[Shasown]

Even though we ourselves are struggling to escape the recent economic crisis, the UK Government is still intent on sending £1bn in financial aid to India over the next four years.

Given India's economy is growing at a faster rate than ours, the Indian Government has announced its not bothered if it receives the money and also the fact they (The Indian Govt) currently send financial aid to African countries.

Should UK taxpayers money be used in this way?

Why are we giving £1bn aid to India? A nation with three times as many billionaires as we have (and its own space programme)


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1EFrMcvnY

UK minister defends policy as aid to India comes under fire.

India has a fast-growing economy and a billion-dollar space programme, but it is still home to a third of the world's poor

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-dev...india-strategy

[joeysteele]

Shasown,I have held the view we should give aid to other Countries and honour all existing pledges of aid. However this point is a good and strong one now because as you say we seem to be giving aid to economies that are doing better and in some cases much better than the UKs.

Also if, and I stress if, we really are in as bad a state as we are told we are as a Nation then I think its here that aid should stay.
So I have come around to the view now that if we are in as bad a state as is said then all aid programmes should be reviewed and cut or stopped altogether.
Since the aid given to other Nations is increasing rather than decreasing that leaves me suspicious that things are as bad as we are told they are in the UK .

[Chuck]

International Aid: taking money from poor people who live in rich countries and giving it to rich people who live in poor countries.

[arista]

No we should not

[Grimnir]

After the banks orchestrate this financial crisis, we should give international aid to no one at all. Spend it on UK citizens only

[Liberty4eva]

Originally Posted by chuck.pass

International Aid: taking money from poor people who live in rich countries and giving it to rich people who live in poor countries.

That sounds an awful lot like Ron Paul.

[GypsyGoth]

India has a lot of rich people, they should look after the poor people in their country. Sending them money is just stupid.

[Stephanie]

no, i don't think we should be giving money to any other country. we need it.

[jc7]

Why do we need to give our tax money to India?

The Indian Government have even said they're not bothered if they don't receive it so they can't really need it. Plus, they're sending financial aid to Africa, so I say our tax money doesn't get spent on this and instead it is used to help us out of the recession. Bolting up VAT percentage to then have our taxes spent on other countries.

We have poor people in our country too and it's not a surprise the way things are going.

Let India tax the rich badly over there to provide for the poor.

It probably won't be long before VAT goes up again in our country, and all the taxes us working have to pay so others who are unable to work/looking for work can get their benefits.

[Jordan.]

Wtf, no.

[Zippy]

depends what they do with it

India has huge poverty and horrendous conditions for children. If I thought the money was going to directly help them I would say definitely yes. However, its probably getting stolen by the greedy bastards in power and never filters down to the ones who desperately need it.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by GypsyGoth

India has a lot of rich people, they should look after the poor people in their country. Sending them money is just stupid.

This.

I think in this country and in India.. and in fact in any country.. the rich need to be taxed more and the poor need to be paid more. This is if the poor actually have a working class job. Such as sweeping and cleaning hours on end, these people need to be paid more.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by jc7

Why do we need to give our tax money to India?

The Indian Government have even said they're not bothered if they don't receive it so they can't really need it. Plus, they're sending financial aid to Africa, so I say our tax money doesn't get spent on this and instead it is used to help us out of the recession. Bolting up VAT percentage to then have our taxes spent on other countries.

We have poor people in our country too and it's not a surprise the way things are going.

Let India tax the rich badly over there to provide for the poor.

It probably won't be long before VAT goes up again in our country, and all the taxes us working have to pay so others who are unable to work/looking for work can get their benefits.

This.

[bananarama]

We are a country in debt........Where does the aid money come from that we give.........You guest it we borrow money which lands us the tax payer in further debt to give money to corrupt governments abroad........Bloody maddness......

[lostalex]

I think it's fair. It's reparations for all the damage you did to them. i think also the brits should be paying reparations to all former colonies. They should be giving aid also to the US, and Canada, and Australia for all the damage they did to the natives and for creating the slave trade.

