MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UK to reorient aid to developing countries that “put their hands in their pockets”
The UK could cut its aid to developing countries that fail to invest in their own people, the international development secretary has said. Penny Mordant told the Daily Telegraph she “won't invest” when others should put “their hands in their pockets”. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesWell it would be nice to think that it could go to the people instead of their rulers who syphon it off to buy fleets of Mercedes and private jets.
Jan 16th, 2018 - 03:59 pm - Link - Report abuse +2The question is why is this piece appearing in Mercopenguin, a British government propaganda organ supposedly devoted to America, South America and the “South Atlantic”?
Jan 17th, 2018 - 04:59 am - Link - Report abuse -2@JanH Well its here because the UK send foreign aid to Argentina for various charitable causes which your government fails to support. It will be stopping very soon with a bit of luck.
Jan 17th, 2018 - 06:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0..JanH alias thicko
Jan 17th, 2018 - 10:29 am - Link - Report abuse +1I have had to explain this to you already under your various Troll names.
under the top heading there is an item headed “regions”. Under this we have a sub heading for “International”. This covers all other regions in the world. Strangely enough we have given aid to Argentina. Does this answer your question !
@Rockhopper
Jan 17th, 2018 - 02:55 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Though your government stands on it's own two feet, and probably wouldn't ask, I'd be pleased to see the aid money sent to Argentina diverted as a grant to help build the deep water port in the Falklands.
What foreign aid money does Argentina get from Britain? I would like some evidence to substantiate these claims. Get real. Upper-middle income countries like Argentina, Chile, and so on do not get any foreign aid. Even more so when you consider this is not a militarily strategic region the major powers are interested in, unlike, say, the Middle East or Asia.
Jan 18th, 2018 - 01:38 pm - Link - Report abuse -2Cheshire _cat
Jan 18th, 2018 - 06:22 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Google it and it may wipe the grin off your face.
Here, Cheshire_Cat:
Jan 18th, 2018 - 06:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/countries/argentina_en
“Due to its economic performance, Argentina is considered as a ”graduated“ country and therefore it is not eligible for bilateral cooperation under the EU financial exercise 2014-2020; however, Argentina will remain eligible to participate in regional and thematic programmes. This provides an excellent opportunity to re-define together new forms of EU-Argentina cooperation.
”EU Cooperation 2007-2013
”The EU allocated €65 million to Argentina for the period 2007-13 under the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI).
“The funding priorities during this period were education to increase social inclusion and vocational training capacity, economic competitiveness for small businesses and strengthening EU-Argentina relations.”
Cheshire_cat
Jan 18th, 2018 - 09:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As the UK contributes to the EU budget, we are giving aid to Argentina........
.quod erat demonstrandum
I appreciate the time you spent googling that... but seriously? You are complaining about €65 million? You are only proving my point. That is less than what a government office spends on air conditioning. And the link you cited specifically mentions that because of its income level Argentina is not eligible for aid programs, exactly what I was saying.
Jan 18th, 2018 - 10:58 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Do you have any idea of what an insignificant amount this is on the scale of nations? It's small change. Feel free to cut it anytime if it makes you feel better, it's not like I will feel it.
The Kirchnerites spent $1 billion (That's Billions, with a B - $1000 million US dollars) over 7 years to make soccer transmissions free for their voting hordes, so if it's any consolation we know the pain of wasteful spending here.
I wasn't complaining. Personally I don't care, but I suppose for the people who do it's the principle of the thing. And yeah, it says Argentina is no longer eligible since 2014, although it can still participate in regional and thematic programs, whatever those are.
Jan 18th, 2018 - 11:57 pm - Link - Report abuse +2Does Argentina give aid?
@DemonTree
Jan 19th, 2018 - 12:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0Well, it is one of the largest world contributors to UN peacekeeping with doctors, field hospitals, medicines, food aid as well as troops, particularly during the Menem era - Haiti, Bosnia, Angola, Afghanistan, etc... even the curious case of Cyprus where British and Argentine troops have served side by side peacefully for over a decade. And wherever there's an earthquake or a similar disaster we do send considerable aid.
I'm sure it's nowhere near the scale of what Britain does though. And for that your country should be commended. If we cleaned up corruption we could probably afford to do much more.
Giving free soccer and subsidized energy to middle class suburbanited in a world where African kids are starving and many of our own in poverty... imagine that! Utter kirchnerist lunacy.
You have missed the point. Why should we give a cent to a country who is actively hostile to us and certainly does not need the cash ?
Jan 19th, 2018 - 11:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0@Clyde15
Jan 19th, 2018 - 01:51 pm - Link - Report abuse -11. You are not giving aid to us. We've been over this. The program (For a grand total of €65 million) ended in 2014.
2. I never said you should. In fact I specifically said that's wasteful spending, money should go to poor African countries that truly need aid, not to a relatively well-off but mismanaged South American state as it was under the kirchnerites.
Hope that clarifies my position on the issue.
