I assume foreign aid has stopped ?
Discussion
EXKAY120 said:
Strange but very relevant surely.....when our country needs all the money we have surely it would be wrong to still be giving it away to other countries ?
No, because the money used in foreign aid helps to bring stability that might otherwise not exist and lead to larger more expensive problems. The estimate from the DFID is that in any one year about 75-90% of the 'foreign' aid budget is actually distributed to British firms to spend, so it's not as if we're just depositing big sacks of cash in the developing world and leaving them to it. It's not all charities and water wells; a lot of it goes to UK firms putting in transport and industrial infrastructure or performing project management/consultancy work.
Even if you're being cynical, a lot of the aid budget has a political or diplomatic purpose to keep various countries and governments well-disposed to us. Which almost certainly 'pays for itself' given that the aid budget is <1.0% of total spending.
And that's without going into the humanitarian areas that other posters have covered - that it alleviates or prevents problems that would ultimately be much more costly (in human and monetary terms) if left unchecked, as well as the broader moral issues about where and how the UK acquired it's national wealth that we can distribute a small part of in the first place.
Even if you're being cynical, a lot of the aid budget has a political or diplomatic purpose to keep various countries and governments well-disposed to us. Which almost certainly 'pays for itself' given that the aid budget is <1.0% of total spending.
And that's without going into the humanitarian areas that other posters have covered - that it alleviates or prevents problems that would ultimately be much more costly (in human and monetary terms) if left unchecked, as well as the broader moral issues about where and how the UK acquired it's national wealth that we can distribute a small part of in the first place.
First of all the foreign is budgeted for not just now but the next few years. There are projects ongoing across the world that we are part of.
Foreign aid does not mean giving money to countries. It is spent on specific contracts.
You may also be surprised to learn that these projects although are overseas quite often are given to UK companies to do. So if improves an area with a specific goal, that country often also will end up giving us contracts in return. On top of that the money comes back to us through the UK companies that provide the aid.
So economically it works quite well for both sides and politically it is why we are one of the biggest soft power countries in the world, still to this day. It is often said that soft power has more influence than military power.
Foreign aid does not mean giving money to countries. It is spent on specific contracts.
You may also be surprised to learn that these projects although are overseas quite often are given to UK companies to do. So if improves an area with a specific goal, that country often also will end up giving us contracts in return. On top of that the money comes back to us through the UK companies that provide the aid.
So economically it works quite well for both sides and politically it is why we are one of the biggest soft power countries in the world, still to this day. It is often said that soft power has more influence than military power.
elster said:
First of all the foreign is budgeted for not just now but the next few years. There are projects ongoing across the world that we are part of.
Foreign aid does not mean giving money to countries. It is spent on specific contracts.
You may also be surprised to learn that these projects although are overseas quite often are given to UK companies to do. So if improves an area with a specific goal, that country often also will end up giving us contracts in return. On top of that the money comes back to us through the UK companies that provide the aid.
So economically it works quite well for both sides and politically it is why we are one of the biggest soft power countries in the world, still to this day. It is often said that soft power has more influence than military power.
ThisForeign aid does not mean giving money to countries. It is spent on specific contracts.
You may also be surprised to learn that these projects although are overseas quite often are given to UK companies to do. So if improves an area with a specific goal, that country often also will end up giving us contracts in return. On top of that the money comes back to us through the UK companies that provide the aid.
So economically it works quite well for both sides and politically it is why we are one of the biggest soft power countries in the world, still to this day. It is often said that soft power has more influence than military power.
The Chinese realised that the West can be icky about foreign aid.
They also have a massive need for raw materials.
Lots of new roads in Africa, built by the Chinese, access to markets and all that.
and before someone posts it, the full version is....
"Charity begins at home, but should not end there".
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