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Gordon Brown seems to have got the hard on to give away our wedge to Africa, and hence, to unless despots in the mould of Idi Amin, Sani Abacha, Charles Taylor and Mugabe, for them to fritter away.



So, in this instance, should we tell Gordon to ?get stuffed!? And, if HE feels so cut up about Africa, then why not donate his own fucking wages?


Officer Dibble

Well, this may come as rather a shock Dribbler, but I don't think Gordon gives a stuff for your opinions.

Mart

"Well, this may come as rather a shock Dribbler, but I don't think Gordon gives a stuff for your opinions."

Well, we harbour similar sentiments for your uninteresting, content light, posts and unconstructive, mean-spirited, heckling. I was hoping to kick start some kind of rational debate on the issue, but it seems that is beyond you. Why don?t you surprise us and give us your analysis of Africa?s problems and then suggest some solutions?

You?re always there to slag off others views, thoughts, and opinions, yet rarely do you grace us with any of your own. Why is that, mart? Frightened you?d be shot down in a jiffy?


Officer Dibble

I'm against helping out countries in the shit, as I am a firm believer of 'Charity begins at Home' and we have enough problems of our own, including Homelessness and Care for our Elderly. Thats not to say that help isn't needed, but sending cash isn't the answer.
All too often, we help Third World countries with good intentions and a few months down the line, we discover the actual amount is far less than the original amount pledged/donated die to corrupt government officials in these countries.
Just a thought, do you think I can add my VISA bill to get written off?

did anyone see question time last night, when this question came up in a round about way. the question was about geldof and live8 and whether the world powers would take notice. i don't normally agree with chris hutchins but when he stated that he hoped it would be ignored and no more money given to these countries until the corrupt governments of some of them were sorted out, i had to agree.
a very good point was raised in the audience about why military intervention hadn't occured from nato etc. i forget who answered but they said america would not benefit from intervention, so it won't happen, says it all really !!

He is as far removed from the problem as the pope is to lapdancing clubs, but has to be seen to be making some sort of effort, he,s building his cred for the 'takeover' when the party have to offload blur, there are enough social problems in this country to sort out before giving our money away to desspots, dictators, and wasters, whose population that are really suffering will probably never see any of it, then there,s that bunch of select popsters who will be promoting themseves soon all in the name of poverty, it,s a noble effort, but the only people to benefit are the record companies that will reap the rewards of new and back catalouge record sales that will revive flagging careers, and if Uncle Bob gets up to sing! were all fucked.
The problem wont go away until the likes of mugabe and such are deposed and power given to uncoruptted leaders, but where do you find those...

Zimbabwe used to be a source of much food in Africa, but Mugabe's mob politics has reduced it to a famine-stricken economy. There's the same reasons for military intervention in Zimbabwe as there was in Afghanistan and Iraq, and would be in North Korea, Syria and Uzbekistan, among many. But too many other African nations refuse to criticise Mugabe, so nothing will happen; Zimbabwe has no oil reserves (so far as I know), so nothing will happen.

Throwing huge amounts of aid at the continent won't solve Africa's myriad problems. AIDS is destroying the populations of many sub-Saharan nations; corrupt leaders are living the high life while their people starve; and the threat of tribal war is always simmering just beneath the surface, just as in Europe.

What Brown and Blair are trying to do, I think, is try to make some of the clouds of despair disappear. The debts are enormous, and have to be dealt with, or one day Africa will erupt the way the Middle East has in the last 30 years, and no prizes for guessing who will be the target of their aggression.

Wiping out debt & increasing aid would be a simple solution but it wouldn't solve the enormous core problems which all seem to stem from the Tribal System

Corruption along tribal lines will always be a problem in Africa
as long as her scarce/vast resources are used as leverage to keep the otherside down

Add in the on going religious war between Christian & Muslims and I can't see much hope for a lasting peace anytime soon

The only reason I can see that the west is writing loans & sending aid is for long term gain via trade,not humanitarian goodwill.Call me cynical

cheers
B....OZ

Mean spirited. Thats rich coming from you.

Mart

agreed ace,spot on.