bulldoze down peoples houses on CNN and all he gets is a weak condemnation and a tacit statement indicating that Africa should sort out its own problems(Jack Straw), AND .... now we are going to give him billions for food for the starving masses.

So then why shouldnt Iraq sort out its own problems?

Zimbabwe, Belarus, Burma.... they all have to.

I just get p!ssed off when our taxes go to fighting wars that nobody wants, then our taxes go to aid for corrupt leaders who should be drawn and quartered and then some, and then we are expected and made to feel obliged to contribute further in the form of charitable aid by patronising g!ts like Bono and Geldof looking for their place in history as iconic saviours.

But then I am an idealist not a politician.