the village idiot

Surely keeping people alive well into adulthood is key for making a lasting difference. Once people can feel secure that there will be some children alive to look after them as they age they will not have to go down the 'many kids to make sure one survives' strategy. This obviously needs to be coupled with education and unrestricted access to birth control. Regarding aid. The former Mrs Idiot's parents spent last year volunteering in Uganda. A country still reeling from the grotesque Idi Amin years. Her parents are atheist farmers. (Can you possible imagine a more potent combination of evil?) Nick spent the year teaching sustainable farming methods to a population that had not been taught even the very basics of farming practice. Joan taught beekeeping so they could start to produce their own honey. Their flights, room and board were paid for by a charity. This is aid. To suggest that this sort of assistance should be witheld from people in desperate situations through no fault of their own is truly bizzare and frankly very disturbing. There is good aid and there is bad aid. We need to sort the wheat from the chaff and continue to help people in need.

Interesting video. I haven't read her book, but there is a large amount of high profile criticism from people that have. In the video, Moya and the interviewer express their disbelief that we have donated over a trillion dollars to Africa over the past 60 years of the aid program and the continent is still not lifted out of poverty. If you break this down it becomes radically less surprising. It sounds like a lot of money but actually equates to around £28 per recipient per year. In a year we give a desperate person the amount of money most of us expect to earn in a couple of hours and we are surprised their lives are not turned around? Also, this is assuming that all the aid gets through to the intended subjects. We all know that this isn't the case. Moya also argues that not only has aid not been of benefit, it has actually been detrimental to Africa, making things worse. Lets look at a few facts. Since the inception of the aid program: Life expectancy has risen from 36.7 years to 56 years, an increase of almost 50% Annual deaths from preventable diseases have declined from 5 million in 1960 to 1.4 million in 2001 Annual malaria deaths have declined from 3.8 million to 0.7 million Annual diarrhoeal deaths have declined from 4.6 to 1.6 million Despite the amount of money donated being relatively tiny there have been extremely positive effects. Moya makes very little distinction between good aid and bad aid. She wants to see the aid tap turned off completely in 5 years time. This would result in the suffering and death of millions of children. This is unthinkable when there are other options on the table. I think it also relevant to point out that Moya is not a poverty striken mother with no access to clean water, she is an investment banker. She works for Goldman-Sachs for goodness sake! Her solution to improving the lives of Africans in the long term is to stop aid programs and forge ever greater links with China who are investing huge sums of money in Africa to remove as much natural resource as possible for the benefit of China. This is providing some Africans with jobs that they wouldn't have ordinarily, but I don't think you have to look too far into the future to see huge potential problems with this model. Moya thinks like a profit driven investment banker. I personally view this as a real and dangerous problem. People like Matelot believe that all we should be doing to help is put in place measures that reduce the number of Africans that are born. This quite clearly needs to part of the solution, but to limit our aid to solely this is not only morally disgusting but also no answer in isolation. Like pretty much everything in this world, it is a very complex problem. Matelot will be shocked to hear that it takes people cleverer than him to put forward workable strategies. We are getting much better at targetting aid in ways that really work. Aid is crucial but it needs to go on the right things. Some aid organisations are literally 1000's of times more effective than others, and some are downright disastrous. The key is knowing the difference and giving to charities that are using the money most effectively. https://www.centreforeffectivealtruism.org/ https://samharris.org/podcasts/being-good-and-doing-good/

It's a mistake to think that the West can turn around the fortunes of a continent between 1984 and now. These things take time, many generations. The situations in many parts of the developing world are improving. International aid is a huge factor in this. Is it all directed and used in the best possible way? Undoubtedly not, but this doesn't make aid a bad thing. There are organisations springing up like the effective altruism movement. They use science and good research to inform us where best to give money to make the most possible real difference. Have a Google of Will MacAskill if you are interested.

Oh My God! Just when you think there's a chink of light you prove once and for all that you are one sick bastard. Sorry for the language mods, but that post is gross.

Hold that thought Matelot! The differences in quality of life between us and the majority of the rest of the world's population is almost entirely down to luck. I agree with you that a lot of well meaning aid is not focussed on all the initiatives it needs to be. I am no expert but I suspect a focus on education, empowerment of women, and access to birth control would help make a huge difference. Lifting people out of poverty. Some 'enlightened' organisations in the West are still teaching the world's poorest that the use of condoms is sinful.

Got a bit of a chip on your shoulder Gary?

"Who was this bloke exactly?" "Mark Bolam M'lord" "Case dismissed!"

How long a list do you want? You need to do some research into all that Oxfam actually does. Your solution to the population issues is to let people die of starvation. This is obscene. There are many ways we can help solve these problems. Reasoning needs to be cool headed, not cold hearted.

This is a horrible sentiment Matelot. I genuinely feel sorry for you and the way that your brain works. You may experience a temporary thrill from broadasting these narrow minded views, but ultimately they are going to make you unhappy. Try and extend the boarders of your compassion a little bit. You may well be pleasantly surprised at the results. Re. the prostitutes issue. I haven't yet read the details but I think it is important to always recognise that we are all human beings and subject to the misjudgements and imperfections that come with this. It would be very sad if we lose sight of the bigger picture in the light of mistakes, which are always going to happen.

Don't you mean my Jacket?

Blighty Mouse?

MASH ?

The Darling Spuds of May?

You used to have to carve your post onto stone tablets and get BigJ to lug them over to Steve. The new system is much more user friendly.

Manufacturer and approx cost would be good to know. Have you got any pictures?

Identity crisis Cornish?

Getting a felling licence is a doddle, and it doesn't in any way stop him/her cutting them themselves.

Can you tell us more? Or will they have to kill you?

They will carry on planting and carry on getting felling licences. The 5 cubic mtrs is only the limit if you don't apply for the licence.

That's OK Stubby. Now try to remember what I told you this time. The Coco pops go in your mouth, the slippers go on your feet.

Stubby. Wake up! It's time for your coco pops.

He's not a TV or film character but I was at a music festival a few years ago and some bloke was convinced that I was Aphex Twin. Personally I think I look more like the person your parents warn you about!

Great to see you in action Ti Next stop Hollywood! You'll be dead proud of me, I watched the whole program

Although I don't agree with the fact, I worry that we could sleepwalk into this reality. Don't forget about the rest of the world Matelot!