Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Most people are not aware, but up until the spending review this country was still giving aid to China and Russia, 2 countries who at regular intervals try to screw us, either by trade barriers or ring fencing certain commodities.
A few figures.....In 2007 China received more than 38m in British aid, with 170 mill in 2010. Since 2004/2005 aid to China has averaged 34.5 mill per year.
Of course they spent all this on their poor. You know those thousands of people they forced out of their homes to build the Beijing Olympics, on which they spent 20 Billion.
I have not had time to dig out the figures for Russia, but I would think they are similar.
We also gave millions to India, one of the fastest growing countries in the world. All 3 countries spend millions on their nuclear deterrent and space programmes.
There was no justification for giving our cash to these countries.

I have no idea which party started the aid programme, but it vastly increased under Labour.
Whilst the Conservatives have now cut, China, Russia out of the equation, they could still cut the aid amount down to the bone, IE stop it altogether, as very little gets to those who need it, The aid programme also does little to encourage these countries to help their own people.

I would like to volunteer to travel round the world as an 'Independent Political Representative for Aid' to assess who we should or should not be giving our aid to.

Proving that my wife is allowed to accompany me, I would gladly provide my services for free. Obviously, I would expect it as only natural, that my travel costs are met in full.

Of course you would have to visit countries like Mauritius, the Bahamas, and other exotic places on a fact finding mission, staying at all the best hotels and dinning in the best restaurants. All of course in the line of research.
Travel cost to be met in full. You are too honest, what you should do, is inflate your expenses, by at least 50%.
Call me a cynical b*****d if you like. I don't mind honest, because I AM.

Perhaps, if you could drop in on the following areas and meet some old friends:

Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
The Bahamas
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands:
Campione d'Italia
Cayman Islands
In the Channel Islands,
The Isle of Man
Kuwait
Macau
Mauritius
Panama



Also, I think, it would be reasonable on your journey to see what the appropriate restitution to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Of course also other countries that Britain etc. have pillaged over the years.
I wondered who made money on the economic collapse.

Fred

What have we pillaged from Afghanistan ?

Metro Aug 26.

Coalition forces in Helmund Province took (pillaged?)
712 million.
Heroin.5.7tonnes.
11.3 tonnes of opium.141 mil
841kg hashish. 3.3 mil

Phillia Brown said the amount of the drugs seized
represented about 25-30 per cent of Britain's annual
consumption of heroin.

Edit This was more than they had seized in the prior three months.

Nothing other than lives!

And then did what ? burn it. I take it ( pillage ) was not the word used by Metro.

Next you will be saying that airport custom's are pillageing drug's from passengers.

Fred

You were right the first time ....... the answer is nothing.

Aldwickk,
I inserted "pillaged" in reference to an earlier poster.
They were burnt.

ok Tyketto sorry, you must have been replying to Fred

ALD,


Do I understand you correctly?

Life = Nothing.

Is that your own life, members of your own family or just in general.

Aldwickk,
Yes. Inferred from greeks post.

Fred

We were talking about foreign aid , and you said these were the country's that the British had pillaged and I said what have we pillaged from Afghanistan , the answer was nothing. but now you have twisted this because you knew that you had no answer to my question.

Greekman was right about you twisting the answer when you have been found to be wrong.

Aldwickk,

You just beat me to it, re his twisting everything.
I still read at least the start of Fred's post but no longer reply as no one can win against him when a totally unconnected argument is used against whatever you say.

Aldwickk, a waste of time trying to get a straight answer from fred. He twists & turns everything and when he can twist no more he broadens the debate massively. At which point everyone gives up. May I recommend Hilarys advice:

hilary - 21 Oct 2010 15:52 - 9709 of 9765
You should know better than to argue with an idiot. They invariably drag you down to their own level and end up beating you with their years of experience.

Ald,

Re-read what you posted.

Tends to what you value.

Many describe lives being stolen and the consequences of that equates to the possible future support to their families.

That is part of the total cost of war.


-------------------------------------------

"Then the Chinese come along and say we are not interested about your human right's abuse we just want to invest in your country, ok then you can have the contract's "


It will be interesting how countries which have made contracts of this bases with China, deal with those contracts in the long term.

Ie. when their present administrations are dealt with.

But I believe many of the Oil Corporations of the West are less than honourable in the behaviour.

I don't think because one member of a family is a criminal you should punish the whole family.

(Although, there is something to be said for family responsibility and
punishment, in some "deviant" families, at sometime in a society's development.)

Interesting reference to the Sarah Palin of Moneyam.

For all you old boxing fan's Brian London aged 76.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44752000/jpg/_44752546_london_512.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7457725.stm&h=288&w=512&sz=27&tbnid=vNdgyJ3tjCLM0M:&tbnh=74&tbnw=131&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrian%2Blondon&zoom=1&q=brian+london&usg=__Y-zif6CxyqIaU8xxOqHxotu-Xt4=&sa=X&ei=AcXFTN21OY_QjAef77G5BQ&ved=0CCIQ9QEwAQ

Remember seeing him taking the biggest hiding that I've ever seen anyone take in the ring at (I think) Highbury, must have been against Clay as he was then named.

Not so much a boxer but a fighter as I remember, never a dull moment when he was on.