introduction
THIS PART OF NEWFORMULA IS NOW IN COLD STORAGE. I decided to move everything over to wordpress, with a clean start. Old posts are now under archive here, but for the latest please visit newformula.org
What makes them so clever?
So, the whole live 8 thing is all well and good, however this article at the BBC reflects my views in many ways. I'm not denying Live 8 is a worthy cause, however Geldof's recent series on the BBC and his views blasted down our throats virtually everyday seem so one dimensional- increase aid, relieve debt, free and fair trade. Too simple in my book.
Blanket increasing aid and debt relief are blunt tools when it comes to helping the African continent IMO. Gordon Brown's recent effort at wiping out debt in a select few nations will have a much more resounding effect. The problem in africa, it seems to me at least, is due to governments without the will to do more to help the population of their countries, as they have little or no incentives to do so. Wiping out their debt and increasing aid in badly behaved countries just lets them do it again, so at least the Chancellor is attempting to reward some better behaved countries for their efforts.
Thats my view anyway, however I'm not really qualified to talk about the continent beyond economc theory as I am yet to go there...
Technorati Tags: Opinion