Indian foreign aid money well spent?
Discussion
Look what we 'hard working taxpayers' are getting for our money 
when we splash the cash to needy nations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/31/indi...
https://news.sky.com/story/fury-over-uks-unjustifi...
Parliamentary briefing paper 7996 from May this year, Q11 seems to state that "we" misunderstood what cutting aid means.
To quote it
"What was announced and why people got confused
The announcements made were not as clear as they could have been
Linky https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBr...
when we splash the cash to needy nations https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/31/indi...
https://news.sky.com/story/fury-over-uks-unjustifi...
Parliamentary briefing paper 7996 from May this year, Q11 seems to state that "we" misunderstood what cutting aid means.
To quote it
"What was announced and why people got confused
The announcements made were not as clear as they could have been
Linky https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBr...
Francis85 said:
Have to say the statue looks amazing
Not really, just big. I don't want to pay for it, but if you do maybe some crowd-funding would work?
So much UK money is wasted on overseas aid for countries funding "vanity" projects - that's probably why we can't afford anything vaguely cultural in the UK.
The statue is irrelevant. You could point to ANY major spending project and ask why a Country should be given aid if they are spending XYZ on “that”.
IIRC Indian has actually said in the past that it doesn’t need our aid. So is it money that we are pretending is aid but is actually benefitting “us” more than “them”?
IIRC Indian has actually said in the past that it doesn’t need our aid. So is it money that we are pretending is aid but is actually benefitting “us” more than “them”?
king Blair...Shuvi McTupya said:
SCEtoAUX said:
Foreign aid is just bribery really.
While I am not in disagreement with that sentiment. What are we bribing them for and how are we benefitting?Is it purely a trade thing?
Shuvi McTupya said:
While I am not in disagreement with that sentiment. What are we bribing them for and how are we benefitting?
Is it purely a trade thing?
I see it a bit like Bank of Mum and Dad. In 20 - 30 years time India will be one of the strongest countries economically and politically in the world. I few quid today will hopefully buy us some favourable treatment as the influence of western countries wane.Is it purely a trade thing?
Things like this do make you laugh. I remember that bbc thing about burma where ed byrne did wonder why there were so many giant gold budda's everywhere in reverence to a man preaching the exact opposite of what they represent.
I doubt UK money paid for this vast Indian statue whatever its meant to represent.
I doubt UK money paid for this vast Indian statue whatever its meant to represent.
Brigand said:
Trade deals mainly. "We'll give you all this 'aid' if you let us buy your resources, or get favourable tariffs from buying your stuff, or you can get favourable tariffs on buying our stuff, or just keep buying our stuff in general".
However we have been in the EU for a long time and so can not strike favorable tariffs and so on. If giving foreign aid is so beneficial why does France only give half of what UK give for example?You could argue the same of every statue that exists in the UK - there are thousands in London alone all paid for by people who dont live in London who will never see them? I don't see people out on the streets with pitchforks and torches complaining each day? The Eiffel Tower doesn't actually do anything it has no practical application, nor does the statue of Liberty, but they are there. I imagine this will drive tourism and other halo benefits and will probably pay itself back over time.
It doesn't actually say foreign aid is used to pay for this (unless I missed it apologies) but its worth understanding how foreign aid is used, its not a big cheque given to a countries government to bank like many EDL types in the UK might want you to believe. The main reasons for foreign aid is to build soft-leverage in terms of our activity as a global economy, its used to help build long term projects to allow countries to become self sufficient, its used by agencies to manage crisis etc. it actually pays itself back into the UK in that agencies operate from here, in other countries, receiving the money to fund their work. This is an independent review of aid spend you can read up on https://icai.independent.gov.uk/about-us/
It doesn't actually say foreign aid is used to pay for this (unless I missed it apologies) but its worth understanding how foreign aid is used, its not a big cheque given to a countries government to bank like many EDL types in the UK might want you to believe. The main reasons for foreign aid is to build soft-leverage in terms of our activity as a global economy, its used to help build long term projects to allow countries to become self sufficient, its used by agencies to manage crisis etc. it actually pays itself back into the UK in that agencies operate from here, in other countries, receiving the money to fund their work. This is an independent review of aid spend you can read up on https://icai.independent.gov.uk/about-us/
coldel said:
You could argue the same of every statue that exists in the UK - there are thousands in London alone all paid for by people who dont live in London who will never see them? I don't see people out on the streets with pitchforks and torches complaining each day? The Eiffel Tower doesn't actually do anything it has no practical application, nor does the statue of Liberty, but they are there. I imagine this will drive tourism and other halo benefits and will probably pay itself back over time.
