Posted on 07/05/2005 10:16:20 AM PDT by bd59903
Rush just a little while ago was talking about Africa and the effort to fix it. Talked about the live 8 concerts and how they got lobster and stake and got goodie bags with ipods etc. These kinds of things do nothing but help celebs feel better about them selves. There they are yelling at us to give money while they themselves are hording their money, why don't they give their money to Africa. Over the last 40 years the US has give over 500 billion dollars to Africa and what is there to show for that expenditure, nothing. Its not that i don't think we should or can fix Africa, its just that we are doing it all wrong. Instead of giving aid like we have, the US and other nations need to instead put that money into jobs. Send US companies over there and have them start building, something like what we are doing in Iraq though better because what we build will not get blown up. Once you do that people will start to become properus, with jobs for building factories, plants, etc., and jobs to run them, people in Africa will be able to standup. Like the over tillion dollars spent on US poor in the last 40 years, Africa's aid has largly been squandered. As Rush put it, liberals hold rallies and conventions to discuss and yell about what we should do. Conservatives on the other hand don't hold concerts to make themselves feel good or hold UN meetings, rather they buckle down and build a hospital or water plant or factory. This is what separates liberals from conservatives and Bush should use our control to show the world what needs to be done, as he has in Iraq. This same method should also be applied to the US to finaly shut liberals up once and for all about the poor, oh the poor. COMMENTS?
I heard him and he was right. If they want the rest of us to donate, where are their donations? Couldn't they have passed up the goodie bags and had that money donated?
They are playing your song!
First of all, US companies already do that enough without governmental ecouragements. And second, companies are hesitant to build in countries without proper legal systems.
It isn't about resources - it's about the rule of law.
Much of western Sub-Saharan Africa is at peace, and Ethiopia is much better off than it was in the mid-80's thanks, in part, to US aid. I work with an Ethiopian who said that he decided to come to the US after food aid from our country saved his family from starvation. Thousands of lives were saved by US aid, and the USSR never turned it into the playground that they so fervently desired.
Pink Floyd is donating all of the proceeds from their album "Echoes" to charity, and (however flawed their execution) the other artists who are contributing to Live 8 are at least doing something.
Rush is exactly right. Kennedy is poised to lead the charge against anyone that Bush nominates. Teddy will never have a reasonable alternative, he'll just be opposed, and people are going to start noticing it...
Duct tape. Duct tape fixes anything.
Right on. Look at Egypt and the foreign aid there, what with the Suez Canal and the Aswan Dam. It's still a pit because there is no real system of property rights.
Africa doesn't need foreign aid, it needs to put its own house in order. As far as I'm concerned, until it does so, I wish none of the "civilized" countries would give it another nickel. As Tony Blair said, it's throwing good money after bad.
A really brilliant book on the subject is "The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando De Soto. Looks at third world countries and the amount of capital and tries to explain why they continue to suffer.
Fast food restaurants, millions of them. :P
Kill all the leaders there. Then start from scratch. Once you get something that resembles a government, pull all US contributions of food aid from North Korea and send it to Africa.
Might as well kill two birds with one stone.
With all due respect, where were you and Rush on Saturday? Africa is fixed! "The people played and the poor got paid!", that's what Snoop Dogg said.
No AIDS, no corruption, no disease, no famine, and most of all - no poverty. It all disappeared with one stroke of the pen by this "Gee Ate" fella, according to Will Smith, anyways.
Now, I'm not completely naieve about the problems plaguing Africa, after all, I watched nearly four hours of VH1 coverage. I did hear that a fairly deep rut has developed on the road from Bangul to N'Djaemea, so maybe a "Live 9" with Cracker, Afrikan Baambata and the Zulu Nation, and The Dixie Chicks playing Peoria IL should do the trick, and then everything will be hunky dory for time in memoriam.
Owl_Eagle(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
Since the brilliant overlords of the west are preparing to show their great compassion and dispense taxpayer funds (other people's money) by the tens of billions, I wonder how many new accounts are being opened at various banking institutions in Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, etc. by the various kleptocrat recipients?
One thing for sure, we will never finish if we don't start.
I agree with your arguments. I think the despots in Africa, like the ME despots are a fragile bunch and will fall over easily. All that has to happen is the will to poke.
Throwing money after this broke continent, is, well, just a waste of money -- and makes the despots stronger as a side effect.
same with china, US companies leaving US etc. But hay lets do it, china needs to be taken down. And at least Africa won't be the one to start ww3 over tiwan (no clue how to spell)
Don't give money that gets stolen by the thieves in charge and deposited in Swiss Bank accounts. A different currency is needed, as was used in WW2. Ration stamps or coupons. Non negotiable. One book to a family, Turn in stamps to receive aid at the Aid Stations. Thugs appear; no aid.
You're saying that ADM wouldn't build a factory farm in Zimbabwe? Can't imagine why.
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