India lands on the moon
Discussion
Pitre said:
Many congratulations to India as they are about to land on the moon.
But why do we still send financial aid?
Yes, congratulations to them.But why do we still send financial aid?
We can stop the financial aid whenever we want, they are not asking for it. However it's a bit more complicated than that.
Have a read
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/202...
I know aid is broadly a bribe we know it lands in pockets of the few not the many and the government is well aware of this just like every other nation. The real question is why aren't Indian citizens angry that some starve, have no clean water, women are oppressed (recent case women paraded naked through a village) and yet thier government can land on the moon.
It's a great achievement but India is not a UK problem nore should it ever be
It's a great achievement but India is not a UK problem nore should it ever be
When you look at the state of India and its extreme poverty (not UK stylee so called "poverty") it makes you a bit sick seeing this celebration. Where are their priorities? Political vanity and posturing over Pakistan?
Regarding aid sent to India from the UK I thought this was stopped by David Cameron? Is there a difference between investment, aid, loans etc and how it is spent?
Regarding aid sent to India from the UK I thought this was stopped by David Cameron? Is there a difference between investment, aid, loans etc and how it is spent?
Pitre said:
But why do we still send financial aid?
The term 'Financial Aid' is incorrectly used as a catch all definition of all types of international development activity that range from humanitarian aid to international investment. It's a phrase used by the right-wing to rattle sabres but used in the absence of understanding and appreciation of what it actually comprises and the benefits it affords.The sort of aid you 'think' it means is rarely given directly, country to country but is instead channeled through any number of global institutions; World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, UN, etc.
The sort of aid that applies to India is investment on favourable terms which comes with obligations on the beneficiary to reform governance practices and advance wealth equality measures. India may have the wherewithal to reach the moon but still lacks basic capacity in regional government, tax administration and so on. Because we trade extensively with India, it is in our best interests to see this improve as it increases the scope of trade that's possible so the money we spend comes back and more.
The issue is not the money we send but the lack of robustness on the part of the UK government to enforce the obligations that the local beneficiaries agreed to when the arrangements were first put in place.
Tom8 said:
When you look at the state of India and its extreme poverty (not UK stylee so called "poverty") it makes you a bit sick seeing this celebration. Where are their priorities? Political vanity and posturing over Pakistan?
Regarding aid sent to India from the UK I thought this was stopped by David Cameron? Is there a difference between investment, aid, loans etc and how it is spent?
At the end of the day, India is an independent country, and a democracy, and therefore it has every right to spend its taxpayers' money whichever way the taxpayers of India wish.Regarding aid sent to India from the UK I thought this was stopped by David Cameron? Is there a difference between investment, aid, loans etc and how it is spent?
At the moment, the vast bulk of the population of India seems to be supportive of such ventures. If they change their mind on this, I'm sure they'll let the politicians know.
Tom8 said:
When you look at the state of India and its extreme poverty (not UK stylee so called "poverty") it makes you a bit sick seeing this celebration. Where are their priorities? Political vanity and posturing over Pakistan?
Regarding aid sent to India from the UK I thought this was stopped by David Cameron? Is there a difference between investment, aid, loans etc and how it is spent?
Indian priorities do seem to be quite conflicted, and as you say look at their poverty and "sending a lunar rover to the moon" extremes. You have to remember the country is less than 80 years old since independence from Britain and the farce that was partition. Maybe judge them in 50 years or so when they've had a chance to become a more developed country throughout (or not).Regarding aid sent to India from the UK I thought this was stopped by David Cameron? Is there a difference between investment, aid, loans etc and how it is spent?
Without project such as this, the brightest brains in India would have to go abroad to find such work. The infrastructure to acheive this result must have a knock-on effect through the whole economy as the equipent required can't just be bought on Aliexpress (well, not all of it, anyway!).
Salaries don't just sit in the pockets of the rocket scientists, engineers, technicians and managers. They spend it and it filters down though the rest of the economy giving workers of all sorts a job.
Salaries don't just sit in the pockets of the rocket scientists, engineers, technicians and managers. They spend it and it filters down though the rest of the economy giving workers of all sorts a job.
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