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Not in the news: "The UK Government has been at the forefront of international efforts to help the people of Pakistan survive the devastation wrought by the floods. Last week Andrew Mitchell announced that the Department for International Development (DFID) would increase its contribution to 134m, helping to rebuild the country in the long-term." - source DFID
My first thought is that this is all very well but what about us? Maybe they should concentrate on rebuilding the UK in the long-term. It seems to me that at the end of the day our own government doesn't give a damn about THIS country. It really angers me and depresses me to hear how they spend money helping others when there are so many here in need of help. People need to know where their money is going as opposed to where the country is having to cut back. Does our "generous" government stop the press from telling us about all this foreign aid in case there's public outcry?
Also not in the news: the Government has pledged another 33 million pounds to Uganda over the next 5 years. (source DFID) Personally I think that the employee's within the health service could do with it now rather than losing their jobs don't you? How about all those schools (our schools) that are in urgent need of modernisation. No hang on, they've still got those shabby old portacabins so they'll be all right!
And finally, In Africa, a child dies from this disease this easily preventable disease every 45 seconds." ... "The new UK commitment will be backed by an increase in funding to as much as 500 million per year by 2014 from current spending of about 150 million." - source DFID
charity begins at home (or at least it should)
Am I missing something here or does it seem that someone has their priorities all wrong? Surely we should resist the temptation to hand out wads of cash to "needy" foreign causes left right and centre, particularly as we are not in great financial shape ourselves at this moment in time. There's hardly a day goes by at the moment where you don't hear about spending cuts in the news. In my opinion the mess at home needs to be sorted out before lending a hand to our neighbours! As they say, charity begins at home (or at least it should).
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Going back to other countries - why can't countries in trouble regions help out neighbouring countries? Could they not fight wars on behalf of their neighbours? Or give aid? Why are WE sending soldiers and money to the other side of the world? We're not exactly in good shape ourselves.
As true as ever.
This was referring mainly to the working classes in the USA rather than foreign aid but it's just a bigger scale in some cases really.
I'm not saying that charities that help the really destitute of the world's poor shouldn't exist but that money shouldn't just be signed over from taxpayers to the countries who've already shown they will not use it properly. Encourage trade and industry where possible so you're giving them jobs instead. Buy a homeless man a burger and a coke if he says he's hungry, don't just hand him a fiver.
There is Government money available and we are all being fed lies as the Government always wants its people to pay as much as possible for things rather than diverting other budgets they have ownership of.
It is very shortsighted to spend ridiculous amounts in foreign aid in times like these. Money is not always the answer. I think the teachers and condoms point is a very good one!!
It's like giving strawberries to a donkey. A bottomless pit and this is just the way it is.
As always, throwing a lot of money at bad as this seems to be the constant application. How about flying a few teachers in, armed with bin liners of condoms!?
Does not charity begin at home?
My kids’ playstation has broken and their mobile phones are almost a year old!
The UK is bankrupt and it is time our dross politicians started behaving in a responsible manner.
Sekou Toure
Jean-Bedel Bokassa
Hissene Habre
Laurent Kabila
Muammar Al-Gaddafi
Siad Barre
Issayas Afeworki
Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Charles Taylor
Idi Amin Dada
Omar Al-bashir
Jacob Zuma
Teodorin Obiang
Joseph Mobutu
Mengistu Haile Mariam
King Mswati III
Laurent Gbagbo
+ several others who can't write.
tigerdarwin
UK aid is directed at protecting its ecology and allowing cultural diversity to develop. The hard line Chinese style development model used by the government has been successful , it is prospering but at the expense of Ethiopian culture. Thus the use of UK aid to develop a softer culture side was highly successful