611 replies to this topic

[dfx]

AN SAS team.. interesting.. never knew the article for acronyms was AN.

[Dave]

what!!! Africa cant develop because of debt repayment

NOOO!!!

They werent paying it and now we are paying cos we will be raising income tax to the tune of £550 million over the next ten years to cover the cost

Africa cant develop because the governments are currupt and spend aid and any money from natural resources on guns, ferraris and personal zoos, NOT on there people. Course that is assuming they have a government. Also they would rather treat woment like dogs than allow there potential to be reliased. Not to mention the crazy beliefs on recovering from AIDS.

Oh and then we have the sacrifiing of 9 year old boys

So why is Africian poverty my problem

Shouldnt we be more interested in the people who die in europe or the $5 min wage is US or the millions who die in the western world from curible disease because they have no health insurance. What about our NHS or schools or many many many other domentic issues.

Obviously i am not saying to hell with africa but we dont need that idiot Bob and his rubbish

What about education and hell what about a bit of REAL democracy and short term aid.

[Steven_Gerrard]

...."LAWL".......I wonder how long it'll take for the BNP to recruit you.

[Dave]

eh no BNP dont streach to Africa they can barely get there head around Pakistand and india

And its offence to imply i am racist

All i have said is fact and is obviously backward thinking that shouldnt be allowed to be considered acceptable

[Steven_Gerrard]

I wasnt implying you are racist. Are you speculating that all policies of the BNP are racist?

The reasons many African governments spend so much money on war is to win wars based on acquiring natural resources that lead to money. Basically, if they had money they wouldnt be at war. Its a vicious circle.

[Dave]

Please do u seriously believe that. The countries are at war because the governments in each country are run by the largest thugs in the country due to little democracy. This is also the reason for senseless civil war

However yes the invading on countries and raids are solely about minerials, though its just for personal gain not for the country

[bred]

what!!! Africa cant develop because of debt repayment

NOOO!!!

They werent paying it...

Erm, yes they were, and still are.

Africa cant develop because the governments are currupt and spend aid and any money from natural resources on guns, ferraris and personal zoos, NOT on there people.

Some governments in Africa are corrupt, some are not. It is the same in the Western world.
There was corruption in Tanzania but aid still led to a fantastic improvement in the Tanzanian education system.

...crazy beliefs on recovering from AIDS.

Such beliefs can be largely remedied through education programmes.

So why is Africian poverty my problem

It is the voice of you and other citizens in the countries of the G8 that the G8 leaders stand to represent. If the citizens show no compassion for Africa then it is not in the interests of the G8 leaders to push for change. However, if you people like yourself appreciate that the innocent suffering in Africa could be greatly improved through (primarily) changes in trade laws and debt cancellation, and if you made your voices heard then there would be a chance for African nations to develop.

Shouldnt we be more interested in the people who die in europe or the $5 min wage is US or the millions who die in the western world from curible disease because they have no health insurance.

Those issues are important, but IMO comparatively less so.

What about our NHS or schools or many many many other domentic issues.

Still, I think the 50,000 dying per day of poverty in the third world in more pressing. That 3 billion people live on less than $2/day. That 20% of the world's population consume 86% of the world's goods. In fact, I think it is a bit selfish to concentrate on less serious domestic issues.

What about education and hell what about a bit of REAL democracy and short term aid.

Short term aid will not solve the problems in the poor countries of the world.
Debt needs to be cancelled and trade laws need to be changed so developing countries can develop their economies and build themselves so they don't need charity in the future.
For every £1 a developing nation receives in grants it pays £13 in debt repayment. Without the system changing developing nations can't escape that poverty trap.

[Dave]

currently the figure stands at 55% of debt for the poorest countries is not being paid and most of it is written down as never going to be paid back essentially written off

Yet i dont see any improvement in these countries

How can u say aid is essenial in the short term how else are people going to be feed and housed

[bred]

currently the figure stands at 55% of debt for the poorest countries is not being paid and most of it is written down as never going to be paid back essentially written off

Developing nations have been paying debt with interest for years - the total sum payed tends to be well over what has actually been borrowed.

