Anyone else uncomfortable with discussion about bailing out debt-ridden Greece (360 billion) whilst people die through hunger in the horn of Africa?

No more uncomfortable with that than most of the other shit we do while half the world starves.

Along the lines of what stratobiker says, I’m generally uncomfortable about how we’ve behaved (all of Europe) while a continent we shat on for centuries goes from one disaster to another.

Africa as a continent is rich in natural resources but all the countries seem poor .It seems to be badly governed as a whole .Lots of tribal fighting in countries that are far to big and many despotic rulers.Although colonialism is not to be condoned was it better before the Europeans left in terms of the lot of the native inhabitants ?

The BBC news website has a spot in the top right hand corner where it promotes some of its video/audio stories and a couple of weeks ago it had Wills and Kate in Canada next to the famine in Ethiopia.

Talk about two completely polarised stories.

However, famine and feast is so rife in this world that you sort of become a bit numb to it IMO.

Africa as a continent is rich in natural resources but all the countries seem poor .It seems to be badly governed as a whole .Lots of tribal fighting in countries that are far to big and many despotic rulers.Although colonialism is not to be condoned was it better before the Europeans left in terms of the lot of the native inhabitants ?

Controversial…

Controversial…

…is one word, yes.

Just the way things are,
u can’t change it, and if u could would u swap places?
I tend to think not
the world can be a cruel place

Although colonialism is not to be condoned was it better before the Europeans left turned up in terms of the lot of the native inhabitants ?

Anyone else uncomfortable with discussion about bailing out debt-ridden Greece (360 billion) whilst people die through hunger in the horn of Africa?

It’s not bailing out debt-ridden Greece that makes me uncomfortable, it’s the fact that it always seems to appear on the TV when I’m about to stuff my face.

Seriously, the sight of children crying with hunger and close to death because they don’t have food, does my **** ing head in. And it makes me **** ing angry.

The UN says it needs about £185m in the next two months to deal with the famine. We spent £240m in 4 months bombing the crap out of Libya – to “save civilians”. It’s strange how we “care” so much more about civilian adults opposed to Gaddafi, than we do about starving civilian children.

There, there Ernie.

It’s only a loan to Greece, they will pay it back with interest 😉

The UN will not pay their request for money back and as a result they will not be given it.

Good point Ernie, I agree with you, we should be sending the missiles and bombs into Ethiopia, instead of Libya. About time someone had the cojones to stand up and say it

It’s strange how we “care” so much more about civilian adults opposed to Gaddafi, than we do about starving civilian children.

A good point well put Ernie. £185m to deal with the famine? How many city bonuses is that then?

the world can be a cruel place

Indeed. Because callous **** like you don’t give a ****.

I posted to encourage debate it is heartbreaking to see starving people .The west need to write off the third world debt and somehow help more than we do .but how do you stop despots spending aid money on scotch ,guns and mercedes limos?

but how do you stop despots spending aid money on scotch ,guns and mercedes limos

Good point, but remove the word “aid” and how far removed is that from Westminster?

Edric 64 – Member
I posted to encourage debate it is heartbreaking to see starving people .The west need to write off the third world debt and somehow help more than we do .but how do you stop despots spending aid money on scotch ,guns and mercedes limos?

Send in some of our “respected” MPs and Metropolitan police officers to look after the cash and make sure that expenses are claimed for honestly and laws are not broken.

Unfortunately the world is corrupt and those with the weakest voice suffer the most.

One word: OIL. The west doesn’t give a toss about countries that don’t have it…The Congo, Rwanda, Haiti etc etc etc.

Nigeria?

The West did intervene in Somalia before though- have they got oil?

CharlieMungus – Member

Good point Ernie, I agree with you, we should be sending the missiles and bombs into Ethiopia, instead of Libya. About time someone had the cojones to stand up and say it

So you respond to my comment concerning the sight of children crying with hunger and close to death because they don’t have food with a smartarse “funny” comment ? ….. tw4t

And since you’re obviously not following the news, it’s Somalia – not Ethiopia……tw4t.

Actually, the current emergency covers parts of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

The local rebels/insurgents/tribal warlords aren’t making things any easier by threatening aid agencies and demanding “taxes” for access.

Actually, the current emergency covers parts of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

you forgot to say tw4t.

and ernie why don’t you tell me what you are doing to make some contribution in that domain and then I’ll tell you what i do and then we’ll see who the tw4t is shall we?

it’s the fact that it always seems to appear on the TV when I’m about to stuff my face

So, it’s being confronted with difficult images when you are eating which makes it uncomfortable is it? the implication is that at other times its OK?

guess what that makes you?

http://thecomingcrisis.blogspot.com/2011/07/un-declares-famine-in-somalia-makes.html

I’ll tell you what i do and then we’ll see who the tw4t is shall we?

I’m not interested in what you do. And what I do is none of your business.

