Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2014 14:23:30 GMT
With the recent Budget many people in the country are still very unhappy with how things are being handled here. I can't remember where I originally read it, but one story somewhere mentioned foreign aid to countries such as Syria. I ended up looking up Ireland's foreign aid, and last year it was apparently €637 million. After listening to the radio recently, and just knowing about problems here in general, I find the amount of foreign aid being given away to be disgraceful and do believe it should be cut. I realise that this will come across as harsh, so I will explain my reasoning with a few points below:
1) We're financially messed up. Giving away this much money given the current situation is an insult.
2) Charity starts at home. I've seen people try to belittle this point by making comparisons to people suffering in this country to people suffering in foreign countries, but the fact of the matter is this is our country, and therefore we are obliged to take care of ourselves first.
3) It's about vanity rather than charity. One thing I've always though about the Irish is that they are a great bunch of panderers and flatterees. The idea that a government that has no qualms about screwing over its own citizens where it thinks it can get away with it, yet then somehow sympathises with people in a far off country is laughable. The government is interested in Ireland's reputation as a great charity giver, and therefore could care less how many of its citizens have to suffer for the sake up keeping up that farce.
4) Questionable delivery of charity. Aside from the scandals surrounding high-payed bosses of organised charities recently, there is also the problem of the people within the receiving countries not actually handling the aid as they're supposed to. I don't think there is anyone who doesn't know about this already. It's not much of a secret. Besides, you cannot call it charity just because you send it away. If it's getting into the wrong hands then you are part of the problem. In regards to countries like Syria, you may even be putting the aid directly into the hands of terrorists.
5) Some of these countries caused their own misery. Two countries I saw mentioned were "Palestine" (see: Gaza) and Syria. For anyone who is in any way up to date with these countries, they are both basically responsible for their own problems. Sure, that's a generalisation, but the fact is that people in these countries caused the problems, and it's a cop out to expect people in other countries to come to your rescue because you won't do anything yourself. Before anyone accuses me of being too harsh, try considering what would have happened if every country that has ever existed took this kind of attitude (that they'll wait for other countries to help them). The fact is, the more money you give to countries that cause their own misery, the more you encourage them in their foolish behaviour. They will grow to used to foreign aid and live off it rather than using it to improve things; and that's just the people who actually get it. Now, there are those who are just trapped between the troubles and might have no hand in it themselves. By all means, help those people. But don't be stupid and start throwing out aid everywhere you go. If the country is going to give aid, then actually make sure you're giving it to the people who require and deserve it. Otherwise you may as well just withhold it.
I know my points will come across as very harsh, but the fact is that many of these countries have been getting aid for years and show absolutely no signs of improving. If our country wants to actually help then maybe it's time to do something other than throw money at them and hope for the best. Maybe it's time to consider a policy of quality over quantity. In other words cut the amount of spending on foreign aid, then actually get your foot on the ground over there and make sure the right people are getting it. If they're not or certain people over there won't let you see how the aid is being used then simply cut it off for good, because quite frankly it's obviously not going to the right places then. This is why I have a problem with the entire situation. Charity is no longer about charity. It's nothing more than an abusive business and a vanity project, and all secretly done at the expense of the regular Irish citizen.
1) We're financially messed up. Giving away this much money given the current situation is an insult.
2) Charity starts at home. I've seen people try to belittle this point by making comparisons to people suffering in this country to people suffering in foreign countries, but the fact of the matter is this is our country, and therefore we are obliged to take care of ourselves first.
3) It's about vanity rather than charity. One thing I've always though about the Irish is that they are a great bunch of panderers and flatterees. The idea that a government that has no qualms about screwing over its own citizens where it thinks it can get away with it, yet then somehow sympathises with people in a far off country is laughable. The government is interested in Ireland's reputation as a great charity giver, and therefore could care less how many of its citizens have to suffer for the sake up keeping up that farce.
4) Questionable delivery of charity. Aside from the scandals surrounding high-payed bosses of organised charities recently, there is also the problem of the people within the receiving countries not actually handling the aid as they're supposed to. I don't think there is anyone who doesn't know about this already. It's not much of a secret. Besides, you cannot call it charity just because you send it away. If it's getting into the wrong hands then you are part of the problem. In regards to countries like Syria, you may even be putting the aid directly into the hands of terrorists.
5) Some of these countries caused their own misery. Two countries I saw mentioned were "Palestine" (see: Gaza) and Syria. For anyone who is in any way up to date with these countries, they are both basically responsible for their own problems. Sure, that's a generalisation, but the fact is that people in these countries caused the problems, and it's a cop out to expect people in other countries to come to your rescue because you won't do anything yourself. Before anyone accuses me of being too harsh, try considering what would have happened if every country that has ever existed took this kind of attitude (that they'll wait for other countries to help them). The fact is, the more money you give to countries that cause their own misery, the more you encourage them in their foolish behaviour. They will grow to used to foreign aid and live off it rather than using it to improve things; and that's just the people who actually get it. Now, there are those who are just trapped between the troubles and might have no hand in it themselves. By all means, help those people. But don't be stupid and start throwing out aid everywhere you go. If the country is going to give aid, then actually make sure you're giving it to the people who require and deserve it. Otherwise you may as well just withhold it.
I know my points will come across as very harsh, but the fact is that many of these countries have been getting aid for years and show absolutely no signs of improving. If our country wants to actually help then maybe it's time to do something other than throw money at them and hope for the best. Maybe it's time to consider a policy of quality over quantity. In other words cut the amount of spending on foreign aid, then actually get your foot on the ground over there and make sure the right people are getting it. If they're not or certain people over there won't let you see how the aid is being used then simply cut it off for good, because quite frankly it's obviously not going to the right places then. This is why I have a problem with the entire situation. Charity is no longer about charity. It's nothing more than an abusive business and a vanity project, and all secretly done at the expense of the regular Irish citizen.