Crosswords6 mins ago
World Food Crisis
Where should Gordon Brown put his priorities? He was campaigning on US television for funds to save people in Africa from disease. Many are dying through lack of food or water. Some people say many could be saved if GM crops were planted in Africa but are unable to afford the seeds from firms like Monsanto of the USA. Should they be given free? Others say the problem is made worse by the lack of birth control. Should they be provided with condoms? Or what is the answer?
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?fo rumID=4606&edition=1&ttl=20080414160052
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?fo rumID=4606&edition=1&ttl=20080414160052
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Africa is one large problem, that not one single cause can be blamed, it is a multitude of problems.
The two greatest problems are the weather and un-educated corrupt leaders.
The rest of the world can do nothing about the weather, but they could along with support of the long suffering populous, oust these leaders out of power if they really wanted to. But having seen the support Mugabe seems to still get from the peoples of Zimbabwe, is this at all possible?
Regulating the amount of children they have, would also help Africa's problems, but it has been tried, birth control education, free birth control devices, they just don't want to know.
I know it is not polically correct to state this, but Africa was much better run under Colonial control, be it British, French, Belguim, Dutch or German at least it could not possibly have been worse.
Just throwing money at Africa is a waste, and generally ends up in the pockets of it's corrupt leaders, to feather their own nests or to buy more arms, for their numerous wars.
Education, Education an know-how is what is needed for Africa's people, educate them, so they can in time take their continent back and run it efficiently. It has the wealth and resources, if it was more evenly distributed.
The two greatest problems are the weather and un-educated corrupt leaders.
The rest of the world can do nothing about the weather, but they could along with support of the long suffering populous, oust these leaders out of power if they really wanted to. But having seen the support Mugabe seems to still get from the peoples of Zimbabwe, is this at all possible?
Regulating the amount of children they have, would also help Africa's problems, but it has been tried, birth control education, free birth control devices, they just don't want to know.
I know it is not polically correct to state this, but Africa was much better run under Colonial control, be it British, French, Belguim, Dutch or German at least it could not possibly have been worse.
Just throwing money at Africa is a waste, and generally ends up in the pockets of it's corrupt leaders, to feather their own nests or to buy more arms, for their numerous wars.
Education, Education an know-how is what is needed for Africa's people, educate them, so they can in time take their continent back and run it efficiently. It has the wealth and resources, if it was more evenly distributed.
I know it is not polically correct to state this, but Africa was much better run under Colonial control, be it British, French, Belguim, Dutch or German at least it could not possibly have been worse.
I'd broadly agree on the British and German. Less so on the Belgian or Dutch. I'd say you can blame the Europeans for hastily leaving the colonies too quickly and botching the process. But it is kind of frustrating that they're constantly held fully responsible for what happened.
The problem with Africa is related to two things: instability, and tribalism.
Obviously the two are interconnected - tribalism breeds instability and vice versa. Because the map was essentially drawn up with little consideration as to tribal sympathies, the newborn countries were bound to be prone to instability. And left without a mediator, the tribes kicked the crap out of each other.
The fact is that several parts of Africa still has plenty of resources, but unstable and tribal governments can't or don't use them. Take the Congo - which has huge mineral resources and, by virtue of those, ought to be one of the richest countries in the region. Instead, it's one of the poorest. Why? The government is unstable largely thanks to the legacy of the Belgians, and unstable government means unstable economy.
When you look at two of the regions more stable countries (bear in mind I'm speaking relatively here) - Botswana and South Africa, I don't think it's surprising that while poverty's still a major issue in both of them, they are still more prosperous and better off than their neighbours.
I'd broadly agree on the British and German. Less so on the Belgian or Dutch. I'd say you can blame the Europeans for hastily leaving the colonies too quickly and botching the process. But it is kind of frustrating that they're constantly held fully responsible for what happened.
The problem with Africa is related to two things: instability, and tribalism.
Obviously the two are interconnected - tribalism breeds instability and vice versa. Because the map was essentially drawn up with little consideration as to tribal sympathies, the newborn countries were bound to be prone to instability. And left without a mediator, the tribes kicked the crap out of each other.
The fact is that several parts of Africa still has plenty of resources, but unstable and tribal governments can't or don't use them. Take the Congo - which has huge mineral resources and, by virtue of those, ought to be one of the richest countries in the region. Instead, it's one of the poorest. Why? The government is unstable largely thanks to the legacy of the Belgians, and unstable government means unstable economy.
When you look at two of the regions more stable countries (bear in mind I'm speaking relatively here) - Botswana and South Africa, I don't think it's surprising that while poverty's still a major issue in both of them, they are still more prosperous and better off than their neighbours.
