Best Of British: Irrefutable Reasons To Be Proud Of UK Aid

When Britain is congratulated for doing something extraordinary you want to hear what it is we've done. And when it comes from one of the world's most successful business leaders, Bill Gates, you might listen a little more closely to the detail. This is exactly what happened last night at a special lecture in the House of Lords where Mr Gates robustly applauded the UK's historic contributions to global health through its strong commitment to overseas aid. This can be seen with the UK's current response to the Ebola crisis. But he particularly highlighted the UK's remarkable contribution to the huge progress made in tackling malaria - the oldest and deadliest disease - which in the past 15 years has seen child deaths cut in half and over three million young lives saved.

The event, The Case for Aid: A Conversation with Bill Gates which I was delighted Malaria No More UK helped support, served to remind us of the many reasons to be proud of the Best of British, and rightly so when you consider;


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-whiting/uk-aid-bill-gates-congratulates-uk-on-malaria-aid_b_6131364.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK

How do they calculate that malaria is the oldest disease?

Original Quill wrote:How do they calculate that malaria is the oldest disease?

Genetics.

Not pregnancy??

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002319/UK-aid-cash-helped-African-dictator-buy-30m-jet.html


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255838/How-money-squandered-foreign-aid.html


http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/may/16/mali-president-boubacar-keita-private-plane-international-aid-donors


http://www.channel4.com/news/is-uk-aid-buying-jets-for-pakistan-bongo-bongo-land-godfrey-bloom-ukip

I see Tommy cannot understand what has been done basing to try and deny help people in need off where there is some corruption showing that some people wish to clearly try to deny aid to people who really need it.

You need to read:





British political leadership - which has been truly exceptional when it comes to overseas aid. The UK was the first G7 nation to achieve a spending level of at least 0.7% of national income on aid. The UK's role in the global fight against malaria (a disease which causes some 627,000 deaths and 207 million cases annually) has shown a lead to the world. Making malaria one of its top aid priorities, the UK is the second largest government donor to malaria with a tripling of it's funding to combat the disease between 2008-2015. And such a concerted investment has delivered both tangible results (in lives saved) and strong returns (research from the UN Special Envoy on Malaria indicates that every $1 invested in malaria control in Africa, on average, returns $40 in higher economic growth). A smart place to put political leadership and funding, malaria serves as one of the strongest proof points that aid works.

British public support - whilst we may have been facing some difficult economic times, it seems the British public remains supportive of helping the developing world. According to a poll last year 81% of us thought it was important to help people in poorer countries - we have, after all, always been a nation with real heart. And this goes for people's support of the fight against malaria as well. In recent opinion polling Malaria No More UK did, 70% of the UK public believed malaria is a serious development issue. And the same goes for the community fundraisers who are walking, running, cycling, baking and knitting for our Miles for Malaria challenge who care about the disease either because they themselves has been affected (more than 1,500 Brits suffered from malaria last year many of which were severe and caused seven deaths), or because they want to help end the preventable and needless loss of lives.

British business and innovation - knowing that business has a core part in the development equation, some of our biggest companies and corporates are playing a transformational part in the fight against malaria. From GSK, who have so far invested more than $350 million in developing a malaria vaccine since the early 1980s (and expects to invest around another $260 million), to Jack Wills whose co-founder and Malaria No More UK Patron, Peter Williams, has committed his thoroughly British clothing company to be an active partner in raising a target of £1 million to fight the disease. Or take some of the world's leading British scientists based both home and abroad, whether they are experimenting with GM mosquitoes or modelling malaria transmission to help identify patterns and hotspots. Truly something to be proud of, UK R&D is leading the way.

So should we be proud of what UK aid has done? Without a doubt. But as the saying goes, pride comes before a fall. And whilst we have huge amounts to be proud of when we look at what progress has been possible, we would be wise to see the potential fragility. The achievements of recent years in malaria could be rapidly reversed without continued public, political and financial support. And sadly history has repeatedly shown us the costly consequences of prematurely ending anti-malaria programmes - massive malaria resurgence has frequently occurred when funding of local malaria projects is ended in Africa. But if we are able to tap into another of the Great British values - dogged determination - we need to stick in the game, stay with the fight and finish business. In this case ending malaria within a generation. Defeating the one disease that has killed more children than any other in history. Now that would be something to be proud of.

