Remind me why we give India billions each year...?

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

That was my point earlier.

Governments don't ALWAYS act stupidly.

No Eric, but that's where the smart money would be.

The only way we would know what the true picture is would be to see an analysis of all the countries in the world showing who they give 'aid' to and the value of the benefits each gets in return. A sort of global cost benefit study of aid.

Probably impossible and even if it were it would probably be very confusing, not to say obfuscating. And therein lies the reason for the whole programme perhaps, another convenient smokescreen for governments to hide behind.

[Happy82]

Asterix said:

Happy82 said:

Bollywood does Total Recall

You may laugh but one of my clients was a little Indian fella who was brought up in Austria. I could never get my head around the fact he looked not dissimilar to Ghandi and sounded exactly like Arnie.

I experienced similar when visiting Scotland, I expected a broken Indian accent but was hit will a full on Scottish brogue

[Smiler.]

It does catch you off guard. When I was in Yemen, struggling to communicate with a local shop keeper in the middle of nowhere, a chap came sauntering up, mouth full of Kat and said "alright lads, you avin' a spot of bovver?"

This was in a broad Yorkshire accent. Surreal.

[Le Pop]

Eric Mc said:

So what. It's coming to an end anyway.

India has the right to decide what it does with its own money. It's a democracy. If the people of India don't like it, they'll tell the politicians.

One interesting fact though.

In 1999 a cyclone struck India and killed 10,000 people.

Last month, a similar strength cyclone struck India - this time the death toll was less than 100. The difference - better advanced warning systems provided by Indian weather satellites.
So don't tell the Indians they should not be "wasting" money on space. There are at least 9,900 people who will disagree.

I don't think those millions that live in the slums of Mumbai would be very happy that billions are being spent going to Mars, or building weather satellites. There is a huge gulf between the poor and the ruling rich in India, and (although I can't prove it) I'm pretty sure the rulers don't give a toss about the slum dwellers. So although I applaud the ending of UK aid, there is still a massive issue about the treatment of poverty in India and although it is a democracy there needs to be change in priorities otherwise it'll end in tears.

[onesickpuppy]

Happy82 said:

Asterix said:

Happy82 said:

Bollywood does Total Recall

You may laugh but one of my clients was a little Indian fella who was brought up in Austria. I could never get my head around the fact he looked not dissimilar to Ghandi and sounded exactly like Arnie.

I experienced similar when visiting Scotland, I expected a broken Indian accent but was hit will a full on Scottish brogue

Like this?

[Asterix]

Thing is they do give a toss about the slum dwellers - as in, they actively keep them there. They don't want them to become upwardly mobile and, believe it or not, there are swathes of the poor and lower castes that are actually at peace with their lot, so to speak.

With many of the Indian religions, reincarnation is a widely held belief. Where they are in this life, they believe is a direct result of what happened last time round and are happy to serve out their time and hope next time they'll jump up a class (caste) or two.

Indian culture is fascinating.

My wife in Indian and I spend a fair bit of time there - off there on Thursday as it happens - and every visit is an education and always humbling.

[Eric Mc]

Le Pop said:

I don't think those millions that live in the slums of Mumbai would be very happy that billions are being spent going to Mars, or building weather satellites. There is a huge gulf between the poor and the ruling rich in India, and (although I can't prove it) I'm pretty sure the rulers don't give a toss about the slum dwellers. So although I applaud the ending of UK aid, there is still a massive issue about the treatment of poverty in India and although it is a democracy there needs to be change in priorities otherwise it'll end in tears.

The thing is, it's THEIR issue, not ours.

And if their space programme saves thousands of lives, then it IS worth what they spend on it. On the actual Mars mission, I heard that the cost is £45 million - which, if true, is very much a cheapie when it comes to these types of things.

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

Le Pop said:

I don't think those millions that live in the slums of Mumbai would be very happy that billions are being spent going to Mars, or building weather satellites. There is a huge gulf between the poor and the ruling rich in India, and (although I can't prove it) I'm pretty sure the rulers don't give a toss about the slum dwellers. So although I applaud the ending of UK aid, there is still a massive issue about the treatment of poverty in India and although it is a democracy there needs to be change in priorities otherwise it'll end in tears.