How can u say aid is essenial in the short term how else are people going to be feed and housed

I never actually said that aid is essential in the short term, but it is true that aid will continue to be essential in the short term until debt cancellation actually happens and Africa gets off her feet through changes in trade laws.

[Dave]

well yeah that is the idea of interest isnt it

so are u willing to pay 40% income tax

Take cuts in public spending

Pull out of london 2012

etc etc etc

TO clean all the debt

[Kevin_Kilbane]

Live 8 has been piss.

Bob Geldof is also a tit.

[Dave]

he is aint he

I hated the swearing before water shed

I hated the blackmail from that video from the bandaid and bringing on the girl he saved that was dieing in the video

Basically Bob is all i am holyer than you do as i say.

He doesnt care about africa he let them make him a King for god sake

Oh and here is a thing since when did air head pop stars secide international politics

not to mention the sick "I dont like Mondays" fromt he boom town rats. Bob is not fit to be an ambassidor of anything

[Kevin_Kilbane]

Why doesn't he, Macca and Bono give some of there many millions or in Macca's case hundred's of millions if they are so "concerned"

Self Help Schemes and better business practices are what are needed as oppose to thinking about Africa once every blue moon.

[Dave]

exactly

Look at all the expensive equipment all of which is designed by rich westerners and manufactered in Vietnam an other majorly poor countries

Also how much of the food on sale in the concerts was fair trade

Who knocked together the dress's for the artists. How much were they paid

i wonder

[bred]

well yeah that is the idea of interest isnt it

so are u willing to pay 40% income tax

Take cuts in public spending

Pull out of london 2012

etc etc etc

TO clean all the debt

What do you mean exactly when you say "clean all the debt"? I assume you are simply talking about cancelling all the debts "owed" by poor nations. Cancelling these debts would not require very significant cuts in public spending in Western nations. The consequences of not cancelling the debt would be much more detestable IMO.

[Dave]

actually i think 300billion US spread between 7 countries is quite a large commitment

£550 million is already been mentioned over the next ten years

[bred]

I've not seen a source on the $300 billion. However, as I've already said, charity is not the answer to the problems of the poor nations in this world. It might seem like an answer short term but it isn't really the way forward.

[Dave]

do a google search

[Scott]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I was working today and just got back...as The Who left the stage :'( I think I might cry!

I now have to go watch a few of their live DVDs and live album. Who stepped in for the dead band members?

[dfx]

Oh and then we have the sacrifiing of 9 year old boys

I hate people who stereotype.

what!!! Africa cant develop because of debt repayment

Ethiopia's debt of $10 billion ($179 a person) at the end of 1996 may not seem like much compared, for example, to the $11 billion Europe spent on ice cream in 1997. But it was almost thirteen times the amount the country earned in exports in 1996. Ethiopia used the equivalent of 45 percent of its $783 million in export earnings on debt payments. Even after such a crushing payout, Ethiopia's debt is still unbearable.

Another example. In 1998, seventy percent of the world's new AIDS infections were in Sub-Saharan Africa. So were four-fifths of all deaths from AIDS that year. Despite this, among all African countries only South Africa is spending more on health care than on debt service. For most African countries, the entire annual health budget is less than $10 a person. Keep in mind that health care is only ONE of the urgent needs requiring heavy investment.
Debt relief on its own can make a massive difference.
In Benin, 54% of the money saved through debt relief has been spent on health including rural primary health care and HIV Programs.
After Mozambique was granted debt relief, it was able to offer all children free immunisation.
In Uganda, debt relief has led to 2.2 million people gaining access to clean water.

I'm not saying everyone should be a philanthropist, but good democracy, good governance or not these people are human beings for gods sake. I'm not trying to appeal to your emotions or anything, but imagine dying of HUNGER. How stupid is that. How SHAMEFUL is that, upon us as humans.