Posted on 06/04/2008 9:09:37 AM PDT by yankeedame
3/06/2008 9:51:00 PM.
UN food agency chief Jacques Diouf said today that billions of dollars are being wasted on feeding obese people in the West while millions starve around the world.
"No one understands... how over-consumption by obese people in the world costs $20 billion each year," the head of the Food and Agriculture Organisation told an international summit on the food price crisis.
On top of this, he added, there are "$100 billion in indirect costs resulting from premature deaths and associated diseases."
Diouf also highlighted how an estimated $1.2 trillion was spent on weapons in 2006 while aid to agriculture fell by more than half, from $8 billion in 1984 to $3.4 billion in 2004.
"In real terms, the share of agriculture in public aid to development has fallen from 17 per cent in 1980 to three per cent in 2006," he said.
Recent food riots "are but the chronicle of a catastrophe that was foreseen," said Diouf, whose agency has been harshly criticised.
Diouf lamented the failure to reach a goal set by the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome of reducing the number of hungry by half by 2015.
"With current trends the summit's goal will be attained in 2150 instead of 2015," he added.
Diouf said "the international community reacts, unfortunately, only when the media bring into the living rooms of wealthy countries the sad spectacle of those who suffer in the world."
Sounds like an Obama supporter!
those pictures are a little gross. But what are we supposed to do? Take the cotton candy from the fat kid and give it to the skinny kid? You can’t. The warlords/dictators/corrupt juntas running his country’s economy won’t allow it.
Jacques Diouf needs to take a field trip to Zimbabwe to discover how the breadbasket of Africa can be transformed into the basket case of Africa within just one generation by following the polocies condoned by the United Nations.
Property rights. Rule of law.
Its a very sad thing having starving people in other parts of the world. But America has always given more to help the hungry of the world.
America does not want to be told by the UN how we need to control our food or who in the US can eat or not eat. I know the Democrats and Obama probably buy in to the notion this guy is promulgating in comments.
Stop socialism and get rid of dictators and poor people will have plenty to eat.
Simple.
Isn’t it enough that Sally Struthers makes us feel bad about being able to feed ourselves?
Notice how he fails to mention the enormous amount of UN food aid that has been stolen in places like Somalia and elsewhere. The thieves are often government officials or, like Somalia, armed warlords against whom the UN was woefully impotent.
Geez, I feel so bad now I can’t finish my fries.
Okay, maybe just a few more...
Oh well, all gone. Guess I deserve to be taxed and condemned because I have a full belly now.
“Property rights. Rule of law.”
Bullseye.
Along with a culture dominated by stable, intact nuclear families you have the trifecta of fuel that ignites civilisation.
Goes with this thread...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2025880/posts
We can send them some unwanted animals.
If you don’t finish your french fries, then someone in Africa will starve.
(updating the old “china” lecture from my childhood)
Israel has learned to turn Arid lands in to blooming fields of foods. This is one of the areas that if Israel was not always attacked by the Lefting leaning UN they could help the world. Arab nations have boycotted Israel from participating in some Growing and land irrigation programs in Africa and the Middle East.
Typical socialist crap - everything is a zero sum game, there is only limited good, complete ignorance of economics, and the facile and false notion that it’s simply a matter of forcing a transfer from one party to another.
Last Time I saw Sally she looked like she was eating for an entire nation...
“Isn’t it enough that Sally Struthers makes us feel bad about being able to feed ourselves?”
Maybe they should make those $100 laptops edible...kill two birds with one stone.
I’ve never seen the government spend one penny on any private citizens health or well being except polio
Zimbabwe Crisis: White Farming Couple Beaten And Kicked Off Land
I suppose Jacques never eats French food.
Welecome to Obama’s world.
“Typical socialist crap - everything is a zero sum game, there is only limited good, complete ignorance of economics, and the facile and false notion that it’s simply a matter of forcing a transfer from one party to another.”
You got that right!
The three biggest causes of famine are drought Marxism and revolution (war).
All revolutions that I am aware of these days are lead by Marxist, so you could in reality simplify that down to Marxism and drought.
And if I had to guess which was the leading cause of famine I would choose Marxism.
UN-Useless Nations.
I heard that one too growing up. I always countered with “But it will spoil by the time the postman gets it there.”
Even when I was a little kid I realized that this was a stupid argument.
mmmmm cotton candy....
We’ve given poor countries enough food to feed everybody, but it doesn’t get to them because of corruption in their governments. The same kind of corruption practiced by the UN.
Diuof should try to get back a billion dollars or so from Kofi and see if he can feed anybody with that.
From the strain indicated on the button of his suitcoat, it looks like Dioufe isn't exactly leading by example.
I get a little ticked when I read reports of “the UN provided food to....” or “the UN provided medicine to....” The UN doesn’t grow, produce, manufacture SWAT!
Most of those items come from the US.
The UN is evil and the evil will grow....I can’t help but think the AntiChrist will come from the UN....or be closely tied to it.
The UN clowns are clueless about how markets work — and they are overtly hostile to the very existence of liberty.
The solution is to spread capitalism and freedom to the impoverished lands, but the U.N. clowns will never voice that.
Commies, commies, everywhere, and not an honest man in sight.
If I buy something, it’s mine and I can throw it in the trash if I want.
If he wants it, he can buy it... Oh, that’s right, he’s a commie thief and wants someone else to pay for it. And he’s not particular if that someone else feels bad about it.
In other words, he wants to steal it. And we’re the bad guys?
If Doof were starving to death, I wouldn’t give him a bite of mouldy of bread out of my garbage can. He’d pay my asking price or go without.
Couldn’t find a picture of a fat black kid or a fat Hispanic kid, noooooo.... gotta be a fat white kid. Ah yes.
Didn't South Park do this first?
My post sounds rather like an echo of yours. ;-)
The bastards in the UN will never acknowledge the truth, that world hunger is not due to availability of food or logistics, it’s due to corrupt governments using starvation as a weapon. The very corrupt governments the UN props up.
Meh, whatever, Africa had a 3 million year head start... And when they were very productive, i.e. Rhodesia... the people that didn’t know a a spade from a rock were given control of the land... and now they all starve.. sucks to be them... tribal mentality.
Of course if one travels the ME, China, India, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, Egypt, they will no ever see a fat native citizen in those countries.
WTF?
Clue phone for the idiot at the U.N....could it be that money and materials dedicated to help are squandered, misappropriated and outright STOLEN by the UN when they aren't raping little girls and boys?
no=not
Hmmm, socialism vs. capitalism, hmmm, what to chose?
“Jacques Diouf needs to take a field trip to Zimbabwe to discover how the breadbasket of Africa can be transformed into the basket case of Africa within just one generation by following the polocies condoned by the United Nations.”
I am always a fan of one-sentence summations as long as they are not spin. Very well said, thank you.
That’s because he doesn’t have a good Jewish tailor.
Like this POS has never had foie gras, creme brulee or champaigne?
The UN doesn’t just prop up those corrupt, evil governments, they put them on the UN Human Rights Commission.
Totally agree. Cut UN expense accounts down to zero NOW. Send proceeds to Africa.
Apples and slices of oranges. What's the figure on the TOTAL spent on food - not just "aid", but all food?
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