If we spent some of the magical Bail-Out money feeding the hungry peeps of the planet, would making a better world buy us any street cred?

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Thursday, October 8, 2009 03:41
VIEWED: 7088
PAGE 11 of 13

PREV PAGE 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 NEXT PAGE

GEEZER

Saturday, October 3, 2009 6:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
So IMHO the question is: How do we BEST encourage local and national economies towards self-sufficiency, transparency, and equitalble distribution of resources?

Good question. Similar to what I've been asking above.

A lot of the poorer countries really just don't have enough effective government in place to provide the security necessary to make a start. Either they're divided by tribal/ethnic violence or the governments are kleptocracies. No Western country or organization, even given the best will in the world, can try providing such security without being called Imperialist. No private charity can accomplish much without wasting a good bit of their resources greasing palms and having to put up with inefficient or crooked government. The better-off countries in the poorer regions generally seem more interested in propping up existing governments so their buddies can fill up their Swiss bank accounts.

One solution might be just to step back from the whole thing, but I'm not sure that some countries, China for example, might not move into an aid vacuum in, say, Africa with arms as well as food, and try to do a little sphere-of-infulence-building of their own.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

ANTHONYT

Saturday, October 3, 2009 6:57 PM

Hello,

China is more than welcome to make friends where they will.

Let them have at it.

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

GEEZER

Saturday, October 3, 2009 6:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
I have always thought that the sending of food instead of money was more or less motivated as a backdoor farm subsidy, getting around trade agreements in a way that would draw little protest.

But in a lot of places, if you send money, it just disappears. Depends on the government of the needy country. WFP, to avoid the backdoor subsidy issue, buys food mostly from poor or middle income countries (they claim 80%), thus keeping the cash away from the U.S. or Western Europe. I suppose it also depends somewhat on how much food is available for sale in the poor and middle income countries versus how much food is needed. Maybe purchase from the Western countries is sometimes the only way to meet demand.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

ANTHONYT

Saturday, October 3, 2009 7:19 PM

Hello,

I wonder if there is also another danger...

If the generous governments of the world are buying up the food in poor countries to give as aid to desperate countries...

What does that do to the prices of food in poor countries? Can the locals still afford their groceries?

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

SIGNYM

Saturday, October 3, 2009 7:54 PM

Quote:
No Western country or organization, even given the best will in the world, can try providing such security without being called Imperialist

But some western nations and many western corporations aid and abet these kleptocracies. From mineral and oil-extraction companies to the Swiss banks which hide stolen treasuries, corruption in Africa w0uld not exist without the cooperation (complicit and active) of western (AND CHINESE) powers.

ANTHONYT

Saturday, October 3, 2009 7:56 PM

Hello Signy,

Seems like another argument for pulling out of those countries entirely, and letting them become what they will.

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

DREAMTROVE

Saturday, October 3, 2009 8:44 PM

MD,

The purpose of aid is supposed to be "soft power" but often it's used as a total manipulation: If we hold the food supply, we can tell them to do what we want.

GEEZER

Saturday, October 3, 2009 9:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
But some western nations and many western corporations aid and abet these kleptocracies.

Yep. And some Eastern nations and corporations. And some regional goverments in the poor regions.

As to Western nations and corporations, that's why I'd like to see a return to free-market capitalism, and get the government/business Corporatism link broken. Lose farm subsidies. Compete on the open market.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

DREAMTROVE

Monday, October 5, 2009 7:19 AM

I agree with Geezer. We need separation of Corporation and State, for the benefit of both.

KWICKO

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 5:35 PM

Quote:

As to Western nations and corporations, that's why I'd like to see a return to free-market capitalism, and get the government/business Corporatism link broken.

Yeah, there's almost zero chance that anything could possibly go wrong with that kind of setup...

Mike

The percentage you're paying is too high-priced
While you're living beyond all your means;
And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he's made on your dreams