Yeah, we give a billion £ a month away to other countries who then have money to buy luxury private jets and houses and cars for their high ranking officials.... or fighter jets or space programmes....

So your argument against helping people is bad or poor goverments, and not the main point of helping those that need help then.
The fact is many people have been helped by providing aid, all of which you ignore, which is the main point of Aid.

Our money should be spent here on our people.

We are all humans, you are using the false belief people are serpated by a mythical race, we are biologically one race, so why do you wish to not help many people who most need it in poorer countries?

Helping our people simply means all people biologically

Our money taken from our people should be spent here on our people.

Tommy Monk wrote:Yeah, we give a billion £ a month away to other countries who then have money to buy luxury private jets and houses and cars for their high ranking officials.... or fighter jets or space programmes....

Who did Britain give a  "billion £ a month" to for luxury private jets and houses and cars?  Do you have any facts to substantiate this, or is this framing bullshit for your argument?

Can you cite a specific article or articles?

Foreign aid is absolutely the right thing for Britain to do. The aid isn't handed over in suitcases full of cash. It's distributed through NGO's, charity organisations and money given to construct infrastructure projects.

All these luxuries that these corrupt leaders take for themselves comes out of the resources of their own country and they would take it even if the aid wasn't supplied so it is important to keep the aid flowing to wherever it is most needed. I don't dispute that greater accountability is required but on the whole it goes to where it is most needed.

If we want to stop people coming here then the best way is to try and make the lives of the people that live in countries that need the aid is to build up their infrastructure in education, communication, better irrigation of their land etc. and stop supplying them with military equipment that they don't really need and they can't afford.

Tommy Monk wrote:Our money taken from our people should be spent here on our people.

So what 70% of British wealth should be spent on the people it was taken from?

Actually I agree with you Tommy
So empty the fucking coffers you thieving twit          



Yes you have to Pay for the Past because YOU HAVEN'T YET and you still have other people stuff !!!! and still profiting of the things You stole !!!!!

You do realise for the concept of spent on the people it was taken from to work you would Completely cripple the UK as it would have to give away more than half it's wealth

Already posted some links with examples, there are many more.


And Veya, your whole argument is wrong.


Are you saying that others had loads of money and We just took it all?


Wasn't ancient Egypt built up on the efforts of slavery...?



Other nations have businesses, industry and trade etc, all taxed by their govts and they should be spending their own money on the people there who are paying it.



We give money to India who can afford a space programme, to Pakistan who can afford fighter jets and other military hardware.


And if other tin pot African 'democracies' are so corrupt that they pilfer away the tax revenues there then it is up to them to sort out, not for us to just pour our tax payers money into them too for most of that to disappear as well.....



And yes, it is about a billion a month now we just hand away to others when we have many of our own problems here that could be better served by the money, plus we are having to borrow billions a year because we can't afford our own expenditure, so we shouldn't be borrowing more just to give away.

Tommy Monk wrote:Already posted some links with examples, there are many more.


And Veya, your whole argument is wrong.


Are you saying that others had loads of money and We just took it all?
No you literally made them slaves and stole the physical resources and land which you in Australia for example wasn't given back until a federal court ruling here TOOK it back in 1976
http://treatyrepublic.net/content/45-yrs-sand-poured-vincent-lingiaris-hand


Wasn't ancient Egypt built up on the efforts of slavery...?
Probably not that is just in the movies
Moses is approximately 2500 after the last pyramid is built


Other nations have businesses, industry and trade etc, all taxed by their govts and they should be spending their own money on the people there who are paying it.