The thing is, it's THEIR issue, not ours.

And if their space programme saves thousands of lives, then it IS worth what they spend on it. On the actual Mars mission, I heard that the cost is £45 million - which, if true, is very much a cheapie when it comes to these types of things.

I think it is our issue if we are providing aid.

£45M? India can send a rocket to Mars for a 1000 times less than we can run a train line from London to Birmingham?

[Happy82]

Wouldn't fancy going on one of their colony ships......

[Happy82]

onesickpuppy said:

Happy82 said:

Asterix said:

Happy82 said:

Bollywood does Total Recall

You may laugh but one of my clients was a little Indian fella who was brought up in Austria. I could never get my head around the fact he looked not dissimilar to Ghandi and sounded exactly like Arnie.

I experienced similar when visiting Scotland, I expected a broken Indian accent but was hit will a full on Scottish brogue

Like this?

Oh no, he was more like Sean Connery doing an Egyptian accent ie full Scottish

P.s thanks for linking that, loved it

[Countdown]

Le Pop said:

I don't think those millions that live in the slums of Mumbai would be very happy that billions are being spent going to Mars, or building weather satellites. There is a huge gulf between the poor and the ruling rich in India, and (although I can't prove it) I'm pretty sure the rulers don't give a toss about the slum dwellers. So although I applaud the ending of UK aid, there is still a massive issue about the treatment of poverty in India and although it is a democracy there needs to be change in priorities otherwise it'll end in tears.

Much the same could be said about the UK.

Should we stop investment in R&D and instead spend it on benefits?

Which is better for the country in the long term?

[Asterix]

Happy82 said:

Wouldn't fancy going on one of their colony ships......

That's Pakistan going by the dress, I think.

[Eric Mc]

REALIST123 said:

I think it is our issue if we are providing aid.

£45M? India can send a rocket to Mars for a 1000 times less than we can run a train line from London to Birmingham?

In the big scheme of things, our "contribution" is miniscule. Maybe we paid for a nut and bolt on the probe.

[im]

Eric Mc said:

So what. It's coming to an end anyway.

India has the right to decide what it does with its own money. It's a democracy. If the people of India don't like it, they'll tell the politicians.

One interesting fact though.

In 1999 a cyclone struck India and killed 10,000 people.

Last month, a similar strength cyclone struck India - this time the death toll was less than 100. The difference - better advanced warning systems provided by Indian weather satellites.
So don't tell the Indians they should not be "wasting" money on space. There are at least 9,900 people who will disagree.

I'm not sure going to Mars to search for Methane and investigate the topographical history of the Red planet could reasonably be spun into "it's helping India with it's problems" though, could it?

[anonymous-user]

5unny said:

Well we are trying to flog them these -


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/tr...


126 aircrafts for £6.2 billion sounds good to me. If the so called 'aid' helps in deals like this then lets send them more.

Except it didn't work. They bought French Rafale's instead.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-1680953...
Do you think they gave the 'aid' back?

[eharding]

Asterix said:

Happy82 said:

Wouldn't fancy going on one of their colony ships......

That's Pakistan going by the dress, I think.

No need to guess - we'll hand it over to one of the train spotters in Boats, Planes and Trains - they'll be able to give us the exact locomotive specification, serial number, location and probably who was driving it.

[Eric Mc]

im said:

Eric Mc said:

So what. It's coming to an end anyway.

India has the right to decide what it does with its own money. It's a democracy. If the people of India don't like it, they'll tell the politicians.

One interesting fact though.

In 1999 a cyclone struck India and killed 10,000 people.

Last month, a similar strength cyclone struck India - this time the death toll was less than 100. The difference - better advanced warning systems provided by Indian weather satellites.
So don't tell the Indians they should not be "wasting" money on space. There are at least 9,900 people who will disagree.

I'm not sure going to Mars to search for Methane and investigate the topographical history of the Red planet could reasonably be spun into "it's helping India with it's problems" though, could it?

Of course it can. Testing planetary surveillance technology to its limits has a direct impact on similar surveillance of earth. Last time I looked, the earth was a planet too.

And it is costing buttons. For the price of a Hollywood movie about a journey to Mars, India is actually embarking on a real journey to Mars.

I think it's fantastic and fair play to them.