The tw4t comment was with reference to your smartarse “funny” comment, in reply to my comment concerning the sight of children crying with hunger and close to death because they don’t have food – as well you know.

my comment was in response to your statement which was that it was upsetting because it appeared when you were eating. But anyway, I don’t think this is the appropriate place for personal slanging matches. So, I’ll leave it there.

we’re having a bake sale tomorrow at work to raise money for the East Africa campaign
something strange about eating cake to raise money for the starving

The force of nature and the stupidity of mankind … the ones shooting each other with AK47.

By keeping the 3rd world counties poor, we maintain our strong position in the world as a developed country.

The Gov. *could* bail out the 3rd world countries – wipe off debt, etc… but why would they?

In general, if we don’t keep our economies running then there’ll be no money left at all to give to Africa (as we currently do).

However I do agree that certain specific decisions are more than a bit shite.

But then again, the ‘cost’ of military operations is not cut and dried because keeping a standing army and civilian support capability costs money even if you don’t send them on operations. I’d like to know how they calculate these costs.

By keeping the 3rd world counties poor, we maintain our strong position in the world as a developed country

Silly conspiracy theory. If 3rd world countries were rich they’d be enormous markets for the high tech stuff we make.

£185 million. This helps put it into some sort of context:

Sub Saharan Africa is in the position its in purely and only because of western foreign policy.

lets get that straight right now shall we? No point in trying to bullshit ouresleves about it. The children you see starving to death on the TV each night are dying for your mobile phone, the petrol in your car and other luxury consumer goods scattered around your centrally heated house.

Sub Saharan Africa is kept in a state of thrall whilst its natural resources are plundered by multinationals and its crumbling and corrupt political system propped up by bribes sanctioned and approved by our various foreign offices.

If the west REALLY wanted to change things, it could.

It doesn’t want to, it doesn’t benefit our economies and the pockets of our richest multinationals are already well enough lined for a few million starving people not to register a single blink.

So watch them die, wring your hands and watch nothing change. 🙁

T’is true, Middle Africa is rich in raw materials that we all use, basalt/iron ore yadda yadda, we choose not to fund large production industries out there because we have already the supply network in place from China/Russia.

lets get that straight right now shall we? No point in trying to bullshit ouresleves about it.

I’d like some evidence though.

And btw, this is a democracy, unfortunately. So if you start spending money elsewhere when people are dissatisfied at home, the electorate will complain like hell.

I’d like some evidence though.

evidence of what? Western exploitation of africa?

Put ‘western exploitation of africa’ into google….

A democracy you say? Did you vote to allow children to starve to death so you could have a great time? I don’t recall that being on the ballot paper, but I was in a hurry.

Sadly, some things will never change.

No amount of money we throw at it will make any difference, hundreds of millions has been ploughed into the place over the years, and all we have done is increase life expectancy slightly, fund private armies, build a few houses & pay for a few planes for those corrupt in control.

Until the crux of the problem is addressed (one of the biggest being population growth being frighteningly out of control) then it will be business as usual.

Good money after bad. Much like Greece (and the other PIIGS).

I think money is necessary but not sufficient to sort Africa out. Without some sort of functioning infratsructure that a lot of the countries don’t seem to have it’d just be into a big hole or a few dictator’s pockets.

And just saying the West made the mess is all very well but I think the African nations to a certain extent keep themselves down.

The Gov. *could* bail out the 3rd world countries – wipe off debt, etc… but why would they?

Erm, didn’t we do this?

Regards exploitation… I think you’re better looking East at the blossoming effects of the new colonialism, than at the damage the West did in the past.

A nice example of the problems inherent in Rhodesia – where the breadbasket of africa was taken off the white farmers, and left to ruin – unfortunately certain African leaders are closer to Pol Pot in their world outlook than they are to Kibaki.

The children you see starving to death on the TV each night are dying for your mobile phone, the petrol in your car and other luxury consumer goods scattered around your centrally heated house.

Should that be “your” or “our”, do you not have heating, a car, mobile phone and some consumer goods.

So watch them die, wring your hands and watch nothing change.

It’s us again not you 🙄

You can’t make any judgement about governance of African countries without looking at 400 years of malign western intervention. We’ve moved on from the slave trade to plundering their natural resources.

Whilst we’re on the subject – the first I knew of this crisis was a short article on the news a couple of weeks ago. Yet it must have been brewing for months, if not years. So why are our media so indifferent?

Sub Saharan Africa is in the position its in purely and only because of western foreign policy.

I don’t doubt that western (and eastern) foreign policy has an impact on the situation in Africa, but frankly the governments within africa aren’t blameless either. It is not for us outside Africa to parachute in to “solve” their problems (emergnecy aid excepted) it is for african’s themselves to solve them how they see fit. We shouldn’t be putting barriers in the way but nor should be imposing ourselves on them.