Aid to India

[crashtest]

Aid to India part of broad plan to build trade and investment, says minister - UK Politics - UK - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/aid-to-india-part-of-broad-plan-to-build-trade-and-investment-says-minister-6278373.html)

'...Since then, Britain has seen its exports to India increase by 45 per cent and there is the potential to develop that ever more. One potential deal officials are anxiously following is the sale of 126 fighter jets to Delhi. The EuroFighter Typhoon, made by a European consortium including Britain's BAE Systems, is one of two jets that have made the final shortlist in a deal worth an estimated £6.6bn.
Asked about the strategic goals of Britain's aid programme to India, Mr Mitchell yesterday referred to the proposed education scheme in Orissa, and added: "It's about everything I have just mentioned. The focus… is also about seeking to sell Typhoon. The relationship is a relationship you have to take in the round.".

Oh well - you gotta admire his honesty, if nothing else...

:mad: :ugh:

[Doctor Cruces]

We'll give India x-ty gaziilion quid in order that they may buy British products.

Why not just give them the stuff and get the treasury to pay BAe direct,
cut out the middle men and cut out the associated "costs" etc.

Doc C

[Rosevidney1]

Sorry but I've got a terminal bout of 'donor fatigue'. In fact I no longer feel like borrowing money to give away to any nuclear power.

[Mach Two]

Oh, how can you say that. Any country with a GDP of 4.5 trillion; military ties to Russia, Isreal and France; nuclear weapons (and have not signed the CTBT nor the NNPT); civil nuclear; 1.6 million in their armed forces; a big aerospace industry and an multi-billion dollar space programme deserves every penny of mine that our government thoughtfully snatches from me!!!

[pr00ne]

Mach Two,

India does not have a GDP anything near what you quote, it was $1.7 trillion in 2010 vs $2.25 trillion for the UK. India also has military ties to the UK and the USA.

What we spend on aid to India is a mere pittance, why begrudge giving children clean water and the gift of sight, I for one am happy money is spent on such things.

[500N]

"nuclear weapons (and have not signed the CTBT nor the NNPT); civil nuclear"

Not sure having signed the CTBT nor the NNPT is that relevant if you do the wrong thing anyway but it seems that they might be one of the few countries that at least seems to do the right thing - or at least haven't been caught yet !

Now even Australia is going to sell uranium to them, an unheard of thing a few years ago !!!
.

On the subject of aid, I do wonder why we give millions in aid to some countries. They spend 30+ billion on defence yet can't provide clean water to children.

.

[Mach Two]

Yeah, what do I know? Millions, billions. I should check Wikipedia rahter than rely on my memory, obviously. Sorry.

Slightly tongue in cheek, my real point is how countries can afford all the big, shiny, expensive military toys and a space programme but still needs help to feed its poor. It's not just India, the UK has similar issues, if we're honest (although we're all up in arms because of cuts).

As for the treaties, my point there is that we villify other nations for developing "the bomb", but happily give money to one that won't make any concessions to non-proliferation. But fully take your point 500N.

It was just a rant. I'm better now.

[Courtney Mil]

We'll be the judge of that. Start taking your meds again. You're showing worrying symptoms today!

[500N]

Courtney Mil

Agree, he needs to keep taking his meds:O


Re India, my Uncle went to India in the early 60's, he came back to the UK and he had said instead of giving all the millions in Aid to India, we would be better off giving a Spade, bucket and a Wheel barrow to all of them. When I went to India, it still looked like a cesspool.
.

[jamesdevice]

I think you'll find a fair part of our aid to India actually gets re-donated by them to places such as the Seychelles, to pay for India providing them with MPA and other defensive services

[Courtney Mil]

Give a man a fish and feed himself tonight. Give a man a fishing rod and feed his family all year.

[jamesdevice]

unless he's polluted his rivers and coasts
In which case he has to pinch someone elses fish

[Courtney Mil]

The big economies are good at that!

[Courtney Mil]

Actually, it's probably one of the big economies that poluted it in the first place. Read my long and tedious blog on the subject.

[jamesdevice]

BBC News - Who, What, Why: Why does the UK give aid to India? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12607537)

"The government is expected to freeze the level of assistance given to India at £295m ($480m) a year. But why does a nuclear power with its own space programme need British aid? In a widely-signalled move, it is anticipated that International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell will announce the amount of aid given to India will be maintained at 2009/10 levels......
"Moreover, India is itself a foreign aid donor, providing more than £300m ($500m) to poorer countries in 2008.......
""India spends £36bn a year on defence and £750m a year on its space programme," he says. "What's more, India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. It's completely unjustifiable, especially at this time."

[NutLoose]

It is one of lifes Mysteries, like why are UK citizens allowed to import spouses from the sub continent, surely the Indian... Pakistan... etc.... Ethnic population is now well enough established in the UK to seek spouses here without breaking any religious or other grounds..............


Some will see that as "Racist" no doubt, but it is not, it is simply asking why?????

[jamesdevice]

its a bit tighter now. The spouses have to demonstrate the ability to speak English.
However you are correct, its a disgrace. I used to work in an company near Burnley which was predominantly Pakistani-staffed , and all the girls had to look forward to in life was a forced marriage to some tribal bloke they'd never met who couldn't speak english, had no chance of employment, and therefore required the women to work to keep the men in the style they would like to live in. Mind you that style was basic - some of the immigrant men we had working for us were unable to use a western toilet. They would stand on the seat and squat, with resultant **** flying everywhere

[Mach Two]

Nice tale, JD. And beautifully told. I'm going for a lie down.

[jamesdevice]

you know that one of the recipients of aid from India last year was North Korea? Several hundreds of tonnes of food. I wonder what the N Koreans offered in exchange. Nuclear technology? I doubt it. Back door Chinese military technology? Possible. Mutual military aid agreement? Maybe

[glojo]

Giving aid to allegedly poorer countries might be a way of keeping our employment figures down.

We give India £Xmillion in aid, this then frees that country of any obligation to provide that amount of money. That then allows this nation to 'waste' a similar amount on arms or even its own space program (http://www.isro.org/) :eek: Maybe this nation might then feel guilty and spend some of that money on products that we might still manufacture.:uhoh:

Could it be argued that if we gave nothing, they would then have to concentrate on solving there own problems?

I have never been to India but I was in Ethiopia\Eritrea during their famine in the 1970's and most of our aid was in reality SOLD ON THE BLACK MARKET!!

I'm sorry folks but I will never give one penny, nor agree to our country giving aid to any country. Charity begins at home and we need to look long and hard at the way we treat our elderly or the infirm (http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/hospitals-warned-over-dementia-care/).:uhoh::uhoh: .. Old age pensioners spending the day sitting on a bus just to keep warm is not something we should be proud of, condone or even find acceptable!

Merry Christmas
Scrooge

[jamesdevice]

I'd ship them bullets to help with the population growth issue, but thats about it

[BombayDuck]

I'd ship them bullets to help with the population growth issue, but thats about it

How charming of you.

[jamesdevice]

I don't do charming

I suppose instead of bullets, a few DIY vasectomy kits would also work (assuming we still make razor blades in the UK???)