Hi Maree,

As is often the case with foreign aid in any form, it comes from wealth, someone else’s wealth. It could reasonably be said that if the industrialized world does not create enough wealth it cannot afford the largess of foreign aid. This is also the case with national wealth in the case of our own welfare systems.

In Australia our welfare system appears to maintain the status quo for many recipients, this seems also to be the case with much of our international aid. Perhaps we should focus our energy on solving some problems much closer to home?

Australian of the Year winner 2003, Professor Fiona Stanley, in her description of our “toxic society” says;

“Nearly 20 percent of Australian teenagers now have mental health problems. Nearly a quarter of all families now rely on welfare. Suicides among 15-19 year old males have quadrupled since the 1970s. Obesity has increased in teenagers from around 10 percent in 1985 to nearly 25 percent today. A quarter of all children aged four and five are now overweight for their height. The number of people aged 12 to 18 who are homeless on any given night has increased dramatically to 26,000 last year. Documented increases are evidenced in substance abuse, child abuse, binge drinking, teenage pregnancy, eating disorders, juvenile crime, juvenile diabetes, low-birth weight babies, Neuro developmental complications, asthma, serious behavioral problems and autism. Twelve year old children are having more and more mental health problems, depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, schizophrenia, right through to violent behavior towards teachers and parents”.

Under developed nations are so because their leaderships are ineffective.

One of the great tragedies of modern times and one of the greatest evils perpetrated upon the peoples of the underdeveloped nations, is the notion that their pain, suffering and poverty is a direct result of the policies, oppression, domination and power of the developed world, when in fact, it is a direct result of the policies, oppression, domination and power of their own leadership that is the primary cause.

It’s time charity began at home

What it is time to do is up the fight against people who get paid far too much of our money, to send our money on useless causes.

Even if any of our aid does get through to any of those we are supposed to be helping, a most unusual event, all it does is keep more of them fit for breeding, thus making the problem worse year on year.

When we see some of the huge wealthy class in places like Indonesia, & India doing something for their citizens, then & only then should a single cent of our money go overseas. We have enough of our own to worry about.

After their last Tsunami our defense people sent to help were told to "P1SS OFF", "Go home, we don't want you, just send money". Forget it.

It's endearing that we have some posts here who love Australia so much they won't sacrifice a cent of my tax dollars for international aid programs. Personally, I want more boat people here as then we can breed out these recalcitrant and objectionable racist attitudes that have haunted us since Federation and before.

What most of these people find objectionable is not the fact that we help build infrastructure for poor nations - water, agriculture, sewerage, etc - but that there are people to the north of Australia who don't look, act or sound like us. For them, the world is a frightening place.

Cheryl,

<< we help build infrastructure for poor nations - water, agriculture, sewerage >>

Yes we do but isn’t that the task of their own leaders?

Their own leaders are corrupt and wealthy beyond belief. Whatever we do for them in the form of money, skills transfer, education, healthcare or infrastructure, it all ends up be owned, operated and rhorted by their own leadership.

If you want to support their populations you have many choices. You can go there and help them, you can send your own hard earned cash, you can take some of them in as refugees, house and support them, you can get a job with the UN, you can stand for election in Australia and seek an electoral mandate for your views and you can lobby our current government to spend even more of other peoples taxes.

You’re spoilt for choice really. What are you waiting for?

PS. If you want to start a breeding program to rid yourself of Australian’s it might be quicker to emigrate, please let me know if you need a reference.

I can particularly recommend Pakistan, India, Central Africa, Afghanistan, China, anywhere in South America, Indonesia, Burma and my personal preference for you, Kazakhstan.

You would be right at home in all of these fine countries as there absolutely no racism or discrimination of any sort. Trust me.

Cheryl Quote "It's endearing that we have some posts here who love Australia so much they won't sacrifice a cent of my tax dollars for international aid programs. Personally, I want more boat people here as then we can breed out these recalcitrant and objectionable racist attitudes"

How naive of you 1st the tax dollars are the Australian peoples not yours.
2nd, wanting to protect a country for future generations from welfare invaders does not make a person a racist except in the eyes of someone who can not come up with a better argument.

To quote you further "One poster worried about boat arrivals. You ain't seen nothing yet." obviously in view of your more recent post this was a try at being sarcastic, you have now lost a degree of credibility.

Further to quote you "For them, the world is a frightening place." when they see your welfare system etc it is frightening because they do not have one and as the UN said a lot are just economic refugees.

Have you been around Cheryl, it sure doesn't sound like it? If you had you would know how the better off in the countries the boat people treat all the rest of the population.

It is only the better off who can cone as boat people, the rest could never raise the smuggler price, let alone get to Indonesia in the first place.

Have you ever seen where the money goes, if any of it is allowed to get past the aid NGO executives pockets? I have, & I never saw a single useful bit of work, other than that done by our service men.

Spend the aid budget on defense, we'll need it quite soon, & by all means let them go help, when there's nothing else requiring them, but Government Foreign Aid, & NGO games are as useful at tits on a bull.