It doesn't actually say foreign aid is used to pay for this (unless I missed it apologies) but its worth understanding how foreign aid is used, its not a big cheque given to a countries government to bank like many EDL types in the UK might want you to believe. The main reasons for foreign aid is to build soft-leverage in terms of our activity as a global economy, its used to help build long term projects to allow countries to become self sufficient, its used by agencies to manage crisis etc. it actually pays itself back into the UK in that agencies operate from here, in other countries, receiving the money to fund their work. This is an independent review of aid spend you can read up on https://icai.independent.gov.uk/about-us/
Whether UK aid actually paid for it isn’t relevant. Any country that can spend resources on ego trips like that shouldn’t be begging from others. It doesn't actually say foreign aid is used to pay for this (unless I missed it apologies) but its worth understanding how foreign aid is used, its not a big cheque given to a countries government to bank like many EDL types in the UK might want you to believe. The main reasons for foreign aid is to build soft-leverage in terms of our activity as a global economy, its used to help build long term projects to allow countries to become self sufficient, its used by agencies to manage crisis etc. it actually pays itself back into the UK in that agencies operate from here, in other countries, receiving the money to fund their work. This is an independent review of aid spend you can read up on https://icai.independent.gov.uk/about-us/
The real question is why the UK gives so much more than most others. Only the USA gives more. Even Germany are behind the UK and no one else comes close.
And that’s without counting the share of EU donations actually paid by the UK.
REALIST123 said:
Whether UK aid actually paid for it isn’t relevant. Any country that can spend resources on ego trips like that shouldn’t be begging from others.
The real question is why the UK gives so much more than most others. Only the USA gives more. Even Germany are behind the UK and no one else comes close.
And that’s without counting the share of EU donations actually paid by the UK.
Agree there is a debate to be had about supplying aid to countries that have a space programme - but as I said there are probably politics at play here that you would need to spend weeks reading into the detail about that dictate why this happens (and I mean that for everyone myself included). The real question is why the UK gives so much more than most others. Only the USA gives more. Even Germany are behind the UK and no one else comes close.
And that’s without counting the share of EU donations actually paid by the UK.
The real question you mention isn't really correct, in terms of % of GDP which is what the target is for countries to support others, the US is behind the UK (Germany, Denmark and a few others match what we do). The EU payments are a completely different argument to foreign aid best left for the brexit thread.
PositronicRay said:
Any country that has a fully funded space program shouldn't require foreign aid.
So you have to wonder why it happens. I don't think any government is daft enough in times of austerity to just give money away...there will be a political outcome of doing this that benefits both parties. Be it preferential trade tariffs or for having our military sitting in their country ready to strike in Pakistan or neighbouring countries whenever we want to etc. We aren't just giving money away because we feel sorry for them. What I would be more concerned about is us selling arms to Saudi Arabia despite the crackpot leadership they have there. The media are all over Russia because of Salisbury expecting the world to back us but because SA kind of do us various political favours and pay for supporting our manufacturing of military weapons we kind of forget all those morals when it comes to a chap being state murdered in an embassy.
A quote from the DFID back in September kind of hints at why £50m is sent to India "Our partnership with India helps enhance investment, prosperity and jobs in both countries, strengthen joint action on global issues of mutual concern, widen access to technology and support the UKs global security objectives"
So in effect our foreign aid of £50m to them basically buys us preferential access to new tech, expertise and as I mentioned strategic military positioning....as well of course as helping people living in extreme poverty.
So in effect our foreign aid of £50m to them basically buys us preferential access to new tech, expertise and as I mentioned strategic military positioning....as well of course as helping people living in extreme poverty.
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