@Cheshire_Cat
Jan 19th, 2018 - 02:20 pm - Link - Report abuse +1That counts, and I remember reading about Argentina giving aid to Chile after the huge earthquake.
It's good that we're helping, much better than dropping bombs on people, although sadly we're still doing that as well. Now we just need to make sure the money is spent well and gets to where it is needed, which is harder than it sounds.
Agree the previous government could have spent their money better. Education and health would be obvious alternatives to subsidies for the middle class.
In times of emergencies or crisis, foreign aid from developed countries can be life saving, however it's also sad that in MANY countries, funds are siphoned off by the countries leaders. Trump is planning to severely reduce aid to several countries that do not conform with his desires. Blackmail in the hundreds of millions of Dollars...
Jan 19th, 2018 - 08:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A more cynical person would say that aid was a bribe in the first place. US aid mostly comes with strings attached. That's one of the reasons I worry about how ours is spent.
Jan 19th, 2018 - 09:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0DemonTree
Jan 19th, 2018 - 10:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0So you kink of subscribe to the philosophy “...That ain't workin' that's the way you do it. Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free...”
I have no idea what that means.
Jan 19th, 2018 - 11:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0DemonTree
Jan 20th, 2018 - 12:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0So you subscribe to the Dire Straits philosophy “...That ain't workin' that's the way you do it. Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free...”
In other words, foreign aid should not be based on merit?
That's an odd question. It's kind of implicit in the idea of aid that it's money for nothing; if the recipient has to earn it then it's just payment for services rendered.
Jan 20th, 2018 - 12:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0I think the money should be given where it will do the most long term good, and the idea is to help other countries develop so they don't need aid any more and everyone is better off.
How would one merit foreign aid in your opinion? I would say by needing it, but I don't think that's what you have in mind...
DT
Jan 20th, 2018 - 02:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0I'm just explaining that some wealthy countries are becoming more strict with aid being used for its population and not for the pockets of their politicians.
Hati is a perfect example where they report over half disappeared.
That was exactly the sort of thing I was talking about when I said it's not so easy to make sure the money is spent well and gets to where it is needed. If the government is diverting the aid they need to look at other ways of helping the people who need it, and if that proves impossible then consider whether it is doing more harm than good.
Jan 20th, 2018 - 09:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0Foreign aid has gotten a bad reputation for subsidizing the ultra corrupt leaders of the third world. Even when the money is supposedly managed by a respectful Organization like the Red Cross. “In Search Of The Red Cross' $500 Million In Haiti Relief”
Jan 20th, 2018 - 04:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0https://www.npr.org/2015/06/03/411524156/in-search-of-the-red-cross-500-million-in-haiti-relief
Most of Africa has similar problems. Just all sad...
Yeah, it's a problem, and not the worst thing that has happened to our aid money either. It's only worth giving if it actually does some good; there's no point throwing money at a problem just to make ourselves feel better. You'd think if rich countries really wanted to help then they'd cancel the debts of poor countries before doing anything else.
Jan 20th, 2018 - 05:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0DemonTree
Jan 20th, 2018 - 08:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Actually I can't agree with most countries as their irresponsibility is like that of a drug addict with a credit card. You pay their debt and they'll just max it out again.
The Red Cross in Haiti had a specific goal of building houses for the poor... The result was only 16 houses total with no accounting of what happened with the remainder of 500 million Dollars.
Even direct food aid donated to Africa shows up many times redirected to feed the military or to be sold on the open market.
Couldn't they just... not lend to the irresponsible countries again? The richer countries are the credit card company in this analogy , they are giving money with one hand and taking it away with the other.
Jan 20th, 2018 - 10:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0In a way it's inevitable, because countries that have competent, responsible governments generally do not need aid. It's in the dictatorships, the failed states, the war torn countries that people are staving to death, and those are the hardest to help. And we've tried regime change; it went badly.
What would you suggest?
DemonTree
Jan 20th, 2018 - 11:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Something called tough love. There are charities like CARE, Médecins Sans Frontières, UNICEF and others should be funded, but to stop sending money to what eventually end up to likely being deposited in a Swiss, Panamanian, etc... accounts. Look at a simple example of many 3rd world countries who borrow money from the IMF supposedly to fund education, clean water, health facilities, etc... and yet you see their leaders squandering it upon themselves.
Imagine a hypothetical situation where half the aid is being stolen by the corrupt government to buy Mercedes and private jets. And the other half is saving children's lives. Do you cut the aid or continue it?
Jan 21st, 2018 - 12:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0DemonTree
Jan 21st, 2018 - 12:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0You do what goes almost completely to those in need, such as CARE, UNICEF, MSF... As well as temporary emergency food and medical aid not to be distributed by non-corrupt governments. Look at Venezuela, or worse South Sudan, what would do?
So like I said, look at other ways of helping those who need it.
Jan 21st, 2018 - 01:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There's not much anyone can do about Venezuela as long as their government refuses to accept aid.
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