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woopdeedoo on 30 March 2009
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Esmoreit said:
Netyaroze said:

 

@post3

No thats not true you could take all your money buy tons of rice/wheat and bring it directly to the starving people in Somalia (or somewhere else). That could do everyone but only some people do that. And I think that if the people that are starving right now would be rich and you would be starving they wouldnt come to you as well. Thats not because the people are bad in general but they just cant imagine how bad this really is.

If only 10% of the western civilization would do that and give up their comfortable lifes would invest all their money in rice nobody would starve but thats not going to happen we are all selfish even if we spend 1% of our years income for poor people.

First of all, bringing constant influxes of food to Africa is an old concept clearly not working. Ever heard of the expression: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will never starve again". We are now constantly giving fish to the Africans with little or no effect while we should teach them how to properly work the land. I'd much rather send bags of manure over there then rice.

Problem here is, the regimes there cock that last thing up aswell. Zimbabwe used to be the grainery of Afrika, producing enough to feed the continent. Mugabe came, kicked out the white farmers who actually knew how to work the land and currently... currently it's one of the biggest hellholes in Africa - and that is saying something. Rwanda used to be prosperous. Kenia was to become the next lightening example... all destroyed due to internal conflict.

Plus, Our government does spend roughly 0.5% of the national GDP on aid - it sounds low but that is roughly 1% of income per (working) citizen. I'm already reaching your quota through taxes.

 

Actually a growing number of people argue that aid for africa is only worsening their problems, cause it increases corruption and their dependance on aid.

This is a fairly interesting interview with a native of Zambia, for all who are interested in that off topic debate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/magazine/22wwln-q4-t.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=development%20aid%20africa&st=cse

btw i really hate bono

 

OT: I think i couldn't really justify my purchase to an actually starving person. That being said I dont see any connection with me purchasing a console and people starving.