We give money to India who can afford a space programme, to Pakistan who can afford fighter jets and other military hardware.
LOL you are an idiot That is not Fucking donations Moron that is Bribes to be allowed to trade in their country, Yeah the UK and EVERYONE FUCKING ELSE that wants access to 1.5 billion person market

And if other tin pot African 'democracies' are so corrupt that they pilfer away the tax revenues there then it is up to them to sort out, not for us to just pour our tax payers money into them too for most of that to disappear as well.....
so the nations you(and other Europeans) raped then abandoned to dictators??? then Dont winge when they travel to the UK to get work and an better life. And the UK pays Less per person in foreign aide than Australia. we pay almost half of your donations and only have a third of your population



And yes, it is about a billion a month now we just hand away to others when we have many of our own problems here that could be better served by the money, plus we are having to borrow billions a year because we can't afford our own expenditure, so we shouldn't be borrowing more just to give away.

yeah that not actually impressive like I said we pay about half a billion a month and only have a third of the people pay for it. You obviously do not understand how aide works, Our gov't give them money so they have money to buy stuff off us. Plus the whole Humanity thing

http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/world-top-ten-doners-of-foreigner-aid-map.html

The UK is good though, still in top 10 for donations

found out something interesting the Swedes smash everyone with donations. almost double the per capita donation of Australia which is higher than UK US etc.

I wasn't even born until 1971 so it wasn't me, or any of my family who have had to work all their lives for what little they had.





You have a very one sided view of things and it's more of a potato field you have on your shoulder than a chip....

No it is just you are a twit

You tell every Muslim they need to be judged by the actions of a few terrorists
WELL
I am judging Brits by the actions of the British
I'll quote victor "It's only a few" So why are you more special than the Innocent Muslim?
Or are you just a hypocrite and whinger that didn't even realise Pretty much everyone on this board lives in a nation that donates as much or more than the UK in foreign aide?

and it is NORMAL
you guys are just too anglo-centric and don't realise people don't assume Brit means good it normally means Bad to most people on the planet outside of the UK.

And doesn't that also tell you something that there People were still Suffering at the hand of British Colonialism even 5 years after you were born You and Victor and Nicko talk like it is long past but Aboriginals as old as nicko suffered it for half their bloody lives before the injustice of the British empire were removed.

Well said veya, tommy is very selective of when 'the few' get to speak for the many...

Eilzel wrote:Well said veya, tommy is very selective of when 'the few' get to speak for the many...

thanks Eil

Tommy Monk wrote:Already posted some links with examples, there are many more.

No you didn't.  You can run, but you can't hide.

they do pay a billion a month in foreign aide but that includes the minimum payments required to access markets, yeah clever accounting calls it Aide but really it's bribes and all our nations do it. there is aide too but what TM really fails to understand the West doesn't do anything it can't profit from Including 'giving away money'

see ya's later Friday Arvo time to hit the pub

veya_victaous wrote:they do pay a billion a month in foreign aide but that includes the minimum payments required to access markets, yeah clever accounting calls it Aide but really it's bribes and all our nations do it. there is aide too but what TM really fails to understand the West doesn't do anything it can't profit from Including 'giving away money'  

Pay attention. He said billions, going to houses and cars. We're not talking about run-of-the-mill foreign aid. It's bullshit...don't help him.

Tommy Monk wrote:Already posted some links with examples, there are many more.


And Veya, your whole argument is wrong.


Are you saying that others had loads of money and We just took it all?


Wasn't ancient Egypt built up on the efforts of slavery...?

Wait, so it's okay to steal something if slaves built it thousands of years ago, but it's not okay to say that Britain should return it to the country of its origin?

This is madness! Specifically, supremacism ...

Tommy Monk wrote:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002319/UK-aid-cash-helped-African-dictator-buy-30m-jet.html


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255838/How-money-squandered-foreign-aid.html


http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/may/16/mali-president-boubacar-keita-private-plane-international-aid-donors


http://www.channel4.com/news/is-uk-aid-buying-jets-for-pakistan-bongo-bongo-land-godfrey-bloom-ukip

Just for quim again.....



