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Post by percy on Mar 2, 2015 16:35:24 GMT 1
Nobody would want to see the British Army under the command of the Americans I can see that - the artice also puts forward a ready made solution too - reduce overseas aid. Well I guess if one believes in the free market it is difficult to accept that we have a responsibility to help the poorest in society whether at home or overseas. Not exactly what I said, but to raise to the bait anyway - are you comfortable that it is all spent in the best way and for the best motives ? Are you comfortable with responsibility for resolving inequality in India who they are happily spending their cash on a space program and buying up UK businesses ? Are you comfortable with the spend in countries like Kenya, Pakistan and Somalia where a fair proportion just goes missing according to the nao ? Is 0.7% of GDP and no reduction really appropriate when we have reductions in NHS spending and rationing of cancer medicines in th UK ?
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Post by shrewed46 on Mar 2, 2015 16:47:15 GMT 1
Am I comfortable that overseas aid is always spent in the best way - NO. Am I comfortable that 0.7% of GDP is provided for aid for the poorest in the world - YES. Am I happy that the UK is 5th in the list of donor countries by GDP - YES it's one of the few things to be proud of under Cameron.
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Post by percy on Mar 2, 2015 17:37:23 GMT 1
Am I comfortable that overseas aid is always spent in the best way - NO. Am I comfortable that 0.7% of GDP is provided for aid for the poorest in the world - YES. Am I happy that the UK is 5th in the list of donor countries by GDP - YES it's one of the few things to be proud of under Cameron. OK - despite what prior posters have written regarding the bottomless pit of money, resources are finite and we cannot run an unlimited deficit - so which do you choose, NHS, Defence or Overseas Aid ? Personally I'd put them in that order rather than cut one and two and leave number 3 alone - are you really so heartless to want to starve the NHS of funds or send our lads into battle under the control of an American ?
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Post by shrewed46 on Mar 2, 2015 18:28:51 GMT 1
Am I comfortable that overseas aid is always spent in the best way - NO. Am I comfortable that 0.7% of GDP is provided for aid for the poorest in the world - YES. Am I happy that the UK is 5th in the list of donor countries by GDP - YES it's one of the few things to be proud of under Cameron. OK - despite what prior posters have written regarding the bottomless pit of money, resources are finite and we cannot run an unlimited deficit - so which do you choose, NHS, Defence or Overseas Aid ? Personally I'd put them in that order rather than cut one and two and leave number 3 alone - are you really so heartless to want to starve the NHS of funds or send our lads into battle under the control of an American ? Unfortunately you try to suggest that the only way we can afford the health service and defence that we want is by cutting the already small Overseas Aid budget. For instance we could stop the planned reduction in Corporation Tax or reintroduce the 50% income tax rate. Cut back the Transport Budget by allowing public companies to run the rail franchise.
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Post by champagneprince on Mar 2, 2015 19:40:27 GMT 1
Seeing as we have so many problems at the moment caused by the Cameron and the Tories then maybe we could shelve HS2 and save 50 billion?
Luckily, we've got Miliband to make sure that the money is more wisely spent.......hold on a minute......what's that I'm hearing......Miliband agrees with Cameron?!
So much for prioritising those areas that have been unnecessarily cut under the Tories.
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Post by percy on Mar 2, 2015 19:57:54 GMT 1
There are of course many moving parts and no simple choices and what I do state rather than suggest is that we are making cuts in the health service and defence and not touching overseas aid which I think is wrong.
It would be lovely if we had unlimited funds and could do everything - but it is not possible so decisions have to be made. I think Cameron has got it wrong and I'll tell you why:
The UK spends 0.7% of GDP which is only surpassed by 4 countries - Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg and Denmark - coincidentally all at least 20% richer (GDP/capita) than the UK and able to afford it much more easily per head of population. France spend 0.4% and Germany roughly the same - both have GDP/ capita roughly the same as us and that seems a more sensible level. Reducing to the level of our peers would be a saving of 0.3% GDP which sounds pathetic but is in fact £9bn. £9bn would help the NHS quite a bit.
Why do you think it right to spend 0.7% and not 0.4% like our peers or indeed 1.1% to be the most generous in the world. Cameron's PR machine wants to avoid him being branded as being a throwback to the Thatcherite past employing racist and nationalistic policies - just as you throw at me. In a nutshell the problem with the PC / vigilante style media led politics that we now have.
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Post by mattmw on Mar 2, 2015 20:25:34 GMT 1
Worth remembering the full title of the aid budget is the overseas aid and development budget
Part of the funding certainly does go into direct aid, often delivered through charities in times of natural disasters. But the money is also used for infrastructure projects in developing nations which British companies benefit from in both the short and long term
It's not quite as simple as us giving aid out and no return coming back
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Post by Matster on Mar 2, 2015 21:34:48 GMT 1
After watching the Here Come the Romanians programme then perhaps some European funding and aid could be sent to Romania to help set up some decent industry/manufacturing to help improve the working conditions, living standards and incentivise people to want to work there.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2015 21:49:29 GMT 1
After working with people in the care industry I know they work under tough conditions, with low pay and are dedicated professionals in what they do. I am sure they see the effect of the cuts more than anyone, whether that's right or wrong is difficult to interpret. I'm not talking about the care industry.
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Post by atcham jack on Mar 3, 2015 7:45:51 GMT 1
last night I watched a dispatches programme on 4 about benefit sanctions, that is removing benefits from the weakest and most vulnerable in society. next week dispatches program on channel 4 at 20.00 is about Universal Credit.
from what I saw last night the cruelty shown to our most vulnerable, leave me thinking those wicked nasties and Lib dems should be wiped out at the next election. there are a few decent coalition mp's, but last nights findings were beyond the pail. No the Tories will not win the election!
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