Obama pledges $7 billion to upgrade power in Africa (unemployed, Congress, minimum wage)

[NJBest]

Originally Posted by gunlover

so we are not in a recession? are you high? and why doesn't China or India or Russia bother helping? why is it that debt ridden America must shoulder these non-responsibilities? if its good for everyone why cant everyone chip in?

I'm not high. I understand economics. You should consider learning at least a little bit of it.

The answer to all your questions is because the economy is fairly poor. Again, something which you would know if you bothered learning about economics.

[gunlover]

Originally Posted by NJBest

I'm not high. I understand economics. You should consider learning at least a little bit of it.

The answer to all your questions is because the economy is fairly poor. Again, something which you would know if you bothered learning about economics.

you did not answer the others....ps what is reasoning? what supports your answer?

[Jerseyt719]

Originally Posted by SeekerSA

The last white chairman of the power utility here Eskom, Dr Ian Marais already had extensive plans in place for a sub saharan grid uniting all regions and a way of upliftment of the poor. He was the same man that fostered the electrification for all in SA. They had approached the world bank for financing; didn't happen.

Then the ANC took over and implemented AA and BEE and the dream died c1994. It was also the year the New Works Division was closed down and we all had to seek other areas with in the organisation for employment or take a severance package.

In the 80s and 90s when we were building power stations, one unit cost between 1.2 and 1.6 billion US dollars, most of our stations are six packs. Today, 7Bn would not get two units built, then you have the added costs of distribution infrastructure (power lines) It is not like simply making a tee junction to an existing line. The lines run 100-300+ km to the central distribution centre in Johannesburg. From there all power is redistributed on secondary lines (lower voltages)

Well the electrification for all was great. All the blacks have free electricity as they never pay their bills, pre paid is optional here, and their black corrupt brothers in municipalities don't switch them off. Even if they did, they would merely run an extension to their neighbor's house who also is not paying their bills.

10 years ago we had to start bring mothballed inefficient stations back on line requiring huge upgrades in controls as the old stuff was old school and all those folk are now retired (instrumentation). About 5 years ago, our wonderful gubmint started supplying Zimbabwe with power at the expense of SA consumers that had to tolerate frequent black outs.

And guess what? Zimbabwe never paid their account either. The government was forced to stop supplying Zim and now Zims are the ones having to tolerate daily power outs.

And our wonderful AA and BEE jobs for mates programs have ensure diddly squat gets maintained; so that leaves many places in the cities w/o power for sometimes weeks. Simple things like supply/demand and capacity are not understood by "city planners" who are also part of the jobs for mates program and is akin to simply do this on a bigger scale



Transformers blow up and of course we all know this is a stock item somewhere - not! (they have to be built on order btw)

(Live) cables are regularly stolen by the other black enterprises to be sold for scrap, not part of the jobs for mates program but kissing cousins nonetheless.

And this is SA where there is some "semblance of law" ROTFLMAO. Just imagine how efficient it will be say in Mozambique, Angola Malawi et al.

The USA will not be supplying cable as we make our own here thanks to whities that still run that industry. The only thing to be imported is technology as the jobs for mates club have no frigging clue how to build a power station.

In my lil hick town, we have had street lights out for over three years. They cannot even replace the lamps as their cherry picker is always broken. When whites ruled, the artisans fixed the cherry picker themselves. Now it has to go out on tender as many of the "new artisans" were semi skilled helpers/assistants in the old days.

Yup, send them some 7bn, it will create a batch of new jobs for mates all with Beamers and Mercs and SUVs and Audis. Hell they won't even buy your American cars like a Chrysler LoL.

Two years ago, they were constructing a new toll road (±30km), well actually an upgrade, all roads upgraded now become toll roads, there are no brand new roads being constructed. Anyway, there is this previously disadvantaged road inspektah with an orange beacon on his roof, the car? A Mercedes S500



What a practical car for inspecting road construction where most of the route was gravel deviations. Low profile alloy wheels and all. But back in the bad old days, the poor white sod who was teh gubmint inspector had to make do with a diesel pick up and usually did not even have air con. Hell we call them bakkies which is a derivative of the word bucket. But then, this road they were building, would have been completed in a third of the time. Its been 6 years now and it is still not finished.

So to coin a phase, all the above "your "tax dollars" at work.

I will bet you dollars to doughnuts that if SA had oil reserves here, there would have been zero pressure to change our old ways. But then again, you might have invaded and occupied us too. Perhaps not as we did have some really fancy weaponry back then that we built ourselves.

We do have about 500 years of coal reserves and 90% of what is mined is being exported, you guessed it China and to a lesser extent Europe.



