Foreign aid

[Danllan]

Aid, as in handing over cash to third world mis-governments is bad, full stop; it lines pockets and achieves nothing for the intended beneficiaries or us and merely leaves 'glory' projects of no real value.

Three sorts of aid can work, giving improvements to poor peoples' lives and their local economies and attempts at good-government; these three are, in order of importance:

1) Female emancipation / education (really the same thing) - this leads to reproductive control, meaning fewer mouths to feed, more resources for others and women able to do things other than breed.

2) Seed money for small enterprise (usually female run, because they are more responsible and sober, mostly) - all economies, ours included, need small businesses as a base.

3) Educational scholarships - independently awarded and in subjects we choose as best for a given 'need', so more engineers, fewer political scientists.

Of the three, the first two are by far the most important and everywhere it's been tried it works. Build a society wherein people can understand the issues affecting them, have a vested interest in making sure things work and can see a future for their limited number of children, and the rest will sort itself out. Democracy, judicial independence and everything else starts from the base so formed.

 

[thewalrus]

I'd be more worried about the money being wasted by governments in the U.K.!

Think of all the money wasted on devolution and having all these extra elected people 108 in Northern Ireland, 129 in Scotland 60 in wales then all the staff!! Parliament running costs And expenses and constituency offices!!
Hundreds of millions of pounds

 

[dstudent]

Aid, as in handing over cash to third world mis-governments is bad, full stop; it lines pockets and achieves nothing for the intended beneficiaries or us and merely leaves 'glory' projects of no real value.

Three sorts of aid can work, giving improvements to poor peoples' lives and their local economies and attempts at good-government; these three are, in order of importance:

1) Female emancipation / education (really the same thing) - this leads to reproductive control, meaning fewer mouths to feed, more resources for others and women able to do things other than breed.

2) Seed money for small enterprise (usually female run, because they are more responsible and sober, mostly) - all economies, ours included, need small businesses as a base.

3) Educational scholarships - independently awarded and in subjects we choose as best for a given 'need', so more engineers, fewer political scientists.

Of the three, the first two are by far the most important and everywhere it's been tried it works. Build a society wherein people can understand the issues affecting them, have a vested interest in making sure things work and can see a future for their limited number of children, and the rest will sort itself out. Democracy, judicial independence and everything else starts from the base so formed.

I agree with you, only one thing, corruption runs both ways, it is in "our"interest to keep these countries destebalized and in constant turmoil, it makes it easier to get to their raw materials. Plus lets not forget who put many of these puppets in power.
The points you are stating are part of the millennium goals, which have been barely achieved.
This brings me back to why, why after nearly 40 years of Aid , nothing has improved, or very little?

 

[turbo]

I agree with you, only one thing, corruption runs both ways, it is in "our"interest to keep these countries destebalized and in constant turmoil, it makes it easier to get to their raw materials. Plus lets not forget who put many of these puppets in power.
The points you are stating are part of the millennium goals, which have been barely achieved.
This brings me back to why, why after nearly 40 years of Aid , nothing has improved, or very little?

It's quite simple why nothing has changed,where there is money there is corruption and over seas aid is full of both

 

[jockthethistle]

Is the oversea aid budget in total anywhere near .£ 12 billion a year ...or am I misremembering .. jtt

 

[Danllan]

I agree with you, only one thing, corruption runs both ways, it is in "our"interest to keep these countries destebalized and in constant turmoil, it makes it easier to get to their raw materials. Plus lets not forget who put many of these puppets in power.
The points you are stating are part of the millennium goals, which have been barely achieved.
This brings me back to why, why after nearly 40 years of Aid , nothing has improved, or very little?

We, meaning the West, hardly get anything out of Africa nowadays, China has stepped in and is raping the place silly and filling the pockets of the local 'leaders', another reason why aid is a waste of time.

But the answer to your last question is interesting, I write only of Africa - black Africa - which I know a bit. The societies are extremely divided along tribal and clan lines. We always hear of their family closeness, and it is true enough, but it is to the exclusion of societal loyalty and cohesion - even when it's in their own interest. And most of the people are only a few generations from the stone age; you can take an individual and modernise / civilise him pretty quickly, since there is no continual exposure to his old 'norms'. But African societies and values are going to take a hell of a long time to catch up - for example, I still know plenty of places where very old or disabled people are left out for the hyenas.

 

[ollie989898]

The UK is reducing aid relationships with China, India and South Africa. The figure for India 2015 was around £150m

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-foreign-aid-budget_uk_57d953afe4b00f741735477f

Meanwhile the UK taxpayer could equally ask why it is paying the Queen and many wealthy farmers £3 billion a year in subsidy. I'm sure that farmer Mr Smart in Aberdeenshire does not actually 'need' his £2,986,506.48 a year that the taxpayer gave him in 2015 (i.e approximately one 50th that they gave to the whole of India in the same year) unlike the 3,000 children in India who die every day from poor diet.

Which of course pales into insignificance to the total amount thrown at the banks by the taxpayer to enable their casino banking scams and cocaine fuelled lifestyles to continue, which was £1.16 trillion. By one of life’s more meaningful coincidences, that is precisely ten times the annual budget of the NHS for the whole UK.

Do you appreciate WHY the banks had to be sorted with public money and that these monies WILL be recovered by the tax payer in time?

 

[Wastexprt]

Is the oversea aid budget in total anywhere near .£ 12 billion a year ...or am I misremembering .. jtt

Britain is a significant contributor to helping developing countries. In 2015, for the third year running, the government met its UN commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on foreign aid, with the official budget rising to £12.2bn.