Aid to Africa: The UN makes the problem worse, not better.

[Chris_]

Eritrea to U.N.: Take This Aid And Shove It

In a stinging rebuff to the United Nations and its anti-poverty efforts, Eritrea, one of the poorest countries in Africa, has told the world body that it wants out of its long-term development agreement because the U.N. makes the problem worse, not better.

The reason, given in a January 26 notification letter from the country’s powerful Finance Minister, obtained by Fox News, is that “aid only postpones the basic solutions to crucial development problems by tentatively ameliorating their manifestations without tackling their root causes. The structural, political, economic, etc. damage that it inflicts upon recipient countries is also enormous.” In other words, the government argues, U.N. aid does more harm than good.

Whether that critique, which echoes the complaints of many critics in wealthy donor countries, is the true reason behind the U.N.’s rejection is unclear. Fox News tried to contact the Eritrean finance ministry for further explanations, but was told that the finance minister, Berhane Abrehe, was “unavailable.”

(more...)

Fox News

Letter from the State of Eritrea to UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator

[thundley4]

Read number 5 on the list. Cracked.com  Volunteering in Africa hurts more than it helps also.

[Chris_]

I saw that today and I have to agree.  For a humor site, they're pretty sharp.

[Tryptamine]

Wrong, Africa is the result of empires and capitalism. Vicious dictators to civil wars to diamonds the U.N. does little if nothing. America does less and sometimes bombs hospitals or levees embargoes. Africa has huge debt created by the WTO and Britain before it. Capitalism requires low-wage labor and low cost textiles and natural resources. This creates abominations of what we call human beings. Their situation is not fair, but it is because of them we here in America, enjoy our massive wealth. There are wells in Africa that charge by the drip as privatized water is being taken and relocated to be bottled water for consumers. There is no other way, if they raised the cost of their natural wealth (resources) we would then not be as rich and many internal processes would not work.

U.N. ineffective? ... Yes.

[redwhit]

A bunch of years ago Muhammad Yunus wrote "Banker to the Poor" where he really clearly lays out both the ineffectiveness of and the damage caused by the IMF, UN, World Bank, and the like.  The method he uses has worked pretty well it seems. 

Of course, if we used Yunus' system, well, just think of how many poor bureaucrats would actually have to go out and find jobs.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Capitalism requires low-wage labor and low cost textiles and natural resources.

In capitalism labor is a commodity to be sold in a voluntary transaction. The consumer of labor will pay higher rates for higher quality.

Socialism compels everyone to work for the state at wages set by people who cannot be dislodged by elections.

[JohnnyReb]

Wrong, Africa is the result of empires and capitalism. Vicious dictators to civil wars to diamonds the U.N. does little if nothing. America does less and sometimes bombs hospitals or levees embargoes. Africa has huge debt created by the WTO and Britain before it. Capitalism requires low-wage labor and low cost textiles and natural resources. This creates abominations of what we call human beings. Their situation is not fair, but it is because of them we here in America, enjoy our massive wealth. There are wells in Africa that charge by the drip as privatized water is being taken and relocated to be bottled water for consumers. There is no other way, if they raised the cost of their natural wealth (resources) we would then not be as rich and many internal processes would not work.

U.N. ineffective? ... Yes.

Saw a black preacher on a friends computer explain what's wrong with Africa....liberals would die of stroke shouting "RACIST".