Lastly, b/c the US has disinvested post apartheid but still control a lot of the mineral wealth by proxy, 7Bn is a gesture (read:bribery) to appease the jobs for mates fellas "in charge" All you need to become a politician in Africa is a criminal record, if you do not have one, they will help you get one rather quickly.

First of all, thank you for a real account of what goes on as you are there and not merely speculating.

Am I understanding you correctly? Is money we are sending there simply being wasted? That is what I have read over the years but have never heard of anyone confirming or denying as you just have done.

I am appalled at a time when we have many Americans still without homes, power and jobs due to the economy and natural disasters, that we would blindly send money after a cause that has obviously proven to be futile with the corruption of leaders in foreign lands.

Who votes for this stuff? I am a tax payer and would much rather see my money going to Americans.

Once again this president is throwing money away that we just don't have.

[Gunther Rall]

Why is it that africa still hasn't figured out running water and electricity in the 21st century?

So..we give them 7 billion..and assume it all goes to building up the power grid or whatever...Who is going to operate and maintain these systems? africans? ha. ha. ha....very funny

[Oleg Bach]

The only people that do any good in African nations are not those who are governments of other nations such as America. The people who bring about positive change and progress - They come from the private sector. Non governmental organizations actually do real things that actually help...When the President pledges 7 billion dollars to an African nation ...They will be lucky if ONE billion is actually used for the specific purpose that is intended. The other 6 billion will go into the hands of corrupt officials - then be passed about to their friends...which will make for a few millionaires and the rest of the people will continue to suffer.

Look at the foolish move that Obama pulled, giving the Muslim Brotherhood "aid" - Four months later the people of Egypt are now in the streets attempting to oust the people Obama gave the cash too. What a waste of cash. Playing fast and lose with tax dollars helps to further impoverish those in America who need help. Seven billion bucks could revitalize a decaying American city. Obama reminds me of a father who takes the family savings to the bar and tips the staff with hundred dollar bills for every glass of beer he drinks.


Why is it that AMERICAN tax payers have no say how THEIR money is spent?

[Jerseyt719]

Originally Posted by Oleg Bach

The only people that do any good in African nations are not those who are governments of other nations such as America. The people who bring about positive change and progress - They come from the private sector. Non governmental organizations actually do real things that actually help...When the President pledges 7 billion dollars to an African nation ...They will be lucky if ONE billion is actually used for the specific purpose that is intended. The other 6 billion will go into the hands of corrupt officials - then be passed about to their friends...which will make for a few millionaires and the rest of the people will continue to suffer.

Look at the foolish move that Obama pulled, giving the Muslim Brotherhood "aid" - Four months later the people of Egypt are now in the streets attempting to oust the people Obama gave the cash too. What a waste of cash. Playing fast and lose with tax dollars helps to further impoverish those in America who need help. Seven billion bucks could revitalize a decaying American city. Obama reminds me of a father who takes the family savings to the bar and tips the staff with hundred dollar bills for every glass of beer he drinks.


Why is it that AMERICAN tax payers have no say how THEIR money is spent?

This is essentially my question.

We are supposed to have a government made up of the people and for the people. I won't say by the people because I don't believe it is.

The people have no say on how our own dollars are spent.

I have heard people that claim to be dems talk about how disaster victims, who have worked and lost it all through no fault of their own, should just suck it up and work harder to get out or put their own lives back together. Yet these same people talk of how we have to provide for others that do not provide for themselves. It's quite hypocritical.

Yet these politicians just throw money out of the country like drunken sailors, no offense to sailors.

I have lost faith in our government.

[Finn_Jarber]

Originally Posted by Oleg Bach

Why is it that AMERICAN tax payers have no say how THEIR money is spent?

Mainly because the US Constitution defines our political system as "representative democracy". We elect people to represent us, and those people have created a fund for development aid.

[MTAtech]

Originally Posted by KUchief25

Oh don't worry I'm sure his Solyndra buddies have some green nonsense set up in Africa to get a chunk of that money to **** away all over again like they pissed away the 20 billion for green energy here in the US.

I guess you didn't know that solar installations doubled in 2012, making several large power plants unnecessary. If that's pissing money away, give them all diuretics.

[Ghostrider275452]

He needs to keep his mouth shut and quit promising our money away, it is a time for economic austerity not generosity!

[MTAtech]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider275452

He needs to keep his mouth shut and quit promising our money away, it is a time for economic austerity not generosity!

Austerity or cutting your way to prosperity, is a failed venture wherever it was tried. In macro economics it is important to understand that my spending is your income and your spending is my income. If I cut my spending you have less income and must cut your spending, resulting in me having less income. When government cuts spending it results in less money in the private economy.