vision2020
Re: Tears of the Crocodile
At 03:19 AM 11/30/1999 +0000, katetegeilwe rwiza wrote:
>I hope you do not mind if I join in the discussion.
Why would we?
I find much of what you say to be accurate, although not always
insightful. For instance, your comments on foreign aid can easily be
boiled down to the fact that what we call "foreign aid" is really an
attempt by governments to subsidize their own economies. (Sure, we'll give
you $100 million in aid, but we'll use our taxpayer dollars to pay US-based
companies to send you stuff). The goal, therefore, is not to aid foreign
countries, but to subsidize one's own industry. That is why so many Aid
projects fail, time after time: The apparent goal failed, but the true goal
was successful.
About the following comment:
> From estimates done by development scientists, 90% of all existing
>greenhouse gases are produced by the North. Ninety percent of the
>World's resources e.g. energy etc. are used by the North. While the South
>is used as a sink for 90% of the emitted gases, it uses 10% of the World's
>resources !
I think this is inaccurate, because it implies that all greenhouse gasses
emitted by the north are being absorbed by the south. Not true. Much of
it is being absorbed by the atmosphere. That is why almost all scientists
agree that we are either entering a period of global warming, or that
global warming is a definite possibility.
Even Dennis Avery, a whore for major producers of pollution (oooh, I bet
Philip is going to tattle on me now!) has begun to focus on all of the
wonderful benefits that global warming can bring (as demonstrated in an
article by him in a recent _Reader's Digest_).
Additionally, your comments about the accumulation of wealth seem to be
without value judgement. To what extent is it legitimate that some
people/countries enrich themselves at the expense of others? Is it
legitimate that a King doubles taxes on his starving peasants so that he
might buy more jewelry and statues? At what point does the accumulation of
wealth become theft, or murder? These are very relevant questions in the
age of the Global Economy.
I am reminded of a conversation between a journalist and the ruler of
Kenya. The journalist asked, "How is it that you are the third richest man
on earth, and yet the majority of your countrymen live in crushing poverty?"
The response? The Mandarin replied that he was not the third richest man
on earth, but the second richest man on earth.
End of reply.
Bob Hoffmann
229 East C St., Suite B
Moscow, ID 83843 USA
Phone: (208) 883-0642
Fax: 1-800-683-3799
http://www.alt-escape.com
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