Chirac Urges Taxes to Help World's Poor [COMMIE WEASEL ALERT]

AP ^ | January 26, 2005 | ROBERT WIELAARD

[Nuzcruizer]

I have never read anything so bizarre! America has plenty of water from a thing you may have noticed called rain. If you were the head of an African family how would you get clean water when it did not rain and no-one helped you. How would you do it then? First of all, Americans don't get drinking water from "rain". They dig wells and pump it out of rivers, then treat it and purify it so it's potable. It takes work and collective effort to build these facilities. Secondly, I wouldn't be the "head of an African familly" if I lived there, because i wouldn't be so foolish to breed like a rabbit without the means to support my little bunnies. Third, they get their water from rivers and streams as well, except the go crap it it first, then run downstream to drink the water. You'd think that they would at least have the common sense to bol it first. Fourth, why aren't these "governments" spending the wealth they already have and drill their own wells instead of buying tanks and planes from Chirac and Germany, Russia and China? They get plenty of foriegn aid already, the problem is it's taken by the cult of death and tyrants. The problem isn't solved by tossing more money at it. The problem is solved by getting rid of these regimes and fundamentalists, establishing law and order, democracy, and legitamate government who can organize the people and get the infrastucture they need built. Yes, there are many victims in those places, but they aren't victims of westrn society, they are victims of Islamic fundamentalizm, which is for the most part the sponser's of these tyrants.

[RJL]

Actually most British colonies in Africa were richer under british rule, than at present like Zimbabwe.

Strangely, British colonialism gave the world some of it's greatest Democracies. It gave us Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and the largest democracy - India.

Can't all be bad! ;-)

On this we agree.

Zimbabwe is Africa writ small.

[Nuzcruizer]

So you and your "citizens" (eh?) get together and take up a collection of...what? You have no money. Then with this imaginary money you buy imaginary drilling tools. Then you find the water....how? It has not rained for a year how do you know where any water is? How do you solve these problems? The exact same way our forefathers did when they set out and settled across the west, which is also quite arrid. You get togethr a dig a freakin' hole until you reach water. We used sticks called a 'divining rod' which made wild guesses seem a little more sientific.

[An Old Marine]

Well lets take a minute and look in my trusty little Rand Mcnally Almanac right here..... Hmmmm Average rainfall in North America (a continent just to keep all things equal) is 27.3 inches In Africa its 33.2 inches.

Hmmm. Looks to me like Africa has plenty of rainfall. I'm certain that its unevenly spread out but then so is North America's.

So it must be something else. Perhaps its the leadership and capital investment. Now I admit that the average African is somewhat powerless but Africans collectively have to take responsibility for their own situation. Call it bizarre but until there is a willingness to assume that responsibility the situation in Africa will not change. No amount of aid, good feelings, or positive karma, will change Africa's situation until they choose to change it.

And that is the lesson of life. Do something for yourself.

[bfree]

Strangely, British colonialism gave the world some of it's greatest Democracies. It gave us Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and the largest democracy - India.

If I recall my history correctly, democracy in the USA was formed after a REVOLUTION from the British. It certainly was not a gift from the British.

[FlipWilson]

I think it is a misstatement to say that Africa has no water and no rain. Certain regions are certainly arid, but I have to ask, how will giving a Billion Gazillion Dollars or taxing the U.S. make it rain? Does it pay for some sort of weird raindance.

Anyway, Americans have NO problem giving, and giving generously, to help causes around the world. What Americans do have a problem with is giving money to corrupt organizations that don't efficiently and honestly distribute money to the cause for which it was dontated. While no aid organization is perfect, in my opinion the UN is tainted in light of the Oil for Food Program Scandal.

M. Chirac wants to tax the U.S. via the UN to increase France's power. He could care less about helping the world. France exercises power, what little it has, purely through its UN veto. No UN or a discredited UN means no power for France. Chirac is a bit alarmed right now because the US, Australia and Japan were able to operate outside the UN to aid the tsunami victims quickly and efficiently. It was almost a full week before the UN could get organized.

[Mark17]

While we are having this stupid conversation, Chirac just proposed another tax. Check this out.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1329115/posts?page=15

[Sprite518]

How about we say, "Chirac you can pay for it with all the Billions of dollars you made from th Oil for Food scandal".

[Nuzcruizer]

That's the way life is, work and toil, and enjoy the fruit of the harvest.
There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that they can't get together and dig a well.

Even here up until after ww2, most wells were hand dug. Communies used to gather and provide sweat, not money when a new settler came and built a homestead.

Now it's simple, higher a drill rig, and pay through the nose for a well diggin' guy called Gus.

I guess these African governments for the last 50 years, since these relatively cheap rigs became widely available, can't afford to shell out a few measely bucks from the foriegn aid payments they recieve.

You see John Wheatly, wefare has never solved any problems, all it does is create a society of lazy, unmotivated people who just sit around waiting for the mailman to deliver the next check. I see this all over
the place.
Sure, there are those who truly need it, unfortunately their needs are being compromized by the millions who don't, but collect the easy money anyway.

[TChris]

Oh and you are not the only country to give aid and labour. So don't get all self-righteous.

Of course we aren't. The UK gives a very sizable percentage of GDP in foreign aid as well. I think the point is, it isn't right to confiscate money -- which is, after all, what taxes do -- for the purposes of philanthropy.

While we can and do help with the short-term problem, the deeper, underlying issues with government corruption and ignorance among the people of Africa must be resolved before there will be stable sources of the basics. Throwing more and more money at the problem simply increases the dependence. Africa will have to make the necessary changes that enable economic prosperity, which is the best way to remedy environmental problems.

A worldwide tax in the name of philanthropy is simply socialist wealth redistribution, nothing more.

Oh, and I live in a desert region in the US. We get somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 - 8 inches of annual precipitation. I believe Africa has that beat.

[An Old Marine]

I'm not angry. You miss the point. OK we dig a guy a well. But then how about health care? and lunch? and shelter? and protection from the genocide? and education?

The list is endless

Once again. The only solution is for people to work out their own problems. If a assist is made to someone genuinely trying to pull their own chestnuts outta the fire then I'm all for it but why do you think a well (or a million wells as it would actually take) actually change anything.

Whats required is a change in the mind set of so many that believe themselves to be helpless. Unfortunately the world is moving in direction of rewarding helplessness.

Ultimately that is the root problem of much of the world's underclass.

[An Old Marine]

Oh and...

Unfortunately, as we've seen recently in the Oil for Food nonsense, even when huge resources are available ($25 Billion? $30 Billion?) under international supervision (the UN) the money ends up in the pockets of "caring politicans"

[Nuzcruizer]

I got to this first sentence then gave up. Where do you think rivers come from if not rain?

You suggested that Americans sat around in the rain and collected it for drinking water, getting their drinking water directly from rain. Rain, I hope you know, falls from the sky, (washes all the puke, pee from homeless wino's, car grease animal poop and pee, rotting things,and so many other things to nasty and numerous to mention) then collects in to gutters, sewers, streams which turn into rivers etc. We pump it out of there for the most part, clean it up and drink it. For those of us who live in the country, we get it right out of the ground.

[Mark17]

And, while we are at it, the people of Phoenix, Arizona need clean water. What other country on earth do you think will help them?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1328121/posts