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The Forum > Article Comments > Time to act > Comments

Time to act : Comments

By Njongonkulu Ndungane, published 17/11/2006

Over the two-days the G-20 meet, 60,000 children will die from poverty related causes.

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While it is a truly admirable ideal, 'making poverty history' will remain a catch phrase as long as the fundamental problems remain. Talking of GDP percentages increasing to meet aid or changing the 'market' dominance of economics WILL NOT solve the problems in Africa.

Unfortunately by increasing aid all the west is doing is funding the Mercedes motorcades in Harare and Sudan. Instead of protests at economic and government forums, the radical left should be blockading the palaces of the real problems-the likes of Mugabe etc who perpetuate suffering amongst their own people by deliberately blocking aid and selling it to the highest bidder
Posted by wre, Sunday, 19 November 2006 1:08:42 PM
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Too much compassion has got the world in the mess it's in today.We have to realistic and look at the underlying problems.A little over 150yrs ago the industrial revolution has brought about enormous changes which basically began in the West.Better food production and medicine to fight disease in poor countries have seen their pop.expand expodentially,yet no one mentioned the need to reduce family size.It is very irresponsible to give people the tools of over popoulation and not insist on birth control.

Now,with both resources and energy becoming scarcer due to China and India modernising,millions more in other poor countries will suffer.

The world does not have the energy,resources or environmental capacity to raise the living standards to that of advanced countries.To sign Kyoto in its' present form gives carte blanche rights to poor countries to pollute at will,continue over populating,while we become poor and see the environment deteriorate even more.

We are giving all our jobs to China and India.What more can we do?Our real living standards in terms of housing affordability and daily living costs have fallen significantly over the last 20yrs.Manufactured goods from China are cheaper,but at an enormous cost.This Globalisation just gives unfetted power to the multi-nationals who see third world cheap wages as a way of having enormous margins and creating larger markets without having to pay taxes for infrastructure or education.

With groundwater depletion,soil, vegetation destruction more arid areas developing due to climate change,things will get a lot worse.Just watch our food prices soar due to the drought.We will have enormous problems just looking after our own very soon ,without taking on the world's insurmountable problems.
Posted by Arjay, Sunday, 19 November 2006 1:19:21 PM
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Boaz: "FRONT LINE is where I was, with a policewoman with a batton aimed at me about a meter away. When I told her I'm not a protestor and would defend her..."

So if you weren't there to protest, what exactly were you doing at the "FRONT LINE" (sic) ? Surely not looking for a little biffo? Hoping to save a few Trot souls?

Given your expressed regret at leaving before "the action started", one can only conclude that it was the former purpose.

Did you wear a brown shirt?
Posted by CJ Morgan, Sunday, 19 November 2006 2:04:17 PM
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CJ, A good mate of mine (socialist alliance) told me last night that saw a bloke wearing a brown shirt and brown baggy shorts, pith hat, knee length white socks and leather sandals (standard missionary clobber) sucking up to the coppers and then running away when it became apparent to him that it wasn't going to work.

I reckon that policewomen was waving that baton at him for dressing like this in public. It should be an arrestable offence if you ask me. it?

Arjay and Dee, well excuse me. The past 400 years of western development was depended on exploiting these same nations that are overpopulated. Ever heard of Mercantilism? But lets not history and Lefty sentiment for the plight of other human beings get in the way of approaching these matters rationally and with our interests in mind. But to you two this is simply expressing good Australians values and culture isn't it. Warm humanitarian people that you both are.
Posted by Rainier, Sunday, 19 November 2006 3:07:44 PM
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C.J. and Ranier..*gang of 2* :)

I went there mainly to observe....and learn. I did both. As for a bit of biffo... I was not up to it as I have a pulled muscle in my left groin/upper thigh area.

I'll share some of what I learnt.

1/ Political Correctness/feminism in front line policing is putting lives in danger. 55kg petite females against a surging mass of hundreds ? think.
2/ I learnt how such protests are seen as an opportunity by many diverse groups to proclaim their message.
-Animal Liberation
-Christians (yep.. there was a presence)
-PhalunGong protesters.
-Mexican Indigenous Indian group (publicising a massacre by the Mexican government)

What I found interesting from the Mexican Indian bloke was his attitude that the mass flood of illegal Mexicans into America is just re-claiming stolen terrority. Though I find it hard to comprehend why an 'Indian' regards such territory as 'Mexican' when that same government is the one which massacred his own people ? hmmmmm

POLICE TACTICS The police could have captured all the 'guirilla' protesters by having un-uniformed members ready to close off exits of all street approaches. All we have now is "Police hunt thugs" headlines.
It COULD have been "50 thugs in custody"

The Arterial Bloc mob had a website which made known the contact details. The police should have had undercover members infiltrate this and find out exactly where and what.

If push came to shove, and a white suited protestor was attacking public (as in MY taxpayer doller funded) property such as police vans etc.. I would have no issue with making a citizens arrest. Under the crimes act this is lawful behavior. You have a problem ? Take it to your local member.
Brownshirt ? :) not my color. By the way, inner renewal cannot be achieved by 'brownshirt' action. duh.

Kippy.
Spiritually Renewed capitalists will do far more for poverty than unrenewed socialists mate. The socialists would have bankrupted all the reserve banks decades ago. Unrenewed capitalists are as dangerous as unrenewed Socialists.
Posted by BOAZ_David, Monday, 20 November 2006 7:27:12 AM
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Kipp “To have people who have never known hunger, discuss poverty is a joke!”

Same too, those who have no knowledge of how to run a chook raffle should not be protesting against those who, in the most part, selected by their experience and then elected by the populous in free elections to run national economies as ministers of government.

We have all seen it, when socialists get hold of an economy, it is on the road to rack and ruin, then those who would not, under conservative government, have known hunger ever, get a good taste of it first hand under socialist incompetence.

Remember Tricontinental. Remember the sale of the State Bank of Victoria, the Scoresby Freeway which was renamed the Scoresby Tollway the day after Brack’s & Co was elected last time.

Whilst your quip might be an attempt at being profound, it is really just the expected contempt through ignorance and plain envy which underscores every socialist’s opinion.

Rainier “Arjay, Your compassion is just so deep and plentiful.”

Oh sarcasm becomes you rainier, or is it patronage? Either way, Arjay is right, I know it, you know it, so what is wrong with stating the bleeding obvious or does recognizing it disrupt the view from your ivory tower?

As for “The past 400 years of western development was depended on exploiting these same nations”

Those 400 years saw the class system exploiting their own too. Remember the Corn Laws, the Enclosures Acts, the Peterloo Massacre.

The world has changed. We are responsible for our own actions, not our ancestors. I know it is a nice anecdote for you to feel superior and smug by suggesting we of the modern west should atone for the shortcomings of our ancestors but it ain’t gonna happen.

As well as that the “West” does far more than anyone else in trying to lift these underdeveloped nations out of their economic sloth and poverty. I see not many African or South American or Asian Nations with a “Foreign Aid budget” do you?

I am with you David Boaz.
Posted by Col Rouge, Monday, 20 November 2006 8:02:10 AM
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