Cutting off aid to Africa (Palestinians, middle east, death, Brown)

[jon1987]

Africa needs real long-term growth, not short-term prop ups from foreign nations.

[sirron]

I had this discussion thirty years ago with someone who knew of aid workers who went over there and demonstrated to the villagers how to use condoms, substituting a stick in place of the male. A year later when they went back to check on their progress, and they were still putting the condom on the stick.

[Oildog]

Corrupt governments seem to keep people poor there.

[Alltheusernamesaretaken]

Originally Posted by DahomeyAhosi

What Africa needs MORE than anything is LESS corrupt Africans. Around every corner there always seems to be an endless supply of Africans willing to screw their own people....

I am going to get nailed for being the "Grammar Police" but it really does make a difference here:

Do you mean Africa needs "less corrupt Africans," as in people who are less corrupt than they are currently?

Or do you mean Africa needs "FEWER corrupt Africans," as in a smaller number of corrupt people than they currently have?

[bigskydude]

Originally Posted by sacramento916

If you really wanted to help someone, give him an opportunity to earn something. Do not give them something free, otherwise you will be creating an endless chain of abuse and hatred.

No one respects those that they pity. Giving something for free is not showing respect, it is showing pity.

The perfect argument for getting rid of, or otherwise greatly scaling back WELFARE in this country ..

[sacramento916]

I don't think we have any responsibility to help Africa. As cold as it seems, but aid doesn't help anybody except give a temporary free meal.

And honestly, it's not our responsibility. Our own country is declining and we have many pressing domestic problems to take care of. I think it is time to stop pretending to care and be patronizing towards some foreign land, and to start reversing the many serious problems we are facing here at home.

[sacramento916]

Originally Posted by bigskydude

The perfect argument for getting rid of, or otherwise greatly scaling back WELFARE in this country ..

I agree. I am very much against both the ridiculous percentage of our national budget being occupied by both social welfare programs and military spending. I am for cutting both DRAMATICALLY. I am talking like 80% or more.

I am also for bringing ALL our troops home and closing our bases. I think the US needs to go back to what made it powerful in the first place a century ago, that is immense investment in our industrial and scientific resources at home.

[claudhopper]

Originally Posted by flash3780

I don't understand how anyone can justify taking wealth and earnings from citizens by force and sending it to another country... it's not generosity, it's theft. Aide to poor people in Africa or anywhere else should be voluntary.

I agree.
The United States has provided about $565 million in humanitarian aid so far this year, he said.
Good thing they got that debt ceiling raised!

[A&M_Indie_08]

Instead of outright Fed aid, why not more benefit concerts (like "We are the world" in the 80's)?

Certainly those worldly and caring entertainers would be for this if asked... right?

[sacramento916]

Then again, I think the one aid program we need to address first is our aid to Israel. Our aid to Israel and then our aid to Jordan and Egypt dwarfs any humanitarian aid that we provide to other countries. If it weren't for israel, we wouldnt even be giving aid to Jordan or Egypt. I think we need to just cut off all aid to all those three countries first.