Silly money ?

[Trickytreesreds]

I doubt that you are either 'amoral' or 'uncivilised' RR but you certainly have a tendency to deliberately misinterpret in order to justify your position. I have consistently suggested that foreign aid should be properly targeted so your comments about 'filling the pockets' of any 'dictators' are misdirected and irrelevant in this instance.
We dedicate just 0.7% of our GNI to foreign aid which even my maths allows me to equate to just 70p out of every £100. Is that really too much? Of course it would be nice to be able to spend that money on the NHS, social care or education though perhaps if we did a better job of tackling all the tax avoidance and evasion that is going on then there might be enough money to go round and provide better services and support for those in need both at home and abroad.

Not having that, it's total bollox.

Far richer countries than us, pay bugger all.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/countr...id-statistics/

Cameron was obsessed with this 0.7% GDP. I question why?


Charity is just that. When you have a surplus, you give.

We have an NHS collapsing/housing crisis/Labour telling lies about wiping student debt.If education is an issue, it needs sorting.
All this screaming about Brexit, then prop that up as well.
The aid budget should be halved, immediately

[Acido]

Ohh no, this is all getting too political again, Im out of here.

[ramAnag]

Ohh no, this is all getting too political again, Im out of here.

It's not really political Acido...more about the 'human condition'.
I appear to be in the minority...no worries about that...but Tricky's definition of charity...'when you have a surplus you give'...is just wrong. Okay we shouldn't give more than we can afford...but that is the point...we can afford...and charity has nothing to do with surplus...it is a case of when there is a need we give.
No Rog...of course I wouldn't go to the bank to borrow to give to charity...but I would go without something - and in personal terms we're talking about a pint or two here - in order to help feed/clothe/home someone.
I think, and I'm taking a risk here because it's maths, but our contribution to foreign aid is the equivalent of someone earning £50,000 pa giving about £30 per month to charity. Laudable perhaps, but hardly generous or demanding is it?

[Acido]

All the same AnagRam its not a subject I want to comment on, so instead I'll see you in one of the other footy based threads on here.
You cant beat a bit of footy, especially at this time of year.

[swaledale]

Not having that rA - charity begins at home and we have enough lost causes of our own to support before looking after other countries' problems. Now if you had tried to justify it on economic grounds of getting the money back through trade deals, and thus stimulating our export industry I would give the argument more credibility.

But do I give a toss about basket cases overseas? Sorry, no. there are too many heartstring plucking causes out there to try to fund, so Id prefer we did none and tried to sort out our own problems. Overseas aid for its own sake is another one of those counter Malthusian economic issues: we have too many carbon based units infesting the planet already, without helping to increase the global overpopulation in this way.

One can argue how and where aid is spent and what it achieves, some does a lot of good and in others its wasted, but then ultimately isn't that the tale of all human endeavours?

The argument that charity begins at home is interesting, one thats usually heard from people who then begrudge money spent on helping people who should help themselves in this country.

But whether you feel there is a moral case that richer countries should provide aid to poorer countries, there is certainly a self interest reason for wanting to do so and I'm very surprised that nobody has mentioned it - IF we were to adopt the survival of the fittest approach and in Rogers words not give a toss about the basket cases, then we can all look forward to increasing economic migration from those countires that will make what is happening now look like a trickle.

Of course we could employ troops and just shoot the buggers as they attempt to get in, but aside from the moral argument on that one, setting up an iron border and using military tactics to keep out those fleeing famine etc. would actually cost more than providing the aid and assistance to enable basket cases to become functioning countries where few would want to leave.

This we can live happily in our own little world view is unrealistic and frankly bizarre, I mean we didn't do that when we were a nation that explored the world and plundered men and resources from other countries to keep us wealthy, what makes anyone think thats a realistic view in the current age?

[swaledale]

We're signing a squad full of kids these days who havent played before in this division, so my/our expectaions are even lower now for the season ahead.
Tom Ince played against us on Satdy for Hudds, is it right that your lot got £11 mill for him ?

Correct £8 million rising to £11 with add ons apparently.

[Andy_Faber]

Maybe I am amoral and uncivilised then, but I would sooner see that money spent on the NHS, social care or the education system, not filling the pockets of semi benign dictators in various African countries. Just my opinion though, and I perhaps wish I shared your charitable mindset rA. But I do not.

Once again, agreed.

[Andy_Faber]

Acido's right, us put the world to rights wallahs should have this bunfight on the Brexit thread. Ramanag, please therefore have a pop about using the word 'wallah' on that thread....

[ramAnag]

Acido's right, us put the world to rights wallahs should have this bunfight on the Brexit thread. Ramanag, please therefore have a pop about using the word 'wallah' on that thread....

Oh c'mon Andy...my comment about 'chicks' this morning was totally tongue in cheek. I wasn't having a 'pop'. You paint your picture of Mrs. F and your comment this morning made me smile, nothing more, nothing less.
Threads go where they go...this thread is titled 'Silly Money?' I didn't introduce foreign aid into the debate...I merely ran with it and it's natural home isn't the Brexit thread anyway.

[Acido]

Hey Andy, dont have a go at AnagRam, hes a decent old Derby git.