There are many more iexamples on line f you care to look.

Our wealth is not based on a few dusty relics from Egypt or Greece.... it is based on hard work and industry where we We used to make and invented virtually everything.



You also seem to forget that the overwhelmig majority of people here were also subjugated by the ruling classes and lived in abject poverty for centuries.

Our industrial revolution was in a large part fueled by the Atlantic Slave trade and then by the huge control of trade we had when the British Empire governed 1/4 of the world's landmass and 1/3 of its seas- land we governed by oppressing the native peoples.

Whether that warrants us giving financial aid now is debatable but it is nonesense to claim what we did less than 100 years ago has not had an effect on today, we aren't one of the top 10 economies by chance- we had a major headstart and forced our advantage with gunboat tactics in from the 18th to early 20th centuries.

No one ever suggested our wealth was based on the objects of the British Museum tommy, that just shows your lack of understanding of Ben's post; and you whole ignorance shows your lack of education in the history of our great nation.

We had A small involvement in slavery compared to other countries and The history of slavery.


By your logic many other countries would be much richer and much more advanced instead of being poor and more third world as they had many more slaves.



What we did well was intention, trade and industry, and We built up our country to What today looks very impressive and affluent but still most people work hard but struggle to pay their bills every month.



Veyas argument is like 'you got it all and I got fuck all' but is totally misguided.

You really are the most deluded wally I've ever read anything by.

We had the biggest involvement in slavery during the 18th century. Over 300 years Portugal may have greater numbers (which explains why such a small country is 'relatively' well off compared to many other countries). The point being that the 18th century really was when our industrial age rocketed, Liverpool and Manchester would not have become the boom cities they were had it not been for the Atlantic Slave Trade. The figures are there tommy if you care to look.

We did do trade well I agree. And we had the biggest advantage by controlling the Suez Canal, South Africa, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Straits of Gibraltar and much of the Middle East.

When you control so much of the world it is no surprise that trade and industry do so well....

And I do write off what we did. Indeed I'm immensely proud of the Empire, but there is no use pretending it was all wonderful. We treated natives atrociously and built up a wealthy developed nation while keeping our colonial subjects in poverty.

Can I not say 'we' tommy? Well this is what veya was pointing out. You call on Muslims for the crimes of the few and cite historical precedent to back your claims. Well Britain is still exploiting many in the third world (mostly indirectly simply by buying cheap goods) and we did it on a grand scale in the past- so by your own logic you must take some blame for the crimes of our nation- if not you are not only deluded, but a deluded hypocrite.

Maybe you should read this....


http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Muslim_Statistics_-_Slavery

You have pulled that up before. However, simply going off the first few sentences:

2/3 slaves in Muslim trade were women. 2/3 of slaves in Atlantic trade were men.

80-90% died in transit in the trans-Sahara trade. 10% died in transit in the Atlantic trade.

Almost all slaves in the Atlantic trade were for agricultural work. Most slaves in the in the Middle-East were destined for sexual exploitation in harems or as concubines, or for military service.

So just a slight difference there tommy eh?

Which slave  trade is more likely to be the backbone  of an Industrial Revolution?

Yes but look at the numbers, Muslims had over 100 million.


Plus their military adventures were all about looting and plundering others wealth.




Overwhelming majority of the small number of slaves we were responsible for were treated very well, allowed many freedoms.

Tommy Monk wrote:Yes but look at the numbers, Muslims had over 100 million.


Plus their military adventures were all about looting and plundering others wealth.




Overwhelming majority of the small number of slaves we were responsible for were treated very well, allowed many freedoms.          

UPTO 100 million, that is a speculative number, and regardless, over a MUCH longer period of time.

80-90% died- which leaves, even at that massive estimate, 10-20 million.

And remember 2/3 were women for sexual exploitation. The remaining 1/3 were men for military service. There is no industry going to be built off a non-profit slave trade.

You seem to be struggling with understanding the differences between how we used slavery and how they used slavery.

