[Mr. Mojo]

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[ichabod1]

Why don't we here in the US just take care of those debts for them. After all, we have the lowest foreign aid to GDP ratio in the entire developed world.

[the invisib1e hand]

"not just small amounts now and again, here and there." The 86-year-old political prisoner-turned democracy champion was blunt. "Do not delay while poor people continue to suffer."

I demand that you erase my debts immediately!

[Drew68]

Should any debt cancellation happen it needs to take place after the Swiss bank accounts from each of these nations' despotic regimes have been cleaned out and returned to the countries that made the loans.

There is no reason why these nations need to be crying about debt cancellation while they have "Presidents for Life" driving around in Maybachs and Bentleys to their dozens of gilded palaces.

[Sunsong]

African countries need good governments. Once freedom and democracy comes to Arfica - so will prosperity.

When Mandella starts talking about freedom and democracy - I will listen.

[KarlInOhio]

Under his original plans, rich countries would have provided guarantees to raise money in the capital markets to double aid now

Will that be in 10,000 Swiss Franc bundles or should we use Credit Suisse's convenient direct deposit.

[Pylot]

There is an excellent relatively new book on the market call Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Here is the product description from Amazon:

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man reveals a game that, according to John Perkins, is "as old as Empire" but has taken on new and terrifying dimensions in an era of globalization. And Perkins should know. For many years he worked for an international consulting firm where his main job was to convince LDCs (less developed countries) around the world to accept multibillion-dollar loans for infrastructure projects and to see to it that most of this money ended up at Halliburton, Bechtel, Brown and Root, and other United States engineering and construction companies. This book, which many people warned Perkins not to write, is a blistering attack on a little-known phenomenon that has had dire consequences on both the victimized countries and the U.S.

So perhaps this is a veiled attempt to undo some of our current third world influence?

[sdpatriot]

>>>British finance minister Gordon Brown, hosting G7 talks in London this weekend, failed to secure U.S. backing for his proposals to stump up an extra $50 billion a year for poor countries and to completely write off their debts. <<<


just makes me proud...

[cyborg]

This is just welfare on a grand scale. What these nations need liberals can't give them. Otherwise, where will Bono find reason for living?

[Wormwood]

I'm going to forward this to MasterCard. I wonder how far I'll get?

[jimfree]

Forgiving debt without limiting future loans is a joke. I favor a total revamping of aid to developing nations. The aid should promote free enterprise, property rights, and the rule of law. In general, poverty results from the maldistribution of capitalism and democracy.

[oldbrowser]

They don't need more debt relief they need better management of their country. I think we should set up a receivership program of some kind. Throwing more money at them won't help.

[ken21]

they did this in the 1960s.

american banks got wiped out for their loans to 3rd world countries. and then the japanese banks became #1 in the 1970s.

the money always goes to the elites that run the countries.

has NOTHING to do with the democrat mantra of "be helpin' po' folks".

[SlowBoat407]

Ichabod? C'mere for a second... closer... No,, just a little {{{{SLAP}}}}

[F16Fighter]

Just as soon as a Dem president wins, this 'World Tax' will be shoved down our throats officially...

Until then, the $15b in AIDS aid, "nation building," and international "disaster relief" make the 'World Tax' assessment un-official.