BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Guilt? Oh yes the favorite "guilt" catch phrase of the right, it's basically used when someone wants to avoid moral obligations.This sounds like guilt. If we really wanted to solve problems to that level we would be bankrupt. Even 1% of the GDP wouldn't be enough. At some point the Africans are going to have to decide what they want. Many are hostile to our point of view because they call it "cultural colonialism". Damned if we do and damned if we don't. Aid has some short-term benefits, but as I pointed out in my other post, the economic ideas are not given as much fanfare and it is what is mainly needed. Education, health care and infrastructure paid by us for all poor Africans is too expensive. Even Bono knows that what we promise to do and what he asks is only the beginning. The idea that Bono has is to get us to commit to more spending in aid and then once we do that and it doesn't do enough, then we need to spend MORE. One of the guys from DATA mentioned the same thing about debt. If we write off debt, then lend more and they get into debt trouble again we should just keep writing it off. I'm sorry but we have our own responsibilities to our citizens. Taxpayers shouldn't be treated that way.
Of course aid is a temporary solution, no one is arguing otherwise, this is where your argument fails, for you approach it as if anyone is arguing otherwise.
We are doing that but only some are listening. This kind of education I'm for because we need some communication and it's not as costly, but Bono wants education spending at the level of Ireland and that's just not possible for us to spend on. He thinks he can compare Ireland to Africa. Ireland was poor in the past but never as bad off in infrastructure and poverty as Africa. Ireland has private property laws, democracy, and when Ireland joined the Euro and lowered taxes their economy expanded and people saved money and invested. The education then was useful at that point. There was capital flowing to create jobs to take advantage of the educated populace. A lot of education is created when there is more international trade. I agree we need to trade with Africa more. Lots of trade barriers and farm subsidies are keeping Africans farmers down. Yet this would make Bono (who agrees with this) closer to Margaret Thatcher. Oh the HORROR! Free Trade! Also Africans need to embrace more trade too. They are often proponents of trade barriers as well.
What do you mean "Bono wants education spending at the level of Ireland"?
I'm sorry but I just can't take what you say seriously anymore.
You say this:
The Western world was able to create better economies with the same problems. I'll add some detail later in this post.
but right above you say:
Ireland was poor in the past but never as bad off in infrastructure and poverty as Africa.
Please name me a time in the Western world where millions were dying left and right from diseases that the rest of the world had treatments and cures for... just name me one.
Sorry, but there is no free lunch. If we get all bleeding heart and emotional about it all we will have is a bunch of activists asking for more money and the western population saying "screw you". We need to start trading with Africa because more money will be made by Africans who are healthy (yes they do exist) and they can pay for their own infrastructure. Also business owners will want to have property rights to protect their profits from their despotic leaders. They may even fight them because they will have a stake in society to fight for.
Free lunch?
I'm talking about human lives, you're talking about $$. There's no point in talking about economies if the population is wiped out.
Economics is not as sexy as World Vision and DATA I guess.
There is absolutely nothing sexy about your grasp on economics.