As to your asinine comment on the 'overwhelming number of slaves we were responsible for' being treated well... You've obviously never read or looked into anything about the Atlantic Slave Trade (most died relatively quickly in servitude). I'll just leave everyone else to be as gobsmacked as I was about that- stop trying to pretend you know anything about history tommy.

Compared to the ones the Muslims had as slaves....


Explained in the link I posted.

Compared to the ones the Muslims had as slaves....


Explained in the link I posted.



And although an estimated 2/3 of Muslims slaves were women, that is because they just killed all the other men.

Tommy Monk wrote:Compared to the ones the Muslims had as slaves....


Explained in the link I posted.

You didn't say compared though did you. I'm not comparing either. The Atlantic Slave Trade was brutal and disgusting however you paint it. And you cannot compare the commercial aspect of our slave trade to that of the Middle East since their natures were totally different. Ours was economic, theirs was not. You fail to understand both numbers and purpose.

You forget that everybody wasn't treated very well at that time by the ruling elite, British people were subjugated and lived very tough lives and worked bloody hard to have what little they got.

Tommy Monk wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002319/UK-aid-cash-helped-African-dictator-buy-30m-jet.html


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255838/How-money-squandered-foreign-aid.html


http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/may/16/mali-president-boubacar-keita-private-plane-international-aid-donors


http://www.channel4.com/news/is-uk-aid-buying-jets-for-pakistan-bongo-bongo-land-godfrey-bloom-ukip

Just for quim again.....

There are many more iexamples on line f you care to look.

No there are not. How many times do I have to repeat that?

Tommy Monk wrote:Our wealth is not based on a few dusty relics from Egypt or Greece.... it is based on hard work and industry where we We used to make and invented virtually everything.

Fuck!  I want to puke.  That's straight out of a 400-yearl old text.  Dream on tommy-boy, the biggest contributor to wealth is inheritance.  Hard work and industry my ass...  

Anyway, carry on...

The overwhelming majority of British people only inherit what their parents worked bloody hard and saved bloody hard to acquire.



It sounds to me that your arguments are that because a tiny minority of British people, namely the ruling elite, did quite well out of history then the rest of todays British people have to give away a billion pounds a month.....


While the countries who we give this money to have enough of their own money to finance space programmes and buy top military hardware, fighter jets and such, AND other officials are able to treat themselves, to private jets and luxury houses and cars.....

Tommy Monk wrote:The overwhelming majority of British people only inherit what their parents worked bloody hard and saved bloody hard to acquire.

It sounds to me that your arguments are that because a tiny minority of British people, namely the ruling elite, did quite well out of history then the rest of todays British people have to give away a billion pounds a month.....

We are talking about wealth, not the majority of the British people.

Don't change the subject.

Tommy Monk wrote:While the countries who we give this money to have enough of their own money to finance space programmes and buy top military hardware, fighter jets and such, AND other officials are able to treat themselves, to private jets and luxury houses and cars.....

Do you have any facts or is this just in your imagination?  Do I have to keep asking?

Already posted some links and reposted just for you.



And I'm not changing any subject, just putting the facts out there to those idiots who think our streets are paved with gold.



I'm not denying that some did very well out of historical British rule, just that it was a tiny minority of the ruling elite while the most of us were subjugated and had very hard lives, made to work bloody hard for very little.

Some more links for quim.... I wonder if his denial complex will allow him to see any of them....



http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/15/sierra-leone-aid-money_n_3083057.html


http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/nov/16/uk-suspends-aid-uganda-misuse


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/7944792/300m-earthquake-aid-misused-by-Zardari.html


http://www.hrw.org/news/2010/12/17/ethiopia-donors-should-investigate-misuse-aid-money




And...

"The Education For All programme in India was hailed by our Government as an inspiring         example of the effectiveness of Britain’s foreign aid budget. 
As £388 million of taxpayers’ money was poured into the grandly titled scheme aimed at improving Indian schools, the Department for International Development (DfID) trumpeted its success...

