The G8 Meeting

[jaycourtney]

Hey guys is anyone going to going up to Edinburgh, to try and make these greedy wealthy countries see sense and help millions of people get a better life after all open us all up and we are the same.
'cus their not gonna speak for me.

[Deleted]

I assume you are talking about the G8 countries cancelling 3rd world debt?

If you took a loan from a bank, and you didn't pay it back, would the bank cancel your debt?

[jaycourtney]

thats true they would not cancel my loan re payments, but money has gone to crazy leaders so how can that be the publics fault?

[Deleted]

Its not, but all that will happen if the debt is cancelled is the 3rd world countries will borrow more money, the people will still be starving, and the debt will still be unpaid.

[andyd]

I have a good friend from Nigeria. He says that dropping the debt isn't really whats needed anyway, the countries in question (like his own) will end up back in the same problem in 20 years time. Countries like Nigeria are actually very rich the problem exists in the fact that government cream off all the money so the rich stay rich and the porr get poorer...a bit like here! Mind you its also true that many people in those countries feel having wealthy leaders is good for the country and gives them a better world footing so they aren't too worried about the disparity between them.

What is required is to give these nations the chance to work themselves out of poverty, basically cancel free trade in the 3rd world. If you're still with me what this means is stop PG Tips (for example) selling tea in these countries cheaper than a local farmer is able to. The local economy in these places is dying on the vine because if local producers sold their crops at the same cost as big multi-nationals they would go bust, they can't compete price wise.

Only when trade laws allow people to work out of poverty by stopping multi-nationals driving them into the ground will dropping the debt make any difference. Its the trade laws rather than the debt itself which is the biggest issue. When the trade changes then, and only then, will dropping the debt have any kind of long term benefit.

[Jo]

We can actually make more of a difference by changing our consumption habits, and choosing free trade tea, coffee, sugar, bananas, chocolate etc. If enough of us did it, it would give the supermarkets and the big brands who currently drive the purchase costs of the raw materials down below the costs of production the message that the public actually care.

It amazes me that supermarkets have started selling 'free trade' this and 'free trade' that without any sense of shame that the rest of the products on their shelves are, but their very nature, exploitative.

[jaycourtney]

I know i'm a fair trade guy

[Doughnut]

stabbojo said:

It amazes me that supermarkets have started selling 'free trade' this and 'free trade' that without any sense of shame that the rest of the products on their shelves are, but their very nature, exploitative.

The supermarkets are giving the public what they want. If the public want low cost, they can get low cost. If the public want "fair trade", they can get "fair trade".

It's not the supermarkets you should be complaining about, it's the general public.

[Samxpenguin]

Great post andyd. I don't know the ins and outs of the siuation, but i think most people don't understand that Africa isn't as poor a continant. Yet a very corrupt place in many respects. The way money is spent needs to be thought about very much. I suspect many Governments who get thier hands on money due to dropping 3rd world debt will sped it on building paces for thier aristocray, while the poor continue to suffer.

The exploitation on huge companies in the 3rd world is ongoing. I was reading the companies makign bands such as 'Make Poverty Hstory' are making these bands by exploiting 3rd world trade. How pathetic is that!

As for Trade Law,s i don't know enoguh about that to comment, but from what you say, it seems a good solution, or a solution which will help.

As much good as can be done by western leaders, many problems lie within Africa i think, things that the west can't just throw money at and sort out.

[girdeaux]

Maybe Bob Geldof & all his celebrity chums could give some of their money towards 3rd world debt.

Bet he's got more cash than I do

[deutscherhockey]

anton said:

Maybe Bob Geldof & all his celebrity chums could give some of their money towards 3rd world debt.

Bet he's got more cash than I do

I would be amazed if they haven't many times over Anton. As for higlighting the word "celebrity", well if they weren't celebrities no one would be listening in the first place.

[girdeaux]

deutscherhockey said:

I would be amazed if they haven't many times over Anton. As for higlighting the word "celebrity", well if they weren't celebrities no one would be listening in the first place.

Well if you're correct in that people would only get off their bottoms because a celebrity said so, I think we're in a more desperate situation than previously anticipated

[Doughnut]

anton said:

Well if you're correct in that people would only get off their bottoms because a celebrity said so, I think we're in a more desperate situation than previously anticipated

I think we're in a more desperate situation than you previously anticipated

[girdeaux]

Doughnut said:

I think we're in a more desperate situation than you previously anticipated

Regarding what?

[Doughnut]

anton said:

Regarding what?

Regarding people only getting off their bottoms because a celebrity said so.

[Higgy]

i dont see why the richer countries should be held accountable for the many corrupt and incompetant 3rd world governments, its not the wealthier countries fault. If much of this so called foreign aid went into helping the servies of this country and fighting poverty etc in the UK then they would improve. But no its sent to corrupt 3rd world countries to mysteriously 'dissappear'. I dont pay my taxes for it to go abroad!