Foreign aid

[sooey]

There's talk about of the government enshrining the foreign aid budget in law and pinning it at 0.07% of G.D.I.
Currently this would put it at £12 billion a year I believe, yet at present it's only £8 billion a year. So if it happens there goes another 4 billion pounds.
I've got nothing against helping to feed starving kids, but it seems to me that a good deal of any foreign aid is syphoned off before the poor get anywhere near it.
If there was a simple way to ensure that the people who need it get it, I'd be more in favour, as it is, I feel myself resenting it a bit actually.

 

[merlin50]

"Pakistan's navy interested in Chinese submarines and advance naval ships"

that is where the money is going in a roundabout sort of way

 

[cumbriahandyman]

There's talk about of the government enshrining the foreign aid budget in law and pinning it at 0.07% of G.D.I.
Currently this would put it at £12 billion a year I believe, yet at present it's only £8 billion a year. So if it happens there goes another 4 billion pounds.
I've got nothing against helping to feed starving kids, but it seems to me that a good deal of any foreign aid is syphoned off before the poor get anywhere near it.
If there was a simple way to ensure that the people who need it get it, I'd be more in favour, as it is, I feel myself resenting it a bit actually.

Someone has to pay for Pakistan's nuclear and space programs.

If it went to the people who needed it...

 

[thatbloke]

You dont really think our government is stupid enough to give money away in that quantity for nothing do you? I am pretty sure there is something in it for them. Trade perhaps? Arms? Public relations to keep our air bases on foreign soil?
I am sure its not as simple as ''need some cash''? ''there you go , have a few billion''.

 

[joinerjohn]

It's all very well ringfencing foreign aid , but I think the government need to look at this in relation to the recession we're just coming out of. Where there have been job cuts etc and savings to be made, then it's only fair that foreign aid too should be cut by the same percentages. I'd go as far as to say that some countries with developing economies, nuclear weapons and space programs, shouldn't receive one penny in aid from this country (David Cameron take note please)

 

[joinerjohn]

You dont really think our government is stupid enough to give money away in that quantity for nothing do you? I am pretty sure there is something in it for them. Trade perhaps? Arms? Public relations to keep our air bases on foreign soil?
I am sure its not as simple as ''need some cash''? ''there you go , have a few billion''.

Hmmm let's look at that. The UK gives money away and what do we get in return? Put it this way, would you give away a fiver to someone when you were only going to get back a couple of quid?
Nahhhhhhhhhhhh course you wouldn't

 

[thatbloke]

No of course I wouldnt , neither would our government.

 

[yourmoneyoryourwife]

Of course they wouldn't thats why we get great benefit in sending millions to corrupt governments like Malawi and Afghanistan, We also for some reason send money to some of the richest countries in the world China and India they must be ****ing themselves when some insignificant island like ours starts brownosing the asian economies

 

[joinerjohn]

No of course I wouldnt , neither would our government.

Hmmm I reckon you need a reality check.
You think our government receive every penny of foreign aid back either in currency or "in kind?"
I very very much doubt it.

 

[Alarm]

Time it was ALL stopped. We need the money more.

 

[joe-90]

We borrow the money from China and Germany and then give it to Pakistan as a bribe to stop them doing terror stuff that gets governments voted out of office. One day the British taxpayer will have to pay Germany and China back. It's all bloody stupid, If we aint got it (and we haven't) then we can't give it away.

 

[thatbloke]

Its all to do with world economies, In the instance of Ireland, we trade with Ireland and we depend on it. If that trade collapsed our economy would suffer, so we support eachother if it's in our interests.
Look at it as investment.

 

[sooey]

In the instance of Ireland, we trade with Ireland and we depend on it.

Behave yourself paddy, what do the English depend on the micks for. This goes back to that history lesson I gave you about the tater famine, the Irish were relying on the English then to bail them out....160 odd years later......we're still doing it.

 

[thatbloke]

Your small argumentative mind may not be able to absorb this but the UK exports more to Ireland than it does to China, Brazil, Russia and India put together. Ireland has to be able pay for these exports, if it cant the uk economy suffers.

Why do you try and stir up after every post I make sooey? Have you nothing better to do?
Its getting tiresome and boring now.

 

[cumbriahandyman]

Your small argumentative mind may not be able to absorb this but the UK exports more to Ireland than it does to China, Brazil, Russia and India put together. Ireland has to be able pay for these exports, if it cant the uk economy suffers.

Why do you try and stir up after every post I make sooey? Have you nothing better to do?
Its getting tiresome and boring now.

Your answer is only correct because you chose Brazil as an example. Try substituting Brazil for say; Germany, France or Netherlands.

You can make any statistic work in your favor, by manipulation.