...According to a report released in May 2011 by the Indian government, no less than £70 million of DfID’s £388 million programme had been stolen or lost.
Much of the cash had been allocated to schools that did not exist. A proportion went to buy private cars for officials..."


"...It is absurd we’ve given almost £1 billion in the past five years to India, a country with its own space programme and nuclear arsenal..."



PLus...



"...Such a verdict can only have been reinforced by revelations that EU aid has been used to promote tourism in Iceland, bankroll a French tourist resort in Morocco, support a ‘hospitality management school’ in Barbados and subsidise a Turkish TV station.
..."


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255838/How-money-squandered-foreign-aid.html




There are many more examples!!!!

Tommy Monk wrote:Some more links for quim.... I wonder if his denial complex will allow him to see any of them....

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/15/sierra-leone-aid-money_n_3083057.html

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/nov/16/uk-suspends-aid-uganda-misuse

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/7944792/300m-earthquake-aid-misused-by-Zardari.html

http://www.hrw.org/news/2010/12/17/ethiopia-donors-should-investigate-misuse-aid-money

And...

"The Education For All programme in India was hailed by our Government as an inspiring         example of the effectiveness of Britain’s foreign aid budget. 
As £388 million of taxpayers’ money was poured into the grandly titled scheme aimed at improving Indian schools, the Department for International Development (DfID) trumpeted its success...

...According to a report released in May 2011 by the Indian government, no less than £70 million of DfID’s £388 million programme had been stolen or lost.
Much of the cash had been allocated to schools that did not exist. A proportion went to buy private cars for officials..."

"...It is absurd we’ve given almost £1 billion in the past five years to India, a country with its own space programme and nuclear arsenal..."

PLus...

"...Such a verdict can only have been reinforced by revelations that EU aid has been used to promote tourism in Iceland, bankroll a French tourist resort in Morocco, support a ‘hospitality management school’ in Barbados and subsidise a Turkish TV station.
..."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255838/How-money-squandered-foreign-aid.html

There are many more examples!!!!

And the houses, automobiles and luxury items? Remember, there were two parts to your statement.

You obviously haven't read any of the links....

And quim has run away.....



But before you go, here's a couple more concerning private jets....


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002319/UK-aid-cash-helped-African-dictator-buy-30m-jet.html


http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/may/16/mali-president-boubacar-keita-private-plane-international-aid-donors





When will some on here start realising that I don't just pluck shit out of my arse to post up on here, It is all true and easily backed up!!!

So again are you trying to stop aid based off where at sometimes some nations are stealing some of the money intended to people who need Aid.
Illogical argument, as you are then making the people suffer who need the aid over nothing they have done, but for example their government. That is basically using an excuse to deny people Aid, instead of trying to eradicate the corruption. Which again goes to the rational and natural thing to do to a real threat global wide to countless people who need aid, you attempt to eradicate the problem with aid, resources and help. You again do not ignore the problem or push it away, but try to help all those who do need help.
The logic behind any real threat will be to attempt to eradicate the problem.

I'm saying that our money should be spent on our people and other countries should be spending their money on their people.



We should retain an idea of having some money available to help people around the world in the event of disaster situations and real humanitarian needs but not a set budget where our tax payers money is routinely allocated to foreign nations to pay for fundamental things that they should already be providing as basics.



It is evident that a huge percentage of this money is lost to fraud, with a high level of the rest subsidising countries for basic amenities and provisions while they then have plenty of cash to buy arms and other military hardware, fighter jets etc, with India even having enough then spare to finance a space programme.



Only a fraction actually gets through to people who need it, with the rest going to pay for the bureaucracy of running the whole process.


And as I've already mentioned, the people in need would already have the money needed if countries weren't so readily spending it on other things anyway.




Corruption is rife in many of these places, and throwing more money at it doesn't make it better.



Plus we can't afford it, we are borrowing billions as It is, we don't need to be borrowing another billion a month just to hand away for any of this.



Let them borrow their own money or let the people realise their leaders are corrupt and stealing the money and do something about it.