I have heard recently that 60 billion dollars of international public aid money has been poured into Afghanistan since the recent troubles with the Taliban there.I have also heard that - aside from certain diplomatic enclaves in the heart of Kabul - the country is a ruinous wasteland, and the people are literally stuck between rocks and hard places, shot at by both sides and bombed if they try to get a job to feed their families.
I have also heard that most of this $60 billion has been divided between American and British private 'security' companies and the corrupt Kharzai government, with hardly any reaching the poor bastards on the streets who actually need it.
I wonder if all this is true?
Unfortunately, sounds just about sad enough to be true Tom.
ReplyDeleteI have not read about this yet, but it wouldn't surprise me. It seems as though every time there is a disaster(natural or otherwise) with human costs, the aid money goes into the wrong hands. I wonder that an international organisation hasn't formed to prevent this from happening. Although when large amounts of money are involved, there are probably some pretty scary forces on hand to eliminate any interference.
ReplyDeleteAsk any Swiss banker. The UK government, alone, currently gives away £90 billion each year, most of which ends up in private bank accounts. When the Con-Dem-Nation arrived, they promised to stop waste; the first dep't to go should have been the so-called Dep't of OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT.
ReplyDeleteI did not realise until this latest UK government announced the first series of cut-backs, that we are still giving financial aid to countries like China and India, both of which have heavy industries which dwarf Britain's, and both of which spend a vast sum on well developed nuclear defence systems!!!
ReplyDeleteThe cost-cutting here was supposed to see the end of various non-governmental departments whose jobs it was to implement government 'targets', particularly in education. Of course, because these parasites wrote their own contracts, they are now employed to make sure that the dismantling of 'target culture' objectives is implemented correctly and in such a way that they are not forced to sack themselves for the useless blood-suckers that they really are.
Most charities operate on the same lines - a massive job-creation scheme which is designed to suck in as much disposable expenditure as possible as decently possible before as little as decently possible is handed on to the cases that it was intended for. They recently sent whole batches of high-heeled shoes to Haiti. Brand-new tractors lie rotting in Africa for want of fuel to run them and farms big enough to operate them on. Western tractor factory bosses are not complaining.
I once knew a Green Peace executive, and the stories she told me about the highest paid operatives who run around in speed boats having a good time would make you think VERY hard about ever giving money to Green Peace again.
I've become so cynical Tom, that when asked to donate to anything now, the first question I ask of the fund-raiser is "Are you being paid to do this or volunteering?" I only consider donating if they are too.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I'm not surprised. It's painful to see this and not know what to do.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you have to wonder. Pitiful.
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