Originally posted by twhiteheadWait a minute.....these African nations are ASKING for the loans to begin with. Give 'em the money and they cry about how they're being used and manipulated. Don't give 'em the money and they'll really start whining. Once again, they World Bank can't win, can it?
If its a gift I have no problem with it. I do have a problem with encouraging a poor African nation to take a loan they cant afford for something they don't need. And why would they be declared racist? Whats that got to do with it?
How about when a corrupt leader takes over a country and keeps the loan money to himself. The debt is listed to the country even though the citizens never saw any benefit from that money, but they still have to pay it off.
They don't need handouts, they need things like intermediate technologies, which help them build their own economy more naturally.
The best thing we can do to help Africa is to stop helping them. Africa screams....for aid, money, resources, etc., then screams more about the aid they get being abusive and self-serving by those trying to help them. It will never be enough, and it will never do any good, and after it's all said and done, they'll always blame their failure on the people trying to help them.
The world needs to back off and let the Africans sort their problems out amongst themselves, or die, since nothing makes them happy and they are shameless in taking handouts and then complaining about it.
Kinda like what they do everywhere else they go.
Originally posted by twhiteheadAbsolutely right!
Start by putting a stop to farm subsidies in the US and Europe.
Next provide strong incentives/encouragement for African countries to heavily invest in education.
Stop the IMF from dictating bad policies to African countries
Cancel debt and stop offering more loans for unnecessary projects which will just create future debt. I was shocked to discover t ...[text shortened]... many years and much of it was borrowed for projects that did not necessarily benefit the people.
Originally posted by Sam The Shamhttp://www.newstatesman.com/200506200001
You wish to raise food prices by stopping all farm subsidies? How is that going to help Africa?
Basically because they make the food here artificially cheaper, even though the production costs here are higher than in Africa. This is especially true in the cotton industry.
We'd need to take away the subsidies of farmers very delicately since they're now quite dependent on them.
Originally posted by mrstabbyAhhhhhh, I see it all. Yes, let's make our food prices higher to help Africa, since they take our cheap surpluses and refuse to develop their own agriculture.
http://www.newstatesman.com/200506200001
Basically because they make the food here artificially cheaper, even though the production costs here are higher than in Africa. This is especially true in the cotton industry.
We'd need to take away the subsidies of farmers very delicately since they're now quite dependent on them.
So we reeeeally have to suffer for them, don't we?
Give them cheap/free food, and they starve. Don't give them food, and they starve. What's the answer?
I got an idea, why don't we just forget Africa and let them get their act together by themselves, since everything that involves helping them is wrong in one way or another. Nothing will ever be right, nothing will ever be enough, and nothing will ever fix the real reason Africa is the way it is.
Originally posted by Sam The ShamIf we stop giving subsidies to farmers who don't produce anything of value (that is, surplus that no one will buy), then we can lower taxes, strengthening the economy.
Ahhhhhh, I see it all. Yes, let's make our food prices higher to help Africa, since they take our cheap surpluses and refuse to develop their own agriculture.
So we reeeeally have to suffer for them, don't we?
Give them cheap/free food, and they starve. Don't give them food, and they starve. What's the answer?
I got an idea, why don't we just ...[text shortened]... ing will ever be enough, and nothing will ever fix the real reason Africa is the way it is.
Originally posted by Sam The ShamWe're forcing them out of the market just because we have the money to do it and their governments don't.
Ahhhhhh, I see it all. Yes, let's make our food prices higher to help Africa, since they take our cheap surpluses and refuse to develop their own agriculture.
So we reeeeally have to suffer for them, don't we?
Give them cheap/free food, and they starve. Don't give them food, and they starve. What's the answer?
I got an idea, why don't we just ...[text shortened]... ing will ever be enough, and nothing will ever fix the real reason Africa is the way it is.
The idea of removing subsidies is... they can actually grow their own food and not be priced out of the market by the Europeans!!! Wouldn't that be great? They might even get a chance to build their own economy.
Then again that would suck, because then we couldn't sell food to them and make money off them. Us selling them food is so much more important than them being able to grow their own.😞
What is the real reason then?
Originally posted by mrstabbyTheir governments are free to do whatever they want, if they wish to develop their local agriculture, then they should do it. We're not forcing them out of anything.
We're forcing them out of the market just because we have the money to do it and their governments don't.
The idea of removing subsidies is... they can actually grow their own food and not be priced out of the market by the Europeans!!! Wouldn't that be great? They might even get a chance to build their own economy.
Then again that would suck, because th ...[text shortened]... ch more important than them being able to grow their own.😞
What is the real reason then?
Once again, the problems of Africa are somehow the fault of everybody elses but their own. The blame game is getting old, time for Africans to take responsibility for how screwed up they are.
I'll send you a message as to the real reason for Africa's failure if you want, can't really go into it here. You won't like the answer.
Originally posted by twhiteheadBack in biblical days, the money lender was an outrageous userer with interest rates in the 500 percent region. Hey, I'll loan you 100 drachma but you pay me back 500 in one week. Such a deal.....
The World Bank and other big lenders are loan sharks.
There is a fine line between a bank providing loan facilities which can be enable you to buy a house and a money lender providing you with money to waste on gambling. Even back in the days of the New Testament money lenders had a bad reputation.
The problem as I see it is that the World Bank lends mo ...[text shortened]... was a gift then I wouldn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth but it isn't, its a loan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:World_Bank_Group#Bias
"The criticism of the World Bank seems pretty thorough despite it's first sentence. What this article could use is some defense of the World Bank, which is almost totally absent. First of all, no country is forced to take the loans that they offer. Secondly, the World Bank is largely a charity. They offer loans at interest rates that poor countries couldn't possibly attain anywhere else. This is capital that could be redirected to more profitable ventures. Those that donate to the World Bank are passing up better investements (hence more money) to help improve the lives of others. To me giving up money for the benefit of others is the definition of charity. Third, if the poor countries really had all the answers as to how to help their economies grow, then they wouldn't need the world bank.
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