[Angus]

Originally Posted by lostalex

I think it's fair. It's reparations for all the damage you did to them. i think also the brits should be paying reparations to all former colonies. They should be giving aid also to the US, and Canada, and Australia for all the damage they did to the natives and for creating the slave trade.

The sheer hypocrisy is staggering from an American whose forebears decimated and brutalised the entire NATIVE Indian population, committed untold atrocities in Vietnam, dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima, and is responsible for so much bloodshed and conflict throughout the world due to their arrogant, often unsolicited, interference in other nations' affairs.

Oh, as regards the slave trade, your grasp of European history is pretty weak - it was actually the Portugese who started the slave trade in the mid 15th century, my dear, not the English, and in fact the whole of Europe quickly followed, as did the Americans since they are not native to the Americas, but originated from EUROPE. Britain abolished slavery in 1833, whereas America didn't follow suit until 1865.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by angus58

The sheer hypocrisy is staggering from an American whose forebears decimated and brutalised the entire NATIVE Indian population, committed untold atrocities in Vietnam, dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima, and is responsible for so much bloodshed and conflict throughout the world due to their arrogant, often unsolicited, interference in other nations' affairs.

Oh, as regards the slave trade, your grasp of European history is pretty weak - it was actually the Portugese who started the slave trade in the mid 15th century, my dear, not the English, and in fact the whole of Europe quickly followed, as did the Americans since they are not native to the Americas, but originated from EUROPE. Britain abolished slavery in 1833, whereas America didn't follow suit until 1865.

Looks like lostalex has been owned here.

Hypocrites people are. Slag off England for what happened in the past.. yet plenty of foreigners live here.

2 rights don't make a wrong. People need to get over with the past.

Excuse me lostalex.. we should give money to Canada and the USA? Err no. USA is a richer country than the UK. The UK is more generous than the USA and lets any old immigrant in!

Anyway... the Indian PM has even said they don't need financial aid anymore from the UK! So David Cameron needs to make the decision to stop giving it to them!! People bringing up the past is only going to make things worse. Didn't people from India steal the crown jewels or something from our English Queen? Anyway everyone needs to make a clean slate.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by lostalex

I think it's fair. It's reparations for all the damage you did to them. i think also the brits should be paying reparations to all former colonies. They should be giving aid also to the US, and Canada, and Australia for all the damage they did to the natives and for creating the slave trade.

Who is "they"? People who died many many years ago who was part of the British Empire or whatever? That is not mine, Angus's or anyone who is still currently living fault!!

[lostalex]

Sorry but you are wrong. The english, while banning slavery in their own land, did nothing to prevent their citizens from profiting from and running businesses profiting from the slave trade. The UK has billions of dollars within it's economy made from the slave trade.

America didn't have ships. America was not kidnapping people from africa. That was Europe (including the UK).

Just because you didn't have slaves during that time (although you have plenty of slavery in your own history) does not absolve you from the responsibility of creating the system which enabled slavery in North and South America.

Get it right.

[Angus]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Sorry but you are wrong. The english, while banning slavery in their own land, did nothing to prevent their citizens from profiting from and running businesses profiting from the slave trade. The UK has billions of dollars within it's economy made from the slave trade.

America didn't have ships. America was not kidnapping people from africa. That was Europe (including the UK).

Just because you didn't have slaves during that time (although you have plenty of slavery in your own history) does not absolve you from the responsibility of creating the system which enabled slavery in North and South America.

Get it right.