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Lets not forget you save more you have to feed more. Perhaps, for the time being Africa is a lost cause and Nature should be allowed to run its course. This might seem harsh but while we are playing 'God' things will never get better. It needs to be bought to its knees to rid the country of the dictators and despots. Ploughing money in just feeds more violence not people. Of course we could invade but then the liberal lefties have proved they have no stomach for this so it will never happen.
McBottle should remember charity begins at home. He has crippled us with swinging taxes and now we have a NHS that has to be selective(Unless you are Scottish of course, wonder why that is). We need to get our country better first so we are ready to help Africa when the time is right.
When the time is right it should be a consortium of countries with an overseer to ensure no despots spend it on arms again.
McBottle should remember charity begins at home. He has crippled us with swinging taxes and now we have a NHS that has to be selective(Unless you are Scottish of course, wonder why that is). We need to get our country better first so we are ready to help Africa when the time is right.
When the time is right it should be a consortium of countries with an overseer to ensure no despots spend it on arms again.
He has crippled us with swinging taxes
Until the recent downturn, we've been in one of the most prosperous periods of our history since the war. I'm not saying this is thanks to Brown, but you can hardly accuse him of 'crippling' the country.
Nature should be allowed to run its course
The continent's pretty run down already. The fact is that in desparate circumstances, people turn to desparate means. So hoping that deballation will remove tyrants is somewhat silly (in fact it undermines stability, which is what Africa needs). Look at Mugabe, for instance. Mugabe has actively wrecked his country and his power has only come under legitimate threat after almost thirty years.
As for what the West's able to do... Ugh... It's difficult to say. It's easy to see that chucking money at the problem won't solve it, but I'm not really sure that's the idea behind aid so much as just humanitarianism.
Until the recent downturn, we've been in one of the most prosperous periods of our history since the war. I'm not saying this is thanks to Brown, but you can hardly accuse him of 'crippling' the country.
Nature should be allowed to run its course
The continent's pretty run down already. The fact is that in desparate circumstances, people turn to desparate means. So hoping that deballation will remove tyrants is somewhat silly (in fact it undermines stability, which is what Africa needs). Look at Mugabe, for instance. Mugabe has actively wrecked his country and his power has only come under legitimate threat after almost thirty years.
As for what the West's able to do... Ugh... It's difficult to say. It's easy to see that chucking money at the problem won't solve it, but I'm not really sure that's the idea behind aid so much as just humanitarianism.
I agree with a lot of the above. Although Britain is supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world the way money is dished out on the whims of Prime Ministers makes your blood boil. Did Brown ask any of the public we pledge millions in aid to Africa. When China got involved in Africa they made sure their was a return for their investment. When the USA invaded Iraq they made sure all the major civilian contracts when to Haliburton etc. Also to secure greater world domination want to put bases there on a permanent footing.
Gone are the days when you can win respect for putting a western government in control. They have a saying "Its OK to bite the hand that feeds you" Now get out!.
Gone are the days when you can win respect for putting a western government in control. They have a saying "Its OK to bite the hand that feeds you" Now get out!.
"Regulating the amount of children they have, would also help Africa's problems, but it has been tried, birth control education, free birth control devices, they just don't want to know."
So, if you knew that, (should you be lucky enough to reach 'old age') that there will be no pension or state assistance, and that your only means of support will be your children - how many would you have?
Oh, whilst you decide, do bear in mind that there's a 1-in-5 chance that your child won't make it out of infancy.*
(That's a 20% chance of dying before your fifth birthday, compared with a rate of about 0.6% here in the UK.)
So do you really wonder why they "just don't want to know" about birth control?
* With the exception of Afghanistan, all 25 of the countries with the highest infant mortality rates are in Africa.
So, if you knew that, (should you be lucky enough to reach 'old age') that there will be no pension or state assistance, and that your only means of support will be your children - how many would you have?
Oh, whilst you decide, do bear in mind that there's a 1-in-5 chance that your child won't make it out of infancy.*
(That's a 20% chance of dying before your fifth birthday, compared with a rate of about 0.6% here in the UK.)
So do you really wonder why they "just don't want to know" about birth control?
* With the exception of Afghanistan, all 25 of the countries with the highest infant mortality rates are in Africa.
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i agree it is best to let nature run its course,
too many births and not enough food,
little interest or application regarding birth control,
an effect of famine is infertility,
missing a generation would solve their problem,
hand outs will just make things worse,
people who expect to grab and not support themselves by their own efforts or who do not adopt sensible restraint in there lifestyles , have no morals
too many births and not enough food,
little interest or application regarding birth control,
an effect of famine is infertility,
missing a generation would solve their problem,
hand outs will just make things worse,
people who expect to grab and not support themselves by their own efforts or who do not adopt sensible restraint in there lifestyles , have no morals
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