No, YOU need to get it right -go back and read what you posted FGS. You quite clearly stated that Britain CREATED the slave trade, when this was patently untrue. You also appear to be suggesting that America is totally innocent of any slave trafficking because it "didn't have ships" Oh my lawd you're a hoot. I would also remind you that there was really no such thing as an "American" 250 years ago - you were all just a collection of immigrants from many countries, mostly from EUROPE, and certainly not exclusively from England! I also believe that they arrived on the shores of America by SHIP, unless you're suggesting there was another mode of transport in existence at that time of which I am not aware

I also note your absence of any denials about my assertions of the considerable damage America has caused, not only by the genocide of the original native population of the lands it STOLE , but also to the rest of the world - I gave you some examples and I await your comments with interest. If you're going to fling such accusations out about other countries, you should do it with "manos limpias", otherwise don't expect to be taken seriously or shown any respect.

America would be bankrupt if they ever had to pay out compensation for the havoc and damage they have caused to so many countries and peoples.

[lostalex]

i did not say that britain alone CREATED the slave trade. I mean Europe as a continent, Colonialism. I know you brits like to separate yourselves from the European continent, but at the time, you were all scrambling to conquer as many lands as possible, and slavery was part of that strategy.

For Europe to deny it's responsibilities is outrageous. The vast majority of Natives killed in the Americas (north and south) and all other colonies were killed by diseases, not by war.

All Slavery in the Americas (north and south) was implemented by European colonialism. You made it, it's your design, and the consequences fall on your shoulders.

To deny it, is simply ignorant.

[LeatherTrumpet]

no

let other countries fix themselves

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by lostalex

i did not say that britain alone CREATED the slave trade. I mean Europe as a continent, Colonialism. I know you brits like to separate yourselves from the European continent, but at the time, you were all scrambling to conquer as many lands as possible, and slavery was part of that strategy.

For Europe to deny it's responsibilities is outrageous. The vast majority of Natives killed in the Americas (north and south) and all other colonies were killed by diseases, not by war.

All Slavery in the Americas (north and south) was implemented by European colonialism. You made it, it's your design, and the consequences fall on your shoulders.

To deny it, is simply ignorant.

Right so the fact we had abolished slavery in the UK and the British Empire, made it illegal to profit from slavery anywhere within the British Empire, means its our fault that the US still had legalised slavery for nearly fourty years after us.

Isnt that a bit like heaping all the blame for that debacle in Indo-China on the French?

Incidentally blaming all slavery in the americas on the Europeans is simply ignoring the facts, go look at Native American and Meso-American cultures, I think you will find slavery existed in both prior to the arrival of the Europeans.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Shasown

Right so the fact we had abolished slavery in the UK and the British Empire, made it illegal to profit from slavery anywhere within the British Empire, means its our fault that the US still had legalised slavery for nearly fourty years after us.

Isnt that a bit like heaping all the blame for that debacle in Indo-China on the French?

Saying that Europe isn't responsible for slavery because you made it illegal, is like saying America isn't responsible for Hiroshima after we dropped the bomb.

"Well we just dropped the bomb, what happened when it hit the ground isn't our fault, we had no control of it after we dropped it!"

Sorry, that argument doesn't fly.

America took responsibility after it dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, and stuck around to build Japan up to the great country it is today, we didn't skirt our responsibilities.

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Saying that Europe isn't responsible for slavery because you made it illegal, is like saying America isn't responsible for Hiroshima after we dropped the bomb.

"Well we just dropped the bomb, what happened when it hit the ground isn't our fault, we had no control of it after we dropped it!"

Sorry, that argument doesn't fly.

America took responsibility after it dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, and stuck around to build Japan up to the great country it is today, we didn't skirt our responsibilities.

I didnt say we werent responsible, so please read what I wrote, think about it, inwardly digest it and try to understand it if possible before you reply. I wrote that the British empire abolished slavery a long time before the US did.

I also wrote that slavery existed in N and S America before the arrival of the Europeans, in contrast to your statement that:

"All Slavery in the Americas (north and south) was implemented by European colonialism."

That statement is simply untrue, if you research it you will find the Aztec and other Meso American cultures used slavery in a variety of forms. Native American tribe also practiced it in various forms.

Is that too difficult for you to understand?